Egypt reportedly refuses port call for LGBTQ+ cruise after Turkey blocks the same voyage

A Mediterranean cruise chartered for thousands of LGBTQ+ travelers has reportedly been turned away from a second stop on its itinerary after Turkey had already barred the same voyage from docking.

The Virgin Voyages ship Scarlet Lady, chartered by Atlantis Events for a 10-day sailing from Athens, Greece, to Italy, was first denied scheduled port calls in Kuşadası and Istanbul by Turkish authorities last week. Officials cited “moral standards,” forcing organizers to alter the route shortly before the ship was due to arrive. Atlantis said on its website that Turkish authorities told the company the vessel would not be allowed to dock in either city.

Now, the replacement stop in Alexandria, Egypt, has also reportedly been canceled, according to VV Insider, a Virgin Voyages-focused news site. The Advocate said it could not independently confirm the cancellation in Egypt.

VV Insider reported that passengers received a message through the onboard app saying Scarlet Lady had been “denied entry into Egyptian waters” and would no longer call at Alexandria.

“We’re incredibly disappointed to share that Scarlet Lady has just been denied entry into Egyptian waters and will no longer be able to call in Alexandria,” the message said, according to VV Insider.

“We’re working hard to secure an alternative port. [CEO] Rich [Campbell] from Atlantis Events and Captain Bram will share more details later this morning, but we wanted to let you know as soon as we received this unfortunate news.”

The Advocate said it had sought confirmation from Atlantis Events about whether the Alexandria stop was canceled and whether the decision was tied to the LGBTQ+ passengers or the nature of the charter, but had not received a response. It also contacted the U.S. State Department, the Embassy of Egypt in Washington, D.C., and the White House for comment, but did not hear back.

Atlantis’ revised itinerary, still posted on its website Thursday morning, listed “Cairo (Alexandria), Egypt” for Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., followed by Crete on Saturday.

Turkish authorities in Aydın Province, where Kuşadası is located, said the planned visit had been canceled because the group did not align with “the structure of our society and our moral values,” according to the Washington Post.

Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN that this was the first time in the company’s 36-year history that it had been denied port access because of its guests’ identities. He said the cruise was a tourism trip, not a political event.

Another major LGBTQ+ travel company said the denials were highly unusual. A spokesperson for VACAYA, which also runs LGBTQ+ cruise charters, said the company has “never been turned away from a port” and has “called on both Türkiye and Egypt successfully before.”

Randle Roper, VACAYA’s co-founder and chief experience officer, said in a statement to The Advocate that the company “stands firmly behind” Atlantis Events.

“These two destinations have welcomed LGBTQ+ travelers from around the world for decades, which makes these bone-headed denials even more perplexing,” Roper said.

“We believe this is part of a shifting global tide against our community, emboldened in part by the change in rhetoric and policy we’ve seen under the current U.S. administration.”

The sailing has attracted broader attention in part because Broadway legend Patti LuPone is among the scheduled performers. LuPone said on Instagram that she was “furious” after learning the cruise had been blocked from Turkey because of who was aboard.

The U.S. State Department warns LGBTQ+ travelers that laws and attitudes abroad can affect their safety and ease of travel. Its guidance says travelers may face challenges based on their real or perceived sexual orientation and that some destinations ban public gatherings supporting gay and lesbian communities or restrict materials and images that show support for gay and lesbian people.

The denial in Turkey comes amid a broader official crackdown on LGBTQ+ public life under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Istanbul Pride has been banned for years, and police have repeatedly detained people who attempted to march. Homosexuality is legal in Turkey, but LGBTQ+ people and events have faced rising government hostility.

Egypt’s record is harsher. Although Egyptian law does not explicitly criminalize homosexuality, authorities have used morality, debauchery and public order laws to arrest and prosecute LGBTQ+ people, according to Human Rights Watch.