The volcano crossing
0:50Cross the bay (15 min)
2:00The 100m free foot bath
2:30Ferry back + walk to the aquarium-side waterfront
Follow this route7 stops, the clock and the map ↓
Also fits this call: The Tenmonkan sprint (about 2.5h)
Photo: Adobe Stock / LicensedThe short answer
The port has not published Riviera's berth in Kagoshima for 22 Oct.
Also in port: Star Seeker, 08:00–16:00.
Kagoshima in one glance
Sakurajima by ferry
An active volcano commuted to by city ferry every 20 minutes.
Sengan-en garden
The Shimadzu lords built their garden so Sakurajima itself is the backdrop — borrowed scenery at its most audacious.
Shirokuma at Tenmonkan Mujaki
The original “polar bear” shaved ice — condensed milk, fruit, a face you will photograph before you eat it.Cut to the 22 Oct call
What fits your 7 hours
Off the ship and back
The berth, the way into town and back in Kagoshima
Book before you sail
Every guided day in KagoshimaThree more guided days that fit 7 hours
Shared cars with a guide first; each takes no more than the 22 Oct call leaves you. Booked through Viator; there is no tour desk at the pier.
Fits your 22 Oct callPrivate5.0★ · 4Rickshaw Tour of Kagoshima's Historical and Cultural Sites
A 30-minute rickshaw ride past Kagoshima's castle walls, Terukuni Shrine and the Saigo Takamori statue, for up to two people.
US$71 each · US$142 for twoTaxi ~20 min from the shipneeds a 4-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is here
Fits your 22 Oct callSmall group4.9★ · 65Sakurajima Century Lava Climb Journey with E-bike
US$103 each · US$206 for twoFerry to the startneeds a 7-hour callfits 95% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is here
Fits your 22 Oct callPrivate car · per person5.0★ · 12Private Kagoshima: Gardens, Shrines & Observatory by Expert Guide
US$87 each · US$174 for twoPickup at the pierneeds a 6-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is hereTours are booked through Viator (a Tripadvisor company). If you book, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
On your own
All ten, rankedMore of Kagoshima within 7 hours
Each one is a round trip from the gangway that fits the usable hours of this call.
Days that fit Riviera’s call
Rainy-day plan7 hours ashore: the days that fit
Cut to the 22 Oct call. The half hour to get off and the hour before all-aboard are already kept free.
Swipe sideways for the other days →
Needs a 4.5-hour callabout 2.5hfoodshopping
Shirokuma and the arcades
For short calls that still want the famous shaved ice.
- 0:00Shuttle from Marine Port to the Tenmonkan area
- 0:30Tenmonkan arcades wander
- 0:55Shirokuma at Mujaki — the original since 1947
- 1:35Souvenirs: shochu miniatures + karukan at Akashiya
- + 2 more stops on the full route
Free–1,500 pp (shuttle, or a shared taxi)
Open in Google Maps, in 4 parts
Needs a 7-hour callabout 5hnaturewalk
The volcano by ferry
For anyone who wants to say they walked on an active volcano.
- 0:00Shuttle to town, then tram or walk to the Sakurajima ferry
- 0:50Cross the bay (15 min)
- 1:10Nagisa Lava Trail walk (40 min loop)
- 2:00The 100m free foot bath
- + 3 more stops on the full route
Costs about under ¥1,000 pp — ¥250 ferry each way plus the shuttle
Open in Google Maps, in 4 parts
Your 22 Oct call on one page
Riviera in Kagoshima: the day sheet
Fri, 22 Oct 2027, 07:00–16:00 (9 h in port). Off the ship from 07:30, back at the gangway by 14:30. Print it or save it before you lose the ship's Wi-Fi.
First Japanese port: immigration on the day
Riviera arrives from Shanghai, so Kagoshima is where you enter Japan
Japan checks every foreign passenger in person at the first Japanese port, before anyone goes ashore: a passport check and fingerprints. No official time is published for it, so plan the start of the day around the queue.
Before any tourLeave the first hours freeThe only official figure is from Hakata in 2015: ships of 1,000+ passengers took about 85 minutes once the cruise permit was in use. If you book a guide, say this is your ship’s first Japanese port and agree a start time with margin.
Landing permitCarry it ashore all dayForeign passengers on approved ships usually enter on a Cruise Landing Permission (船舶観光上陸許可) and receive a landing permit. The law requires holders to carry it at all times instead of the passport; passengers landed normally carry their passport.
