A chartered LGBTQ+ cruise was refused entry first by Turkey and then by Egypt, forcing last-minute changes to its itinerary and prompting anger from passengers and organisers. The refusals matter because Atlantis Events said it had never previously had a ship denied permission to dock in its 36-year history, and critics warned the decisions could encourage other governments to bar similar trips. One passenger also suggested the episode reflected a wider global shift towards more right-wing politics, which the Daily Mail framed as an attempt to connect the incident to Donald Trump.

The ship, Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, was carrying about 2,000 passengers on a 10-day Athens-to-Venice trip, including performer Patti LuPone. Turkey said the group did not fit its society’s “moral values”, while Egypt reportedly gave no official reason after earlier becoming the replacement stop when Turkey refused access. Organisers said they had successfully run a similar route the previous year, and the ship was eventually rerouted again to places including Crete and Montenegro, leaving some passengers out of pocket for cancelled tours.