News Article
The History of Princess Cruises: A Timeline of Key Events
1965
Company founder Stanley B. McDonald charters Princess Patricia and forms Princess
Cruises -- first winter season of Mexico cruises starts in November
1966
Princess Patricia returned to owners
1967
Princess Italia chartered (one of first modern ships built specifically for cruising)
First Panama Canal cruises (company pioneered regularly scheduled Canal cruises)
1968
Princess Carla chartered
Seawitch logo makes first appearance
Boise Cascade purchases Princess
First Alaska season (Princess Italia)
First transatlantic sailing (13-day Nassau-Genoa, Princess Italia)
1970
Stanley McDonald repurchases Princess from Boise Cascade Princess Carla returned to owners
1972
Island Princess joins fleet (formerly Island Venture)
Princess Tours founded
1973
Princess Italia returned to owners
1974
Princess acquired by the Pennisular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) Pacific Princess joins fleet (formerly Sea Venture) Sun Princess joins fleet (formerly P&O's Spirit of London)
1975
"The Love Boat" TV series developed by producer Aaron
Spelling; Princess agrees to become backdrop for the show
1976
"The Love Boat" begins filming
1979
Princess Tours acquires Johansen Royal Tours
1980
Stanley McDonald departs company
1981
Princess begins calling at first private Caribbean island, Palm Island in Grenadines
1984
Royal Princess joins fleet (innovative ship features all outside cabins)
1985
Pacific Princess launches company's first Mediterranean season First major cruise line to base a ship in San Diego (Pacific Princess to Mexico)
1986
Sea Princess joins fleet from P&O (formerly Kungsholm) New "Voyage of the Glaciers" route debuts (Vancouver/Whittier on Sea Princess) New private island, Mayreau (Grenadines), replaces Palm Island
1987
Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge opens
First Caribbean cruises from Miami First Asia cruises (Royal Princess) First Northern Europe (Baltic) cruises
1988
Princess acquires Sitmar Cruises
Dawn Princess joins fleet (formerly Fairwind) Fair Princess joins fleet (formerly Fairsea) Sky Princess joins fleet (formerly Fairsky) Sun Princess sold First Midnight Sun Express Railcars built
1989
Star Princess joins fleet
1990
Crown Princess joins fleet
Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge opens
Captain's Circle loyalty program begins
1991
Regal Princess joins fleet
Sea Princess transferred to P&O as Victoria
1992
New private island launched (Princess Cays in Eleuthera)
1993
Golden Princess chartered (formerly Royal Viking Sky) Dawn Princess sold Fairbanks Princess Hotel opens
1995
Sun Princess joins fleet (world's largest cruise ship)
Fair Princess transferred to P&O Australia
1996
Golden Princess returned to owner
C.R.U.I.S.E. customer service program debuts
1997
Dawn Princess joins fleet
Star Princess transferred to P&O becoming Arcadia Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge opens
1998
Grand Princess joins fleet (world's largest cruise ship) Sea Princess joins fleet
"Love Boat: the Next Wave" debuts
First world cruise (Island Princess -- 64 days Rome/San Francisco)
Santa Clarita, California customer service center opens Princess Cays expanded
1999
Island Princess sold
Comprehensive company web site debuts
2000
P&O Princess demerged from P&O
Ocean Princess joins fleet Sky Princess transferred to P&O Australia becoming Pacific Sky First Bermuda cruises (program ran 2000-02)
Fleet transferred to British/Bermuda registry
2001
Golden Princess joins fleet
Princess headquarters moves to Santa Clarita, California
Use of shore power debuts in Juneau
2002
Star Princess joins fleet Original Pacific Princess sold Tahitian Princess joins fleet
Crown Princess transferred to A'ROSA becoming A'ROSA Blu
Ocean Princess transferred to P&O becoming Oceana
Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge opened
2003
Princess acquired by Carnival Corporation
Coral Princess joins fleet
New Pacific Princess joins fleet (split deployment with P&O Australia New Island Princess joins fleet
Sea Princess transferred to P&O becoming Adonia First Antarctica cruise
2004
Cunard Line integrated into Princess operations
Diamond Princess joins fleet
Caribbean Princess joins fleet
Sapphire Princess joins fleet
First Caribbean sailings from Galveston, Texas
2005
Royal Princess transferred to P&O becoming Artemis
Sea Princess returns to Princess fleet
Princess Cruises celebrates 40th anniversary
2006
Crown Princess joins fleet
2007
Department of Romance launched
Emerald Princess joins fleet
New Royal Princess joins fleet
Regal Princess transferred to P&O Australia becoming Pacific Dawn
2008
Ruby Princess joins fleet
