- Egypt denied docking to a cruise ship with about 2,000 passengers, mostly gay
- The ship was previously blocked by Turkey for similar reasons related to LGBTQ+ groups
- No official reason was given by Egyptian authorities for refusing the entry
Egypt has refused to allow a cruise ship carrying around 2,000 passengers, mostly gay men, to dock, days after Turkey blocked the same vessel. Egyptian authorities have not given an official reason for the decision.
Passengers, including Broadway performer Patti LuPone, woke up on Thursday to find a letter slipped under their cabin doors informing them that the ship had been denied entry into Egyptian waters and would no longer stop at Alexandria as planned. The crew immediately began looking for an alternative port.
In the letter, Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell said the company was surprised by Egypt's decision because it had successfully operated a similar cruise itinerary last year without any problems, so the decision to block the ship came as a surprise, according to Advocate.
"Please know that both the Atlantis and Virgin Voyages teams worked tirelessly to make this call in Alexandria a possibility. This news came as a surprise to all of us, and we're just as disappointed as you are," Campbell said.
The ship, Scarlet Lady, operated by Virgin Voyages and chartered by LGBTQ+ travel company Atlantis Events, was on a 10-day Mediterranean cruise from Athens to Venice.
The itinerary had already been changed after Turkish authorities refused to allow the ship to dock in Istanbul and Kusadasi, citing "moral values" and "public concern" over LGBTQ+ groups.
Authorities, in a statement, said, "The cruise was chartered by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values. The ship's arrival had been cancelled after it sparked significant public concern," The Guardian reported.
Turkey's decision to block the cruise ship is part of a wider crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While homosexuality is legal in the country, the government has not allowed Pride marches for several years. Police have also detained many people who tried to take part in these events.
Atlantis Events' latest schedule still showed that the cruise ship would stop in Alexandria, Egypt, on Thursday from 7 am to 10 pm, followed by a visit to Crete on Saturday.
