Princess Cruises set sail from the Port of Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, marking the first cruise departing from the port since pausing operations more than a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, visited Grand Princess to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming the first guests onboard.
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-star of the hit TV series "The Love Boat" and its recognition in 2018 by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
No doubt, it was a momentous occasion after all the adversity the industry has faced since going into a shutdown in April of 2020.
"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," Swartz said in a statement. "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, 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.
"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 departed on a five-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.
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