The cruise ship Scarlet Lady, carrying more than 1,900 LGBTQ passengers, was denied port calls in Turkey and Egypt in July, forcing the operator to alter the planned voyage.
The 11-day cruise was organised by Atlantis Events, a company specialising in LGBTQ+ travel. Operated by Virgin Voyages, the vessel was scheduled to visit Istanbul and Kuşadası in Turkey before calling at Alexandria, Egypt. Turkish authorities cancelled the planned stops, while Egyptian officials later ordered the ship to leave the area as it approached Alexandria.
Atlantis CEO Rich Campbell said Egypt did not provide an official reason for refusing entry. In Turkey, the local government responsible for Kuşadası said the visit conflicted with local “moral values” and caused public concern. Atlantis has operated LGBTQ+ group cruises for more than three decades and has previously visited Turkey and Egypt without similar problems. The company said this was the first time in its history that a port call had been denied because of the LGBTQ identity of its guests.
Campbell added that the Turkish port calls had been approved in advance and warned that such decisions could affect tourism operators and demand for destinations seen as restricting certain groups of travellers.
The cancellations forced MV Scarlet Lady to change its route. After departing Athens on July 5, the ship returned to Crete, added an unscheduled stop in Montenegro and then continued toward planned calls in Croatia and Venice.
