Patti LuPone Reacts As Atlantis Cruise Is Barred From Turkey

Patti LuPone took to her Instagram to share her feelings about her upcoming trip to perform on an Atlantis Cruise being turned away from making their port of call in Turkey. 

CNN reports that Turkish officials banned the cruise ship carrying American LGBTQ+ travelers citing “moral standards” and “family values,” also stating that the travelers are “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.” Atlantis informed passengers, “due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to change the ports in our itinerary to remove both port calls to Turkey."

The Scarlet Lady ship, operated by Virgin Voyages, will no longer call at ports in Turkey. Instead, according to Atlantis Events, the ship's itinerary has been revised to include stops in Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete.

Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN “It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group," also adding “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not."

The cruise will set sail on July 5 and will enjoy ten days at sea, without visiting any port of calls in Turkey. 

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