As Instinct reported last week, just days before the current LGBTQ cruise by Atlantis Events was to depart Athens for 10 days at sea, my fellow passengers and I were informed that we were NOT stopping in Turkey as planned, because the Turkish government suddenly refused to let us dock, citing “moral standards” and “family values.”
CNN reached out to me to talk about how that all unraveled on Sunday. You can see the interview here.
The folks in charge at Atlantis Cruises quickly scrambled and came up with two new destinations to replace the stop in Turkey: Alexandria, Egypt, and the island of Crete.
Many of us quickly set up guided tours/excursions to go see the pyramids in Cairo. Even though it would be a long day – 3 hours drive there, several hours exploring, three hours back to the ship – who doesn’t want to see the pyramids?
So most of us went to bed early last night to be up and sharp for our 7 am departures. But as my hubby and I were leaving our cabin, we found a one-page notice had been slipped under our door. Egypt has been canceled.
The notice read, in part:
“Early this morning, we were informed that Scarlet Lady has been denied entry into Egyptian waters, and, as a result, will no longer be able to call in Alexandria today. We successfully sailed a similar itinerary last year without issue. So we were surprised by this unfortunate decision.”
“This news came as a surprise to all of us, and we’re just as disappointed as you are. We’re already working to find an alternate port of call to enjoy and will provide an update later today.”
Thus far, no official reason has been provided by the powers that be in Egypt for the change in plans. In Atlantis’s 36-year history, the travel group has never had a ship denied entry to dock. And now it’s happened in two countries in one week.
One can only guess the recent headlines about the kerfuffle in Turkey had a ripple effect to leaders in Egypt. Today will be an unplanned “day at sea,” and Atlantis has added Kotor, Montenegro, to our itinerary.
Trust and believe me, my fellow passengers and I will be fine. “They wish we were invisible. We’re not. Let’s dance.”
I’m off to grab an Aperol Spritz and a lounge chair on the pool deck. #Forward