CustomsLeave fruit and meat on boardMost fruit, vegetables and meat products may not be brought into Japan; the penalty can be up to three years’ imprisonment or a ¥3 million fine. Declaration forms are given out on board: follow your cruise line’s instructions.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Immigration Control Act, Art. 14-2 and 23), Japan Customs, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Checked 25 October 2026. Our guide to the first Japanese port
At the pier, before you set off
The terminalMarine Port: terminal 1,000 m inside the gate, park toilets, 30-minute taxi queues; no Wi-Fi or ATM published. Kita-futo terminal 7:00–19:00, ramps, accessible toilet.
Cash and ATMsTrams, buses, ferry and Sengan-en take cards; carry yen for taxis. No ATM at Marine Port (the nearest about 1.5 km away); bank ATM 530 m from Kita-futo.
Wi-Fi and dataNo Wi-Fi published at Marine Port. Kagoshima City Free Wi-Fi (30 minutes, 8 times daily) at both ferry terminals and tourist offices.
Steps and slopesThe signed Marine Port walk is 2.2 km: take a taxi. City View and Island View buses are low-floor; three Sakurajima ferries have lifts.
Weather ashore · a usual October day in Kagoshima
26° / 18°C78° / 64°F
Rain on about 7 days in 30 — the rain-day plan if the day turns wet
The forecast for Fri 22 Oct appears here from Sat 16 Oct.
Normals 1991–2020: Japan Meteorological Agency, Kagoshima station · The official figures →
Add to calendar
Every Riviera call at Kagoshima
3 calls listed, Oct 2027–Nov 2027. The pattern, and the plan for each kind of day
Arrivals run 07:00–10:00 and departures 16:00–18:00: check your own date in the table before choosing a day.
Fri 22 Oct2027In port: 07:00–16:00usable: ~7 hberth: —Half dayAlso in port: Star Seeker, 08:00–16:00.
Tue 2 Nov2027In port: 07:00–17:00usable: ~8 hberth: —Full day
Wed 10 Nov2027In port: 10:00–18:00usable: ~6 hberth: —Half day
Add all 3 calls to your calendar
Usable hours follow the one rule: off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that. Overnight calls count the longest stretch ashore between 08:00 and 21:00 (the night is not touring time). Dates and times from the cruise line’s published itinerary; the port has not listed these calls yet; the daily programme has the final word.
Tue 2 Nov
07:00–17:00 · about 8 usable hours · gangway by 15:30
About 8 usable hours, back at the gangway by 15:30: the port's full timed day fits, and so does a guided day that returns in time.
The guided day for these callsDiscover the Wonders of Sakurajima Half Day Tour in KagoshimaShared car · per person4.8★ · 65from US$94 per person · max 15 · fits 1 of 1 full-day call · open on 1 of the 1 checkedWhy it is here, and the clockFri 22 Oct, Wed 10 Nov
07:00 or 10:00 to 16:00 or 18:00 · about 6 to 7 usable hours · gangway by 14:30 or 16:30
About 6–7 usable hours, back at the gangway by 14:30 or 16:30: one district or one sight with lunch, or a half-day guided tour that starts at the pier.
The guided day for these callsDiscover the Wonders of Sakurajima Half Day Tour in KagoshimaShared car · per person4.8★ · 65from US$94 per person · max 15 · fits 2 of 2 half-day calls · open on 1 of the 2 checkedWhy it is here, and the clockTour opening days from the operators' live schedules on Viator, checked 14 Nov; a date can close as seats sell.
Quick answers
Riviera at Kagoshima
Where does Riviera dock in Kagoshima?
The port has not published Riviera's berth in Kagoshima for 22 Oct; ships here normally use Marine Port Kagoshima — or Kita-futo for smaller ships. Berths can be reassigned on busy days; the daily programme has the final word.
How long is Riviera in Kagoshima?
Fri, 22 Oct 2027: 07:00–16:00 (9 h in port); Tue, 2 Nov 2027: 07:00–17:00 (10 h in port); Wed, 10 Nov 2027: 10:00–18:00 (8 h in port). Off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that: plan for about 7 usable hours on the call of Fri, 22 Oct 2027, back at the gangway by 14:30.
What can you do in Kagoshima with 7 hours from Riviera?
2 of the port's timed days fit the call of Fri, 22 Oct 2027: The Tenmonkan sprint (about 2.5h), The volcano crossing (about 5h). 3 guided days fit the call, shared cars first.
What is the weather like in Kagoshima in October?
On a usual October day Kagoshima reaches about 26 °C (78 °F), with a low of about 18 °C (64 °F); rain (1 mm or more) falls on about 7 days in 30. These are the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals for Kagoshima. From 7 days before the call, this page shows the forecast for the day itself.
Checked · Visited in person · Takumi Yamada
Dates and times from the cruise line’s published itinerary; the port has not listed these calls yet. Schedules change; your ship's daily programme has the final word.