ceeceeDee

We are counting our blessings. We lost power for 5 days (no biggie as we were holidaying in Northern NSW and the fridge was more or less empty) and no property damage. One of my daughters was totally unaffected, whilst the other lost power for 5 days so a lot of food spoiled. However, her house was the only one in her street NOT to have damage. Somebody up there likes us, I think.

We were so fortunate to be holidaying in northern NSW hinterland over Christmas. Uninterrupted power, free wifi and a pool, with the added bonus of being able to take our dog and cat, so no boarding fees. Just the cat performing the hallelujah chorus in the key of C lamenting the indignity of travelling to and from in the cat carrier. Explaining to ginger britches that at least the car is air conditioned just elicited a key change in fortissimo.😾😂 Hope you have a wonderful cruise, MM, and looking forward to hearing all about it.

And to you, Dee and Tony. We're having a 'wild' Christmas Eve, though not what you might think.😉 Gusty wind, rain and thunder at our holiday B&B in northern NSW. Not damaging winds, thankfully, so we don't mind the weather. Nice and cosy in our cottage with spectacular rural views.

Good on ya, Dad!

We'll be landlocked for Christmas and Boxing Day. Staying at our favourite B&B, Hillcrest in Upper Crystal Creek (northern) NSW. No ocean views 🙂, but very peaceful.

The Port must have been quite busy!!!

363🙄🙂 at this stage

Also with everyone who is/may be affected by the fires. Please stay safe.

Thanks, Les, I was nowhere NEAR them!!!!!😉 (we cougars get a bad rap😂)

Thanks, Geoff. That's extremely helpful. Haven't 'been and gone' yet, btw. 🙂 As you say, it won't have changed much from the Princess days. I was more interested in size and layout, any furnishing updates will not alter that and I can guarantee the bathroom will be exactly the same!😂 Cheers CeeCee

Now, now, Chilli😂

Hi Leigh, thanks for the info. Perhaps the subterranean watercourse was an urban myth, but Lake Street used to flood on a regular basis near the waterfront. Whatever the origin of the street name it was both apt and accurate!😂

Correct, Possum, and our office was up the end of the street nearest the waterfront. Also, from memory, Lake Street was so named because there is a water course below it.

Why am I not surprised that the Americans sued? (don't hesitate, litigate). Not giving the yanks a hard time, but it does seem to be ingrained in their culture. I have managed to navigate various cabins (sometimes in the dark) without tripping over anything. And if I did, I would blame myself not the cruise line. For goodness sake, did the tub chair leap out in front of the passenger in an unprovoked attack?!

Glad it all worked out for you Mic.

We most definitely are, Chilli🤗

Yes, we were 'running on empty' by the time we touched down in Houston. One of the reasons I made a conscious effort to be pleasant was that I didn't want to take my exhaustion out on someone else. As you saw from my post, that was a complete waste of effort! Not a nice welcome to America, I'm afraid.

Speaking of Cougars.......... I'm older than hubby so could be classed as a cougar.🙂 On our first cruise to Port Vila, we were standing on the deck watching the ship dock. In really BIG letters on the ground at the terminal was COUGAR. Then in the marina was a yacht named (wait for it) Cougar II. Hubby reckons it was a welcoming committee for me.🤣 If nothing else we got a really good laugh out of it.

Oh dear. Wouldn't a big part of the job be to do your homework?

Around 15 years ago we were with a 'walking' club at The Spit (Gold Coast) at dusk. A storm rolled in and I and a couple of others sheltered under the awning of a toilet block. A bolt of lightning made a direct hit on a tree a few metres away. The CRACK was absolutely deafening and super scary. More so because hubby was in a car ferrying other walkers to safety at the time, so I was worried about him as well as myself! Fortunately, everyone was ok but I have never been so close to a strike and never want to be again. Also when we lived in Cairns, we were on the periphery of a cyclone (can't remember the category) and the winds were pretty intense to the extent that our sliding glass windows were 'bowing' in and out. There was also flooding in the aftermath and I remember walking through knee deep water (in the aptly named Lake Street) to get to work (after the storm had passed, of course). Waste of time as it turned out as they closed the office that day. Would have been nice if the boss had thought to ring employees to tell us that.

We don't bother with decorating, but it is interesting to see what other people do. We've mostly seen decorations celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Quite entertaining whilst walking the endless corridors.🙂

Totally agree, John and Hilary. Hubby and I are those weird creatures who LOVE sea days!!🙂

Hope you have a wonderful time, Mic

Customs at Houston left a nasty taste in my mouth. We had a connecting flight to Miami after travelling for over 24 hours (ex Brisbane) due to various delays. Anyway, after standing in the obligatory endless queue, I finally made it to a booth and made a point of being pleasant. Honestly, the official treated me like I had 'al qaeda' tattooed on my forehead. Every question was barked at me and answers treated with the greatest suspicion. When asked for reason for visit I replied we were cruising out of Miami. Words barely left my mouth when he jumped down my throat with 'WHO IS WE?!'. I'm sure my hand was shaking when I pointed out my hubby and two friends who were at another booth. Mind you, this guy must have been having a bad day, as aforementioned hubby and two friends were treated with politeness by the official they dealt with.

P&O, being ex Princess ships, have a similar configuration. Frankly, we use the couch in the mini suite a LOT. I note that even in the interior cabins, RCI has a couch (well, ships we are familiar with anyway).