A charter cruise aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady was turned away from Egypt shortly before it was due to arrive in Alexandria, after Turkey had already barred the same voyage from a planned stop. The 10-night Mediterranean trip, run by Atlantis Events, had left on July 5 and was supposed to dock in Alexandria on July 9.
That is why the denial is drawing attention now: the same sailing lost two replacement ports on one itinerary, and one of the passengers, Patti LuPone, had already been talking publicly about the Turkey decision. On July 3, she posted that the ship was being denied entry there simply because of who was on board, then added that she was furious but would keep sailing because the ship would make other ports of call.
Rich Campbell, who spoke for Atlantis, said the ship was given full approval to arrive in Egypt and then was told four hours before the pilot and customs officers were picked up that it would not be allowed into the harbor. He said no explanation was given. Campbell also said Atlantis had been to Egypt at least five times before without a problem, including visits that brought 2,500 guests to Alexandria last year and 1,200 the year before.
The backdrop is a cruise that had already been reshaped once. Alexandria and Crete were added after several planned days in Turkey were removed, and the Egyptian stop became the replacement that was meant to keep the itinerary intact. That made the second refusal more than a scheduling nuisance; it cut into the cruise’s plan a second time and left passengers waiting for a revised route that had to absorb another sudden change.
The friction point is the mismatch between approval and denial. Campbell said Atlantis had full approval from Egypt, but the ship was turned away just hours before the formal port call process began. Turkey’s Aydın province had already said in late June that the ship’s visit had sparked significant public concern because of its association with groups known for behavior incompatible with the area’s social structure and moral values. Atlantis has not been told why Egypt reversed course, and that unanswered question now hangs over the rest of the voyage.
What is clear is that the cruise still sailed on, but not as planned. Atlantis said the ship would make other ports of call, while the company and passengers were left with a rare double denial on one trip and no public explanation from the authorities that turned it back.
