Cruising in Australia resumes: Cruise ships are back and I'm overjoyed

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. The two-year absence of travelling on ships big and small all over the world certainly created a huge hole in my life, so being invited to sail on Pacific Explorer's first cruise out of Sydney got that fond heart racing again. What's the weather forecast? What to pack? Who will be onboard?

My first glimpse of the ship docked at White Bay causes a teary moment – in the past, I've only ever shed tears of frustration when taxis got lost on the way there. Pacific Explorer looks much bigger and whiter than I remembered, and the cruise terminal is buzzing with activity. Everyone is excited to be there, anticipating that sense of freedom that floods over you when the ship slips its lines and heads towards the open sea.

There really isn't anything like it. Your holiday begins the moment you board the ship, where you're welcomed by smiling crew members and are then free to explore, find a bar, something to eat, catch up with friends, or settle into your room. As I open the balcony door of my room on Deck 9 and survey the views of Barangaroo on one side and the graceful Anzac Bridge on the other, I can feel the stress of everyday life evaporating into a few deep breaths of sea air.

For the next few days someone else is at the helm – and that's just one reason why I love cruising. I don't have to think about what to cook for dinner or how to fit shopping, cleaning and laundry into a busy working week (admittedly, I don't cook much at home, but you get the gist). For families with young children, add kids' clubs, waterslides and a raft of activities into the mix and it's win-win all round.

Another reason why cruising has so much appeal is that as a sailor on small yachts, I know that if the weather gets a bit rough I can enjoy it in all its extremities because our highly qualified captain is steering a safe course. Stabilisers reduce the ship's movement to a barely perceptible level, should they be required, and there's a lot to be said about seeing whitecaps on the horizon and not having to worry about battening down the hatches.

Life at sea has its own distinctive rituals and cruise lines have a few time-honoured traditions of their own. One is the sailaway party, which on this cruise kicks off with more joy than I've ever seen before. The Lido deck is packed with happy passengers and high-fiving crew, kids are swimming in the pool, and a few hardy adults are already lounging in the whirlpools as steam rises into the freezing air.

Yes, it is a bit chilly – there had been a gale warning in White Bay earlier – so a cocktail with my cruise buddies at the Oasis bar does double duty as a winter warmer and welcome-back toast as we sail under the Harbour Bridge. It's only 4.30pm, but that's the cruisey life for you. And who could ever get tired of seeing Sydney Harbour from the top deck of a ship?

Captain Paoletti gives the ship's whistle a triumphant blast, a long-missed sound that reverberates around the harbour. It is music to my ears, an unmistakeable signal that cruising is returning to local waters. As we approach the Heads at sunset, a pilot boat manoeuvres alongside to pick up the marine pilot who guides the ship through the harbour. It's another thrilling reminder of being back at sea, watching the pilot clambering down a rope ladder and leaping onto the deck of the boat that's rolling on a three-metre swell.