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I also couldn't get in & had to reset a new password. All ok once that was done & logged in fine.

Like you, we also had window renovations planned on our return from our February cruise. Unlike you, we weren't up to removing the windows ourselves - the builders did that. But I was painting around the wooden frames for days. I needed a holiday after that but will wait till next year. Hope you enjoy your next trip after all the hard work on your renos.

Like you & Iain both my husband & myself didn't really like E-class after sailing on the Edge in an Aqua class IV cabin, we found we much preferred an actual verandah. We are looking at other cruise lines, and am comparing them to Celebrity (but it'd be the Solstice or Constellation class ships if we do go with Celebrity).

I've really enjoyed your humourous travel adventures & look forward to your next one. Thanks for the heads-up re MSC - I'm in the planning/budgeting stages for a trip to Croatia/Greece in 2026 for my husband & me. I appreciate your, Jim&Ian's and others feedback regarding Celebrity in comparison to other cruise lines.

The NSW tourism website gives lots of suggestions of things to see: https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/blue-mountains - it just depends how long you will be here. The Three Sisters at Katoomba is fairly easy to get to by train (country train from Central to Katoomba) then a 20-30 minute walk or get the HOHO bus (there's also a steam train (Zigzag railway in the Blue Mountains). For Sydney there's lots to do you can catch a ferry to Manly and walk along foreshore at Manly & Shelly Beach, ferry to Taronga Zoo, train to Bondi beach (and walk along foreshore to Tamarama), book a wine tour to the Hunter valley wineries, Sydney - Barangaroo to walk around, walk around The Rocks (historical area) leading to historical stairs that gives you access to the Sydney Harbour bridge you can walk across for free (from there catch the train back from Milson's Point) into the city. From Circular Quay you can walk to the Opera House & then onto the Royal Botanical Gardens (free), more walking takes you to the Domain (and Art Gallery of NSW) past Hyde Park Barracks and onto St Mary's cathedral & Hyde Park. The QVB is an approx 5-10 min walk away from Hyde Park. More suggestions on the tourism website: https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/attractions

Hope the rest of your trip is uneventful after this delayed start to your cruise.

It's the QVB (stands for Queen Victoria Building) - it's located above Town Hall Station in the main CBD area - the building itself is located on George Street & Market Street. The QVB is well known for it's clock, when it chimes on the hour the different scenes are highlighted and rotated. There are many food options in both the lower sections (underground access to Town Hall station) and on the higher levels. There is even a High Tea in the Palace Tearoom and in the Tea Room. The building is close to many sightseeing areas eg - Darling Harbour (Maritime Museum), Hyde Park, St Mary's Cathedral are approximately 5-10 mins walk. A little bit further is the Royal Botanical Gardens (eventually takes you to the Opera House is approx 15-20 mins walk depending on how quickly you walk).

You can use it if you have some but cards are just as easily used. I've used credit cards with the Rocks vendors, the ones I've made purchases with have all had the square money readers.

USD & CAD are not used in Australia, you'd have to get them converted at a bank or traveller exchange (plus conversion fee). Widely used are credit cards (though American Express is not acceptable in some restaurants instead they prefer Mastercard or Visa). It's only very rarely that I carry cash with me instead I just use my cards (and after Covid-19 some places prefer credit cards over cash).

You'll be fine, in Sydney the main tourist areas around the CBD don't tend to flood as it's tidal. The areas that get flooding are those close to river systems; in the West it's Warragamba dam spilling into the Nepean & Hawkesbury river, Northern Beaches - Narrabeen lagoon has been overflowing, the Illawarra area copped the most drenching.

Yes, the white birds are definitely cockatoos, we have so many of them eating our mandarins, pears, gum trees and a neighbour has had his window frames chipped away by their beaks.

There were quite a few flights (both domestic & international) cancelled today because of the deluge - glad your flight was able to land safely & you made the cruise.

The Bay of Islands caves is probably the Kawiti Caves (also known as Waiomio Caves an approx 59 min drive from Bay of Islands). The caves visited from Tauranga would be the Waitomo Caves (which is an approx 2 hour drive from Tauranga). From Bay of Islands to Tauranga is an approx 6 hour 20 min drive. I did a land tour with my husband after our February cruise & we drove South from Auckland (I think it's approx 2-1/2 hours from Auckland?), I enjoyed the 45 min Waitomo Glow worm cave with gentle canoe right at the bottom of the stairs, I'd never seen glow worms before & loved seeing them, meanwhile my husband did the more adventurous 3 hour Blackwater Rafting.

I'd previously heard the suggestion on CC about magnets & hooks, so I brought a small travel washing line as well as the magnetic hooks & strung the line across just in front of the window. It was perfect for smalls & lightweight clothing - most of these items dried overnight.