Photo: 663highland / CC BY-SA 4.0 Every Sapphire Princess call at Shimizu
| Date | In port | Ashore* | From → to | Status | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 20 Apr 2027 | 10:00–17:00 | ~5.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
| Fri, 28 May 2027 | 10:00–17:00 | ~5.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
| Sat, 26 Jun 2027 | 10:00–17:00 | ~5.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
| Fri, 16 Jul 2027 | 10:00–17:00 | ~5.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
| Fri, 27 Aug 2027 | 13:00–19:00 | ~4.5 h | — | Line listing | 4 hours |
| Mon, 13 Sept 2027 | 10:00–17:00 | ~5.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
*Usable hours = in port, minus 30 minutes to get off and the 60 minutes back on board before departure that every plan on this site keeps. Source: Shimizu Port Cruise Promotion Committee (list of 5 Oct 2026, checked 9 Oct 2026); 2027 from the cruise lines’ published itineraries. Your ship’s daily programme always wins.
What ~5.5 hours ashore gets you
A big-ship day: the gangway, taxi rank and ropeway queue fill fast, so the first hour decides the day.
The rest of this cruise
- 15 Apr Kanazawa
- 16 Apr Sakaiminato
- 17 Apr Busan
- 18 Apr Nagasaki
- 20 Apr Shimizu — you are here
- 21 Apr Tokyo
- 23 Apr Aomori
- 24 Apr Muroran
- 25 Apr Hakodate
From Sapphire Princess Sailing Dates & Sailing Calendar on iCruise.com, checked 9 Oct 2026. Other Japanese ports link to our sister guide, Port of Japan.
Mt. Fuji from Four Angles: the Short Car Tour
The Fuji tour that fits a normal call: four hours from the pier and back, per-person pricing, and seats on most cruise days.
From US$129 per person · max 8 Meets at the pier 5.0★ · 14 reviews · 4 hours Seats open on 20 Apr · take the 11:00 start Why it's on this list →
Private Shimizu Highlights by Jumbo Taxi
The one I'd book for a first call with 5–6 hours: Nihondaira, Kunozan and Miho — all three of Shimizu's big sights — in four hours, with the ropeway and the driving handled.
US$350 per person for 2 · US$699 per vehicle Meets at the pier 4.9★ · 156 reviews · 4 hours Seats open on 20 Apr · take the 11:00 start Why it's on this list →
Private Shimizu for Two: The Sedan Tour
Our most-recommended Shimizu tour — Nihondaira, the ropeway to Kunozan, and Miho — in a sedan sized for two or three.
US$259 per person for 2 · US$518 per vehicle Meets at the pier 4.9★ · 34 reviews · 4 hours Seats open on 20 Apr · take the 11:00 start Why it's on this list →Sapphire Princess at Shimizu
When does Sapphire Princess visit Shimizu?
6 calls on our list for 2027: 20 Apr 2027, 28 May 2027, 26 Jun 2027, 16 Jul 2027, 27 Aug 2027, 13 Sept 2027. Dates in 2027 are the cruise line’s published itinerary until the port committee confirms them, about a month ahead.
What time does Sapphire Princess arrive in Shimizu?
On the next call (Tue, 20 Apr 2027) she is in port 10:00–17:00. That leaves about 5.5 usable hours ashore once you allow 30 minutes to get off and are back on board 60 minutes before departure.
Where does Sapphire Princess dock in Shimizu?
Most ships use Hinode Pier, a 12-minute walk from S-Pulse Dream Plaza and about 27 minutes from the Kashi-no-Ichi fish market. On busy days a ship can be sent to Okitsu, a container berth you cannot walk out of — then the shuttle bus is the only way into town.
Which tours fit a Sapphire Princess call?
On a 10:00–17:00 call: Mt. Fuji from Four Angles: the Short Car Tour; Private Shimizu Highlights by Jumbo Taxi; Private Shimizu for Two: The Sedan Tour. Each is checked against the tour's own start times and her arrival and departure, with the hour before all-aboard kept free.
More: getting back to your ship · the complete port guide · every ship that calls · Sapphire Princess at other Japanese ports