LGBTQ cruise denied entry to Egypt after being barred from Turkey

Days after an LGBTQ cruise was barred from visiting Turkey, the ship was denied entry to a replacement port in Egypt, according to its operator.

The charter cruise aboard Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady ship was turned away shortly before arrival in Egypt, Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told USA TODAY in an email.

The 10-night Mediterranean cruise departed on July 5 and was supposed to dock in Alexandria on July 9, according to the Atlantis website. Alexandria and the Greek island of Crete were added to the itinerary to replace several planned days in Turkey.

"We were given full approval to arrive (in) Egypt and just four hours before we picked up the pilot and customs officers we were told that the ship would not be allowed to enter the harbor," Campbell said. "No explanation was given for this decision and we are very disappointed."

Egyptian port authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CEO says ships previously docked in Egypt

Campbell said that Atlantis has been to Egypt "at least five times int he past and never had an issue."

"Last year," he continued, "we brought 2,500 guests to Alexandria and the year before 1,200, both without incident."

In late June, authorities in Turkey's Aydın province, where the popular cruise port of Kusadasi is located, said the ship's visit had "sparked significant public concern due to its association with groups known for behavior incompatible with our society's structure and moral values," according to a translated news release shared on X.

Turkey's ministry of tourism did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment at the time.

"If your business is tourism, you cannot pick and choose who your guests are going to be, because the minute you do that, you instill fear in people who might belong to that group," Campbell previously told USA TODAY. "It seemed to be like an extremely short-sighted move, but that is what has happened."

Actress and singer Patti LuPone, who was scheduled to perform on the ship, also shared her outrage in a July 3 Instagram post.

"A ship – a magnificent ship – full of gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board," she wrote. "I am furious, but I am sailing, as the ship will make other ports of call."

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LGBTQ cruise denied entry to Egypt after being barred from Turkey

Reporting by Nathan Diller, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 3:33 PM.