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Published: July 28 2011

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 28 (UPI) -- A cruise line that serves Florida and the Bahamas, Discovery Cruise Line, said it was shuttering the business, citing a difficult economy.

Discovery spokeswoman Roberta Backus said the last day of operation would be Sept. 6, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Thursday.

The company contributed $1.7 million to the annual revenue at Florida's Port Everglades. Although the port takes in $45.7 million in revenues, it is still a serious loss to have Discovery Cruise line fold, port spokeswoman Ellen Kennedy said.

"We hate to lose that, especially in this economy," Kennedy said.

Analysts speculate that a rise in gambling options at tribal resorts and a consumer shift of preferences to multiple-day cruises took business from Discovery, which operated its ship, the Discovery Sun, as a day cruiser.

Discovery Cruise said in May it would put its ship in dry dock Sept. 7. The newspaper said soon after that it could be found for sale in an Internet listing.