Terms & Conditions

In plain English: what the Travel Conditions say

This guide is written by Anchor Infinite to help you understand the contract you are entering. It is a summary, not a translation, and it is not the contract itself. Only NYK Cruises' Japanese Travel Conditions are official, and they prevail wherever this summary differs from them. Ask us about anything here and we will get you an answer.

Who you are contracting with

Your contract is with NYK Cruises Co., Ltd., which plans and operates the cruise. Anchor Infinite concludes it on their behalf as their authorized agent, and handles your booking, payment and correspondence. Because it is a package travel contract under Japan's Travel Agency Act, it carries the Tour Itinerary Guarantee and Special Compensation described below.

When the contract starts, and when you pay

Booking by card is a 'communications contract' under these conditions: no deposit is taken, and the contract is formed when we accept your booking and tell you so. The fare is due by a date NYK Cruises set: more than 21 days before departure for a cruise within Japan, and normally 60 days or more before one that calls at a port abroad. In practice we charge your card once your cabin is confirmed and we have told you the exact amount, which is earlier than either. A final itinerary is issued before you sail.

What the fare covers

Your cabin, meals on board as set out in the itinerary, taxes and port facility charges for domestic cruises, and one piece of checked baggage per guest up to 20 kg. It does not cover drinks, laundry, telephone, medical treatment, travel to and from the port in Japan, single-occupancy supplements, passport or visa costs, or optional shore excursions.

If you cancel

Cancel early enough and the fare is refunded in full. The refund falls in steps as departure nears, and there is none once the ship has sailed or if you do not appear. When the full-refund period ends depends on the cruise — earlier for a voyage calling at a port abroad, earlier again for a peak-season departure. We give you the dates for your sailing in writing before anything is charged; the full schedule is in NYK Cruises' Travel Conditions and in Article 9(1) of the Contract of Carriage. Dates are counted back from the day before departure, by the date in Japan.

When you can cancel without paying a fee

You may cancel free of charge if what you booked is changed in a way that matters, if the fare is increased, if a natural event, war, riot, government order or the withdrawal of a transport or hotel service makes safe operation impossible or very likely impossible, if NYK Cruises fails to give you the final itinerary on time, or if the booked itinerary becomes impossible through NYK Cruises' fault. This is separate from the compensation below: weather can remove your cancellation fee even where it rules out compensation.

If NYK Cruises changes what you booked

The Tour Itinerary Guarantee pays fixed compensation for significant changes, with no need to prove fault: 1.5% of the fare before departure or 3.0% after for a change of the start or end date, and 1.0% or 2.0% for a change of destination or port of call, of transport class or facilities, or of your cabin type or its condition. Changes to something named in the cruise title pay 2.5% or 5.0%. The total is capped at 15% of the fare per guest, and amounts under ¥1,000 are not paid. Changes caused by natural events, war, riot, government order, or the withdrawal of a transport or hotel service are excluded — so a port call dropped because of a typhoon is not compensated, though it may give you the free cancellation right above. A change caused by a shortage of cabins or seats while the service is still running is compensated.

If you are injured or your belongings are damaged

Special Compensation applies to accidents during the voyage and is paid regardless of fault. For a domestic cruise it is ¥15,000,000 for death, with set amounts for hospital and outpatient treatment, and up to ¥150,000 for damage to personal belongings, limited to ¥100,000 per item.

NYK Cruises' liability

NYK Cruises is liable for loss caused by its own fault or that of its handling agents, if you notify them within two years. They are not liable for loss caused by natural events, war, riot, government order, the withdrawal of a transport or hotel service, or other causes beyond the control of NYK Cruises and its handling agents. Baggage claims must be notified within 14 days for domestic cruises and are limited to ¥150,000 per guest.

Questions and complaints

Write to us first — info@anchor-infinite.com. We pass anything concerning the contract, liability or compensation to NYK Cruises, who are responsible for resolving it, and we stay involved until it is settled.