A gay and lesbian tour operator is preparing to launch a big event on Sunday, even as the omicron variant continues to drive fresh waves of COVID infections across the world. 

Atlantis Events will be hosting a 5,500-person Caribbean cruise at the company’s 30th anniversary, The New York Times reported.

The event comes after the Centers for Disease Control’s warning to Americans against travel on cruise ships. “It is especially important that travellers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status,” the CDC had said in its advisory.  

Atlantis, however, has insisted that the cruise would be safe for passengers because of its stringent COVID regulations for entry, including a vaccination mandate, testing requirement and health protocols during the course.

The ‘Oasis of the Seas’ will sail from Miami on January 16. The official website of the company states, “We’re finally turning 30 with the greatest production in Atlantis history as we sail the best of the Caribbean for the perfect start to 2022.”

Also Read: CDC advises Americans to avoid cruises as omicron surge continues in the US

The events company also retweeted a statement by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) that read, “No setting can be immune from this virus – however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures,  known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land.”

The company also said it would be enforcing Royal Caribbean’s health and safety protocols, including a mask mandate indoors except while eating and drinking. But even this American cruise company has canceled several voyages this month as an ‘abundance of caution’ owing to the ‘ongoing COVID-related circumstances’, according to reports by The New York Times.

Notably, the CDC’s recent warning to avoid cruises came at a time when there has been a recent spike in COVID-19 cases onboard ships, as the highly transmissible omicron variant wreaks havoc around the world. In cognizance of the same, the CDC has increased its travel alert for ships to the highest level, and is actively monitoring dozens of ships that have reported COVID-19 outbreaks of late.

Also Read: CDC updates mask guidelines, urges Americans to use N95, KN95 masks

Between December 15 and 29, cruise ships operating on US waters reported around 5,000 COVID-19 cases, a massive spike from the 162 cases reported in the first two weeks of December.

COVID-19 spreads quite easily within confined spaces, such as that of a cruise ship’s interior, and the CDC has said that the risk of contracting the virus on cruises is especially high, even among those who are vaccinated.

However, if people still decide to go ahead for a cruise, the CDC has advised people to get tested 1 to 3 days prior to the trip and 3 to 5 days after the trip, regardless of vaccination status. It has further said that people planning to take a cruise should get vaccinated (if they have not already taken the vaccine) or take a booster dose if eligible. Travellers have also been strongly advised to wear facemasks at all times in shared spaces, and partially or unvaccinated travellers will have to self-quarantine for five days post-travel.