Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc and managed within the company’s Holland America Group. Founded in 1965, the line began by chartering ships for seasonal Mexican Riviera and Alaska itineraries. It developed from a small operator into a global cruise brand serving American and international travelers, with routes spanning the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, South America, and longer world voyages. Its corporate headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California, although the company is incorporated in Bermuda as part of Carnival Corporation’s international corporate structure. The brand’s early identity was shaped by its use of chartered vessels and by its close connection with popular culture. The television series The Love Boat, which premiered in the 1970s and was principally associated with Pacific Princess, gave Princess Cruises unusually broad public visibility and helped associate cruising with romantic, accessible leisure travel. The company has continued to reference that relationship in marketing and onboard programming. Princess ships have also appeared in other television productions, including the Sun Princess in the Columbo episode “Troubled Waters.” Ownership and fleet strategy changed substantially over the following decades. P&O acquired Princess in 1974, and the brand later benefited from P&O’s acquisition of Sitmar Line in 1988. The Sitmar transaction brought ships and new-build projects into the Princess fleet, while a program of purpose-built vessels in the 1990s and 2000s modernized the fleet. The Grand-class ships established a recognizable large-ship design language, followed by the Coral class for Panama Canal and longer-distance itineraries and the Royal class, which introduced larger ships with expanded public spaces and contemporary resort-style facilities. Princess also expanded beyond shipboard accommodation. Its Alaska business includes Princess Tours, which operates land programs and rail excursions connected with cruises, particularly in the Denali region. The line has developed and used private or exclusive destinations in the Caribbean, including Princess Cays in the Bahamas. Its onboard proposition combines accommodation, dining, entertainment, youth and family activities, wellness, shore excursions, and destination programming. The MedallionClass platform further emphasizes digital check-in, wearable or mobile guest identification, onboard ordering, and location-aware service, although the precise features vary by ship and itinerary. Princess became part of Carnival Corporation’s present dual-listed structure when P&O Princess Cruises merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003. The merger placed Princess alongside brands including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, and P&O Cruises within the wider group. The brand’s fleet has since concentrated on large contemporary ships, including Royal-class vessels such as Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess, Enchanted Princess, and Discovery Princess. The company also operates smaller or differently configured ships for selected destinations and longer itineraries. The line was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Diamond Princess outbreak in early 2020 became one of the first widely reported major cruise-ship outbreaks, and later incidents involving Grand Princess and Ruby Princess attracted intense scrutiny. Princess suspended operations, sold or transferred several older ships, and resumed selected sailings in 2021 under health and vaccination requirements that later evolved with public-health conditions. Today, Princess Cruises remains an active global premium cruise brand, combining destination-focused itineraries with a large-ship vacation model and the distribution, capital resources, and shared services of Carnival Corporation & plc.

