Cruise lines skip Lesbos calls due to refugee crisis

Some luxury cruise lines have temporarily stopped calling at
the Greek island of Lesbos, where an influx of refugees seeking to escape
warfare in Syria have concentrated.

The Regent Seven Seas ship Mariner replaced a scheduled call
on Sept. 6 with a day at sea. Oceania
Cruises’ Riviera likewise skipped a port call at Mytilene, Lesbos, on Sept. 8
in favor of another Greek port of call at Kavala in northern Greece.

“As for future sailings, we continue to monitor the
situation and will make future itinerary adjustments should the need warrant,”
a spokesman for the two lines said.

Silversea Cruises also made an itinerary adjustment on an
upcoming cruise. Instead of Lesbos, the Silver Spirit will call in Myrina,
Lemnos, on Sept. 26.

The 630-square-mile island of Lesbos is the third-largest in
Greece. It lies only 3.5 miles from Turkey. The Greek government and the United
Nations Refugee Agency have brought in extra staff and ships to deal with some
25,000 migrants, according to media reports.