Photo: Kiteinthewind / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) We have written a dedicated guide for this ship: Westerdam in Shimizu: Holland America's Autumn Pair — the plan for each of her clocks at this port.
Every Westerdam call at Shimizu
| Date | In port | Ashore* | From → to | Status | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, 16 Feb 2026 | 07:00–15:00 | ~6.5 h | Yokohama → Osaka | Called | — |
| Sun, 25 Oct 2026 | 08:00–17:00 | ~7.5 h | Tokyo → Kagoshima | Confirmed · Hinode No.2 Pier | 7 hours or more |
| Mon, 9 Nov 2026 | 07:00–15:00 | ~6.5 h | Tokyo → Osaka | Confirmed | 5–6 hours |
| Mon, 1 Mar 2027 | 08:00–16:00 | ~6.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
| Sat, 20 Mar 2027 | 11:00–19:00 | ~6.5 h | — | Line listing | 5–6 hours |
| Sat, 27 Mar 2027 | 11:00–19:00 | ~6.5 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 ~7.5 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
- 20 Oct Sakata
- 21 Oct Hakodate
- 22 Oct Miyako
- 24 Oct Tokyo
- 25 Oct Shimizu — you are here
- 27 Oct Kagoshima
- 28 Oct Nagasaki
- 29 Oct Yeosu
From Holland America Line itinerary page, checked 8 Oct 2026. Other Japanese ports link to our sister guide, Port of Japan.
Mt. Fuji & Miho no Matsubara: The Guided Four Hours
A gentle guided walk: Miho's pine grove, Dream Plaza and the waterfront, with tea and a snack — no long drives.
From US$129 per person · max 10 Meets at the pier 5.0★ · 2 reviews · 4 hours Seats open on 25 Oct · take the 10:00 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 25 Oct · take the 09:00 start Why it's on this list →
Shiraito Falls & Lake Tanuki: Fuji's Water Country
If the mountain is the reason you booked this cruise, this is the tour: five hours into Fuji's own foothills with the operator that has run it for cruise passengers the longest.
US$453 per person for 2 · US$906 per vehicle Meets at the pier 5.0★ · 67 reviews · 5 hours Seats open on 25 Oct · take the 09:00 start Why it's on this list →Westerdam at Shimizu
When does Westerdam visit Shimizu?
6 calls on our list for 2026 and 2027: 16 Feb 2026, 25 Oct 2026, 9 Nov 2026, 1 Mar 2027, 20 Mar 2027, 27 Mar 2027. Dates in 2027 are the cruise line’s published itinerary until the port committee confirms them, about a month ahead.
What time does Westerdam arrive in Shimizu?
On the next call (Sun, 25 Oct 2026) she is in port 08:00–17:00. That leaves about 7.5 usable hours ashore once you allow 30 minutes to get off and are back on board 60 minutes before departure.
Where does Westerdam dock in Shimizu?
The port committee lists Hinode No.2 Pier for 25 Oct. 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 Westerdam call?
On a 08:00–17:00 call: Mt. Fuji & Miho no Matsubara: The Guided Four Hours; Private Shimizu Highlights by Jumbo Taxi; Shiraito Falls & Lake Tanuki: Fuji's Water Country. 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 · Westerdam at other Japanese ports