In response to consumer concerns arising from the hijacking of the Achille Lauro and other incidents this past summer, Sea Goddess Cruises Limited has cancelled all of its 1986 sailings to Egypt, and reduced the number of its cruises calling at Piraeus.

In place of the Egypt/Israel sailings, the line will feature 10- and 11-day sailings from Monte Carlo and Venice, and increase its number of cruises in the Western Mediterranean.

“We believe that the recent hijacking of the Achille Lauro was an isolated incident, but many of our clients have expressed apprehensions about traveling to certain parts of the Mediterranean,” said Ron Kurtz, president of Sea Goddess Cruises Limited. “We want to be sensitive to their wishes, and therefore, we plan to offer them a variety of options.”

According to Kurtz, these measures are an extension of “normal Sea Goddess policy.”

“Because the Sea Goddess ships usually call at yacht harbors, resorts, and small coastal villages, instead of the larger, commercial ports, their itineraries are inherently safer than those of conventional cruise ships,” Kurtz said.

Sea Goddess is planning to reinstate its Egypt and Israel cruises in 1987, but its actions will depend on the situation in the region at the time.