Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Cruise line
Founded	1965 (1965)
Founder	Stanley McDonald
Headquarters	Santa Clarita, California , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Cruises
Owner	Carnival Corporation & plc
Number of employees	30,000
Parent	Carnival Corporation & plc

Princess Cruises is a United States-based cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company’s main office is located in Santa Clarita, California and it is registered in Bermuda. By 2025, Princess Cruises stands as the sixth largest cruise operator by net revenue, having generated around $4.5 billion in 2021. Its fleet consists of 15 vessels sailing worldwide, catering to both domestic and international travelers. The organization employs approximately 30,000 individuals.

Established in 1965 by Stanley McDonald, Princess Cruises was once part of P&O Princess Cruises. The brand achieved widespread recognition during the 1980s through its connection with the television show The Love Boat, which featured the Pacific Princess. This association significantly enhanced its market position and brand visibility within the cruising sector.

1965–1973: Founding and initial development

Entrepreneur Stanley McDonald founded Princess Cruises in 1965 by chartering Canadian Pacific Limited’s Alaska vessel Princess Patricia for off-season Mexican Riviera voyages departing Los Angeles. Due to the absence of air-conditioning on this ship, it was replaced by Italia, rebranded as Princess Italia, which initiated Mexican Riviera cruises and subsequently operated Alaskan routes out of San Francisco until 1973.

The third chartered vessel was Costa’s Carla C, originally CGT’s SS Flandre, extensively refurbished and leased to Princess as Princess Carla. This ship gained public attention as the setting of Jeraldine Saunders’ nonfiction work The Love Boats, further strengthening the company’s market presence.

1974–1987: Acquisition by P&O

In 1974, Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), then the largest global shipping enterprise based in Britain, took ownership of Princess Cruises. This deal included the transfer of Spirit of London, which was renamed Sun Princess, marking P&O’s strategic entry into the cruise market.

P&O also acquired two vessels originally built in 1971 for Flagship Cruises—Sea Venture and Island Venture—which were renamed Pacific Princess and Island Princess. These ships played a crucial role in popularizing Princess Cruises through their starring roles in the television series The Love Boat, greatly enhancing brand awareness and expanding market share.

In 1978, P&O purchased the former Swedish liner Kungsholm, refurbished it as Sea Princess, and initially deployed it in Australia. The ship alternated between P&O and Princess fleets before permanently joining P&O UK in 1995 under the name MV Victoria, freeing up the name for a new Princess vessel.

Princess broadened its private Caribbean offerings in 1981 by adding calls at Palm Island, Grenadines, enriching its itinerary options. The introduction of the purpose-built Royal Princess in 1984, christened by Princess Diana, represented a landmark as the largest British passenger ship launched in ten years and featured innovative design elements such as eliminating interior cabins. This ship later served with P&O Cruises as Artemis until 2011.

In 1986, P&O Princess Cruises acquired Tour Alaska, which operates luxury rail tours on the Alaska Railroad under the Princess Tours brand. This division offers scenic railcar journeys accommodating over 700 guests daily, diversifying the company’s portfolio beyond maritime cruising.

That same year witnessed the opening of Princess Bay on Mayreau Island, promoted as an exclusive private island resort for Caribbean cruises departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although no longer managed by Princess, this initiative demonstrated early efforts to develop unique shore experiences, bolstering competitive differentiation within the cruise industry.

1988–1994: Acquisition of Sitmar and Establishment of Princess Cays

In 1988, P&O Princess Cruises broadened its fleet by purchasing Sitmar Line, incorporating its principal vessels into Princess Cruises. This included three ships still under construction at the time. Significant additions were the ex-Cunard liners Dawn Princess and Fair Princess, along with the former Sitmar ship Fairsky, which was renamed Sky Princess. The initial newbuild from Sitmar joined the Princess fleet in 1989 as Star Princess, then recognized as the largest British-flagged cruise ship. The fleet further expanded in 1990 with two 70,000 GT vessels, Crown Princess and Regal Princess, both designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano. These additions brought the total to ten luxury ships, significantly enhancing Princess’s presence in the Caribbean cruise market.

Princess Cays

Princess Cruises invested $1.2 million in 1991 to develop Princess Cays, a private island retreat located on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Officially opened in 1992, it serves as an exclusive port of call for the company’s Western Caribbean cruises. The facility also supports sister lines such as Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, strengthening operational synergies within the parent corporation. In January 2019, several structures on the island were damaged by fire, temporarily affecting its operations.

