Most of the hotels around the airport (Mascot area) are serviced by an airport shuttle, all charge a small fee for the trip. Note that if you have to be at the airport for an early flight (prior to 9am), the shuttle service may not be available as yet if you are allowing the 3 hours before the flight, I seem to remember it starting at 5.30am.
If you have an adapter or convertor for Australian sockets for your cruise, chances are you will not need it and if confiscated it would only be for the cruise.
Yep, P&O won't be here in October 2025. You are lucky to be doing the last one.
Carnival may get around to putting it into their itineraries in the future but I wouldn't count on it.
I don't know if you are confused between the budgie and the budgie smuggler, but it would be terribly painful to have your budgie drop off and very embarrassing as well.
One thing to remember is that some people are doing more than a cruise. One time we were away in Europe for 8 weeks but did a 3 night cruise as one bit of the trip. We had a reasonable amount of luggage for the trip but far too much for a 3 night cruise.
Without knowing another's story, we shouldn't judge. Some would say we should never judge on anything.
With multiple overseas trips involving many flights and numerous domestic trips each year, the luggage handlers are not kind anywhere. Things get broken.
This is why we have been going further abroad to cruise, new destination cruises beats domestic cruises even if they have some favourite ports every time.
We have had numerous bags over the years, none have lasted longer than 7 or so years without being damaged in some way, wheel, handle, zipper, casing, etc.