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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 25 ,2 02 1 | 52 8833-192-982tsaEdaoRerohsekaL691erotSellivkaO !tuokrowretteb=troppus+dloh :uoyhtiwskrowatinA !yadyreve...evol,yruxul,eiregniL Business in Oakville The travel tide is turning at Expedia Cruises Travelers have got to travel and with restrictions easing, they are mak- ing Expedia Cruises in downtown Oakville their first destination to plan a long-awaited escape. The Lakeshore Road location hosted six walk-ins on a recent Saturday, each with a river cruise on their travel itinerary. Owen Hargreaves, co-owner of the local Expedia Cruises Air, Land and Sea Vacations has seen an increase in bookings from restriction-weary clients yearning to get away. "Now our repeat clients are coming back with referrals," says the cruise expert. Recently mov-ing from the Kerr Street location that opened in 2015, Expedia Cruises can benefit from the vis-ibility and accessibility of its new location at the corner of Lakeshore and Navy. Hargreaves notes, "The future is bright here." His outlook is also bright for cruises. Hargreaves' passion for this form of travel is obvious as he describes the extreme precautions that are taken to ensure the health and safety of passen-gers. "The safety standards are much higher than the experience of going to a resort for a week," explains the seasoned cruise host. Although he admits to being a bit nervous when boarding his first cruise since the pandemic pulled the plug on the industry, sailing out of Greece in August confirmed for him that the pre-cautions can keep passengers and crew safe. Cruise lines are operating with reduced capacity, all passengers age 12 and older must be dou-ble vaccinated and regardless of age, must be tested prior to and at the end of cruise before flying home. Under- age children are tested every two days. Select cruise lines are providing COVID-related medical coverage and a private flight home in case of test positive, explains Hargreaves. While passengers are not required to wear masks, crew member wear masks at all times, are fully vaccinated, tested for COVID twice a week and are quarantined for two weeks when they first board. Crew members hail from around the world and that's one of the bo- nuses of vacationing on a cruise ship, according to Hargreaves. The mul- ticultural nature of a ship is another benefit of this type of travel, exposing passengers to a variety of cultures. Hargreaves sees this in his eight-year-old son who has 22 cruises under his belt. "It has taught him a level of empathy and compassion. He has a differ- ent view of the world and that's the most important thing," says the father who suggests that children should start travelling early in their lives to begin their educational journey. His clients have started to resume their journeys, booking trips to Eu- rope, the Caribbean, Ha-waii and Alaska for 2022 both on land and water. They are holding back on trips to the other side of the globe to more exotic destinations, waiting until 2023 and anticipating fewer CO- VID concerns. "The vacation is just as important as planning and looking forward to it," Hargreaves advises. He's looking forward to hosting two river cruises in December 2022. Joining a host on a cruise opens doors to signature experiences like themed dinners on shore, exclusive sail-away parties, private bridge tours for kids and the chance to cruise with a familiar group of travelers. For information or to book a vacation, call Expedia Cruises at 289- 863-7447 or drop in at 126 Lakeshore Rd. E. Owen Hargreaves, co-owner of Expedia Cruises Air, Land and Sea Vacations in downtown Oakville. Grahame Paine/Metroland photo Advertorial