Passengers on a Virgin Voyages cruise, chartered by Atlantis Events for an all-LGBTQ+ holiday, expressed disappointment and disgust after the ship was denied entry to ports in Turkey and Egypt.
The Scarlet Lady, on an "Athens to Venice" itinerary, was scheduled to stop in Kusadasi and Istanbul, Turkey, earlier this week. However, Turkish authorities refused the ship entry, with officials stating the cruise was chartered by groups "known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values."
Following the refusal in Turkey, the ship rerouted to include Alexandria, Egypt, and a full day on the Greek island of Crete. The vessel was subsequently denied entry into Egyptian waters, preventing the planned stop in Alexandria.
American singer and performer Todrick Hall, a headliner on the cruise, told the Daily Mail that he was "disgusted and disappointed" by the decision. "I was really shocked that they wouldn't even allow us onto their soil to experience their culture," Hall said. "The fact that they didn't want us there was so disappointing and disheartening."
While homosexuality is legal in Turkey, the government holds conservative views on LGBTQ+ issues. In Egypt, same-sex relationships are not illegal, but they remain taboo, with prosecutions under "debauchery" and public morality laws.
"I don't think any of us want to be in a country that doesn't want us," Hall stated. "I think we're fabulous and they would have been lucky to have had our money."
Rich Campbell, chief executive of Atlantis Events, expressed surprise at the denial of entry into Egyptian waters, stating that the news was unexpected and that the company shared the passengers' disappointment. "When I saw that we were denied from another port, I just sat down and thought we have so much work yet to do," Hall added.
Cruise passenger TJ Taylor, 33, called the experience a "reminder that where you go for your tourism and where you spend your holiday dollars is actually really important." He emphasized the significance of choosing accepting destinations. "At the end of the day, who you love doesn't change the fact that we are all humans taking photos and seeing these beautiful places," Taylor said.
Taylor, who had booked a tour to see Egyptian landmarks, noted that the tour operator was understanding. He highlighted the economic impact of LGBTQ+ tourists, stating that "2,000 queer men that will eat and drink and go on tours and book all kinds of expensive things in all the different places," contributing significantly to local economies.
The incident has prompted Taylor to reconsider his travel plans, including opting against flying Turkish Airlines due to the situation.
Both Hall and Taylor praised Atlantis Events and Virgin Voyages for their handling of the situation and for rearranging new port calls. "The cruise line were incredible, and Atlantis were incredible at kind of jumping on it and being really really open, really transparent," Taylor explained. Hall echoed this sentiment, stating, "I'm really really proud of Virgin for the way they handled it and also very proud of Atlantis. They just made everything as great as they could."
Campbell described the refusal of entry to Turkey as "pretty stunning" and expressed concern when a country "decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not."
A Virgin Voyages spokesperson confirmed the disappointment and stated that the ship successfully operated a similar itinerary last year without issue. The ship was rerouted to call on Kotor, Montenegro, as an alternative.
