Tag: Atlantis Cruise

Posted on

NBC News: Economic Impact Of Gay Cruise Denied Docking In Turkey + Egypt

NBC News reports on gay cruise being denied docking in Turkey and Egypt

NBC News interviewed me for this updated report on the Atlantis Events cruise I traveled on last month being denied docking in Turkey and Egypt.

The incidents are rightfully raising questions about how these policies could hurt their economies as the LGBTQ+ tourism industry booms.

You can check out other interviews I’ve done about the kerfuffle at the New York Times, CNN, and the Times of London.

Posted on

More On Gay Cruise Turned Away By Turkey & Egypt

With my Atlantis Cruise buddies in Mykonos

It was a bit of a “working vacation” these past two weeks while on my Atlantis cruise of the Mediterranean…

After our cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, was turned away from Turkey and then Egypt, the incidents garnered international headlines.

One new bit of info I just recently learned – it was the Egyptian Navy that intercepted our ship shortly after midnight on July 9 and ordered our captain to turn away from Egyptian waters.

As the only member of the LGBTQ media who was onboard during the debacle, I’ve been interviewed by several major news outlets and thought I’d share some of the coverage 🙂 Continue reading “More On Gay Cruise Turned Away By Turkey & Egypt”

Posted on

LGBTQ Cruise Turned Away (Again!) – This Time In Egypt

Atlantis cruise

Last week, just days before my Atlantis cruise ship was to depart Athens for ten days at sea, me and my fellow passengers were informed we were NOT stopping in Turkey as planned as 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 scrambled quickly and came up with two new destinations to replace the stop in Turkey – Alexandria, Egypt, and the isle 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 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 cancelled. Continue reading “LGBTQ Cruise Turned Away (Again!) – This Time In Egypt”

Posted on

Gay Cruise Banned From Docking In Turkey

Atlantis Cruise banned from docking in Turkey

Hello readers! I write to you from Greece where hubby Michael and I are about to embark on the Atlantis Cruise from Athens to Venice.

But a last minute hiccup has occurred as Turkey, which was to be an early stop on the cruise, has banned our ship from docking citing “moral standards” and “family values.” Continue reading “Gay Cruise Banned From Docking In Turkey”

Posted on

Gay Cruise Line Bans Sexually Explicit Social Media Posts

Atlantis Events has instituted a new social media policy asking guests to refrain from posting sexually explicit imagery online.
Guests on board Atlantis Events Mediterranean cruise 2022 (personal photo)
Atlantis Events, producer of gay-centered vacation events around the world, has instituted a new social media policy asking cruise ship guests to bring the temperature down a bit when it comes to sharing the onboard antics online. In other words, guests need to refrain from sexually explicit social media posts. Continue reading “Gay Cruise Line Bans Sexually Explicit Social Media Posts”

Posted on

Mediterranean Cruise 2022: Santorini

Michael and I in Santorini
Michael and I in Santorini
Greetings from Europe! Thank you to all you regular readers of The Randy Report. As I previously shared, hubby Michael and I are finally on our 2022 Mediterranean cruise beginning in Rome, stopping in Santorini, Mykonos, Naples and more. Continue reading “Mediterranean Cruise 2022: Santorini”

Posted on

News Round-Up: March 12, 2020

Kumail Nanjiani (images via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Men’s Variety: After getting into incredible shape for the upcoming Marvel film The Eternals, Kumail Nanjiani (above) says his new fitness led him to develop a subtle form of body dysmorphia. “I’d look in the mirror and I’d see my abs—and when I looked again, they would fade. I would just see the flaws.” • Sun-Sentinel: The inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride of the Americas, which would have been something of an international Pride event, has been postponed until the fall. The weeklong schedule of concerts, parties, street festivals, conferences, symposiums as well as a parade, fashion show, awards banquet and 5K run was to take place at various venues throughout Broward County. • NBC News: Former Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech on combating the coronavirus pandemic that is spreading across the country. Biden drops this badass line at the 5:33 mark – “President Trump is welcome to adopt all of it today.”

• LGBTQNation: People who booked an Atlantis cruise for next week are getting angry that the company hasn’t canceled the cruise and won’t refund them if they don’t go, even though other major cruise lines are canceling due to coronavirus. • Twitter: You don’t get any more badass than Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) as she adds up the costs for a battery of coronavirus tests, then reads the federal regulations that gives the CDC director the authority to authorize paying for these tests for all Americans. And then gets him to commit to doing so. Watch below.

• Reuters: Gay dating apps like Grindr and Scruff are warning users to take precautions to avoid contracting coronavirus but are expecting an uptick in traffic as millions of people move online to talk rather than meet face-to-face in bars and clubs. • TalkingPointsMemo: Speaking at the White House today, Donald Trump falsely claimed that all people returning from Europe are being tested for Coronavirus and being quarantined if they are positive.