We arrived in Sydney 8:45 am remarkedly refreshed and rested after our 15-hour 5-minute flight. The extra cost of the premium cabin and seats turned out to be money well-spent. And, American Airlines went out of their way to ensure we had a first-class journey. After deplaning, our luggage was on the carousel within 20 minutes and customs was a very quick painless, formality. From arrivals, we made our way over to the terminals luggage storage depot and checked in one of our oversized suitcases for safe-keeping until we fly back into Sydney from Cairns prior to us boarding our cruise. We also bought an Australian 10-day SIM card for my cellphone.

The first item of business now was to call for an Uber ride that would get us from SYD to the Mariners Court Hotel in Sydney. No problem with the 30-minute ride to our hotel. The Mariners Court Hotel is centrally located near the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, local cafes and restaurants. It’s also positioned only a short walk from the Botanical Gardens, Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay, and only a few minutes’ walk to the city center and Kings Cross. Included in the cost was a free hot buffet breakfast. The included breakfasts turned out to be a great feature. Eating out in Australia is very expensive so only having to buy dinner resulted in a big cost saving.

    
  
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As we were feeling the jet lag and not very energetic after the long flight, we decided to confine our outing today to a short foray on foot close to our hotel. Fortunately, the Royal Botanic Garden fit the bill nicely as it was only a five-minute walk. The Gardens are a heritage-listed 74-acre botanical garden, event venue and public recreation area located on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district. Opened in 1816, the garden is the oldest scientific institution in Australia. Access is free and its position on Sydney Harbor and the Sydney Opera House make it one of the most visited attractions in Sydney.

      
      
      
      
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After a quiet afternoon spent wandering, we found a restaurant on our way back to the hotel and had an early birthday (mine) dinner. Back to the hotel it was feet up and a relaxing evening.