The cruise line that touts its connection to “The Love Boat” made its debut from Port Canaveral on Wednesday with the arrival of its first ship to call the Orlando-area port home.
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess made its way to the port to begin a winter of mostly six- and eight-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
The nearly 113,000-gross-ton vessel began sailing in 2004, christened by Jill Whelan who played Vicki Stubing, daughter of Captain Stubing, on “The Love Boat.” The ship features 19 decks with 1,571 staterooms, meaning it can handle more than 3,100 passengers based on double occupancy.
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Confetti drops as Port Canaveral and Princess Cruises officials celebrate the arrival of Caribbean Princess to begin to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port during a welcome ceremony on board on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Port Canaveral and Princess Cruises officials celebrate the arrival of Caribbean Princess to begin to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port during a welcome ceremony on board on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
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Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess arrived to Port Canaveral on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 to begin the line’s first ever sailing season from the port. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
”This has been years in the making,” Port Canaveral Commissioner Kevin Markey said. “We long wanted to have Princess Cruises sailing from Port Canaveral.”
Sailings will continue through April 2025 with the line planning to return the following winter bringing Sky Princess, which debuted in 2019 and has a 3,660-guest capacity.
Cape Canaveral port officials join Princess Cruises officials for a welcome ceremony on board. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)
“This port is such an ideal move for us,” Princess’ head of communications Vicki Johnson said during a welcome ceremony on board. “The proximity to the airport, the incredible drive market here, and the port’s determination to make this the No. 1 port in the world. We love supporting that mission and look forward to helping you achieve that.”
Princess primarily sails from Fort Lauderdale, where it just recently debuted its newest and largest ship the Sun Princess.
One of the line’s features that sets it apart is Princess’ Medallion technology, similar to Disney’s MagicBands, allowing cruisers to use a fob for everything from opening cabin doors to ordering drinks to their location on board and even at some port destinations.
Broadway-style shows appear in the Princess Theater while the ship has seven bars, nightclubs and lounges as well as a spa, fitness center, casino, sports deck, mini-golf, kids and teen centers, five pools, seven hot tubs and a kids splash zone.
In addition to the free main dining rooms, buffet and poolside pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs, the ship features specialty dining at Italian restaurant Sabatini’s, steak and seafood at the Crown Grill, Planks BBQ, Steamers Seafood and its wine and seafood bar Vines.
Destinations include Nassau, Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras.
It’s the first of two new lines to call Port Canaveral home this fall with Celebrity Cruises to begin sailing the Celebrity Equinox in one week.
They join Disney, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line as mainstays at the port, which expects to host 16 homeported vessels through 2025 sailing from its six terminals.
