CHARLOTTE – FACT: Every passenger, on every cruise ship, is vaccinated and has provided a negative Covid 19 test prior to boarding. NO OTHER Public Restaurant, Bar, Gym, Waterpark, or entertainment park, here or abroad, can say that. Now there are some very limited exceptions allowed for children who do not qualify for current vaccines, but they MUST comprise less than 5% of the total number of passengers. Most Cruise Lines do not allow unvaccinated percentages to dip below 3%. I certainly do not intend to tell anyone they are wrong for not wanting to cruise for any reason, including Covid. There are variations popping up every day, and everywhere.

Barbara and I cruised since July 2021. We did not get sick, we felt safe on board, and safe on many excursions. The precautions we saw were beyond what I thought I would see.

 All passengers ages 12 and over must be fully vaccinated.

 All crew must be vaccinated.

 All passengers must present a negative covid test result taken no more than two days before the sailing.

 Masks are no longer required for passengers, but crew members still wear them.

 The number of passengers onboard has been climbing back toward 2019 numbers but is still running lower that the maximum for many weeks. That means more space per passenger, more personal services, and easier cleaning procedures.

 With nearly every person onboard both vaccinated and tested, I felt I was better off than;

 A/ My local restaurants where no employees are wearing masks anymore

 B/ My local Arena where seats are 18 inches wide and 0 inches between, no one is wearing masks, everyone is yelling and spitting andNO ONE has been tested for Covid before entering.

Phil and Barbara operate Leisure Travel Experts here in Mint Hill and are proud members of the Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce.