January 16, 2028 – January 25, 2028 · 8 nights · 8 stops
Explora's name for it: A Journey of Island Jewels & Historic Echoes
The itinerary, port by port
8 calls over 8 nights, Hong Kong to Shanghai. Open any port for my full day-ashore guide, what to see, when to go, and how the day actually runs.
Getting there: Flights to Hong Kong (HKG) open around February 2027, about 11 months before you sail. I track that window for booked clients and flag it the moment it is worth booking. When to book your flights →
Hong Kong delivers one of the densest skylines on the planet, a harbor crossed by century-old ferries, and a mountain peak you reach by funicular for the postcard view down over it all. Port guide →
Ishigaki is the hub of the Yaeyama islands at the far southwest end of Okinawa, a subtropical island of coral reefs, white-sand beaches, and turquoise water far closer to Taiwan than to mainland Japan. Port guide →
Naha is the capital of Okinawa and the heart of the old Ryukyu Kingdom, a culture that was its own seafaring nation before it was Japanese. Port guide →
Naze is the main town of Amami Oshima, a subtropical island between Kyushu and Okinawa whose forests and coast were named a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in 2021 for their biodiversity. Port guide →
Kagoshima sits at the foot of Kinko Bay staring across at Sakurajima, one of the world's most active volcanoes, which still dusts the city with ash on most days. Port guide →
Nagasaki spent two centuries as Japan's only window to the West, and the result is a port city where a Chinese quarter, a Dutch trading post, and hillside Western mansions sit within a few tram stops of… Port guide →
Busan is South Korea's second city and busiest port, a coastal sprawl of beaches, mountain temples, seafood markets, and a hillside village painted every color. Port guide →
Shanghai is China's largest city and its financial center, where a colonial-era riverfront faces a wall of 21st-century towers across the Huangpu. Port guide →
Fares on this departure, decoded
Reading the fare fine print is the job. Here's what this sailing currently carries:
Invitation to Discover More
Explora's discovery fare, available across most of the calendar. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
Early Booking Benefit
A fare for booking far enough ahead of departure. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
The ship and your suite
This sailing is aboard EXPLORA III, all-suite,
every suite with a private ocean-front terrace. Suites run from the entry Ocean Terrace to the Owner's
Residence; the right tier depends on how you travel.
Compare suites → · What's included →
Send me the dates and the suite tier you have in mind and I'll come back with a confirmed live number and my read on the sailing within two hours. Best available price, and I make it worth more.