Boarding P&O Pacific Jewel. Just arrived at the car parking—this is where I always like to kick things off for a cruise. I parked the car and opted for undercover service, which means they’ll clean the car while I’m away. Not a bad deal. Within minutes, the little shuttle bus pulled up, so I grabbed my bags and headed off to the cruise terminal. Today’s a special day—I've got my scarf on, which always signals it's cruise day! I arrived at the terminal and met up with Nancy to drop off our bags and make sure we had all our important documents ready—passports, cruise paperwork, the whole lot. The stevedores were already moving quickly, tagging and loading luggage. Friendly as ever. One of them called me by name—"How are you, babe?" Love that. We’re embarking on P&O’s Pacific Jewel today. The check-in staff were super helpful, guiding us through the process. Our rooms weren’t quite ready yet, so we decided to explore the ship and grab a bite to eat. First stop—the Pantry. Before the crowds arrived, we wandered around the upper decks and eventually made our way to the Pool Deck. It's always a bit exciting exploring a ship you’ve never been on before. Everything's unfamiliar, but full of promise. At the Pantry, we scoped out today’s lunch offerings. I spotted some delicious-looking curry, fish and chips that smelled fresh and crispy, and even Yorkshire pudding. Then came dessert—well, I tried to tell myself I didn’t need dessert, but we all know how that story usually ends. Eventually, I made it down to my stateroom—6198. It’s a twin cabin, and we’ve got everything we need. There's a separate little dressing area with hanging space, drawers, and, of course, our life jackets tucked away for muster later. The bathroom is compact but perfectly functional—just have to remember to mind the step! The beds were already split into twins, and Lynn was happily flicking through the day’s Good Times guide, plotting our afternoon. We even got lucky with our window. We were expecting an obstructed view, but nope—we ended up with a full, clear ocean view. Next stop was topping up my cruise card with some cash so I don’t get a nasty surprise at the end of the trip. The staff pointed me toward a cash machine tucked around the corner. It’s better to use the machine than the concierge desk, as that would require US dollars. I followed the prompts, tucked in my spending money, and that was that—my cruise account was topped up and ready for action. Before we could set sail, we had to complete our muster drill. The muster station is marked on the back of the cabin door and also on our cruise card—mine says "C". I double-checked the lifejacket storage too, where the muster station is printed. On this cruise, you’re required to bring your lifejacket with you to the drill, so we grabbed ours and headed off. We arrived early at muster station C, which meant we snagged a seat—always a bonus, because standing through the whole thing can be a bit tiring. Everyone gathered with their jackets, the safety briefing kicked off, and we were officially ready to cruise. Subscribe for the latest videos 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