Atlantis has confirmed the revised route. In place of Alexandria, the Scarlet Lady will call at Chania, Crete tomorrow, July 10, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. July 11 becomes a sea day, replacing the planned Heraklion stop. July 12 adds a new call at Kotor, Montenegro, a tender port, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The rest of the voyage is unchanged, with the scheduled stops in Dubrovnik and Zadar still on before the ship reaches Venice. Reporting from on board. This post will be updated as the situation develops.
The all-gay Atlantis Events charter aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady has been denied entry into Egyptian waters and can no longer call at Alexandria, according to a notification sent to passengers on board this morning (Egypt time). It is the second country in a week to turn the cruise away.
In the guest alert, Atlantis said it was “working hard to secure an alternative port” and that company president Rich Campbell, along with the ship’s captain, would share more details later in the morning. The Alexandria call had been scheduled for today.
The rejection stings for a specific reason: Alexandria was the fix. When Turkish authorities blocked the ship from Istanbul and Kusadasi on July 2, Atlantis rerouted the voyage and slotted in Alexandria, the gateway to Cairo, along with Heraklion on Crete, to replace the lost calls. Now the replacement itself is gone.
How we got here
Campbell has described the Turkey ban as unprecedented in the company’s 36-year history, the first time Atlantis had been told a ship could not dock because of who was aboard. Speaking to CNN last week, he called the situation stunning and said it was troubling for any country to decide which tourists it will and will not welcome.
Patti LuPone is aboard
Broadway and screen legend Patti LuPone, booked to perform on the sailing, blasted the Turkey decision on Instagram, writing that she was shocked the ship had been banned “simply because of who is on board.” She said she was furious but sailing anyway, ready to perform for passengers who deserved better.
A ship, a magnificent ship, full of gay men. And me.
Patti LuPone, on Instagram
The bigger picture
Both Turkey and Egypt maintain restrictive climates for LGBT+ people, and the back-to-back denials have alarmed advocates who see a widening pattern of destinations screening travelers by identity. For the LGBT+ community, including the many Philadelphians who sail Atlantis every year, the message is hard to miss: itineraries once considered routine are no longer guaranteed.