As exciting as the holiday season may seem to us along with its festivities, I definitely did not let my wanderlust self be overshadowed by all that hype.
Japan has always been a dream of mine to visit so when I discovered that I could kill two birds with one stone with easy travel between Japan and South Korea, it was an easy “sign me up”.
Enter the Fukuoka-Busan Ferry via JR’s Queen Beetle!
As the name suggests, it travels between ports from Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea with the length of a one-way trip being just under four hours.
And don’t worry, if space is an important factor to you (like it is to me), then you will delight to know that there is more than enough leg room on Economy (S$104.55/pax) seats and more spaciousness on Business (S$149.65/pax) ones.
Let me paint a hypothetical picture for you aboard the Queen Beetle in a guided Choose Your Own Adventure style, ready?
It is finally the day and you wheel your luggage that is up to 200cm in dimensions and up to 20kg in weight because you want to avoid that additional charge, boarding the Fukuoka-Busan Ferry you have been so excited for.
You notice some luggage lockers that you can store your carry-on without any extra charge and place it there. This just means that you would be able to look around more freely without the baggage.
The plush seats look so comfortable and luxurious — with some priority seats for wheelchairs — and those USB ports beside each seat as well as the free Wi-Fi on board assures you that your phone is set for the next few hours.
The best part of travelling by sea is that you don’t need to wait for the “no seatbelt” light to turn off before walking around on board and freely exploring.
Your exploration takes you to the Kids Space, boasting a fun slide that would be perfect for keeping the little ones occupied on a boat (well, -ish) for hours. There is also a Nursing Room too.
Because you have been rushing to make sure that you can board your ferry on time, it was definitely a relief to discover that JR’s Queen Beetle not only serves you but also your slightly growling tummy!
You discover that the Kiosk on the 1st Floor has a cafe and bar for all passengers and the menu consists of coffee, alcohol, ice cream, and juice amongst others.
Business Class does let you skip the lines there as you head to the 2nd Floor to the Queen’s Lounge to get your food. Onboard meals are also served to Business Class passengers that boast authentic Japanese snacks from Suzukake, a Japanese confectionery shop.
With your snacks and drinks in hand, you decide to head over to the Indoor Observation Deck to settle down, enjoying the view of the blue sky and calm seas.
After satisfyingly filling your stomach with delicious food, you decide to walk around and engage in some retail therapy.
You delight in finding out that there are plenty of amenities including a duty-free shop and retail kiosks offering brand name items and onboard limited goods at tax-free prices, so there will definitely be something to buy and bring back home!
As you settle back in your seat happy with the souvenirs that you bought, you start feeling grateful for the motion sickness medicine that you brought along just in case of high tide. Some of the crew members were also giving them out free-of-charge to people who requested it too!
One can never be too careful out on the seas, it seems. But, the journey is only just beginning.
And there you have it, a pseudo-adventure on the Queen Beetle! Given the amount of things to do on this ferry, it’s almost like a cruise experience! A girl can definitely dream.
So what are you waiting for, book your tickets through Klook and make this adventure a reality.
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