The Scarlet Lady cruise ship, chartered by the American company Atlantis Events for LGBT travel, was refused entry from two countries at once in one week – first from Turkey, then from Egypt. There are about 2,000 passengers on board; about 1,100 are US citizens, the rest are from Britain, Canada and Australia.
The ship belongs to Richard Branson’s British Virgin Voyages company and performs a 10-day cruise from Athens to Venice. Initially, the route included calls at Kusadasi and Istanbul in Turkey, but the authorities of Aydin province informed in advance that they would not allow the ship to enter the port.
They stated that the cruise was organized for groups whose behavior, in their opinion, “does not correspond to social and moral values.”
After that, the authorities of Istanbul’s Beyoglu district closed Tek Yon, one of the city’s oldest LGBT clubs, which had been operating for 18 years. The reason was a publication inviting cruise passengers.
A pro-government newspaper claimed that the club was preparing a “yacht party,” but the club denied this. Campbell added that the leaflet referred to by the authorities was not related to the Atlantis cruise.
After that, the organizers replaced Turkey with Egyptian Alexandria. However, just before entering the port, at about 3:30 a.m., the Egyptian authorities revoked the permit. No official reasons were given. As a result, the liner headed for Greek Crete, and then continued the route with stops in Montenegro and Croatia. He is due to finish the cruise in Trieste on July 15.
Rich Campbell, CEO of Atlantis Events, said that in the 36 years of the company’s operation, this is the first time that a ship has been denied entry to a port due to passenger composition. He noted that a year earlier, a similar cruise had passed without any problems. Broadway actress Patti Lupone is also on board, who has publicly criticized the decision of the Turkish authorities.
VACAYA, a rival LGBT cruise company, called both refusals unjustified, saying it had been entering ports in Turkey and Egypt for decades without problems.
This incident occurred against the background of a tightening policy towards LGBT people in Turkey. Pride in Istanbul has been banned since 2015, and in June 2026, a Turkish court blocked nine gay-oriented dating apps.
Why is Cyprus considered a possible alternative?
A number of travel observers note that after the refusals of Turkey and Egypt, the Republic of Cyprus could become one of the most obvious alternatives for such a cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean.
There are objective reasons for this. In the Republic of Cyprus, same-sex relationships have been decriminalized since 1998, civil unions have been operating since 2015, and since 2014, a pride event has been held annually in Nicosia with the support of the authorities. In 2023, the country also banned conversion therapy, practices aimed at “changing” sexual orientation or gender identity.
At the same time, there is no complete equality in the field of family law yet. Same-sex marriages are not recognized, and joint adoption of children is available only to married couples of different sexes. The Orthodox Church has also consistently opposed the expansion of LGBT rights.
It is important to clarify that we are talking specifically about the Republic of Cyprus. In the occupied north of the island, same-sex relationships remained criminalized until 2014.
https://lenta.cy/lajner-s-lgbt-turistami-razvernuli-turcija-i-egipet-do-kipra-on-ne-doshjol/
