Norwegian Jade in Shimizu: Six Calls, One Rule
No ship comes back to Shimizu more often this autumn than Norwegian Jade — six planned calls between early October and the first day of December 2026. Every single one arrives at 07:00, which is the best news a Shimizu passenger can get: that’s the exact window when Mt. Fuji is most likely to be out, and autumn is the best season for it. The variable — the only variable — is when she leaves.
Jade’s Shimizu calls, late 2026
These are the cruise line’s published plans. The port committee confirms berths about one month ahead, so treat times as near-final but re-check your daily programme:
| Date | Arrives | Departs | Time ashore* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 8 Oct | 07:00 | 14:30 | ~6 h |
| Mon 26 Oct | 07:00 | 15:00 | ~6.5 h |
| Wed 11 Nov | 07:00 | 17:00 | ~8.5 h |
| Fri 13 Nov | 07:00 | 17:00 | ~8.5 h |
| Sun 29 Nov | 07:00 | 17:00 | ~8.5 h |
| Tue 1 Dec | 07:00 | 15:00 | ~6.5 h |
*Assuming you’re back on board 60 minutes before departure, per the one rule.
The full port calendar — every line, every date — is in our Shimizu schedule.
Two different days, same ship
The 17:00 departures (both November middles and the 29th) are proper days. Wake early, check the mountain from deck as you sail in, and if it’s out, commit: Nihondaira panorama by taxi, or the water bus to Miho no Matsubara — 25 minutes out, 15 back, ¥1,000 a leg. With 8.5 usable hours you can do either at a walking pace and still fit a tuna lunch at Kashi-no-Ichi.
The 14:30–15:00 departures (8 Oct, 26 Oct, 1 Dec) are a different animal. Back-on-board at 13:30–14:00 means your real day ends at lunch. This is the Royal Princess problem, and the answer is the same: stay walkable. Fish market when it opens, Sushi Yokocho, the bayfront — or one tight water-bus round to Miho on the 9:55 out and 12:35 back. What you should not do on these calls is board a road-based Mt. Fuji excursion; the cost-and-time maths never works with a 13:30 gangway deadline.
November is the quiet advantage
Jade’s November calls hit the sweet spot most summer passengers never get: the clearest Fuji odds of the year (late autumn air, snow back on the summit) and a port that’s calmed down after the October rush. If your cruise gives you a choice of dates, take the November ones. Kunozan Toshogu’s autumn colours are usually running by the 29 November call, and the strawberry stalls below the shrine open their season around then too.
First time at this port?
Start with the complete Shimizu cruise port guide — terminal layout, the free shuttle, money and Wi-Fi — then pick a plan by your hours: 6-hour plans for the short calls, full-day plans for the 17:00 departures.
Call dates and times are the line’s published plans as of August 2026 and can change; the port’s official confirmation lands about a month before each call. Your ship’s daily programme always wins.
