An Atlantis Events charter cruise aboard Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady was denied permission to call at Alexandria after Egyptian authorities withdrew approval for the vessel's visit, forcing a second itinerary revision within days. The development followed the earlier cancellation of scheduled calls at Kuşadası and Istanbul after Turkish authorities refused the ship entry.
Alexandria had been added to the itinerary as a replacement destination after the Turkish port calls were removed. According to Atlantis Events, approval for the Egyptian call was later rescinded before the vessel's arrival, affecting ~1,200 shore excursions that had already been sold for visits in Egypt. No official explanation was provided by the Egyptian authorities for the decision.
The original Turkish calls were cancelled after local authorities stated that hosting the charter did not align with the country's social and moral values. Despite efforts by Atlantis Events to retain the planned itinerary, the cruise operator was unable to reverse the decision.
Following the second itinerary change, the voyage continued with alternative calls, including Crete, while organisers sought additional replacement ports. Atlantis Events noted that Alexandria and Crete had both been longstanding destinations within its Mediterranean cruise programme before the Egyptian cancellation.
The ten-day charter departed Athens on July 5th and is scheduled to conclude in Trieste on July 15th. Broadway performer Patti LuPone, who is appearing onboard during the voyage, publicly expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the Turkish calls, stating that passengers deserved a better outcome.
For more Scarlet Lady incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page