Booking a 2027 Japan cruise and want the one with the Mt. Fuji stop? This page tracks which ships are expected at Shimizu in 2027, and firms up as the lines and the port confirm. Bookmark it — we update it the way we maintain the 2026 schedule, against official port publications.
The 2027 season at a glance
Cruise-line itineraries already list around 100 Shimizu calls by 24 ships across 2027 — on par with the port’s record 2025. Everything below is the lines’ published plans via port timetable databases (CruiseTimetables, checked 16 Aug 2026): planned, not promised. The port committee confirms each month ~30 days ahead, and times will move.
The headlines:
Celebrity Millennium doubles down: ~20 calls, spring through autumn, almost all on her passenger-friendly 07:00 arrival.
Princess runs a two-ship Japan season — Diamond Princess (~12 calls, many on her tricky 13:00-arrival pattern) plus Sapphire Princess (~6 calls), with a Grand Princess cameo in August. This matches Princess’s announced biggest-ever Japan year.
Royal Caribbean returns twice in May — Navigator of the Seas (13 May) and Spectrum of the Seas (16 May).
Norwegian Jade makes ~10 calls, again owning late autumn (five November-ish dates).
A luxury wave: Oceania brings three ships (Nautica, Vista, Riviera), Silversea two (Muse, Moon), plus Seven Seas Explorer, Seabourn Encore, Explora III, Europa 2 and Fred. Olsen’s Borealis.
Viking Venus looks set to repeat her overnight (2–3 Oct listing shows a next-day departure), with Viking Orion following mid-October.
About 100 listed calls as of 16 August 2026. Double-listed dates (same ship, two itineraries) are shown once with the earlier arrival. This page is refreshed as lines finalise deployments and the port confirms.
How to choose your 2027 sailing, if Fuji is the point
Season first: October–November or February–April. Clear-summit odds are best in cool, dry air, and the peak is snow-capped — the photo you’re imagining. Summer calls have the worst odds.
Arrival time second: earlier is better. The mountain is clearest 06:00–08:00. A 07:00 arrival (Celebrity’s and NCL’s standard here) puts you on deck for the best window of the day.
Departure time decides your day. 17:00+ departures fit the full Nihondaira panorama or the Miho pine grove; 14:00–15:00 departures mean a walkable morning — the difference is bigger than any itinerary brochure suggests. Our plans by hours ashore are built for exactly this.
What we’ll update, and when
Ship-by-ship 2027 dates as cruise lines finalise deployments (rolling, from late 2026)
Last updated 16 August 2026. 2027 information reflects cruise-line announcements and port-database listings as of that date; nothing for 2027 is officially confirmed by the port yet, and everything here will move — that’s why this page exists.
Quick answers
Which cruise lines will call at Shimizu in 2027?
Port databases already list Shimizu calls from February through November 2027, with the heaviest months being March–May and October. Princess Cruises has announced its biggest Japan season ever for 2027 (two ships, 50 itineraries), and Royal Caribbean is basing Ovation of the Seas in Tokyo (Yokohama) — Shimizu is a staple stop on Tokyo-based Mt. Fuji itineraries. Ship-by-ship dates firm up as lines finalise deployments, and the port confirms each month about 30 days ahead.
When is the best time to cruise to Shimizu for Mt. Fuji?
For summit visibility: October–November and February–April, when the air is clearest and the summit is snow-capped. Summer calls see the mountain least often. Mornings beat afternoons in every season — an 07:00 arrival is worth more than an extra hour in port.
When will the official 2027 Shimizu schedule be published?
The Shimizu Port Cruise Committee confirms berths roughly one month before each call month, and its annual list firms up progressively through late 2026. Cruise-line itineraries for 2027 are already bookable now. We update this page as ships and dates are confirmed.
Prefer a guided version?
Short on time, or want it all arranged? These cruise-friendly private tours cover this route with an English guide and port pickup.
These are booked through our partner Viator (a Tripadvisor company). If you book, we may earn a
small commission — at no extra cost to you. We link only cruise-friendly operators with port pickup.
The one rule
Be back on board at least 60 minutes before departure. Every itinerary on this site is designed around your all-aboard time, not around opening hours.
Will you see Fuji?
Mt. Fuji is clearly visible roughly 3–4 days out of 10, best in early morning. Check the official live camera before you commit to a view-based plan — and see our Plan B.
