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Egypt·Turkey·Middle East·Europe·Human Rights

LGBTQ+ cruise ship denied entry by Egypt days after Turkey rejection

Friday, 10 July 2026, 06:21 · 1 min read

The Scarlet Lady, an LGBTQ+ cruise ship chartered by tour operator Atlantis Events, has been refused entry into Egyptian waters, marking the second port denial in a single week after Turkey blocked the vessel earlier on the same voyage. The 2,000 passengers aboard — including Broadway star Patti LuPone — learned of the Egyptian ban via notes slipped under their cabin doors on Thursday morning, just hours after Egypt had signalled the stop in Alexandria would proceed. Turkey had initially barred the ship, citing behaviours "that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values"; Egypt offered no official explanation. Industry figures warn the back-to-back bans may embolden other countries to follow suit, while the ship has been rerouted to Chania, Crete and Montenegro to complete its Athens-to-Venice itinerary.

Sources
The GuardianLGBTQ+ cruise ship refused entry to Egypt days after Turkey turned it away ↗︎
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