BUSINESS BRIEFS
Cruise from Mexico canceled

Advertiser Staff

Celebrity Cruises has canceled a 10-day cruise to Hawai'i because of engine trouble aboard one of its ships.

Passengers booked on the canceled cruise aboard the 1,950-passenger Infinity will get a full refund plus a free cruise of 10 nights or less on one of the company's other ships on or before this Sunday.

The Infinity was scheduled to set sail on Sunday from Ensenada, Mexico, and cruise around the islands before arriving in Honolulu.

It's not the first time a Hawai'i cruise on the Infinity has been canceled. In January 2003, two cruises to the islands were canceled when the ship went into drydock for repairs.

The Infinity is expected to return to its scheduled sailings on April 6, when it is to begin an 11-night cruise from Honolulu through the islands, then to Ensenada.

State to assist flight marketing

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority plans to spend $400,000 for an airline cooperative marketing program to stimulate travel and preserve air seats here.

The program aims to fill Hawai'i's slower "shoulder periods" in May and early June and from September through early December. It also targets higher-spending, longer-staying visitors and valuable air routes that are at risk of being cut.

The HTA will allocate the money based on bid proposals from airlines and travel wholesalers.