Grand Princess First Ship to Set Sail from the Port of Los Angeles

Princess Cruises Returns to its Hometown Port Following the Pause in Operations

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Sep 25, 2021, 17:56 ET

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Sept. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Princess Cruises sails guests from the Port of Los Angeles this afternoon, marking the first cruise vacation departure from San Pedro since the cruise industry's pause in operations early last year. Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, visited Grand Princess to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming the first guests on board. Earlier in the week she visited the ship to thank the officers and crew for being the stars of the show harkening back to the cruise lines' history as the ocean-going co-start of the hit TV series "The Love Boat" and its recognition in 2018 by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

From left to right: Hotel General Manager Riccardo Capraro, Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz, First Guests Blake and Lara Handler and Captain Andrea Spinardi celebrate Grand Princess return with ribbon cutting.

Our Princess Crew are the stars of the show on Grand Princess and in preparation for return to service in LA salute our recognition with the cast of The Love Boat by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Princess Cruises, Los Angeles' hometown cruise line, has been sailing out of the Port of Los Angeles since 1965 and does so more frequently than any other cruise line. Over the past decade, Princess had more than 700 ship visits in Los Angeles—the most of any line in the last decade.

"It is a pride point for us that Grand Princess is returning to service in our hometown port. Our crew members are eager to welcome guests back on board as we continue resuming operations in the United States," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. "We are grateful to the Port of Los Angeles for their support during the pause and are excited to be working together once again."

"Princess Cruises is a valued longtime partner, and we are excited to welcome Grand Princess back to Los Angeles for the first passenger cruise since March 2020," said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. "We are a full-service port – with cargo, marina, cruise and visitor-serving businesses -- and every cruise ship call generates more than $1 million dollars in local economic activity. That's especially important to the City and Port of Los Angeles right now."

Grand Princess departs on a 5-Day Cabo San Lucas Getaway, the first of five sailings with this itinerary and the first of 11 sailings from the port of Los Angeles in 2021. Grand Princess offers a MedallionClass vacation, offering the ultimate in effortless, personalized cruising. It begins with OceanMedallion™, a quarter-sized, wearable device that enables everything from touch-free boarding to locating loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever guests need, delivered directly to them wherever they are on the ship.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at http://www.princess.com/.

Editors' note:

B-roll of today's event can be downloaded here and high-resolution photos can be downloaded here.

About Princess Cruises:

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the world's leading international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 14 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries." In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the OceanMedallion device, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to an effortless personalized vacation giving guests more time to do the things they love most. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

In line with the latest advice from health officials about COVID-19, Princess Cruises is currently enhancing health and safety protocols with input from medical experts and government bodies and assessing how they may impact future itineraries. Actual offerings may vary from what is displayed in marketing materials. Click on the following links to stay updated on current Cruise Updates and Health & Safety protocols.

SOURCE Princess Cruises