We booked our own flights and spent two nights in Sydney before the cruise. Sydney is a terrific city - lots to see and easy to get around in. If you have time to arrive a couple days early, we recommend it. Our hotel was very close to Circular Quay so we walked from the hotel to the ship with our bags at 3:30. There was no line for check-in.
We had a balcony stateroom and no complaints. Everything worked, there was decent storage space, and our steward took good care of us.
We like this ship. The public spaces are nice, the entertainment is excellent, the buffet and dining room are great, and the service is terrific.