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Turkey Bars Scarlet Lady Cruise Over Moral Objections

7/3/2026

Summary

Turkey Bans Scarlet Lady

Turkey denied the Scarlet Lady entry, stopping it from docking in Kusadasi and Istanbul.
Officials rerouted the ship to Egypt and Crete, saying its charter groups act contrary to Turkey’s moral values.
Actress Patti LuPone, 77, posted she was shocked and furious about the ban but will still perform.
Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell told CNN the ban was the first in 36 years his company faced for “who we are.”

Summary

Turkey Bans Cruise

The revised itinerary adds Mykonos, Alexandria, Heraklion, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Zadar before Venice.
Atlantis Events has operated 13 full-ship charters to Turkish ports since 2000, bringing roughly 25,000 guests to Turkey.
Virgin Voyages, owned by entrepreneur Richard Branson, will market the voyage as leisure and highlight spending on tours and dining at the new ports.
Human-rights organisations have condemned the ban, saying it breaches the principle of non-discrimination for travelers.

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Turkey Bans Scarlet Lady

Turkey denied the Scarlet Lady entry, stopping it from docking in Kusadasi and Istanbul.
Officials rerouted the ship to Egypt and Crete, saying its charter groups act contrary to Turkey’s moral values.
Actress Patti LuPone, 77, posted she was shocked and furious about the ban but will still perform.
Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell told CNN the ban was the first in 36 years his company faced for “who we are.”

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