Egyptian authorities refused entry to Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady on Wednesday 8 July, turning the ship away from a planned call at Alexandria.
It is the second time in a week that a port has shut its doors to the vessel, which is currently sailing an LGBTQ+ charter for Atlantis Events in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Organisers told guests aboard they were “incredibly disappointed” at the denial, adding that Atlantis was working with Virgin Voyages to secure an alternative port.
AIS tracking data showed the ship turning back after approaching Egyptian waters in the early hours of Wednesday. No official reason has been reported from the Egyptian side.
The second rewrite of one itinerary
The ten-night voyage departed Piraeus on 5 July and ends in Trieste on 15 July as scheduled. It was originally to have called in Greece, Croatia and Turkey.
Before departure, Turkish authorities blocked the ship’s calls at Istanbul and Kusadasi, citing “moral values” — as we reported at the time. CNN reported that officials said the vessel was not welcome.
The replacement itinerary added Souda Bay in Crete and Alexandria. With Egypt now closed too, the retained calls at Mykonos, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Zadar stand while a further substitute is sought.
A second Atlantis charter follows immediately: nine nights from Trieste to Barcelona via Split, Valletta, Palermo, Sorrento, Civitavecchia, Villefranche and Marseille. That itinerary stays entirely within Western European waters.
Why it matters
Two denials in a single week for one sailing is unusual; the underlying lesson is not.
As our analysis of the redrawn Middle East cruise map explored from a different angle, itineraries are geopolitics made visible — and port calls can vanish for reasons that have nothing to do with weather or logistics.
For LGBTQ+ cruisers weighing charter itineraries, the practical takeaway cuts both ways. Destination choice in parts of the world carries risks the brochure won’t mention — and operators like Atlantis exist precisely to manage them.
The sailing continues, ends on time, and the passenger impact is measured in swapped ports rather than a cancelled holiday.
