A Mediterranean cruise chartered by Atlantis Events was denied port entry twice in the same week, first in Turkey and then in Egypt, forcing organizers to rework the itinerary on a single 10-night sailing aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady.

Turkey cancels two port calls

The Athens to Venice cruise, chartered by US-based Atlantis Events, departed July 5 with stops originally planned in Kusadası and Istanbul. Turkish authorities canceled both calls, saying the charter did not meet the country’s moral standards, according to CNN.

Aydın province, home to the Kusadası port, said there was “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature,” adding that the charter was “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”

Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, called the decision “pretty stunning” and said the company had made repeated attempts to get Turkish authorities to reverse course. “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not,” he told CNN.

Campbell told USA Today the ship posed no different a presence in port than any other vessel. “It’s not like we’re not a gay pride rally, we’re not a march, we’re not an organization, we’re not a political statement in any way,” he said, adding that the cruise had been advertised a year in advance.

Atlantis has chartered cruises to Istanbul and Kusadası 13 times over the past 25 years without incident, according to Campbell.

Roughly 1,100 of the ship’s approximately 1,900 passengers are from the United States, with the rest coming from the UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, per CNN.

In place of the Turkey stops, Atlantis added calls in Alexandria, Egypt, and Crete, Greece.

Egypt pulls the plug hours before arrival

Days later, Egyptian authorities denied the ship entry to Alexandria, just hours before it was due to dock, according to USA Today.

“We were given full approval to arrive in Egypt and just four hours before we picked up the pilot and customs officers, we were told that the ship would not be allowed to enter the harbor,” Campbell said. “No explanation was given for this decision and we are very disappointed.”

Campbell said Atlantis has brought chartered cruises to Egypt at least five times without incident. “Last year we brought 2,500 guests to Alexandria and the year before 1,200, both without incident,” he said. Egyptian port authorities have not publicly stated a reason for the denial.

What’s next

With Alexandria off the itinerary, the ship is now scheduled to call at Kotor, Montenegro.

Virgin Voyages said it was “incredibly disappointed” by both denials and is working to ensure guests still have a strong trip. Atlantis Events said it hopes the situation is isolated and that both countries will welcome all guests without conditions in the future.