An LGBTQ cruise ship was refused entry to Egypt days after Turkey barred it from docking in its ports, forcing a second route change for about 2,000 passengers aboard the Scarlet Lady. Passengers were informed of the latest change on Thursday morning in a note slipped under their cabin doors, saying the ship was urgently searching for another port, the Guardian reported.
“In the early morning hours, we were informed that the Scarlet Lady was not permitted to enter Egyptian territorial waters, and therefore would not be able to dock in Alexandria,” Rich Campbell, CEO of Atlantis Events, the travel company that chartered the ship, wrote to passengers. “I know how important this visit was to many of you. Last year we sailed a similar route without any problem, so we were surprised by this unfortunate decision. We are as disappointed as you are.”
NBC report on the LGBTQ cruise ship barred from docking in Egypt and Turkey
The planned stop in Egypt had already been a replacement after Turkey refused to allow the ship to enter its territory. The Guardian noted that Egypt did not provide an official explanation for its decision.
The 10-day cruise, sailing from Athens to Venice, was rerouted after Turkish authorities blocked the ship from entering the country’s territorial waters. Local authorities said the vessel had been chartered “by groups known for behaviors that are not in line with our social structure and moral values.”
Turkey said the ship’s planned arrival was canceled after it “raised significant public concern,” adding that “there is no possibility that the group in question will visit our territory for such an event.”
Randy Slovacek, one of the passengers on the cruise, wrote on his blog that in the 36 years Atlantis has operated, one of its ships had never before been denied permission to dock. “And now it happened in two countries in one week,” he wrote. “Believe me, I and the rest of the passengers will be fine. If they don’t want our tourism, we will sparkle and spend our money elsewhere.” Quoting fellow blogger Joe Jervis, Slovacek added: “They would like us to be invisible. We are not. Let’s dance.”
Kyle Olsen, owner of the gay travel company Hermes Holidays, said he believed Egypt would not have imposed its own ban had Turkey not first refused the ship. “I fear more countries will now feel emboldened to ban gay cruises from docking at their ports,” he said. “It is sad to see the direction the world is going. Governments one after another are falling to right-wing groups, and as a result LGBTQ rights are being stripped away around the world.”
Olsen said that after the steps taken by Turkey and Egypt, he would not recommend that his clients visit either country. Still, he added, “it is important to note that the positions of governments do not necessarily reflect the views of citizens. We have visited Turkey and Egypt many times in the past and found the people there warm, friendly and welcoming.”
Olsen, whose friends are aboard the Scarlet Lady, said the Egypt stop had been expected to be one of the highlights of the trip. “This was really a last-minute decision by the Egyptian government,” he said. “Until the night before, everything was fine. Many passengers had paid large sums for private tours to the pyramids and museums. This was supposed to be the experience of a lifetime for them, and now they are in uncertainty.”
The ship’s route was changed for a second time. It continued to Chania, Crete, and is expected to dock in Montenegro on Sunday. Campbell called Turkey’s decision “shocking” in an interview with CNN. “The reason is that it’s a group of gay people,” he said. According to Campbell, Atlantis has chartered cruises to Turkey 13 times over the past 25 years without incident, and appeals made with assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Turkey failed to reverse the ban.
Actress and singer Patti LuPone, a Grammy and Tony winner who is performing aboard the ship, shared her disbelief on Instagram. “Atlantis cruise banned from entering Turkey,” she wrote. “A fabulous ship full of gay men and me. We were banned from entering Turkey only because of who is on board. I am furious, but I am continuing to sail because the ship will dock at other ports. I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this cruise, who deserve so much better than this.”