GRAND PRINCESS
August 30, 2025 | Los Angeles, California
Grand Princess (Princess Cruises) was in Los Angeles on August 30, 2025, preparing to begin a 16-day roundtrip voyage to Alaska. The unusual itinerary took the ship north from Southern California to some of Alaska's best-known ports and Glacier Bay before returning by way of Victoria, British Columbia.
Entering service in 1998, Grand Princess introduced a new generation of large cruise ships for Princess Cruises. At the time of her debut, she was among the largest passenger ships in the world and became the first vessel in the Grand Class, a design that would influence much of the Princess fleet for years to come.
Information List
Name: Grand Princess
Operator: Princess Cruises
Inaugural Cruise: May 26, 1998
Shipyard: Fincantieri, Monfalcone, Italy
Class: Grand Class
Length: 949 feet
Beam: 118 feet, excluding bridge wings
Tonnage: 107,517 GT
Guest Capacity: Approximately 2,600
Crew: Approximately 1,150
Guest Staterooms: Approximately 1,300
Decks: 17
Country of Registry: Bermuda
History and Features
Construction and Entry Into Service:
Grand Princess was built by Fincantieri at Monfalcone, Italy, and began her inaugural cruise on May 26, 1998.
Actress Olivia de Havilland served as the ship's christener.
At more than 107,000 gross tons, Grand Princess represented a major increase in size for Princess Cruises and was among the world's largest cruise ships when introduced.
She became the namesake of the Grand Class, which developed into one of the most important ship families in Princess Cruises history.
Design and Features:
The ship was originally particularly recognizable for the large Skywalkers Nightclub structure extending above the stern.
That original structure was removed during a major 2011 refurbishment, significantly changing the ship's profile.
Public spaces include the Princess Theater, multiple dining rooms, specialty restaurants, lounges, pools, and extensive outdoor decks.
Later Princess features incorporated aboard the ship include The Sanctuary, Movies Under the Stars, and the Piazza-style central gathering area.
Princess currently lists Grand Princess at 107,517 gross tons, 949 feet in length, with approximately 2,600 guests and 1,150 crew.
Service:
During her long career, Grand Princess has operated extensively in Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, and along the Pacific Coast.
Her deployments have included voyages from several North American homeports, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Alaska has remained an important part of the ship's schedule, including both traditional Pacific Northwest departures and longer voyages originating in Southern California.
More than a quarter century after entering service, Grand Princess remains part of the Princess Cruises fleet.
Los Angeles – August 30, 2025:
August 30 marked the beginning of a 16-day roundtrip Alaska cruise from Los Angeles aboard Grand Princess.
The itinerary was notable for allowing passengers to visit Alaska without flying to or embarking from a traditional Pacific Northwest homeport.
The scheduled itinerary included Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, and Victoria, British Columbia.
After traveling north along the Pacific Coast and through Alaska, the ship was scheduled to return to Los Angeles at the end of the 16-day voyage.
Legacy:
Grand Princess played an important role in the development of the modern Princess Cruises fleet.
Her introduction established the Grand Class, whose basic design influenced numerous Princess ships built during the following decade.
Her continued service more than 25 years after her 1998 debut makes her one of the longest-serving ships in the current Princess fleet.
