From Santa Clarita to the far corners of the earth, Princess Cruises is making memories — and a difference
From the day Princess Patricia set sail on December 3, 1965 to the sun-splashed Mexican Riviera, Princess Cruises has not only taken countless travelers around the globe, but the cruise line itself has been on an extraordinary journey spanning a half century.
Along the way, Princess has grown to become the third largest cruise line in the world with a fleet of 18 magnificent ships. And on December 3, 2015, Princess Cruises will celebrate its 50th Anniversary at its global headquarters right here in the heart of Santa Clarita.
Princess Cruises, which became a household name with the debut of the hit TV show “The Love Boat” in 1977, first dropped anchor in Santa Clarita in 1998 with the opening of a customer service call center, followed by the move of the entire company in 2001. And like a good neighbor, it didn’t take long before Princess became active in the Santa Clarita Valley community.
The Princess Cruises Community Foundation, a non-profit public benefit corporation, was established in 2009 to provide financial and in-kind support to non-profit organizations by providing grants and cruises which have helped raise much-needed funds. Among the local groups that have benefitted are the Boys and Girls Club of SCV, SCV Senior Center, Carousel Ranch, Michael Hoefflin Foundation and Single Mothers Outreach.
“(Princess Cruises) has really stepped up to partner with us in so many ways,” said Denise Tomey, executive director of Carousel Ranch. “It has a real impact here and helps us make a difference, one very special child at a time.”
“We have been fortunate to have Princess personnel sitting on our boards and committees, helping to improve the lives of youth in Santa Clarita,” said Brian Lake, director of administration for Boys and Girls Club of SCV.
The Foundation’s mission reaches well beyond Santa Clarita’s city limits, seeking to touch the lives of the people where the line sails, through education, preservation of natural and historical global landmarks, responding to disaster relief and supporting global communities’ local health and welfare efforts.
“As our ships and guests explore the world, we are reminded on a daily basis how interconnected we are with communities and people of these regions,” said Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz. “It’s important that we do our part to help improve and enrich lives of those in need.”
This year is unlike any other for Princess as it celebrates its Golden Anniversary. In addition to grand festivities onboard its ships, the cruise line will also celebrate locally with the City of Santa Clarita even declaring December 3 “Princess Cruises Day.”
“We’re pulling out all the stops to make our 50th Anniversary an unforgettable experience for all our guests,” said Swartz, also a Santa Clarita resident. “We’re very proud to call Santa Clarita home and we’d love for local residents to join us at sea.”
For starters, Princess has launched an exciting partnership with renown chef and restaurateur Curtis Stone, who is designing new dishes, a chef’s table experience and a new restaurant on select ships. Princess has also teamed with Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning composer of Broadway mega-smashes like Wicked, who will be creating all-new original musicals just for Princess.
But that’s not all. Princess Cruises and Discovery CommunicationsTM have joined forces to develop new enriching “Discovery at Sea” experiences based on hit programs such as Deadliest Catch and Shark Week and recently launched Style at Sea with TLC, with the help of TV fashion expert Stacy London.
Whether it’s here in beautiful Santa Clarita or some exotic locale halfway around the globe, Princess continues to help make dreams come true – not only for its guests, but for those truly in need. And like the cruise line’s 50th anniversary, that’s something to really celebrate.
Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz congratulates participants at the Carousel Ranch annual Heart of the West fundraiser.