1995–1999: Fleet Renewal and Expansion

Throughout the early 1990s, Princess Cruises operated predominantly secondhand vessels acquired from Sitmar Cruises. The most recent purpose-built ship prior to this period was the Royal Princess, launched in 1984. The fleet modernization commenced in 1995 with the introduction of Sun Princess, the lead ship of the Sun-class. This was followed by additional ships including Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, and Ocean Princess. At the same time, older vessels were reassigned to parent company P&O Cruises and its subsidiaries like P&O Cruises Australia. Key retirements during this era included Dawn Princess (1993), Sea Princess (1995), Golden Princess (1996), Fair Princess (1997), and Island Princess (1999).

Grand-class Vessels

Princess debuted its inaugural Grand-class vessel in 1998 with the $450 million Grand Princess, constructed by Fincantieri. At its launch, it held the distinction of being the largest passenger ship ever built. This class was further developed with subsequent additions such as Golden Princess in 2000 and Star Princess in 2001, forming a design foundation for six more ships delivered through to 2008.

2000–2002: P&O Princess spin-off and strategic shift

On October 23, 2000, P&O separated its passenger cruise operations to establish P&O Princess Cruises as a standalone entity. The following year, Princess Cruises moved its main office from Century City to Santa Clarita, California.

With the 2001 launch of Golden Princess in the North American market, the Sky Princess was reassigned to P&O Cruises Australia, where it was renamed Pacific Sky, becoming that brand’s inaugural modern vessel. In March 2002, the Star Princess commenced full-time service from the U.S. West Coast, representing a deliberate expansion into this region. Additionally, in 2002, the Crown Princess was redeployed to support the introduction of P&O Princess's new brand, A'Rosa Cruises.

After 27 years of service, the legendary Pacific Princess, famous for its role in The Love Boat, was retired in 2002, signaling the conclusion of the original Princess fleet era.

Introduction of the Coral-class

Between 2002 and 2003, Princess introduced two Panamax vessels—the Coral Princess and Island Princess—designed specifically for extended Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal voyages. These ships featured cutting-edge gas turbine propulsion systems, a notable technological advancement at the time, with stylized faux turbines displayed on either side of their funnels.

Acquisition of R-class vessels

Beginning in 2002, Princess expanded its fleet by purchasing two former Renaissance Cruises ships intended for longer and more exotic routes. These were the Tahitian Princess, initially deployed in Tahiti and later renamed Ocean Princess, as well as another vessel named Pacific Princess, reviving the celebrated name from the television series The Love Boat.

2003–2009: Carnival's acquisition of P&O Princess

On April 17, 2003, Carnival Corporation completed a US$5.4 billion merger with P&O Princess Cruises, forming the world’s largest cruise company.<ref> This transaction resulted in Carnival Corporation & plc, a dual-listed entity with headquarters in both the United States and United Kingdom. The former P&O Princess business was rebranded as Carnival plc (Carnival UK), managing brands such as Cunard Line and P&O Cruises. Management of Princess Cruises was integrated under Carnival’s U.S.-based Holland America Group division, which also encompasses Holland America Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, and P&O Cruises Australia.

In 2005, a vessel exchange took place between Princess and its sister brand P&O: the Royal Princess, which was Princess’s first purpose-built ship in over two decades, was transferred to P&O Cruises; meanwhile, Princess regained control of the Sea Princess after it had been with P&O for only two years.

On April 3, 2008, Micky Arison, chairman of Carnival Corporation, announced a suspension on new ship orders for U.S.-based brands including Princess, Carnival Cruise Line, and Holland America Line. This decision was influenced by economic challenges such as a weak US dollar, inflationary pressures, and escalating shipbuilding expenses affecting profitability.<ref>

2010–2021: Introduction of Royal-class vessels and COVID-19 impact

In May 2010, Carnival Corporation & plc commissioned Fincantieri to construct two new Royal-class vessels for Princess, each accommodating 3,600 passengers. These ships, exceeding in size, represented the largest ever built for the brand. The inaugural ship, Royal Princess, debuted in 2013 as the fleet's flagship, followed by the launch of Regal Princess in 2014.

As part of its expansion into the Chinese market, Princess unveiled its third Royal-class vessel, Majestic Princess, in 2017. This ship was specifically designed for Chinese-speaking passengers and was homeported in Shanghai. The fleet further expanded with the introduction of Sky Princess in 2019, and two additional Royal-class ships, Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess, completing a six-ship class.

