The newest addition to the Princess fleet, Regal Princess.

Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz congratulates participants at Carousel Ranch's annual Heart of the West fundraiser.

From the day Princess Patricia set sail on December 3, 1965 to the sun-splashed Mexican Riviera, Princess Cruises has not only taken countless travelers around the globe, but the cruise line itself has been on an extraordinary journey spanning a half century.

Along the way, Princess has grown to become the third largest cruise line in the world with a fleet of 18 magnificent ships. And on December 3, 2015, Princess Cruises will celebrate its 50th Anniversary at its worldwide headquarters right here in the heart of Santa Clarita.

Princess Cruises, which became a household name with the debut of the hit TV show "The Love Boat" in 1977, first dropped anchor in Santa Clarita in 1998 with the opening of a customer service call center, followed by the move of the entire company in 2001. And like a good neighbor, it didn't take long before Princess became active in the Santa Clarita Valley community.

The Princess Cruises Community Foundation, a non-profit public benefit corporation, was established in 2009 to provide financial and in-kind support to non-profit organizations by providing grants and cruises, which has helped raise much-needed funds for these important organizations. Among the local organizations that have benefited are the Boys & Girls Club of SCV, SCV Senior Center, Carousel Ranch, Michael Hoefflin Foundation and Single Mothers Outreach.

"Princess Cruises is incredibly generous; the company has really stepped up to partner with us in so many ways. We love the relationship that we have developed with Princess. It has a real impact here and helps us make a difference, one very special child at a time," says Denise Redmond, executive director of Carousel Ranch.
The Foundation's mission reaches well beyond Santa Clarita's city limits, seeking to touch the lives of the people where the line sails through education, preservation of natural and historical global landmarks, responding to disaster relief and supporting global communities' local health and welfare efforts.

"As our ships and guests explore the world, we are reminded on a daily basis how interconnected we are with communities and people of these regions," said Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz. "And because of this connection, it's important that we do our part to help improve and enrich the lives of those in need."

This year is unlike any other for Princess as it celebrates its Golden Anniversary with local events like the City of Santa Clarita declaring December 3 "Princess Cruises Day," and grand festivities onboard its ships around the globe.
"We're pulling out all the stops to make our 50th Anniversary an unforgettable and enriching experience for all our guests," said Swartz, also a Santa Clarita resident. "We're very proud to call Santa Clarita home and we'd love for local residents to join us at sea."

For starters, Princess has launched several new programs, including an exciting partnership with renowned chef and restaurateur Curtis Stone, who is designing new dishes, a chef's table experience and a new restaurant on select ships. Princess has also teamed with Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning composer of Broadway mega-smashes like "Wicked," who will be creating all-new original musicals just for Princess.

But that's not all. Princess Cruises and Discovery Communications have joined forces to develop new enriching "Discovery at Sea" experiences based on hit shows such like "Deadliest Catch" and "Shark Week" and recently launched "Style at Sea with TLC," with the help of TV fashion expert Stacy London.

Whether it's here in beautiful Santa Clarita or some exotic locale halfway around the globe, Princess continues to help make dreams come true - not only for its guests, but for those truly in need. And like the cruise line's 50th anniversary, that's something to really celebrate.