Princess Cruises sending Royal Princess to Los Angeles for first ever roundtrip season

Princess Cruises will homeport its class leader Royal Princess in Los Angeles from March, 2019, cruising roundtrip to the Mexican Riviera on an itinerary that harks back to the earliest days of the cruise line.

Princess Cruises started with a single ship sailing out of the Port of Los Angeles to Mexico in 1965. It was this itinerary that inspired The Love Boat TV series a decade later.

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“The anticipation of the arrival of Royal Princess is growing as we officially announce the 200-day countdown that will welcome one of our newest, most elegant ships in our global fleet to the U.S. west coast and long-term home at the Port of Los Angeles,” said Jan Swartz, President, Princess Cruises.

“Now guests have the opportunity to experience this exquisite floating resort, our world-class service and best-in-class dining to sought-after destinations like the Mexican Riviera, California Coast, Hawaii and Alaska,” she added.

Royal Princess’ 7-day roundtrip cruises from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera include port calls in Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, giving cruisers the chance to experience the local vibrant culture and flavours.

Princess Cruises will sail six of these itineraries before Royal Princess is repositioned to Vancouver in May to begin a series of 18 7-day Alaskan cruises through the summer.

These weekly cruises from Vancouver will include port calls in Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau with scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park, plus an additional glacier viewing experience at either Hubbard Glacier or College Fjord.

Royal Princess will depart Vancouver on September 14, 2019 on a three-day Coastal cruise, returning to Los Angeles on September 17, 2019 to offer a 12-day roundtrip cruise to Alaska, including Glacier Bay.

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September 29, 2019 marks the return of Royal Princess to Los Angeles for cruises to the Mexican Riviera with several five-, seven- and 10-day options; seven-day California Coastal cruises and shorter four-day West Coast Getaway voyages, visiting Catalina Island.

Royal Princess ends her 2019/2020 season with a seven-day Pacific Wine Country cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver departing on May 9, 2020.

The 3,560-guest Royal Princess first debuted in Southampton in June 2013 and was officially christened by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge.

Significant to this ceremony was the fact that her mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales, christened the original Royal Princess in 1984.

Award-winning features aboard Royal Princess include the large atrium or “Piazza,” offering entertainment and culinary delights; the overwater SeaWalk – a 60-foot-long glass walkway standing 128 feet above the ocean; an expansive Lotus Spa with The Enclave, home to Princess’ largest-ever thermal suite and a dramatic hydro-therapy pool with a cascading rain shower and therapeutic air jets as well as an array of services and secluded couples treatment rooms.

She also has a live television studio; adults-only Retreat Pool and Sanctuary; and a newly re-branded Camp Discovery youth center.

Before Royal Princess makes her West Coast debut, the ship will undergo a “wet dock” renovation and receive several new features, including new equipment in the Lotus Spa and fitness centre as well as the installation in all cabins of the cruise line’s “Princess Luxury Beds” created in collaboration with board-certified Sleep Doctor Michael Breus and HGTV Designer Candice Olson.