A cruise ship for LGBTQ+ people which was denied entry to Turkey has now also been told it cannot dock in Egypt.
The 2,000 passengers aboard Virgin Voyages-owned liner The Scarlet Lady woke up to a printed announcement slid under their cabin door detailing the refusal.
A reason as to the refusal was not given and the chief executive of Atlantis Events, the tour group that chartered the cruise and is self-described as the world’s largest gay travel company, said ‘this news came as a surprise to all of us, and we’re just as disappointed as you are.’
Rich Campbell wrote: ‘Early this morning, we were informed that Scarlet Lady has been denied entry into Egyptian waters, and, as a result, will no longer be able to call in Alexandria today.
‘I know how much this visit meant to so many of you. We successfully sailed a similar itinerary last year without issue. So we were surprised by this unfortunate decision.
‘Please know that both the Atlantis and Virgin Voyages teams worked tirelessly to make this call in Alexandria a possibility.’
The stop in Egypt was a last minute arrangement after the ‘Athens to Venice’ trip, which had been catered towards an LGBTQ+ experience, was denied entry to Turkey earlier this week.
Having set off on July 5, it was due to stop at Kusadasi, a resort town along the country’s western Aegean coast, and Istanbul.
A cruise ship for LGBTQ+ people which was denied entry to Turkey has now also been told they can not dock in Egypt
The Scarlet Lady, chartered by Atlantis Events, embarked from Greece on July 5 for a ten day trip around the region
But Turkish authorities said that The Scarlet Lady was chartered ‘by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values’.
As such, ‘there is absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature’, after having ‘sparked significant public concern’.
Same-sex relationships are not against the law in Egypt however they remain very taboo and there are tough prosecutions for ‘debauchery’ and public morality laws.
Similarly in Turkey, homosexuality is legal but the government has been known to hold conservative views on the matter and remains taboo, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly speaking out against the LGBTQ+ community.
Virgin Voyages said: ‘We were incredibly disappointed to learn that Scarlet Lady was denied entry hours before our planned call.
‘We successfully operated a similar itinerary last year without issue and will continue to do everything possible to ensure the charter guests and Crew complete an incredible vacation, now calling on Kotor, Montenegro as an alternative.’
Of the passengers on board, 1,100 are from the United States, while the remainder are from countries including the UK, Australia and Canada.
Blogger Randy Slovacek, who is aboard The Scarlet Lady, wrote earlier today: ‘In the company’s 36 year history, Atlantis had never had a ship denied entry to dock. And now it’s happened in two countries in one week.
‘That’s all the info we have at this time. I can only guess the recent headlines about our kerfuffle in Turkey have had a ripple effect to leaders in Egypt.
‘Trust and believe, me and my fellow passengers will be fine. As my fellow blogger Joe Jervis once wrote: “They wish we were invisible. We’re not. Let’s dance.”
‘I’m off to grab an Aperol Spritz and a lounge chair on the pool deck.’
Mr Slovacek also said that many of the passengers were very excited to visit Egypt and had specifically gone to bed early the night before in order to wake up early for disembarking and visit the pyramids.
Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, described the entry refusal to Turkey on Tuesday as ‘pretty stunning’.
He told CNN: ‘I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group. It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.’
Campbell revealed it was the first time in 36 years that the company had been told it couldn’t berth ‘because of who we are’.
An update on the Atlantis Events website reads: ‘Unfortunately, we have been informed by the Turkish authorities that Atlantis will not be permitted to dock in Kusadasi or Istanbul during this voyage. As a result, we have had to alter our sailing itinerary somewhat.
‘Our new itinerary will keep all the other ports intact, and now add a full day in Alexandria, Egypt, with tours to Cairo and the brand-new Egyptian Museum.
‘We will also add a full day on the island of Crete, calling at the port of Heraklion. Both ports have excellent opportunities for exploration and enjoyment and have been favorites of ours for years.’
Atlantis Events have been contacted for comment.
