We got a last-minute cruise offer in late November as the ship was nearly full, and only interior cabins were left. We have always travelled with a balcony on previous cruises but decided we would try an interior cabin this time as it can be quite a lot cheaper. We found we coped very well with no windows and the cabin had everything we needed and was very quiet and in a good location on level 3 (just a quick walk up to the main decks on 4, 5 and 6 where all the facilities were located (dining room, guest reception, atrium bar, shops, theatre etc.) Close to the external glass lifts which gave a very spacious feel and view to the inside and outside. Looking down 9 floors into the Atrium through the internal lifts was very pleasant. Also as my partner was a smoker, he could take a quick walk upstairs to deck 5 and onto the promenade deck where one side is designated for smokers, as well as an area on deck 11 near the pool. However the deck 11 area was always choking with cigarette smoke and deck 5 was a better option.

Only one suggestion would be to make sure you take a digital clock which lights up at night as it was hard to see the time on my mobile phone without finding my glasses. Having said that, once you were in the darkened room there was some light from the airconditioning control and sprinkler on the ceiling, and just a small amount from around the outside of the door. I was able to see sufficiently to get to the bathroom door in the dark before turning the light on.

Embarkation was not good. An email advised that we could start from 11am but on arrival from the airport at 11.30am, the lines were very long and people were standing out in the hot sun. There is little cover and you have to line up outside the entry area before proceeding upstairs to the security and customs area. We went away to have lunch in the Rocks area and did not come back until about 1.45pm. The lines had reduced but it still took 1.5 hours to get through the embarkation process. Not the cruise lines fault but the poor design of the overseas passenger terminal to service such a large ship. Same delay was had at the Darling Harbour terminal in 2010 for a Princess Cruise, nearly 2 hours of waiting. In future we would not arrive until after 2-3pm to embark. At least at Circular Quay you can go away to the markets in the Rocks area and enjoy some of the Sydney views. The markets are very good with quality and different goods and in pleasant surroundings. Read more