Twice-rejected American cruise puts spotlight on rollback of LGBTQ rights, passengers say | CNN

Greg Morley has spent decades sailing around the world on LGBTQ+ cruises with his husband, visiting far-flung destinations across the Americas, Asia and Europe – all from the safety of a ship where, he says, “everyone belongs.” So, when the 59-year-old Philadelphian, who now lives in Paris, embarked on his latest “Athens to Venice” voyage, overseen by LGBTQ travel company Atlantis Events, he said he couldn’t wait to see the “amazing and iconic” sights on offer. But those plans were derailed on Thursday when Egyptian authorities blocked the ship, the Scarlet Lady, from entering its waters at the last minute, according to Atlantis Events, days after the vessel was refused entry to Turkey. “We had full approval and they denied us clearance at the 11th hour,” Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN. In a memo to passengers on Thursday morning, seen by CNN, Campbell said: “I know how much this visit meant to so many of you. We successfully sailed a similar itinerary last year without issue, so we were surprised by this unfortunate decision.” For Morley, the last-minute turnaround brought a huge feeling of disappointment, but he said pass