Princess Cruises just announced that it was the first to resume service from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif., when its Grand Princess departed from the California homeport on Sept. 25.
The line has been departing from the port since 1965, so the return was significant for the brand known for its association with “The Love Boat” television show. The interactive OceanMedallion-equipped Grand is currently sailing on its five-day Cabo San Lucas getaways.
“It is a pride point for us that Grand Princess is returning to service in our hometown port,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess, in a press release. “Our crew members are eager to welcome guests back onboard as we continue resuming operations in the United States. We are grateful to the Port of Los Angeles for their support during the pause and are excited to be working together once again.”
It is a pride point for us that Grand Princess is returning to service in our hometown port.
Princess Cruises is just one of many lines restarting operations in California. In fact, Carnival Cruise Line restarted service from Long Beach, Calif., back in August. Carnival Panorama is operating its weeklong voyages down to the Mexican Riviera, and joining are Carnival Miracle — which has been departing on short Mexican jaunts since Sept. 27 — and Carnival Radiance, which will operate year-round.
As the third in the line’s Sunshine class, Radiance will celebrate its redesign from its former life as Carnival Victory on Dec. 13, leaving on three- and four-day cruises to Baja, Mexico. Fresh onboard will be all the Fun Ship 2.0 dining, beverage and entertainment offerings, plus Big Chicken restaurant, which was first introduced on Carnival Mardi Gras by Shaquille O’Neal (Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer). It will further feature the multifunction Liquid Lounge and one of the largest Cloud 9 spas in the fleet.
“The transformation of Carnival Victory has been in the works for quite some time, but we’re delighted that she can now be officially called Carnival Radiance — the newest member of our fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival, in a press release. “Carnival Radiance features all of our most popular spaces and provides a truly unique and exciting vacation option for the Southern California short cruise market.”
Also on the 2021 calendar from the Los Angeles area are Princess’ Majestic Princess (October), Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss (also in October) and Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas (in November).
And farther south, cruise activity from San Diego is ramping up, as well. Restarting in October will be Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder and Holland America Line’s Koningsdam followed by Zuiderdam in December, as well as Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium.
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