Clockwise from top: Royal Princess, one of the fleet's newest ships; a Princess original musical production; a decadent Chocolate Journeys 50th Anniversary dessert; Revelry in the ships stunning Atrium.

The year was 1965. A small travel company launched a single ship on December 3 to the sun-kissed Mexican Riviera - and cruising would never be the same.

A little over 10 years later, Princess Cruises would take the world by storm by sailing into living rooms across the US in 1977 as the setting for the beloved television show "The Love Boat." The program introduced millions to the many joys of cruising along the way.

Now, after 50 years and countless voyages around the globe, Princess Cruises, Santa Clarita's hometown cruise line, is celebrating its Golden Anniversary season - and they're inviting everybody to the party!

A Season of REVELRY
A half-century of making dreams come true is truly something to toast and Princess is celebrating throughout 2015 and into 2016 with local events, like the City of Santa Clarita declaring December 3 "Princess Cruises Day," as well as an array of special activities and entertainment on board its spectacular ships that are sure to dazzle its guests.

"We're pulling out all the stops to make our 50th Anniversary celebration an unforgettable and enriching experience for all our guests," said Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz, also a Santa Clarita resident. "We're very proud to call Santa Clarita home and we'd love for Santa Clarita residents to join us at sea."

As part of its Golden Anniversary, Princess has launched several exciting new programs. For starters, it has teamed with renowned chef and restaurateur Curtis Stone who is designing new menus in the dining rooms, creating a chef's table experience and unveiling a new restaurant, SHARE, on select ships.

Foodies can also delight in some of the most sinfully-delicious desserts in the world as part of Princess Cruises' Chocolate Journeys program, created by world-renowned master chocolatier Norman Love.

Princess is also bringing aboard original new musicals from Steven Schwartz, the Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning composer of Broadway mega-smashes like "Wicked." And "The Voice of the Ocean," a new spin on the worldwide TV singing sensation, takes center stage, complete with the iconic rotating chairs, passenger performances and a climactic finale on the last day of the voyage.

But that's not all. Princess Cruises and Discovery Communications have joined forces to develop new enriching Discovery at Sea vacation experiences for the whole family. There's a mesmerizing Stargazing experience on the top deck and activities based on hit shows such as "Deadliest Catch" and "Shark Week." There are also special Discovery Channel and Animal Planet shore excursions introducing you to the most amazing places and animals on the planet!

Princess also features a Festivals of the World program, combining regional food, music, dance and traditions to bring celebrations like Rio's Carnival and Mardi Gras to life.

It's a golden season for Princess Cruises and there's no better way to celebrate your own milestones than to join in the fun on board. Whether you cruise to the Mexican Riviera where it all began or to any corner of the earth that Princess visits - from Alaska to Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and beyond - you'll come back with new experiences, new friends and a new perspective on the world we live in - you'll come back new®.