Princess Cruises has resumed operations from the Port of Los Angeles following the pause in cruising due to the pandemic.

The line’s Grand Princess has departed on a five-Day Cabo San Lucas Getaway, the first of five sailings with this itinerary and the first of 11 voyages from the port scheduled for 2021.

Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz visited Grand Princess to thank the officers and crew and take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcome the first guests on board.

Swartz said: “It is a pride point for us that Grand Princess is returning to service in our hometown port.

“Our crew members are eager to welcome guests back on board as we continue resuming operations in the United States.

“We are grateful to the Port of Los Angeles for their support during the pause and are excited to be working together once again.”

Port Executive director Gene Seroka added: “Princess Cruises is a valued longtime partner and we are excited to welcome Grand Princess back to Los Angeles for the first passenger cruise since March 2020.

“We are a full-service port – with cargo, marina, cruise and visitor-serving businesses – and every cruise ship call generates more than $1 million dollars in local economic activity. That’s especially important to the city and Port of Los Angeles right now.”

Princess Cruises has been sailing out of the Port of Los Angeles since 1965 and does so more frequently than any other cruise line, according to a statement

The line added that over the last decade, Princess had more than 700 ship visits in Los Angeles.

Princess Cruises has resumed sailing in other regions, but recently confirmed it is extending its pause of cruise holidays in Australia and New Zealand through to 17 January 2022 due to “uncertainty around the return of cruising in the region”.