On the morning of August 28, we will fly out of Pensacola, connecting in Atlanta and Calgary before arriving in Tokyo, Japan, on the afternoon of August 29. We will spend two nights in Tokyo before boarding the Celebrity Millennium and departing for Kobe, Japan on August 31.

We will arrive in Kobe on September 2, and take the train to Himeji Castle, the oldest still-standing castle in Japan. We then will ride the train to Kyoto to spend the night at a traditional Japanese inn before exploring the sights of one of Japan's most historic cities. That evening, we will take the train to Osaka where our ship will have docked overnight. We will finish our time in the region by exploring Osaka until our ship departs on the afternoon of September 4.

From Osaka, we will sail over the course of four days through Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the United States dropped the atomic bombs in World War II. On Sunday, September 8, we will sail to Jeju Island, South Korea, (an international stop required by Japanese law for international cruises) where we will attend church and see what the attendees recommend to us until the afternoon, when we depart. On September 9, we will visit Kagoshima, where Saigou Takamori was defeated by the Imperial Japanese Army at the Battle of Shiroyama -- the last stand of the samurai.

We will have one more sea day on September 10 before arriving at Shimizu on Septeber 11, Sean's 30th birthday. If weather permits, we will be able to have a clear view of Mt. Fuji, Japan's most iconic landmark. Then finally, on September 12, we will arrive back in Tokyo, where we will spend two more days before flying out on the night of September 13. After connections in Calgary and Atlanta, we will return to Pensacola on Saturday, September 14.