I'm on a luxury cruise that's one of the first to leave from the UK since the pandemic. Here are my impressions so far.

In July 2021, my colleague Monica Humphries embarked on Carnival Cruise Line's first voyage to leave the US since the pandemic and documented the experience for Insider.

So when Cunard (the popular British cruise line owned by Carnival) followed suit and announced its return to international cruising, I couldn't wait to purchase a ticket.

The sold-out five-night Western Europe voyage on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship will port in Amsterdam for two nights.

It not only marks the cruise line's first international voyage since January 2020, but it's also my first experience on a cruise.

All passengers on this cruise are required to be double-vaccinated and the ship is operating at 60% capacity, a spokesperson informed me via email.

The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship usually has a capacity for 2,081 passengers, according to the Cunard website, which means there are around 1,248 people on this voyage.

There was more paperwork than I had anticipated due to both Cunard and the UK government's COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Cunard asks passengers to fill out a health declaration form before boarding and to provide proof of their vaccination status.

I also had to fill out the UK Government's Passenger Locator Form with details of my vaccination status and my pre-booked PCR test upon my return to the UK.

All guests are required to do a rapid antigen test at Southampton before embarkation.

My passport and vaccination letter were checked by two different staff members before I went into a private booth to do the test.

I didn't realize how nervous I was until one of the employees told me to have a nice cruise, and I replied: "You too!"

After the COVID test, I was directed to a waiting area where I stayed for around 20 minutes before I received a text message informing me of my negative result.

The rest of the check-in process went smoothly, and I was impressed by how thorough the staff were. For example, my passport was checked four times in total, and I had to complete a verbal health declaration despite already filling out the same form manually at home.

The check-in terminal was connected to the Queen Elizabeth ship, so the embarkation process was short. After going through security checks, I was led down a narrow hallway which led me to the ship's entrance.

Guests fluttered around the reception lounge, trying to figure out where their rooms were located as the cellist and violinists played calming music.

I asked a member of staff what I was supposed to do next. They simply told me to "find your room," the number of which was printed on my boarding pass.

For someone who had never been on a cruise ship before, the lack of guidance I was given felt a little intimidating.

My room has a king-sized bed, a TV, a tea and coffee station, a mini-fridge, a desk, and two sets of drawers. There's also a telephone which you can use to order room service.

There was also a complimentary bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers waiting for me from Cunard's press team upon arrival.

The instruction video informed me where to locate my life jacket (the closet) and where to go if there was an emergency.

Just a few moments later, I met Bert, a housekeeping assistant, who instantly made me feel welcome. He showed me around the room and said he would be there to get anything I need throughout the voyage.

The Queen Elizabeth ship is 964.5 feet long and has the capacity for 2,081 guests and 980 crew members, according to Cunard's website.

I felt a little overwhelmed, but I knew the only way to tackle it was to start exploring right away.

There are maps of the ship posted by the elevators of each deck, however, I would have appreciated a paper copy to keep myself from getting lost. At one point, I accidentally stumbled into the staff kitchen.

I decided to explore the Queen's Room on Deck 2, which had a seating area and a stage for evening performances. It was almost completely vacant of people.

As I explored other areas of the ship, I noticed more people in the bar and restaurant areas — but due to the ship's 60% capacity, these areas weren't as busy as they likely could have been before the pandemic.

Cunard is known as one of Britain's most formal cruise lines due to its traditional decor and smart dress code.

This might be a surprise to some, since the cruise line is owned by Carnival in the US.

But Cunard couldn't be more different from its American counterpart, according to the YouTuber and cruise expert Emma Cruises.

"Carnival is the spring break crowd, whereas Cunard is the afternoon tea crowd," she told me over the phone before I set sail.

Launched in 2010, the Queen Elizabeth is Cunard's newest luxury cruise ship and was named after the Queen.

I found plenty of tributes to the royals, including portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as well as the Cunard logo which features a crown symbol.

While exploring the ship, I encountered couples sitting on tables and looking out at the sunset, while others sat in the hot tub, and one man was even jogging. I imagine that these people must have been on the Queen Elizabeth ship at some point before and know the layout well.

I haven't spotted any children on board, and that's likely due to Cunard's new vaccination policy, which states that all passengers must be double-vaccinated.

Children aged between 12 and 17 in the UK can only get a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have a serious health problem, according to The Sun.

I'm 25 and am yet to meet many passengers in my age group — but that hasn't stopped me from making friends.

I met Jannet Russell, 70, and Celia Steel, 78, at a solo traveler meet-up organized by Cunard on Thursday morning.

My first impressions of this ship are all positive.

One of the things I was most impressed with was the thorough health checks during the embarkation process.

Now that I'm on the ship, there doesn't seem to be a strict mask-wearing rule in place (or at least I haven't been told of one), however, I've noticed most people still wear them while walking around.

So far the voyage has exceeded expectations — and there are still four nights left.