A luxury cruise ship carrying nearly 2,000 passengers, most of them gay men, has been denied permission to dock in Egypt, days after Turkish authorities blocked the same vessel from entering two of its ports.
Egyptian officials have not publicly explained the decision, forcing the ship to alter its itinerary once again. Passengers aboard the Scarlet Lady woke up on Thursday to a letter informing them that the planned stop at Alexandria had been cancelled after Egyptian authorities refused the ship entry into the country’s waters. The vessel, operated by Virgin Voyages and chartered by LGBTQ+ travel company Atlantis Events, is currently on a 10-day Mediterranean voyage from Athens to Venice.
Second port denial in days
In a letter to passengers, Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell said the company was caught off guard by Egypt’s decision, noting that it had successfully operated a similar itinerary last year without any issues.
“Both the Atlantis and Virgin Voyages teams worked tirelessly to make this call in Alexandria a possibility. This news came as a surprise to all of us, and we’re just as disappointed as you are,” Campbell wrote, adding that the crew immediately began working to secure an alternative port of call.
The latest setback comes after Turkish authorities denied the Scarlet Lady permission to dock at Istanbul and Kusadasi, citing concerns over the country’s “moral values” and public reaction to the LGBTQ+ charter.
According to Turkish authorities, the cruise was organised by groups “known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values,” adding that the visit was cancelled following significant public concern.
Route changed again
The back-to-back refusals have disrupted the cruise’s Mediterranean itinerary. Atlantis Events’ schedule had originally listed Alexandria as the next stop before the ship was due to sail to the Greek island of Crete.
Turkey’s decision also comes amid a broader tightening of restrictions on LGBTQ+ expression under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. Although homosexuality remains legal in Turkey, Pride marches have been banned in recent years, and authorities have repeatedly detained participants attempting to hold such events.
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