The Majestic Princess departs from the port of LA for the first time – Daily News

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Long beach

The 1,083-foot cruise ship Majestic Princess sailed quietly into the Port of Los Angeles early Wednesday morning, October 6, ready for its maiden voyage to the West Coast.

The 19-deck ship – 224 feet tall – will now call Los Angeles home when not at sea.

Dignitaries were on hand to celebrate the occasion, as the 1,346 crew on board prepared the 143,700-ton vessel for passengers to fill 60 to 70 percent of its 1,780 cabins – a new sanitary protocol – for a three day trip to Ensenada.

“We are delighted to welcome guests aboard the Majestic Princess today and to celebrate the ship’s maiden voyage from the west coast,” said Jan Swartz, President of Princess Cruises, at a press conference on board from the ship Wednesday morning.

“We have been sailing from Los Angeles since our cruise line started in 1965,” she added, “and our guests and crew are helping the City of Angels generate substantial income for local businesses with our west coast cruises departing within a year of last year.

The ship, designed for the Asian market, took its inaugural cruise in March 2017, christened by former NBA All-star Yao Ming and his wife Ye Li.

The UK registered vessel sails in Asian and Australian waters and recently completed a partial summer season in Alaska. Increasing local demand for cruises prompted the cruise line to make Los Angeles the ship’s new home port, Princess officials said.

Recently, the ship converted the individual onboard karaoke rooms into additional spa rooms. The high rollers section of the casino is now a sports lounge.

“The Port of Los Angeles has become a year-round cruise port, and we are delighted to forecast a record 200 crossings for all cruise lines in 2022,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka.

“The spiritual impact of this navigation is deeper (than the navigation itself) because it brings hope,” he added.

Princess Cruises, which calls itself the Los Angeles hometown cruise line, contributed $ 594 million to Los Angeles’ economy in 2019, officials said. Over the past decade, Princess has had more than 700 ship visits to Los Angeles – the highest number, officials said.

Princesses Cruises is also known for her co-starring role on the hit 1970s television series “The Love Boat” and has frequently cruised with cast members and guest stars from the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera.

“Layers of protection” is how Swartz described the increased safety measures on board during the pandemic era. She confirmed that all crew members are fully vaccinated.

Before they can board, passengers must also be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days and must present a negative and medically observed COVID-19 test – PCR or antigen – carried out within two days of travel.

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