Did Carnival buy Princess Cruises?

In April 2003 Princess Cruises became a part of Carnival Corporation.



Yes, Carnival Corporation & plc acquired Princess Cruises as part of a massive merger in 2003. Specifically, Carnival Corporation merged with P&O Princess Cruises—which at the time owned the Princess, P&O, AIDA, and Ocean Village brands—to form the world's largest cruise operating company. This landmark $5.4 billion deal integrated Princess into a corporate family that now includes other major sister brands like Holland America Line, Costa Cruises, and Cunard. While Princess Cruises is owned by the parent corporation (Carnival Corp. & plc), it operates as a distinct, premium brand with its own fleet, staff, and "Love Boat" identity. It is important to distinguish between the Carnival Cruise Line brand (the "Fun Ships") and the parent corporation; Princess is a sister brand to Carnival Cruise Line, not a subsidiary of it, though they share certain back-end resources and even private island destinations like Princess Cays.

Yes, Carnival Corporation & plc did purchase Princess Cruises, but it’s important to clarify the structure and timing.

Here are the key details:

  • Acquisition: Carnival Corporation acquired Princess Cruises in 2003. It was a major consolidation in the cruise industry, often referred to as a “dual listed company” merger with P&O Princess Cruises.
  • Structure: Princess Cruises was not bought by the cruise line Carnival Cruise Line. Instead, it was acquired by the parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc, which is the world’s largest cruise company.
  • Current Status: Princess Cruises operates as one of the many distinct “brands” or cruise lines within the Carnival Corporation portfolio. It maintains its own brand identity, ships, management, and marketing, but its ultimate owner is Carnival Corporation.

Think of it like this: Carnival Corporation is like a large automotive group (e.g., Volkswagen Group). Princess Cruises is one of the brands under that group (e.g., Audi). Carnival Cruise Line is another, separate brand under the same group (e.g., Volkswagen).

Other major brands owned by Carnival Corporation include: Holland America Line Seabourn P&O Cruises (UK) Cunard Costa Cruises AIDA Cruises

So, in summary: Yes, Princess Cruises is owned by Carnival Corporation, the parent company, and has been since 2003.

People Also Ask

In April 2003 Princess Cruises became a part of Carnival Corporation.

MORE DETAILS

Carnival Corporation acquires 50 percent of Costa Cruises, Europe's leading cruise company and takes 100 percent ownership of the Italian cruise operator three years later.

MORE DETAILS

The wreck and sinking of the steamship Princess Sophia exactly a century ago has been called Alaska's worst maritime tragedy. As many as 353 passengers and crew died after the ship grounded on Vanderbilt Reef north of Juneau on Oct. 23, 1918, and then sank 40 hours later in stormy weather.

MORE DETAILS

In addition to differences in cruise mates, you'll see big differences in atmosphere: Carnival is about affordable fun, while Princess cruises are often nicer and more low-key, with a slightly higher price tag. The Vegas-style gaudiness that bothered some Carnival cruisers in the past is slowly being erased.

MORE DETAILS

The best cruise lines in 2023 Norwegian Cruise Line ranked as the best cruise line in the world, according to Condé Nast Traveler. Norwegian Cruise Line ranked as the top cruise line this year. It is the third-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, according to Cruise Market Watch.

MORE DETAILS

Shaquille O'Neal has joined the Carnival Cruise Line team as its CFO, but he isn't the Chief Financial Officer. No, the F, stands for “Fun,” and Carnival has produced a series of videos showing the former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers star in his new role at the cruise line.

MORE DETAILS

As of this year, the newest Princess cruise ship is Discovery Princess. It sailed on its maiden voyage in March 2022. That said, Discovery Princess soon will be supplanted as the newest Princess Cruises vessel by Sun Princess — the first of a new class of vessels for the line.

MORE DETAILS

(April 17, 2023) – Princess Cruises' largest ship ever - Sun Princess – will make her U.S. debut in October 2024 providing the ultimate vacations to favorite Caribbean destinations on seven- and 14-day itineraries out of Ft Lauderdale, Fla.

MORE DETAILS

Pacific Princess became famous as the setting for the TV series The Love Boat, airing from 1977 to 1986. Much of the 1980 book More Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin took place on board, and was later made into a miniseries, aired in 1998.

MORE DETAILS

In 2005, Seabourn Spirit was about 100 miles off the coast of Somalia when pirates fired AK-47 machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in an attempt to highjack the ship. They failed. An April 2008 pirate attack on Le Ponant, a French luxury sailing vessel, was more successful.

MORE DETAILS

Costa Concordia disaster, the capsizing of an Italian cruise ship on January 13, 2012, after it struck rocks off the coast of Giglio Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. More than 4,200 people were rescued, though 32 people died in the disaster.

MORE DETAILS

Princess appeals to an older demographic than lines such as Carnival and Norwegian. The average age of passengers is around 57, and you'll usually see a lot of couples on board in their 50s, 60s and 70s. As noted above, these aren't people necessarily craving go-kart tracks and ropes courses at sea.

MORE DETAILS

Royal Princess is a large cruise ship with a maximum capacity of 3,560 passengers, but crowds are usually not an issue here.

MORE DETAILS