Princess Cruises was established in 1965 when Stanley McDonald chartered Princess Patricia from Canadian Pacific for winter Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles. The ship was not designed for tropical service and lacked air-conditioning, so Princess shifted to Italia, marketed as Princess Italia, for its early Riviera program. The company later chartered Costa’s Carla C, marketed as Princess Carla. Jeraldine Saunders began writing The Love Boats while associated with that vessel, a connection that would later become central to Princess’s public identity. P&O acquired Princess in 1974. The division received ships including Spirit of London, which became the first Sun Princess, and the former Sea Venture and Island Venture, which became Pacific Princess and Island Princess. Those ships later became strongly associated with The Love Boat television series. P&O also acquired Kungsholm, later operated as Sea Princess. In 1981 Princess introduced calls at Palm Island in the Grenadines, and in 1984 Royal Princess entered service after being christened by Diana, Princess of Wales. The company expanded its Alaska proposition in 1986 by acquiring Tour Alaska, later developed as Princess Tours, and introduced Princess Bay in the Caribbean. P&O’s 1988 acquisition of Sitmar Line substantially enlarged the Princess fleet. Sitmar-related ships and new-build projects included Sky Princess, Star Princess, Crown Princess, and Regal Princess. Princess Cays, developed in the Bahamas beginning in 1991 and opened in 1992, became an important private-destination product. During the 1990s the line moved from a predominantly inherited and second-hand fleet toward systematic modernization. Sun Princess entered service in 1995 as the first of the Sun class, while Grand Princess, delivered in 1998, introduced the Grand class and was then among the largest passenger ships ever completed. P&O separated its passenger division in 2000 to create P&O Princess Cruises. Princess headquarters moved to Santa Clarita in 2001. The line introduced Coral Princess and Island Princess in 2002, ships designed around Panama Canal limits and longer itineraries. In 2003 P&O Princess Cruises merged with Carnival Corporation in a transaction reported at approximately US$5.4 billion, forming Carnival Corporation & plc. Princess then operated as one of the group’s principal brands, with executive oversight ultimately connected to the Holland America Group. The 2000s and 2010s brought continued fleet rotation. Older ships were transferred to sister brands or sold, while the Royal class began with Royal Princess in 2013 and Regal Princess in 2014. Majestic Princess followed in 2017 with design and deployment emphasis for the Chinese-speaking market. Sky Princess entered service in 2019, followed by Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess, completing the principal six-ship Royal-class group. The pandemic was the most disruptive period in the company’s history. Diamond Princess experienced a major outbreak in February 2020 during quarantine in Japan. Subsequent cases on ships including Grand Princess and Ruby Princess contributed to the suspension of Princess operations and intensified debate about cruise-ship health controls. During the pause, Carnival Corporation pursued capacity and cost reductions; Princess sold Sun Princess and Sea Princess and transferred or accelerated the transfer of Golden Princess and Star Princess to P&O Cruises Australia. Princess restarted in 2021 with Alaska voyages aboard Majestic Princess, initially requiring vaccination and additional protective measures. The brand has since returned to global operations while continuing to evolve its digital service platform, fleet, and destination portfolio.

1. 2021Operations resume

   Majestic Princess restarts selected Princess sailings with enhanced health requirements.

   Source
2. 2020COVID-19 operational shutdown

   Princess suspends cruise operations amid the pandemic and begins fleet rationalization.

   Source
3. 2013Royal Princess launches the Royal class

   Royal Princess enters service as the first of Princess’s larger Royal-class ships.

   Source
4. 2003Carnival and P&O Princess merge

   The merger creates Carnival Corporation & plc and places Princess within the enlarged global cruise group.

   Source
5. 2000P&O passenger division becomes independent

   P&O spins off its passenger operations into P&O Princess Cruises.

   Source
6. 1998Grand Princess debuts

   Grand Princess enters service as the first major vessel of the Grand class.

   Source
7. 1992Princess Cays opens

   Princess introduces its exclusive Bahamian destination at the southern end of Eleuthera.

   Source
8. 1988Sitmar acquisition expands the fleet

   P&O acquires Sitmar Line, transferring ships and new-build projects into the Princess organization.

   Source
9. 1984Royal Princess enters service

   The purpose-built Royal Princess enters the fleet and is christened by Diana, Princess of Wales.

   Source
10. 1974P&O acquires Princess

    Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company acquires the cruise line and integrates it into its passenger business.

    Source
11. 1965Princess Cruises is founded

    Stanley McDonald establishes the company through a chartered seasonal cruise operation between Los Angeles and the Mexican Riviera.

    Source

Premium, destination-oriented cruise vacations combining resort-style ships, international itineraries, entertainment, dining, and technology-enabled guest services.

• Cruise vacationsCore service1965

  Princess sells multi-night ocean vacations that combine transport between destinations with accommodation, dining, entertainment, recreation, and shore-excursion access. Itineraries range from short regional voyages to extended world cruises and are marketed to North American and international guests.

• Alaska cruise and land toursCruise and tour package1969

  The Alaska offering combines coastal cruises with land programs, including scenic rail transportation and excursions associated with Denali and other interior destinations. Princess Tours extends the brand beyond the ship and supports cruise-tour packages.

