Egypt blocks entry to 2SLGBTQ+ cruise days after Turkey did the same

The Scarlet Lady cruise ship has changed its itinerary for the second time this week, after first Turkey and now Egypt denied it entry to their ports.

The ship, owned by Virgin Voyages and chartered by 2SLGBTQ+ travel company Atlantis Events, is carrying 1,900 passengers, including legendary Broadway performer Patti LuPone.

The passengers found out on Thursday the cruise would not be heading to Alexandria, Egypt, as a replacement for previously planned stops to Kuşadası and Istanbul in Turkey. Earlier this week, Turkish authorities canacelled the planned port calls, saying the cruise was chartered by groups “known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”

The itinerary was then revised to replace the Turkish stops with calls in Alexandria, Egypt and Crete, Greece.

But shortly before the ship was due to arrive in Alexandria, passengers were notified through the Virgin Voyages app that the vessel had also been denied entry into Epyptian waters.

“We’re incredibly disappointed to share that Scarlet Lady has just been denied entry into Egyptian waters and will no longer be able to call in Alexandria,” said a statement distributed to passengers.

Virgin Voyages and Atlantis Events said they were working to secure another port.

Itinerary revised

Neither Egyptian officials, Virgin Voyages nor Atlantis Events had publicly explained why the Alexandria call was denied. Unlike Turkey, Egypt has not publicly cited a reason for refusing the ship entry.

While homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, the country has taken an increasingly hardline stance toward 2SLGBTQ+ rights under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government. Last year, human rights groups responded with alarm to a leaked draft legislation that would crimininalize same-sex commitment ceremonies and expand “public indecency” provisions.

According to Virgin Voyages Insider, the cruise’s itinerary has since been revised again. The ship will now visit Santorini and Chania in Greece, Kotor, Montenegro, and Dubrovnik and Zadar in Croatia before arriving in Trieste, Italy, on July 15.

In an interview with CNN about Turkey’s decision to deny the Scarlet Lady access to its ports, Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, called the decision unprecedented.

“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest,” Campbell told CNN. “The reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group.”

He added that he is concerned “when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.”

Patti LuPone ‘furious’

In an Instagram post, LuPone also decried Turkey’s stance.

“A ship — a magnificent ship — full of gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board. I am furious,” LuPone wrote. “I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this.”

Comedian Zach Noe Towers, who is also on the ship, posted a video to Instagram Thursday with news of the Egypt denial of entry.

“It’s just blowing my mind,” said Noe Towers. “We will [have a great time] — that’s the whole gay experience, having fun in the face of adversity, but it’s like: we’re too gay to come spend a bunch of money in your country?”

Then, in reference to LuPone’s reaction to the Turkey news, he said, “I am truly scared for when she wakes up and finds out about this.”

The Scarlet Lady departed Athens on July 5 for a 10-night cruise through the Mediterranean.

About 1,900 passengers are on board, with 1,100 from the United States, according to Campbel. Other travellers are from countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.