I paid $35,000 a person for a 10-night ultra-luxury Ritz-Carlton cruise through Japan. Here's what that price got us.

The itinerary moved through Osaka, Hiroshima, Busan, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima, often docking in highly convenient, central locations.

Many ports were easy to explore independently, which I preferred.

Although the ship offered excursions at an extra cost — some priced into the thousands — I often found it just as effective to plan my own.

In Busan, for example, friends invited us to join them on their booking with a private guide and driver. The experience, which cost them around $3,000 for a group of six, underscored the range of optional spend available and what that level of access can deliver.

We visited a dramatic seaside temple and had a standout lunch featuring Hanwoo beef, widely considered Korea’s highest-quality cattle. It was an exceptional day, though one that came at a premium.

No matter the excursion, traveling during cherry-blossom season added another layer to our trip entirely.