Better Late Than Never?

In what has become the norm rather than the exception, another cruise ship will be delivered late, forcing the shipowner to cancel valuable inaugural cruises. After reviewing the status of its newest ship, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., in conjunction with shipbuilder Chantiers de L'Atlantique, has decided to delay the launch date of Infinity by four weeks. As a result, the ship's February 3, 2001, maiden voyage will be rescheduled until March 3. "Like our guests on Infinity's first sailings, I am disappointed by this delay, and I apologize for any inconvenience this will cause them," said Richard E. Sasso, president of Celebrity Cruises. "We and the yard build a time cushion into all of our ship-building schedules, and up until today, we believed that this cushion would be sufficient." The company is continuing to review the matter with the shipyard and expects the bulk of any costs associated with the delay to be covered by the builder. The added time at the yard will allow workers to complete the ship, including the modification to the ship's stern hull.