THE HISTORY OF PRINCESS CRUISES
Presented by Allan Jordan
January 29, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
We started 2016 by welcoming back noted writer and historian Allan Jordan for an illustrated program recalling the events of the mid-1960s that led up to the founding of one of the most successful companies in the modern cruise business – Princess Cruises. While the birth of the modern cruise industry is closely associated with Miami, Los Angeles-based Princess Cruises is actually the first of the “new” cruise lines to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Far from the tropics, the tale begins in Seattle, Washington with the 1962 World’s Fair, the LIBERTE, the DOMINION MONARCH, and the aging coastal steamer turned cruise ship, YARMOUTH. We heard how three years later with another coastal steamer, a visionary entrepreneur believed he could build a cruise business to Mexico despite the failure of several previous attempts. We also heard how Princess Cruises got its name and now famous logo; about the line’s early ships, the PRINCESS PATRICIA, “PRINCESS” ITALIA and “PRINCESS” CARLA; and about the day they almost sent away the producers of “The Love Boat” because it was too much trouble. Despite many early setbacks and challenges, it all came together to create one of the most pioneering and revolutionary firms in the cruise industry.
Allan Jordan has been a guest lecturer aboard cruise ships, has authored numerous articles on the history and future of the cruise industry, and is a frequent contributor to Cruise Travel magazine and Cruise Business Review. He is also the author of the 40th anniversary history of NCL, and of Saluting the Aloha Spirit, which recalls the history of American Hawaii Cruises and the sister ships INDEPENDENCE and CONSTITUTION.