A cruise ship carrying around 2,000 passengers has been prevented from docking in Turkey where it was due to berth today.The Virgin Voyages-owned liner, Scarlet Lady, embarked on the 'Athens to Venice' itinerary and departed from Greece on July 5. Atlantis Events, a company that specialises in LGBTQ+ cruises and holidays, organised the ten-day trip, CNN reports.Of the passengers on board, 1,100 are from the United States, while the remainder are from countries including the UK, Australia and Canada.However, Turkish authorities turned the ship away before it was due to stop at Kusadasi, a resort town along the country's western Aegean coast, and Istanbul.Officials said the cruise was chartered by groups 'known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values'.The liner was forced to alter its itinerary, and will now call at Alexandria in Egypt, as well as Crete. The Virgin Voyages-owned ship, chartered by Atlantis Events, embarked from Greece on July 5Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, described the events as 'pretty stunning'.He told CNN: 'I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it's a gay group. It's very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.'Same-sex relationships are not against the law in Turkey, but the government has been known to hold conservative views on the matter. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has openly spoken out against the LGBTQ+ community. Campbell revealed it was the first time in 36 years that the company had been told it couldn't berth 'because of who we are'. He added that Cairo and Crete will benefit from the passengers' 'tourism dollars', instead of Turkey. Atlantis informed the passengers of the situation and explained: 'due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to change the ports in our itinerary to remove both port calls to Turkey.'An update on the Atlantis Events website reads: 'Unfortunately, we have been informed by the Turkish authorities that Atlantis will not be permitted to dock in Kusadasi or Istanbul during this voyage. As a result, we have had to alter our sailing itinerary somewhat.' The ship was set to stop in Kusadasi during the ten-day itinerary but was prevented from doing so by Turkish authorities'Our new itinerary will keep all the other ports intact, and now add a full day in Alexandria, Egypt, with tours to Cairo and the brand-new Egyptian Museum. We will also add a full day on the island of Crete, calling at the port of Heraklion.'Both ports have excellent opportunities for exploration and enjoyment and have been favourites of ours for years.'The trip is described as an 'epic adventure' by Atlantis Events, and is the company's 'most exotic Med cruise yet'.It promises to provide 'spectacular entertainment, thrilling parties in jaw-dropping venues, luscious dining', amongst other things.Prices for the voyage start from $1,899 (£1,418.90).American actress and singer Patti LuPone is performing on the cruise ship and shared her thoughts in a post on Instagram. The star posted: 'I am shocked. The Atlantis cruise I am performing on next week has been banned from entering Turkey.' Officials said the cruise was chartered by groups, 'known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values''A ship - a magnificent ship - full of gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board.'I am furious, but I am sailing, as the ship will make other ports of call. I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this.'The Daily Mail approached Atlantis Events, Virgin Voyages and Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism for comment.