Peri-Op conference cruise. Hi, I’m Jules from Jules Cruise Companion and today I’m sharing something a little different—a peek behind the scenes at my travel prep ritual and a special start to my cruise from Brisbane aboard the Pacific Aria! Before any trip, I follow a bit of a ritual: I do a final fridge check—no one wants to come home to expired food! I clean the bathroom (a little excessively, if I’m honest). I take out the rubbish, check the letterbox, and make sure the house looks lived-in to avoid any signs that I’m away. But this time is unique—I've sold my house! So I’ve gone to the next level of cleaning because when I return, I’ll only be staying a night or two before moving on. There’s no TV, no dining table, and no Death Star painting left on the wall—just a bed and the essentials. It’s basically indoor camping until the next chapter begins. This cruise is a bit of a treat. I decided to head to Brisbane a day early and stay in an apartment right by the cruise terminal at Dockside. I love this area—it’s so important that cruise terminals are integrated into vibrant, local communities. These apartments, restaurants, and shops breathe life into the precinct and support the local economy. The morning of the cruise, we were greeted with a beautiful view of the Pacific Aria already docked. She’s a smaller ship (around 2,100 passengers), formerly part of the Holland America Line—sister ship to the Eden. I think she’s just lovely. Boarding from Portside Brisbane was smooth: We walked over from our apartment with our suitcases. Dropped our bags with the stevedores (next time we see them: in our cabin!). Had our cruise documents, passports, and even a special declaration form for Papua New Guinea in hand. Onboard, we’re in cabin 9059—a three-person room with single beds and a decent bathroom (including a bathtub!). I took the divan this time—fair’s fair, since my cruise buddies have done it for me on past trips (including one legendary divan disaster in New Orleans...). We’ve got a balcony that’s much larger than the one we had on the Pacific Dawn, and I’m already in love with this ship. The view from the port is industrial but still exciting—especially knowing the bow of the ship is right in front of us and the city skyline is just behind. As we depart, the tugboat Marin Bougie gives us a push, and we make a graceful 180-degree turn toward the Gateway Bridge. Once we’re out in open water, our pilot hops off and we’re officially on our way—Papua New Guinea, here we come! Thanks for coming along on the start of this cruise adventure. Stay tuned for more from onboard and our exotic stops along the way. — Jules 🌊🚢✨ My book HANDY CRUISE COMPANION, Cruise with Confidence is available on Amazon http://bit.ly/HandyCruiseCompanioneBook Check out my website http://www.julescruisecompanion.com.au/ Follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/julie.burgess.5011 Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/julescruisecompanion/?hl=en Copyright JCC