aussielozzie18

It reached 4OC today. Perfect weather for Devonshire Tea & Christmas carols… 🤔 Maybe not but enjoyed it nonetheless at the QVB in the midst of shopping.

A big new Lego store opened up in the CBD a couple of weeks ago. Now that the initial excitement has worn off & the crowds have eased, it was time to visit. Just for OB @Ocean Boy - the Lego creators added a red-back spider onto the tree. There also a mechanical lighthouse. (Sadly no Lego model of your Billionaire BFF)

Hot & Humid Saturday in Sydney. DH headed off early for a swim at the beach and said the water was glorious. I decided to go into the city for Christmas shopping. Crossing over the bridge, I could see Celebrity Edge docked at the OPT and Quantum of the Seas moored off Taronga Zoo. Quantum was due to cruise to FNQ from Brisbane but got diverted down South due to the looming cyclone - their new itinerary started with with an overnight stay in Sydney Harbour. A little bit of Christmas in the city: Carollers at the QVB Strand Arcade Martin Place

You are not silly. It just happens that cruise ship companies send their ships to our shores for the summer season and a portion of the itineraries are in areas that have the possibility of being impacted by cyclones. Wishing you calm seas & glorious weather whilst you are here.

Is it the Quantum in Sydney today? Was in Sydney CBD for Christmas shopping including the new Lego shop & the QVB. Almost 40C and I was listening to Christmas carollers & having a Devonshire tea…. Anyways, by the time I got to Circular Quay to catch the ferry, my phone battery had died. So no photos of the Celebrity Edge at OPT or the Royal ship (Quantum?) moored off Taronga Zoo. I assume Quantum was re-routed from QLD?

Queensland have their first cyclone of the cyclone season heading their way. A Carnival cruise that was due to visit Far North Queensland from Brisbane, is now diverting south to Sydney. General consensus seems to be that the cruisers are happy to be out of harms way and see the unexpected opportunity to explore Sydney, as a welcome bonus.

My work colleague and I share a love of cruising. She cruises exclusively Royal whilst I cruise whatever suits me. We are unable to cruise together but tend to book our cruises close to each other. I told her this morning about my new VV booking (still a work in progress) and suffering FOMO she did some research and plans to book Sydney/Hobart/Adelaide/Sydney on the Ovation. Her first visit to Adelaide via ship. Made me think of Pauline’s cousin @grapau27 Any plans to visit South Australia on the horizon for you, Graham?

@Lionesss all the best for your 10 yearly colonoscopy. Prayers for clear report with no issues.

Beautiful tree Graham @grapau27

I was reading a post this week about white elephant ideas & quite a few people suggested wrapping an white elephant statue…hope you enjoy your parties.

I do hope you & Gary make it down here one day. Love Singapore. Adding on a short cruise from Singapore is a great idea too.

Happy Birthday to your oldest son & @lenquixote66 happy birthday to your daughter -hope you a nice family get-together & @DaniDanielle Happy Birthday to your son.

Your Christmas tree looks great

Love your porch decorations & the welcome mat 🐾

My vote too. @HBE4 Leonard is very handsome. Glad he didn’t manage any adventures this time and is smart enough to realise that being inside is the best place to be.

Currently 36C here and heading into a heatwave this afternoon and tomorrow. Meanwhile DD had 30cm of snow overnight and FaceTimed just now as she walking through the falling snow.

Yes, Resilient lady sailed into Sydney (from Athens) for its first ever season on Monday. 🤞

+ 1 @Sea Dog Greg

Love both. Max wishes Ricky a very merry Christmas

Are you planning on doing the cruise in the future Sue?

I strongly doubt Crystal has been banned. I think she has made a conscious decision not to continue posting in a public forum or has been advised not to post here whilst going through the divorce . I stopped following her on Instagram about 18 months ago. My only reason was her travel posts here on cc were so good & detailed that there was no need for me to follow her elsewhere. She will be missed.

So, another midnight call to Virgin Voyager. Give my email & birthdate and the staff member says “just confirming you are sailing to the Carribbean in March”. Ah no, I am sailing from Sydney In February 😳 and I received a new confirmation email last night from your colleague after a 30min phone call, confirming this. He then tells me that my booking reference is invalid, my sailor id (generated by Virgin) is invalid but I have two other sailor ids and apparently , my birthdate & email are linked to another booking that has my last name but not my first name. The confirmation email that I received last night which confirms what I booked, is incorrect How can one single online booking result in such a cluster?? Would cancel but at this point not trusting Virgin to refund the monies.. Anyhow, tonight’s staff member assured me this will be fixed. I am definitely not convinced. Wish me luck! Btw, if I need to call again tomorrow night, I will be escalating to a Manager (never had to do that before).

Okay, just saw a response posted from Virgin re beds/sofas. Sea terrace, Sea view and insider cabins have the revolutionary seabed that converts from a day mode L shaped sofa to either twin beds or a Queen. Once onboard housekeeping will assist.

Next step is a midnight call to tech to fix app issues…Hope you enjoy Scarlet Lady.

No explanation. The booking wasn’t there and then suddenly it was. Bizarre. I did get a generous amount of loot (OBC),in writing thankfully. I wouldn’t cancel because I don’t want to be chasing a refund but I will be very cautious if I book again down the track, starting with using a credit card for payment.