The Virgin Voyages-owned cruise ship, The Scarlet Lady, was denied entry to Egypt, a decision that followed a similar refusal by Turkey earlier in the week. The ship, chartered by Atlantis Events, a company specializing in LGBTQ+ travel, was carrying approximately 2,000 passengers.
Passengers received a printed announcement detailing the refusal of entry into Egyptian waters, which prevented the ship from docking in Alexandria as planned. Rich Campbell, the chief executive of Atlantis Events, expressed surprise and disappointment, noting that a similar itinerary had proceeded without issue in the previous year. "We were surprised by this unfortunate decision," Campbell stated, acknowledging the efforts made by both Atlantis and Virgin Voyages to facilitate the visit.
The stop in Egypt was a last-minute addition to the itinerary after Turkish authorities blocked the ship from docking in Kusadasi and Istanbul. Turkish officials cited that the ship was chartered "by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values," and stated there was "absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature" due to "significant public concern."
While same-sex relationships are not illegal in Egypt, they are widely considered taboo, and prosecutions under public morality laws are common. Homosexuality is also legal in Turkey, but the government has expressed conservative views, and societal acceptance remains low.
Virgin Voyages confirmed their disappointment with the denial of entry and stated they would continue to ensure guests have an enjoyable vacation. The ship's itinerary was adjusted to include a stop in Kotor, Montenegro, as an alternative.
Among the passengers are 1,100 individuals from the United States, with the remainder hailing from countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Randy Slovacek, a blogger on board, noted that this was the first time in Atlantis Events' 36-year history that a ship had been denied docking, especially in two countries within the same week. He suggested that recent headlines regarding the incident in Turkey may have influenced the decision in Egypt. Slovacek also mentioned that many passengers had been looking forward to visiting Egypt, including planned excursions to the pyramids.