New York Times Cruise ship travelers wanting to see the antiquities and archaeological treasures of the Middle East may have to cross yet another country off their destination wish list. Not only has Beirut been eliminated as a port of call since last summer because of the fractious political situation there, but now many cruise lines are also dropping Libya’s ports — a result of the government’s recent refusal to permit entry to United States citizens.
This month, Seabourn Cruise Line decided to drop Libya from its port stops in 2007 after repeated petitions to the Libyan authorities requesting visas for its American passengers were denied. Passengers on the two voyages that were to stop in Libya will instead go to Turkey and Greece, or Italy and Malta.
Barbara Godwin, director of North African Cruises for Clipper Cruise Lines, said that Algeria and Tunisia stood to profit from the visa denials. She said that Clipper was planning to spend more time in those countries if the visa situation is not resolved.
Silversea Cruise Lines and Travel Dynamics International, however, both still plan to stop in Libya. “We hear that by the first of the year the visa problem should be solved,” said Marliese Engel of Travel Dynamics, which plans five trips there next year. | 
