Can a Gay Cruise Keep 4,700 People Safe Amid Covid?

Out of the two,700 rooms bought, Mr. Campbell mentioned solely 35 have been canceled since Jan. 1.

For visitors who can not journey due to authorities restrictions or lockdowns, Atlantis is exhibiting extra flexibility and issuing credit for future cruises, Mr. Campbell mentioned. Due to the fast-changing circumstances of the pandemic, he mentioned, the corporate is approaching cancellation requests on a case-by-case foundation and attempting to accommodate as many individuals as potential.

“We’re right here to care for individuals and we’re doing our greatest,” he mentioned. “But when somebody involves us and simply says they need their a refund, as a result of they don’t really feel comfy occurring the cruise, then we suggest that they take out ‘cancel for any purpose’ journey insurance coverage.”

Since restarting operations in america in June, many cruise strains and tour operators have adopted versatile cancellation insurance policies, providing credit score or refunds to prospects who need to make itinerary modifications due to the coronavirus.

Earlier than the pandemic, Atlantic Occasions hosted greater than 25,000 visitors annually, organizing specialty homosexual and lesbian occasions on cruise ships and resorts around the globe. Final yr it was compelled to cancel or postpone a number of occasions, together with its thirtieth anniversary cruise.

“We had nearly two years with no revenue, and we’re a tiny self-financed firm. It was an enormous problem to outlive,” Mr. Campbell mentioned.

Whereas the corporate doesn’t provide refunds, it says that the well being and security of its visitors is a high precedence and will probably be imposing Royal Caribbean’s well being and security protocols, which features a masks mandate indoors besides whereas consuming and ingesting and in crowded areas outside. Royal Caribbean officers say that whereas the Omicron variant has pushed up circumstances on board its ships in current weeks, most infections have been gentle and haven’t resulted in extreme sickness. Nonetheless, with a rising variety of crew members and passengers contracting the virus, the cruise line, like different cruise corporations, has canceled a number of voyages this month in what it mentioned was “an abundance of warning” because of “ongoing Covid-related circumstances.”

Passengers booked on the Atlantis cruise are carefully watching the Celeb Millennium cruise ship, which was chartered by one other L.G.B.T journey firm this week for a seven-night Caribbean cruise. The capability for that ship is way smaller, at 2,218 passengers, however coronavirus circumstances have been reported to the C.D.C. and reached their threshold for an investigation.