LGBTQ+ cruise ship refused entry to Egypt days after Turkey turned it away | LGBTQ+ rights
The LGBTQ+ cruise ship that was blocked from entering Turkish territorial waters this week has been denied entry to Egypt.
The Scarlet Lady’s 2,000 passengers, including Broadway performer Patti LuPone, woke up Thursday morning to find a note placed under their cabin doors announcing that the ship was urgently seeking alternative ports.
Rich Campbell, managing director of Atlantis Events, the tour group that charters the Virgin Voyages ship, told passengers: “Early this morning, we were informed that the Scarlet Lady had been refused entry into Egyptian waters and as a result will not be able to call in Alexandria today.”
“I know how much this visit means to many of you. We successfully completed a similar route last year without any problems. So we are surprised by this unfortunate decision,” he wrote.
The note ended: “Please know that both the Atlantis and Virgin Voyages teams have worked tirelessly to make this visit to Alexandria possible. This news comes as a surprise to us all, and we are as disappointed as you are.”
The visit to Egypt was a change in a hastily planned tour after the ship was denied entry to Türkiye. No official reason has yet been given for the Egyptian government’s decision.
The 10-day Athens-Venice cruise was blocked from Türkiye after authorities posted a statement online saying the cruise was chartered “by groups known for behavior that does not comply with the structure of our society and our moral values.”
Officials added that the ship’s arrival was canceled because it “caused serious public concern.” “There is absolutely no possibility of the group in question coming to our city for an event of this nature.”
Randy SlovakiaThe one on the cruise wrote: his blog: “No ships have been allowed to dock at Atlantis in the company’s 36-year history, and now this has happened in two countries within a week.
“Trust and believe, me and my fellow passengers will be fine: if they don’t want our tourism, we’ll shine and spend it elsewhere. As fellow blogger Joe Jervis ‘They want us to be invisible,’ he once wrote. We are not. Let’s dance.’”
Kyle Olsen, owner of another LGBTQ+ tour company, Hermes Holidays, said he believes Egypt would not have issued this ban if Turkey had not refused entry to the ship this week. “I worry that other countries will be emboldened to ban gay cruises in their ports,” he said.
“This is a sad representation of the way the world is going. Successive governments are falling into the hands of right-wing groups, resulting in the rights of LGBT+ people being taken away around the world.”
Olsen said that after what Türkiye and Egypt did, he would not recommend these countries to his customers. “But it is important to note that the government’s views do not necessarily reflect the views of the people of these countries,” he said. “We have been to Türkiye and Egypt many times in the past and found the people to be very warm, friendly and engaging.”
Olsen, who has friends on the Scarlet Lady, said they expect the Egypt stop to be the highlight of the tour for passengers who get up at 6 a.m. to get ready for the day. “This was literally a last-minute call from the Egyptian government,” Olsen said. “Everything was fine the night before.
“Many travelers had paid huge amounts of money for private tours to see the pyramids and museums. It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, but now they are in limbo.”
The ship has now been rerouted for the second time and will dock in Chania, Crete on Friday and Montenegro on Sunday.
Campbell called Türkiye’s decision “surprising,” telling CNN: “The logic behind this is that this is a gay group.”
He added that Atlantis has operated cruises to Türkiye 13 times in the last 25 years without incident, and that calls to the US embassy in Türkiye were unsuccessful in reversing the ban.
Tony winner LuPone, 77, who performed on the ship, shared her shock about the news on Instagram on Saturday. “The Atlantis cruise, which I will launch next week, has been banned from entering Türkiye,” he wrote. “A ship – a magnificent ship – full of gay men. And me. He was not allowed into Türkiye just because of who was on the ship.
“I’m angry, but since the ship will be calling in other ports, I’m setting sail. I’m ready to perform for all the great men on this Atlantis voyage who deserve so much better than this.”
Atlantis Events and Virgin Voyages have been approached for comment.