• Royal classShip class2013

  The Royal-class ships are large contemporary vessels designed around expanded public spaces, multiple dining venues, entertainment, pools, wellness facilities, family programming, and destination-oriented services. The class includes Royal, Regal, Majestic, Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery Princess.

• MedallionClassDigital guest service2017

  MedallionClass uses a wearable OceanMedallion and connected digital services to support embarkation, identity verification, location-aware delivery, onboard reservations, and selected interactive guest features. Availability and functions can differ by ship and sailing.

• Princess CaysPrivate destination1992

  Princess Cays is a cruise-oriented destination on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. It provides beach, dining, recreation, and shore-excursion facilities and is also used by selected sister brands within Carnival Corporation’s portfolio.

• 1977The Love Boat association

  United States · International

  Princess supported and later leveraged the visibility created by the television series The Love Boat, which used Pacific Princess and other Princess-associated settings. The association helped make cruising familiar to a mass television audience.

  Outcome. The program became a durable part of Princess Cruises’ brand heritage and continues to be referenced in marketing and guest experiences.

  Source

• 2021Restart operations with health requirementsStrategy

  Cruise lines resumed service under evolving government and public-health rules after the pandemic shutdown.

  What changed. Princess restarted with a Majestic Princess Alaska voyage and initially required guests to be vaccinated before departure, alongside masking and distancing measures.

  Aftermath. The restart began the line’s gradual return to normal global operations.

  Source
• 2020Fleet rationalization during the pandemicStrategy

  The suspension of cruising created severe operating pressure and Carnival Corporation announced efforts to reduce costs and fleet capacity.

  What changed. Princess sold Sun Princess and Sea Princess and transferred or accelerated transfers of Golden Princess and Star Princess to sister operations.

  Aftermath. The brand emerged from the shutdown with a younger, more concentrated fleet.

  Source
• 2010Order the Royal-class shipsProduct launch

  Princess sought larger purpose-built ships to modernize its fleet and expand capacity.

  What changed. Carnival Corporation signed a Fincantieri construction agreement for two new Princess ships of more than 140,000 gross tons, later identified as Royal Princess and Regal Princess.

  Aftermath. The Royal class became the foundation of the modern Princess fleet and was subsequently expanded to six ships.

  Source
• 2003Merge with Carnival CorporationM&A

  P&O Princess Cruises and Carnival Corporation sought to combine their operations and brands in a consolidating cruise market.

  What changed. The companies completed a merger creating Carnival Corporation & plc, with Princess becoming part of the enlarged group.

  Aftermath. Princess gained access to the resources and shared structure of the world’s largest cruise operating group at the time.

  Reported transaction value. (2003)

  Source

• 2020Diamond Princess COVID-19 outbreakControversy

  The outbreak aboard Diamond Princess during quarantine in Yokohama infected 712 of the 3,711 people on board according to contemporary accounts. Japan’s quarantine procedures and Princess’s initial risk assessment and communications were subject to international criticism.

  Source
• 2020Ruby Princess outbreak and disembarkation controversyControversy

  Ruby Princess became associated with a major COVID-19 outbreak in Australia. The circumstances surrounding passenger disembarkation and public-health handling prompted investigations, legal proceedings, and significant criticism.

  Source

• 2021Princess Cruises resumes Alaska sailings

  Majestic Princess resumed selected Princess operations with Alaska voyages from Seattle, initially under enhanced health protocols including vaccination requirements.

  RegulationOther
  Source
• 2020Princess Cruises suspends operations during the COVID-19 pandemic

  Princess paused its cruise operations as governments imposed travel restrictions and the cruise industry entered a prolonged shutdown.

  RegulationOther
  Source

1. Princess Cruises
2. Princess Cruises official website
3. COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships
4. Ruby Princess
5. Carnival Corporation & plc
6. Princess Cays opens
7. Operations resume
8. The Love Boat association
9. 公主邮轮在COVID-19大流行期间暂停运营