Overview
- The Scarlet Lady, a Virgin Voyages ship chartered by Atlantis Events, departed Athens on Sunday, July 5 and continued its 10-day voyage without scheduled calls in Kuşadası or Istanbul after local Aydın and Istanbul authorities said the ship could not dock.
- Aydın officials said the cruise was refused because it was organized by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values” and that its planned visit caused “great discomfort in various segments of our society.”
- Atlantis Events confirmed it rerouted the voyage to add calls in Alexandria/Cairo and Crete, and CEO Rich Campbell and performers including Patti LuPone publicly condemned the port denials as discriminatory.
- Organizers and passengers warned the decision will shift tourism spending away from Turkish businesses that expected cruise visitors, and coverage has flagged local police action in Istanbul after promotional material circulated online.
- The refusal departs from years of past visits—Atlantis says it docked in Istanbul and Kuşadası about 13 times over 25 years—and it has amplified scrutiny of Turkey’s record on LGBTQ+ visibility, including bans on large Pride events since 2015 and rising hostile rhetoric from some officials.