Türkiye and Egypt closed ports for LGBTQ cruises: Greece accepted the ship

After Turkey and Egypt refused to accept the Scarlet Lady cruise with nearly 2,000 LGBTQ passengers the ship changed route and arrived to Chania on Crete.

Luxury liner Scarlet Ladychartered by an American company Atlantis Eventstakes a ten-day themed cruise from Athens to Venice.

On board are predominantly members of the LGBTQ community, as well as a famous American actress and Broadway star Patti LuPone.

Nachdem vor einigen Tagen dem Kreuzfahrtschiff Scarlet Lady das Anlegen in der Türkei untersagt wurde, hat Ägypten dasselbe getan.

Auf dem Kreuzfahrtschiff befinden sich überwiegend schwule Männer und einige lesbische Frauen und keineswegs Anhänger der Queer Theory Bewegung, wie… pic.twitter.com/gcpAu1b715

— Emrah Erken ?? (@AtticusJazz) July 10, 2026

Türkiye cited “moral values”

The original route included stops at Turkish ports Kusadasi and Istanbul. However, the authorities of Aydin province refused to allow the ship to enter.

The official statement from the Turkish side saidthat the cruise was organized by groups whose behavior “does not correspond to the structure of society and moral values” of the country.

“The arrival of the vessel has caused serious public concern. The possibility of this group visiting our province as part of such an event is excluded.”

According to the head of Atlantis Events Rich Campbellthe company organized calls of similar cruises to Turkey 13 times in the last 25 years I’ve never encountered such a ban before.

Egypt revoked permission at the last minute

After the Turkish refusal, the organizers sent Scarlet Lady to Alexandria. Passengers were offered excursions to Cairo, to the pyramids and to Egyptian museums.

However, in the morning they found an emergency notice under the cabin doors: Egyptian authorities also banned the ship from entering the country’s territorial waters.

According to organizers, the preliminary authorization was revoked just hours before the port pilot and customs officials arrived.

Egyptian authorities have not publicly explained the reason for the refusal. Therefore, it is not yet possible to say that the decision was officially made precisely because of the composition of passengers.

Egypt has denied entry to the Scarlet Lady cruise ship carrying around 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers, including Patti LuPone. The decision came days after Turkey blocked the same Virgin Voyages vessel from docking in Istanbul and Kusadasi. #Egypt #Turkey #LGBTQ pic.twitter.com/XbRt5ro4Wk

— The International Front Page (@thetifp) July 10, 2026

The route had to be changed a second time

After the new ban, the organizers urgently revised the cruise program.

• July 10 Scarlet Lady arrived at the port of Souda near Chania;
• passengers had the opportunity to visit Chania and other areas of western Crete;
• the next stop on the route was Kotor in Montenegro;
• further calls are planned to Croatian ports and completion of the trip in Trieste.

Local Cretan media reported that approximately 1860 passengersalthough initial reports from organizers and international publications put the figure at around 2,000.

Passengers: “Let’s spend the money elsewhere”

The refusals of Turkey and Egypt caused a sharp reaction from passengers. Many of them had paid in advance for expensive individual excursions and expected to visit Istanbul, Ephesus, Cairo and the pyramids.

On social networks, cruise participants said that countries have the right to refuse their tourist money, but in this case, these funds will be spent in Greece, Montenegro and Croatia.

Patti LuPone called Turkey’s decision outrageous, but stressed that she would continue the journey and speak to passengers.

Not just tourism, but a clash of cultural norms

The situation cannot be reduced only to the issue of lost tourist income. Regular cruise ships accommodate people of all sexual orientations, and this rarely becomes a source of political conflict.

However Scarlet Lady takes a highly themed cruiseorganized specifically for the LGBT community. In this case, the ship’s entry is no longer perceived only as a regular visit to the port, but also as a public event with pronounced symbolism.

For Turkey and Egypt, the issue turned out to be connected not only with tourism, but also with religious, social and moral norms. The authorities of these countries chose to refuse income in order to prevent an event that part of society could perceive as a demonstrative promotion of alien values.

This decision can be criticized from the point of view of human rights and the tourism economy. However, it cannot be measured solely by the amount of money that local restaurants, tour guides and shops did not receive.

This is about a broader conflict between global theme tourism and the right of societies to preserve their own cultural characteristics.

Greece took a more pragmatic approach and accepted the ship. However, this does not mean that the entire local population has the same attitude towards such events.

In Crete, a significant part of society retains conservative views: residents may calmly accept tourists and their money, but be much less friendly towards the emphatically public and demonstrative nature of such cruises.

Therefore, the ship’s arrival in Chania should be seen primarily as a decision of the port and tourism authorities, and not as evidence of complete public approval.

Editorial comment

Türkiye and Egypt refused income, but retained the right to pursue their own cultural policies. Greece chose to accept the ship and receive economic benefits.

None of these approaches can be assessed solely through money. Tourism involves not only the hospitality of the host country, but also the respect of travelers and organizers for the culture, religion and social characteristics of the countries they visit.

Freedom of private life does not necessarily mean the right to turn any journey into a public display, which all societies are obliged to accept without regard to their traditions.

At the same time, cultural characteristics should not become a justification for humiliation or threats against individuals. The line is drawn between respect for a person and the imposition of an event on society that it perceives as a political or ideological statement.

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