The very first “Love Boat” ever to set sail from Port Canaveral has arrived with festive fanfare at her new homeport. This represents great expansion in the port’s popularity as well as more diversity of sailings available for Princess Cruises fans.
Caribbean Princess sailed into the central Florida homeport early Wednesday morning, November 27, 2024 following her transatlantic cruise from Rome at the end of her European season.
Now, the 112,894-gross-ton, modified Grand class ship will be offering diverse Caribbean itineraries as befits her name. She will remain sailing from Port Canaveral through mid-April 2025, at which time she will relocate for the Alaska sailing season.
“We’re proud to welcome home Caribbean Princess, as she is a perfect addition to this market providing cruise guests with even more attractive and varied cruise options departing from Port Canaveral,” said Captain John Murray, Port Canaveral’s CEO.
As is maritime tradition, the ship was welcomed with key Port Canaveral executives as well as Princess Cruises’ leadership executives on hand for the historic arrival and a momentous plaque exchange between Canaveral Port Authority Commissioner Kevin Markey and Caribbean Princess’s master, Captain Vincenzo Lubrano Lobianco.
“We’re very excited to homeport Caribbean Princess in Port Canaveral,” said Terry Thornton, chief commercial officer for Princess Cruises. “Port Canaveral has earned its well-deserved reputation as one of the premier ports in cruising and we’re proud and honored to be a part of the Space Coast community.”
Thornton also noted the convenience of Port Canaveral for both fly-in and drive-in travelers, as well as the cruise port’s excellent cruise terminal facilities that make it one of the top-rated cruise homeports by experienced cruisers.
In further celebration of the occasion, as well as to support the local community that Princess Cruises is now joining, the cruise line donated two pallets of food to the South Brevard Sharing Center, a local food pantry and community resource center.
This donation is especially welcome the day before Thanksgiving, as it will help ensure more families can be provided with food during uncertain times.
Sailing from Central Florida Aboard Caribbean Princess
The inaugural sailing of Caribbean Princess from her new homeport is a 4-night Thanksgiving getaway to Grand Turk, where the ship will be visiting on Friday, November 29 before returning to Port Canaveral on Sunday, December 1.
Caribbean Princess will be offering a diverse selection of Caribbean cruises during her season at Port Canaveral, with both Eastern and Western routes on her schedule.
Caribbean Princess in Port Canaveral (Photo Courtesy: Port Canaveral)
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Depending on the sailing date and itinerary length, the ship will be visiting such top ports as St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, Amber Cove, Grand Turk, Freeport, Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and more.
Sailings range from 6- and 8-night voyages to combined cruises for 14 full days aboard the outstanding vessel, giving travelers every opportunity to enjoy all of her features, amenities, and hospitality. Onboard, guests will also find the innovative Medallion class technology for digitized convenience and a seamless experience.
After spending the 2025 summer season sailing in Alaska, Caribbean Princess will offer winter sailings from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale before returning to Port Canaveral for the summer 2026 season, when she will offer 7-night itineraries through October 2026.
Caribbean Princess can welcome 3,140 passengers aboard and is also home to approximately 1,200 international crew members who are eager to welcome all travelers to their new homeport.
Source: Cruisehive.com
