CHARLOTTE – We departed on time, had a very smooth flight where everyone on board wore face masks except when indulging, and arrived on time in Miami. Our ship assigned boarding times, and we were to arrive at 1:30 pm. OOPS! I had failed tonotice the late embarkation time and scheduled us to arrive too early. No Problem. We shared a taxi to Bayside where we ate lunch and took in the sights. Bayside is an outdoor shopping venue, located next door to the Port of Miami Cruise Terminals.

At boarding time we double-checked our checklist. Everyone over 21 – Check. Everyone Vaccinated – Check. Everyone had completed the online check-in and downloaded picture ID, Vaccination Card, Health questionnaire – Check. No one had to take any kind of Covid 19 test at home (really!) – Check. Everyone had the“Bracelet” that Virgin promised would make magic happen – Check. We checked our bags, then moved into a line that had a sign for our boarding time.

The line did seem very long, but we were early. Our line started moving about 15minutes prior to the scheduled time, so we were very happy. Once we had answered questions by Virgin Sailors assigned to our line, we quickly moved on to enter the first Terminal. Once inside our bracelets showed our ID as we processed through the Covid 19 test line. It was a painless and well-organized approach to testing, and the first “Innovative Award” from me.

Phil and Barbara have owned Leisure Travel experts here in Mint Hill since 1994and are proud members of Mint Hill Chamber of Commerce. Contact them at (980) 406-1650 or phil.angelo@leisuretravelexpert.com.