Gay Cruise Ship Barred from Turkey Also Denied Entry by Egypt
The Atlantis Events cruise was turned away from Alexandria after Egypt revoked permission for the ship to dock at the last minute.
An LGBTQ cruise banned from docking in Turkey earlier this week has now also been denied permission to dock at its replacement port in Egypt.
Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell, who is aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady with roughly 1,900 passengers — primarily Americans, along with sizable contingents from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada — told The Washington Post that Egypt’s decision was “really unheard of” and “strange and sad.” He said approval for the ship to dock in Alexandria was revoked at the last minute.
An Atlantis Events spokesperson did not immediately respond to Metro Weekly‘s request for comment.
Campbell told the Post that Egyptian authorities “refused to allow” the ship into the harbor around 3:30 a.m. local time. He noted that the ship had previously received approval to visit Alexandria — as Atlantis Events’ chartered sailings have done twice over the past two years — and had sold 1,200 shore excursions through local operators.
Kyle Olsen, owner of Hermes Holidays, an Australian-based travel agency specializing in boutique gay luxury tours and cruises, told Travel Weekly that several hundred Australians were on board. Many passengers, he said, had already paid for private excursions to see the pyramids — plans that were scrapped after Egyptian authorities blocked the ship from docking.
Egyptian authorities have not publicly explained why they revoked permission for the ship to dock.
In an update to passengers, Atlantis Events said: “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 into Alexandria. We’re working hard to secure an alternative port.”
The tracking site CruiseMapper shows that the ship turned away from Alexandria around 3:30 a.m. local time after being denied permission to dock. It later sailed to Souda, on the Greek island of Crete, where it docked later that day.
The 10-day “Athens to Venice” Mediterranean cruise, which departed Greece on July 5, was originally scheduled to stop in the Turkish port of Kuşadası before continuing to Istanbul. But Turkish authorities argued the ship should not be allowed to dock because its passengers included groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
Alexandria became the ship’s alternative port after Turkish authorities denied it permission to dock.
Broadway star and Tony Award winner Patti LuPone, who is performing for passengers aboard the Scarlet Lady, previously expressed outrage on social media over the ship being barred from Turkish ports, suggesting the decision was discriminatory.
“A ship — a magnificent ship — full of well-heeled gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board,” LuPone wrote. “I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this.”
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