betonic

evergrn

How long are these stops?
Out of the three, Fukuoka is by far the most interesting place with lots going on, lots to eat.
Beppu is a bit of a weird town with tacky attractions and is basically a place where really the only thing worthwhile is relaxing at the hotel and its onsen. There are these hot springs called jigokus, which are reachable by bus and you might find it interesting to visit one or two of those. But it kind of gets old fast.
In Shizuoka/Shimizu area, it's nice to head up to Nihondaira area on a clear day where you can see Mt.Fuji. Other than that, I don't know what else is worth seeing around there.

betonic

Shimizu 8-2pm
Beppu noon to 11pm
Fukuoka 9a-11pm

I’d like to find a good restaurant for dinner in both of the stops that stay late.
Is an organized tour or guide worth it in any of these places?

jib71

My immediate reactions to these places would be:
Shimizu = Get local transport to the Serizawa museum
Beppu = Get buried in the sand on the beach (with natural springs under the sand)
Fukuoka = Go for a street food dinner at whichever street food area is operating that day (locations change)

With a little searching for top class restaurants ... Beppu doesn't have a reputation for fine dining, but you could get a nice kaiseki dinner at this place:
https://tabelog.com/en/oita/A4402/A4...773/dtlrvwlst/

... in Fukuoka you should be spoilt for choice when it comes to eating. I'd go for the rough and tumble of the stalls that set up by the port etc. but you'll find good restaurants in most styles.

mrploddy

Some idea of how long you are stopping in each place would be helpful too - hours ? half day ? day? (as some places will be precluded by distance from the port and time available)

ksandness

Beppu made me think, "This is what Yellowstone National Park would have been like if several private entrepreneurs had each been able to claim a geyser, set up souvenir stands, and charge admission."

betonic

abmj-jr

Fukuoka is known for the "local-style" ramen. I'd go that route although I understand that wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Good ramen shops are everywhere in the station area.

mrploddy

Hmm if you like shows Gekidan Shiki has performances at 1:30pm on Fridays. Currently it's Little Mermaid (currently booking till June) Theatre is within walking distance of Hakata Station (main rail station of Fukuoka). You with a bit of effort could probably get get pickup at box office tickets. Yes it'd be all in Japanese but well the songs are the same and you should know the story in any case...

evergrn

Gotta have ramen if you're in Hakata. I haven't stepped foot outside the station in several years. Hakata is known for yatai (food stalls set up outside) and I guess there's a lot of good yatai ramen. But I find yatai a bit intimidating and sketchy in terms of sanitation. I'm even a bit intimidated by little mom and pop ramen shops, even though some of the most acclaimed ramen shops are such. So last time I was there, I just went to the ramen stadium at Canal City. Nothing I had there was quite frankly as good as Ichiran, which is a Hakata-based chain that has shops all over Jpn. If you decide to do ramen in Hakata, google for reviews and check out Tabelog. But if you're like me and are a tad intimidated by going to small independent places with local feel, then I don't think you can go wrong with Ichiran even if they may not be the most critically acclaimed.

betonic

So after reading all of your ideas thisis what I’m thinking:
shimizu - since it’s a very short stop we can look for some kind of transportation to see Mt. Fiji. Would a taxi right outside of the ship work? Then, look for a quick place for lunch.
beppu - is a much longer day so maybe it’s worth bookibg a hotel room and just handing out there all day, have dinner and come back to the ship at night. Any suggestionss on hotels?
Fukuoka - other than eating ramen I’m not stil not sure of what to see in that area. The cruise line must think it’s a worthy stop since we have so many hours there. Any other ideas?

mrploddy

Like I mentioned Fukuoka has the Gekidan Shiki Theatre - not a musical fan ?.

Theres always the Canal City shopping centre for some tax free shopping. Apart from that a few temples and Fukuoka castle and such.

I wouldn't say there are major tourist attractions so would recommend a combination of food, shopping and a show (if that's your thing)

abmj-jr

Have you done any research?

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2161.html

jib71

Your closest viewing spot is likely to be Miho no Matsubara Beach. It's close to the port. You may be able to walk it, depending on where your ship docks. Getting closer to Mt. Fuji will not necessarily give you a better view.
https://machipo.jp/location/1427

There's a hotel by the beach - Hagoromo hotel - but I'm not sure if they do lunch. If not, you may need to take a cab into town.
https://shizuokatourism.com/2014/06/...shziuoka-city/


You might consider a day-use room at a hot spring hotel. Lots of places will offer a package - a room, access to the communal hot spring baths, and a meal:
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I echo abmj's suggestion to look at a guide book / travel sites for further inspiration.

betonic

Thanks! Yes I have done research but theses are not the most frequented stops for cruises so not to ns of information.