This substantial investment in large-scale, modern ships strengthened Princess's position within the international cruise sector, bolstering growth amid shifting industry dynamics, including challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 outbreak

Princess Cruises was the first major cruise operator to be significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. An outbreak aboard Diamond Princess in February resulted in 712 infections out of 3,711 passengers and crew. The quarantine of the vessel in Yokohama attracted widespread criticism concerning Japan's quarantine procedures and Princess's initial response measures. Subsequent virus incidents on ships such as Ruby Princess in Australia and Grand Princess off California hastened the suspension of all Princess operations during the industry-wide halt.

Amid this pause in cruising activities, Princess accelerated the sale of four older ships as part of Carnival Corporation’s strategy to reduce fleet size and lower operational costs. In September 2020, the company sold its last two Sun-class vessels: Sun Princess was purchased by Peace Boat, renamed Pacific World, becoming their largest ship; meanwhile, Sea Princess was sold to Chinese newcomer Sanya International Cruise Development and rechristened Charming.

In October, ownership of Golden Princess was officially transferred, alongside an expedited transfer of Star Princess to Carnival’s sister brand P&O Cruises Australia. These transactions marked the departure of two Grand-class ships from the Princess fleet, reflecting a strategic move to optimize fleet composition for improved financial results and alignment with changing market conditions during the pandemic.

Post-pandemic recovery

Throughout the suspension period, Princess maintained minimal onboard crews with extended contracts due to ongoing operational delays. Service recommenced in July 2021 with a week-long Alaska cruise departing Seattle aboard Majestic Princess. To restore traveler confidence, all passengers were required to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing. Health and safety policies included mandatory mask usage, social distancing measures, and reduced passenger capacity during the initial relaunch phase. Following this successful restart, seven more ships returned to service by November 2021, with full fleet operations restored by November 2022 after the reintroduction of Diamond Princess.

2022–present: Expansion of U.S. Homeports and Introduction of the Sphere-class

As operations gradually resumed across the United States in early 2022 amidst continuing travel uncertainties related to the pandemic, Princess Cruises strategically repositioned several vessels to American homeports. Notably, the Diamond Princess returned to the Port of San Diego in November 2022—its first visit in ten years—although this was postponed from September due to workforce shortages. Additionally, the Ruby Princess reappeared at the Port of Galveston in December 2022 after a six-year hiatus. To further solidify its presence in the U.S. market, Princess assigned the larger Regal Princess to Galveston beginning in fall 2023 and announced that Caribbean Princess would debut at Port Canaveral in November 2024. These initiatives underscore Princess’s dedication to broadening its American market share as part of its overall global growth strategy.

Sphere-class

In July 2018, Princess Cruises entered into a memorandum of understanding with Fincantieri for the construction of two new ships, each measuring 175,000 gross tons and primarily fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). These vessels represent the largest ever built for Princess in Italy and mark the fleet’s inaugural LNG-powered ships. The formal contract was finalized in March 2019. The lead ship was named Sun Princess in 2022, followed by the second vessel, Star Princess, in 2023; both are the third iterations to carry these names within the fleet.

The Sun Princess commenced service in February 2024 after a short postponement due to technical adjustments. The Star Princess is slated to begin operations in September 2025, also following a delay.

Current fleet

Ship	Year Built	Shipyard	Service Period with Princess	Gross tonnage	Flag	Remarks	Image
Grand class
All vessels of the Grand class are NeoPanamax-sized; since 2016, they transit the Panama Canal through the expanded Agua Clara locks.
Grand Princess	1998	Fincantieri	1998–present			Largest and most costly cruise ship upon launch Class lead vessel
Diamond Princess	2004	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	2004–present			Modified variant of Grand class, designated as Gem class Operates exclusively within Japan and Southeast Asia Equipped with an additional gas turbine engine
Sapphire Princess	2004	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	2004–present			Initially ordered as Diamond Princess, renamed following a fire incident Classified within the Gem class featuring a gas turbine engine
Caribbean Princess	2004	Fincantieri	2004–present			Modified version of Grand class, categorized as Caribbean class
Crown Princess	2006	Fincantieri	2006–present			Second vessel bearing the name Crown Princess Modified Grand-class ship classified as Crown class
Emerald Princess	2007	Fincantieri	2007–present
Ruby Princess	2008	Fincantieri	2008–present			Final delivery within this class in 2008
Coral class
Coral Princess	2002	Chantiers de l'Atlantique	2003–Present			Panamax-size vessel; lead ship of its class
Island Princess	2003	Chantiers de l'Atlantique	2003–Present			Panamax-size; second iteration named Island Princess Passenger capacity enhanced in 2015
Royal class
Royal Princess	2013	Fincantieri	2013–present			Third vessel to carry the name Royal Princess
Regal Princess	2014	Fincantieri	2014–present			Second ship named Regal Princess
Majestic Princess' '||2017||Fincantieri||2017–present||Template:GT||United Kingdom|| Originally designed for Chinese-speaking clientele		-	Sky Princess	2019	Fincantieri	2019–present	Template:GT	Template:Country data Bermuda	Second vessel with this name First among three largest ships in fleet history featuring increased passenger and crew capacity		-	Enchanted Princess	2020	Fincantieri	2020–present	Template:GT	Template:Country data Bermuda	Delivered September 2020; operations commenced November 2021 after COVID-19 suspension lifted		-	Discovery Princess	2022	Fincantieri	2022–present	Template:GT	Template:Country data Bermuda	Final Royal-class ship delivered; launched January and entered service March 2022		-	Sphere class								-	Sun Princess	2024 || Fincantieri || 2024–present || Template:GT || Template:Country data Bermuda || Largest ship commissioned for Princess; first LNG-fueled vessel in fleet Third ship named Sun Princess Delivered February 14, 2024; inaugural cruise delayed

