An LGBTQ cruise, organized by Atlantis Events, has been denied entry into both Turkey and Egypt. The cruise, aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, was initially scheduled to dock in Alexandria, Egypt, after being banned from Turkish ports. Approximately 1,900 passengers, primarily from the U.S. but also including travelers from Australia, the U.K., and Canada, were aboard the ship when it was turned away from Alexandria.
Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell expressed his disappointment regarding the unpredictable nature of the situation, noting that the ship had received prior approval to dock in Egypt and had also arranged for shore excursions through local operators. Campbell stated that Egyptian authorities revoked the docking permission just hours before the ship’s scheduled arrival, an action described as “strange and sad.”
Despite this setback, the cruise continued to sail and eventually docked in Souda on the Greek island of Crete later that day. The Scarlet Lady had originally embarked on a Mediterranean cruise that planned stops in Turkey but faced legal barriers due to local authorities deeming the passengers’ presence incompatible with “the fabric of our society and [Turkey’s] moral values.”
Broadway star Patti LuPone, who is performing on the cruise, expressed her outrage on social media, highlighting that the cruise was composed primarily of well-off gay men and criticizing the discrimination behind the docking bans.
The refusal of docking permissions from both Turkey and Egypt raises ongoing concerns regarding LGBTQ tourism in regions where cultural and legal environments may not be accepting of LGBTQ communities.
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