Even Egypt Rejects Gay Cruises

Following Turkey, Egypt has now likewise refused entry to the cruise ship “Scarlet Lady.” Virgin Voyages’ vessel is on the Atlantis Gay Cruise, a trip designed specifically for gay travelers. A planned Thursday stop in Alexandria had to be canceled at short notice, according to several travel portals and the British Guardian.

Virgin Voyages was informed overnight on Thursday that the ship would not be allowed to sail in Egyptian waters, with no official justification from the authorities to date and no formal statement issued. At about 11:20 p.m. Central European Time the “Scarlet Lady” shifted its course northward toward international waters. The intended port call was transformed into an extra sea day, with the ship’s heading set for Greece. On board there are about 1,860 passengers and 1,139 crew members, according to the Greek broadcaster ERT.

Similar Route Last Year Without Problems

The passengers were informed by cabin letter. Atlantis Events president Rich Campbell wrote of a “great disappointment” and said they were “completely surprised” by the cancellation, noting that the cruise line had completed a similar itinerary without incident last year.

Shortly before departure, Turkish authorities had already canceled the planned call in Kusadasi at short notice (TheColu.mn reported). The justification cited moral concerns; the cruise group was described as being known for behaviors “incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.” The line thereafter pivoted to Alexandria, but that substitute port in Egypt was also dropped. Instead, the Scarlet Lady diverted to the port of Souda on the Greek island of Crete. After a stay in Souda, the ship is expected to resume its voyage toward Montenegro as planned. The cruise, which had started in Athens, is intended to end in Venice.

That the ship was allowed to dock in a harbor has not happened before

The accompanying influencer Randy Slovacek wrote in his blog that in Atlantis’ 36-year history, it had never happened that a ship would be denied entry to a harbor—now this has occurred in two countries within a single week.

Egypt Goes After Queer People With Morality Laws

Both Turkey and Egypt do not explicitly criminalize homosexuality. In Egypt, however, queer people are prosecuted under vague “morality or religion” laws that carry multi-year prison terms. In a 2020 report, Human Rights Watch criticized that the Egyptian police and the National Security Agency arbitrarily arrest queer individuals, detain them under inhumane conditions, and subject them to mistreatment including torture (TheColu.mn reported). The German Foreign Office explicitly warns that “Egyptian authorities also use dating apps to identify LGBTI people” (TheColu.mn reported).

Also Patti LuPone On Board

On board the Scarlet Lady is Broadway legend Patti LuPone. “The Atlantis cruise ship I’m performing on next week can’t dock in Turkey,” the 77-year-old Tony winner wrote on Instagram this past weekend. “A ship—a magnificent ship—full of gay men. And me. The entrance into Turkey was denied simply because these people were on board.” She said she was “furious,” but would nonetheless sail. “I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise who deserve so much more than this.”

Already in the past there have been problems with gay cruises stopping in countries hostile to LGBT people. In 2012, for example, two men aboard a gay Atlantis cruise in the Caribbean island nation of Dominica were arrested for homosexuality (TheColu.mn reported).