Future fleet

Ship	Class	Year Built	Builder	Expected Delivery	Gross Tonnage	Flag	Notes	Image
Star Princess	Sphere	2025	Fincantieri	Summer 2025	Template:GT	Template:Country data Bermuda	Second LNG-powered vessel for the line Sister ship to Sun Princess Third iteration carrying the name Star Princess Maiden voyage postponed from August to October 2025

Former fleet

Ship	Service Duration with Princess	Tonnage	Service Details	Disposition	Image
Various classes
Princess Patricia	1965–1966		First vessel under the brand; built in 1949; scrapped in Taiwan,1995.	Scrapped in 1995
Princess Italia	1967–1973		Later operated as MS Sapphire’’ (2002–2010); dismantled in 2012.	Scrapped in 2012
Princess Carla’’		Chartered from French Line as ‘’Flandre’’ (built in1952); renamed ‘’Pallas Athena’’ after sale; destroyed by fire and scrapped in1994.	Destroyed by fire and scrapped in1994
’’Sun Princess’’		Originally Norwegian Cruise Line vessel; later known as ‘’Ocean Dream’’; capsized and sunk in2016.	Sunk on site and scrapped in2016
'’Sea Princess’’		Built as ‘’Kungsholm’’ (1966); transferred to P&O Cruises as ‘’Victoria’’; served as hotel ship before scrapping in2016.	Scrapped in2016
'’Royal Princess’’		First purpose-built ship for Princess; christened by Diana,Princess of Wales; transferred to P&O Cruises then Phoenix Reisen as MV ‘’Artania’’.	Currently sailing as MV ‘’Artania’’ for Phoenix Reisen
'’Sky Princess’’		Built for Sitmar Cruises as ‘’Fairsky’’; later sailed under Pullmantur as ‘’Atlantic Star’’; scrapped in Turkey,2013.	Scrapped in2013
'’Star Princess’’		Ordered by Sitmar Cruises as ‘’Fair Majesty’’, completed byPrincess; transferred through multiple operators before scrapping in2021.	Scrapped in2021
'’Golden Princess’’		Originally ‘’Royal Viking Sky’’, chartered byPrincess; later sailed for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines as MV ‘’Boudicca’’, scrappedin2021.	Scrappedin2021
Pacific class
'’PacificPrincess’’		Built1971; featured on TV series ‘’The Love Boat’’; dismantledin2013.	Scrappedin2013
'’IslandPrincess’’		Built1972; also appeared on ‘’The Love Boat’’ TV show; scrappedin2014.	Scrappedin2014
Saxonia class
'’FairPrincess’’		Built for Cunard as ‘’RMS Carinthia’’, rebuiltfor Sitmar Cruises; scrappedin India,2005.	Scrappedin2005
'’DawnPrincess’’		Built for Cunard as ‘’RMS Sylvania’’, rebuiltfor Sitmar Cruises; scrappedin India,2004.	Scrappedin2004
Crown class
'’CrownPrincess’’		Originally constructed for Sitmar Cruises designedby Renzo Piano; operated under various brands including A'Rosa, AIDA,Oceans Village,P&O Australia,Jalesh Cruises before scrappingin2020.	Scrappedin2020
'’RegalPrincess’’		Designed by Renzo Piano for Sitmar Cruises; later sailedfor P&O Australia before repurposing as floating hotels and now operatingas Ambassador Cruise Line’s ‘’Ambience’’.	Currently sailing as ‘’Ambience’’ for Ambassador Cruise Line
Sun class
'’OceanPrincess’’		Operated by P&O Cruisesas MV ‘’Oceana’’, soldto Seajetsin2020.	Laid upas ‘’Queen of the Oceans’’
'’DawnPrincess’’		Second vessel named ‘’DawnPrincess’’, transferred to P&O Australiaand renamed ‘’Pacific Explorer’’, plannedfor future Star Cruises service.	Currently sailingas ‘’Star Voyager,’’ formerly Pacific Explorer
'’SunPrincess’’		Second ship named ’’SunPrincess,’’ first newbuild since RoyalPrincess(1984), sold due to COVID-19 impacts and renamed ’’Pacific World.’’	Currently sailingas ’’Pacific World.’’
'SeaPrincess'		Second vessel named ’’SeaPrincess,’’ formerly P&O’s Adonia,sold during pandemic effects period.	Currently operatingas MS Dream
Grand class
'GoldenPrincess'		Currently sailingas Carnival Adventure from March2025 |
'StarPrincess'		Currently sailingas Carnival Encounter from March2025 |
R class
'RoyalPrincess'		Currently sailingas Azamara Pursuit |
'OceanPrincess'		Currently sailingas Sirena |
'PacificPrincess'		Currently sailingas Azamara Onward |

