Several days ago, a Virgin Voyages cruise arranged by Atlantis Events was set to stop in Turkey, but officials blocked this due to “moral standards.” As a result, the organizers replaced the stops in Turkey with a stop in Egypt. Nevertheless, this choice led to additional complications.
On July 9, 2026, Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady was scheduled to arrive in Alexandria, Egypt, at approximately 7 AM. The Washington Post reports that the authorization for the ship to dock was revoked at the last moment, despite prior approval. Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell characterized the incident as “really unheard of” and “strange and sad,” mentioning that permission was rescinded around 3:30 AM. The ship approached Alexandria but had to reverse course as organizers looked for other options.
Passengers received a notification stating: “We’re tremendously disappointed to inform you that Scarlet Lady has just been denied entry into Egyptian waters and will no longer be able to stop in Alexandria. We’re diligently working to secure an alternative port.” About 1,200 tours had been sold through local operators, affecting tourism in the nation.
Egypt has not officially commented on the last-minute decision, but the situation resembles Turkey’s previous move to block the cruise on the basis of “family values,” mentioning the ship’s charter by groups “recognized for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
The outcome was not unexpected, given the escalating attention surrounding these blocked cruises. Though Atlantis Events cruises are not solely for a gay audience, they are promoted as being quite “out there.” In non-secular nations where Islam is the state religion, such outcomes are anticipated.
In summary, after Turkey blocked the Atlantis Events gay cruise, organizers tried to dock in Egypt, a decision that ultimately resulted in the ship being denied entry just hours before its arrival. This development was foreseen by many, considering Egypt’s position on LGBTQ+ matters.