Politics
LGBTQ+ cruise ship barred from Egypt after Turkey denial
July 13, 2026 at 06:01 PM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 125 hours
A Virgin Voyages ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers has been turned away from two countries on a single Mediterranean itinerary.
- Cruise operator Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell said the Scarlet Lady was denied entry into Egyptian waters on Thursday, preventing a planned port call in Alexandria.
- Turkish authorities had blocked the ship a week earlier, issuing a statement that the cruise was chartered "by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society."
- The ship has been rerouted to dock in Chania, Crete, on Friday and Montenegro on Sunday, according to Atlantis Events.
- Patti LuPone, a performer on the cruise, said on Instagram that she was "furious" and ready to perform for passengers who "deserve so much better than this."