Prepare for amazing Encounter in the Sunshine State

A funny thing happened to me on the way from Brisbane to the Whitsundays.

Well many funny things have happened to me on this stretch of the Queensland coast, with Airlie Beach a favourite stop-off on what was an annual three-week sojourn by road between Cairns and Victoria in the 2000s.

But I no longer have the energy or the inclination to sleep in crowded backpacker dorms, taking in the local tourist hotspots if I have recovered enough from a night out discovering each stopover's best nightclubs and music venues.

The journey has always been as important to me as the destination and while it may have taken me a long time to discover it - cruise ships are designed for me. The four-night, three-day cruise from Brisbane to the Whitsundays aboard P&O's Pacific Encounter was an ideal entry point to enjoying the journey and a magnificent destination which never disappoints, no matter how often you visit.

I haven't laughed so loud, relaxed so entirely, slept so well or been so thoroughly entertained on so many consecutive days and nights in years as I was on my winter break on the Pacific Encounter.

The choice of dining experiences on the Pacific Encounter are varied and first-class from the buffet-style The Pantry to the Luke Mangan-partnered Luke's Bar and Grill.

Four nights and four great dinners is a winning ratio I have not achieved anywhere on my travels before the Pacific Encounter.

The set menu at two of my dinner venues - Dragon Lady and Angelos - was part of the cruise fare although specialties, such as an 18-hour cooked Tajima Wagyu beef short rib and popcorn battered prawns at Dragon Lady, were also available to guests at additional cost.

The modern-Australian Waterfront, combining classics with "cutting-edge" cuisine, was a favourite for lunch and breakfast. Charges apply at Luke's Bar & Grill and the Italian-flavoured 400 Gradi, but both are worth it with signature dishes such as the crab omelet with enoki mushroom salad and miso broth at Luke's, while pasta and pizza dishes are the 400 Gradi's forte.

Each of the five restaurants has its own theme and signature dishes but all are prepared under the watchful eye of executive chef Ravi Rajamanikam.

Sitting over dinner at Luke's Bar & Grill for the final time with my travel group the question was posed, "what were your two favourite things on the cruise?"

I was actually a little surprised by some of the responses: karaoke at the Encounter Hotel bar on deck seven was one, plus the muscle-soothing massage at on-board Elemis Day Spa, cocktail-mixing classes at the on-board gin distillery The Bonded Store (in partnership with Archie Rose Distilling Co), and The Great Gatsby and White theme evenings, which ended up in the late-night Altitude nightclub.

For a couple it was the excellent energy-filled stage productions of Seven, based on the seven deadly sins, and Musicology in the huge Marquee theatre.

For me the highlight was the mad-capped, incredibly funny, adult comedy cabaret Blanc de Blanc which was playing to sell-out crowds in Sydney before its season on Encounter. Risque is probably an understatement, but it's definitely not offensive - thankfully there were the occasional set and costume changes to allow time to grab some air and a drink between laughs. My second on-board pick was the Blue Room which became my nightly escape. Relaxed, dimly lit and with super-tight Brisbane jazz band Corazon led by the sultry-voiced Toni playing, I was in my element.

The eclectic mix of venues and bars across a couple of decks, including a casino, manages to keep what is a really a diverse range of passengers amused.

The one agreed favourite activity among my travel group was the ocean rafting at Airlie Beach aboard the aptly named Thrilla, a custom-built semi-rigid inflatable vessel, travelling at speeds of up to 30 knots. Crewed by Heath and Emily, an impossibly young and professional duo, the experience was a mixture of manic mayhem as we travelled at high speed to our destination, and relaxed snorkelling taking in an amazing array of coral, colourful fish and even a sea turtle for a lucky few.

Our destination was Hook Island and Emily and Heath kept a watchful eye over their charges, explaining the dos and don'ts in this protected area before sending us off into its pristine waters. The snorkelling time and lunch break on the sandy island where Lara Bingle filmed the Where the Bloody Hell Are You tourism ad was just right.

Expectations were high for the return trip and Heath turned up the dial on the music and we did the same with our smiles as he powered us home on another exhilarating, high-speed ride.

Read more on Explore:

THE SHIP: P&O's Pacific Encounter

THE SIZE: 1298 cabins, 2600 guests, 290 metres long

GOOD TO KNOW: Splurging on a suite or mini-suite gives you access to the new Byron Beach Club, a private retreat on the top deck with pool and spas.

GET ON BOARD: The Pacific Encounter will be sailing from Brisbane to Whitsundays and return in October-November 2023 and January-August 2024, on four-night cruises. From $796 per person for a two-person internal room; $999 each for a two-person balcony room.

EXPLORE MORE: pocruises.com.au

The writer was a guest of P&O cruises.