3 Cruise Lines Alter Schedules; Few Passengers Cancel Tours

NEW YORK — Three cruise ship lines reported changes in their Mediterranean schedules today, but the hijacking of an Italian liner has not resulted in widespread cancellations.

The two-day hijacking of the Achille Lauro came near the end of the Mediterranean cruise season, travel agents and cruise ship operators said.

The Norwegian line Sea Goddess has two trips remaining. An Oct. 19 cruise will not stop at Alexandria and Port Said in Egypt and at Haifa, Israel, but those stops will be restored on the Oct. 30 cruises.

“We had a lot of clients very concerned about the situation there, and we wanted to give them a choice,” said Ron Kurtz, president of the line.

A Costa Cruises ship presently in the Mediterranean reversed its itinerary and toured the Greek islands this week and will stop at Israel next week.

A Sun Line Cruises ship that left Athens on Monday was scheduled to stop at Alexandria, but the captain decided to bypass the port, said a spokeswoman for the line. It was the last Sun Line cruise destined for the Middle East this year.

Thousands of Americans canceled trips to Greece and the Middle East last June after a TWA airliner was hijacked with 151 aboard.

The hijacking of the Achille Lauro, which ended Wednesday, did not provoke a similar response.

“I think this has become a fact of life,” said Peter Kohler, a Washington travel agent.