An Atlantis cruise sailing across the Mediterranean was denied entry to Turkey by the Erdogan regime on the grounds that the majority of the passengers are LGBTQIA+. Broadway icon Pattie LuPone, one of the star performers booked for the cruise, broke the news in an enraged Instagram post on July 2, a few days ahead of the ship’s departure.
View this post on InstagramThe cruise, which departs from Athens on July 5, originally promised stops in Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Kuşadası and Istanbul in Turkey, Dubrovnik and Zadar in Croatia, and finally Venice, Italy. Rich Campbell, the long-time president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN that the cruise will replace the Turkish ports with stops in Cairo, Egypt and Crete, Greece.
BASIN AÇIKLAMASIBasın yayın organları ve sosyal medya platformlarında gündeme gelen, toplumumuzun yapısıyla ve ahlaki değerlerimizle örtüşmeyen davranışlarıyla bilinen gruplarca kiralanan bir kruvaziyer gemisinin 7 Temmuz 2026 tarihinde Aydın Kuşadası Limanınına planlamış… pic.twitter.com/MHqN0NoXHI
— T.C. Aydın Valiliği (@AydinValiligi) June 28, 2026One passenger sailing with Virgin on a similar itinerary through the Greek isles with stops in Kuşadası and Istanbul posted on Reddit to share CNN’s coverage of the incident, writing, “The irony is that I’m currently on Scarlet Lady now and we just visited these [cities in Turkey]. And there’s a sizable gay contingent on this boat (including me). I guess we slipped under the radar. This, my friends, is why we still need a Pride month.”
Indeed, President Errdogan’s government has recently cracked down on the queer community through digital bans and possible renewal of criminal and civil penalties. In June, a Turkish court banned nine queer dating apps in the country. That same month, dozens of X accounts belonging to LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations were blocked by the Turkish government. In October, 2025 legislation was introduced that would recriminalize not only homosexuality and gender-affirming health care, but also LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations and even the coverage of queer and trans stories by journalists.
Related: Your Dream Cruise Vacation, Based on Your Birth Month
The U.S. State Department currently has a Level 2 travel advisory posted for Turkey, recommending travelers “exercise increased caution,” indicating the country “contains areas with higher security risk”—namely Turkey’s shared borders with Syria and Iraq.
View this post on InstagramRelated: MSC Cruises Just Banned a Major Hidden Travel Surcharge for Summer 2026
Hence then, the article about broadway star patti lupone says gay cruise was denied entry to turkey was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Broadway Star Patti LuPone Says Gay Cruise Was Denied Entry to Turkey )
Also on site :