An LGBTQ+ charter cruise has been forced to alter its itinerary once again after Egyptian authorities refused permission for the ship to dock in Alexandria, marking the second port rejection the voyage has faced within a week.

The Scarlet Lady, chartered by US-based travel company Atlantis Events for an LGBTQ+ cruise, had been scheduled to call at Alexandria after Turkish authorities denied the vessel entry to the ports of Kuşadası and Istanbul.

Egypt Also Refuses Entry

Following the cancellation of the Turkish port calls, organisers revised the itinerary to include Alexandria, allowing passengers to visit Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza. However, Atlantis Events later confirmed that Egyptian authorities also refused permission for the ship to enter the country’s waters.

Rich Campbell, President of Atlantis Events, said the company had successfully operated a similar itinerary the previous year without any issues.

“This news came as a surprise to all of us, and we are just as disappointed as you are,” Campbell told passengers.

No Official Explanation

According to reports, Egyptian authorities did not publicly provide an official reason for refusing the ship’s entry.

The earlier refusals by Turkey were reportedly linked to the nature of the charter, with local authorities stating that the voyage did not align with the country’s “moral values.”

Itinerary Changed

Instead of visiting Alexandria, the Scarlet Lady has been rerouted to the Greek island of Crete before continuing its voyage to Montenegro.

Atlantis Events said that during its 36 years of organising LGBTQ+ cruises, it had never previously experienced a vessel being denied entry to a port because of the identity of its passengers.

The company described the consecutive refusals by Turkey and Egypt as unprecedented and said it would continue working to provide alternative destinations for guests during the remainder of the cruise.