Accidents and incidents

In a legal dispute dating back to1998, General Electric and Princess Cruises clashed over lost earnings tied to inspection and repair services conducted on the turbine rotor of the Sky Princess. After rust was detected on the rotor’s surface, cleaning inadvertently removed sound metal, causing rotor imbalance that led to cancellation of two voyages. While initially awarded nearly $4.6 million, an appellate court reduced compensation solely to contract value amounting to less than $232,000.

Environmental violations

In August2013, crew aboard the Caribbean Princess unlawfully discharged over four thousand gallons of oil-contaminated waste near England’s coastline by tampering with pollution control systems onboard. This misconduct was exposed when an engineer resigned upon arrival at Southampton port. Subsequent investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice uncovered similar illegal discharges involving four additional vessels within the fleet dating back to2005.

By December2016, Princess Cruises admitted guilt on seven felony counts related to illegal waste discharges occurring along various U.S. coastal regions and territories, agreeing to pay a $40 million fine—the largest criminal penalty levied for intentional maritime pollution at that time. The settlement required implementation of a five-year court-monitored environmental compliance program covering eight subsidiaries under Carnival Corporation, including Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line.

Further penalties followed in2019 when Carnival Corporation alongside Princess paid an extra $20 million fine due to probation breaches involving plastic waste discharge within Bahamian waters, falsification of records, and obstruction of court oversight.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic

During the global COVID-19 crisis, several vessels operated by Princess became significant sources of viral outbreaks worldwide—most notably the ‘‘Diamond Princess’’ and ‘‘Ruby Princess.’’ By February, confirmed cases aboard ‘‘Diamond Princess’’ reached712 with11 fatalities recorded, triggering complex international repatriation efforts. The ‘‘Ruby Princess,’’ carrying over2700 passengers despite escalating global infections, sailed into international waters where subsequent testing revealed852 Australian passengers infected with21 deaths attributed to COVID-19—intensifying Australia's public health emergency.

Additional incidents affecting company operations included:

• On February13,2020,the ‘‘Sun Princess’’ was refused permission to dock at Madagascar owing to recent port calls at Thailand—a recognized COVID-19 hotspot—with subsequent passenger protests requiring police intervention upon docking at Réunion on March1.
• A crew member transferred from ‘‘Grand Princess’’ to ‘‘Royal Princess’’ prior to issuance of CDC’s no-sail directive on March8 led to cancellation of a Mexico itinerary departing Los Angeles.
• On March7,the ‘‘Regal Princess’’ postponed docking at Port Everglades pending COVID-19 test results after two crew members were tested positive; one passenger later died from complications leading to quarantine off San Francisco.
• On March20,four individuals aboard ‘‘Ruby Princess,’’ including three passengers and one crew member tested positive after disembarkation at Sydney Harbour prompting criminal investigation into whether risks were inadequately communicated before passenger release.

On January6,2021, citing persistent pandemic challenges, Princes sCruises announced suspension of all voyages through May14 reflecting an industry-wide halt throughout late2020 which severely affected revenue streams and growth prospects. This extended pause demonstrated a cautious approach aligned with global health priorities amid ongoing uncertainty.