It's a biggie. I will attempt to bring my review on a timeline, so please forgive me if I get a bit sidetracked.

Firstly, we flew in from NZ to Aussie via Air NZ. Arrived in Sydney the evening prior to embarkation, mainly because I am a huge planner and want to avoid any risk of missing the ship due to an airline issue. We were greeted by the driver that my brother had arranged to collect us from Sydney International Airport and taken to our hotel, The Grace, in York Street.

Check in at The Grace was very straight forward and we went to our rooms to enjoy a bit of space prior to meeting my brother for a late dinner. Had dinner at a late night restaurant in the Darling Harbour area and watched the inebreated people stagger past. All very harmless. Considering the large amount of people out and about order was maintained. I might note at this point that this was the last Friday prior to Christmas. Breakfast was included in our rate so we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the reastaurant at The Grace the following morning. Some of our party even took a break from brekkie to meet another member of our group at the local train station, Wynyard, then they were able to resume their meal. The rooms at The Grace are lovely, spacious,and the furnishings so comfy and inviting. The bathroom ammenities were of a very high standard, yes, cleared out the little bottles and soaps as we left. Check out was straightforward, even with a split bill and the wonderful concierge, Troy, even arranged for our luggage to be held securely so we could explore Sydney after check out and before boarding. Read more