'We’ll Sparkle Elsewhere': LGBTQ Cruise Barred From Turkey and Egypt
Passengers said Egyptian authorities also barred the 10-day Atlantis cruise from docking, forcing another itinerary change and an extra day at sea.
- On Thursday, Egyptian authorities denied docking permission to the Scarlet Lady, an Atlantis Events cruise ship carrying around 1,900 passengers. This rejection followed a similar ban by Turkey last week, forcing a second unexpected route change.
- Turkish authorities cited 'behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society' when banning the ship last week. Egypt provided no official explanation, though both countries have recently tightened restrictions against LGBTQ travel.
- Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell called the denial 'really unheard of' and 'strange and sad.' Passengers lost planned Cairo excursions after the ship was turned away from the Egyptian port at 3:30 a.m. local time.
- The Scarlet Lady navigated to Souda on the Greek island of Crete, docking on Saturday, July 11, as 10-day Athens-to-Venice cruise plans shifted. The reroute created an extra unexpected day at sea.
- In Atlantis's 36-year history, this marks the first time a chartered cruise has been actively denied port access based on passenger identity. The unprecedented consecutive rejections reflect a shifting global climate regarding LGBTQ rights and travel access.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Turkey and Egypt turned away an LGBTQ+ cruise ship – it’s their loss
A Virgin Voyages cruise ship with LGBTQ+ passengers was turned away from an Egypt port, just days after it was banned from docking in Turkey, with authorities citing ‘moral values’. Aidy Smith says these countries have made a mistake that will hurt themselves more than anyone else
‘Unheard of’: Turkey, Egypt bar Virgin’s gay cruise from docking
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...
First Turkey, then Egypt. Twice in the past week, the LGBTQ cruise has been denied entry to ports. “We had full approval, yet they denied us at the last minute,” says Rich Campbell, CEO of Atlantis Events.
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'We’ll sparkle elsewhere': LGBTQ cruise barred from Turkey and Egypt
After Turkey barred the Scarlet Lady from its ports, Egypt also refused entry, forcing a second route change for some 2,000 passengers and Grammy winner Patti LuPone; Atlantis Events’ CEO said Turkey admitted the reason was ‘a group of gay people’
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