"It's pretty stunning, to be honest," Campbell said.
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"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 travel firm attempted to resolve the issue through communications with the US embassy in Turkey but could not convince local authorities to reverse the ban.
"It's the first time Atlantis had been actively told we may not berth here because of who we are in its 36-year history," Campbell said.
Campbell noted that a promotional brochure used by authorities to justify the nightclub raid was not affiliated with his organization.
"When we pull into port, the ship looks like any other ship," he said.
"It's not like we're a gay pride rally, we're not a march, we're not an organization, we're not a political statement in any way."
While homosexuality is legal in Turkey, the ruling conservative government has increased anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and banned Istanbul Pride marches annually since 2015.
Passenger Randy Slovacek, an American journalist onboard, said he had previously visited Turkey on similar tours without issues.
"There's never been a problem, none at all, but suddenly they have a problem," he said.
Slovacek noted that local businesses would lose out on economic benefits from cruise tourists, while Cairo and Crete would enjoy their tourism dollars.
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Representatives for the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish embassy in Washington, and Virgin Voyages have not commented on the port cancellations.
