Inside the Princess ships that made cruising history

Gene Sloan

USA TODAY

Along with the Island and Pacific, the Sun Princess basked in its share of the Hollywood limelight. The ship had a starring role in a two-part episode of the TV series Columbo and shortly afterwards, the Love Boat pilot was filmed on board.

What were Princess Cruises' early ships like? Our latest Cruise Ship Tour, in the carousel above, offers a nostalgic look back at the line's first six vessels, including such icons as the Pacific Princess of Love Boat fame.

Starting with the ships that began it all in the late 1960s, the Princess Patricia and Princess Italia, the tour includes such now-legendary vessels as the Island Princess, which also appeared in Love Boat episodes, and the Princess Carla. While almost tiny by today's standards, they are ships that helped revolutionize the cruise industry and put Princess on a path to becoming one of the world's biggest lines.

Created by veteran cruise writer and ship photographer Peter Knego, the tour combines rare archival exterior and interior photographs of the vessels from the periods before, during and after their ownership by Princess. Nearly all of the ships have been scrapped in recent years, including the iconic Pacific Princess (click through the carousel at the bottom of this page for our last look at the Love Boat before it was dismantled).

The early Princess ship photo tour is the 121st in our ongoing series of ship galleries. For previous photo tours, click on the links below.

Click HERE to see the early Princess ship photos above in larger format.

Alaska Marine Highway System (ferries):Kennicott
Alaskan Dream Cruises:Admiralty Dream
American Cruise Lines:Queen of the Mississippi
American Queen Steamboat Company: American Queen; American Empress
Azamara Club Cruises:Azamara Journey; Azamara Quest
Avalon Waterways:Avalon Panorama; Avalon Expression; Avalon Angkor
Celebrity Cruises:Celebrity Eclipse; Celebrity Constellation; Celebrity Century; Celebrity Reflection; Celebrity Solstice;Celebrity Silhouette
Carnival Cruise Lines:Carnival Magic; Carnival Breeze; Carnival Sunshine; Carnival Breeze, Magic compared; Carnival Destiny; Carnival Ecstasy; Carnival Splendor; Carnival Inspiration; Carnival Liberty; Carnival Valor; Carnival Dream; Carnival Imagination; early icons of the Carnival fleet
Celebration Cruise Line:Bahamas Celebration (out of service)
Costa Cruises:Costa Favolosa; Costa Deliziosa
Cruise & Maritime Voyages:Marco Polo; Discovery
Crystal Cruises:Crystal Symphony
Cunard Line:Queen Mary 2; Queen Elizabeth; Queen Victoria; Queen Mary (retired)
Disney Cruise Line:Disney Wonder; Disney Fantasy and Dream compared; Disney Fantasy; Disney Dream
Emerald Waterways:Emerald Sky
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines:Braemar
Hapag-Lloyd:Europa; Europa 2
Holland America Line:Nieuw Amsterdam; Westerdam; Eurodam; Oosterdam; Statendam; Veendam
Hurtigruten:Midnatsol; Lofoten
Lindblad Expeditions:National Geographic Sea Lion
Louis Cruises:Louis Majesty; Louis Olympia; Orient Queen; Cristal
MSC Cruises:MSC Fantasia; MSC Divina; MSC Preziosa
Norwegian Cruise Line:Norwegian Jade; Norwegian Breakaway; Norwegian Sky; Norwegian Epic; Norwegian Gem;Norwegian Getaway
Oceania Cruises:Riviera; Marina
Paul Gauguin Cruises:Paul Gauguin
Ponant:Le Boreal; Le Soleal
Princess Cruises:Ruby Princess; Crown Princess; Grand Princess; Emerald Princess; last look at the 'Love Boat'; Royal Princess under construction; Royal Princess; Sapphire Princess; Regal Princess; Diamond Princess
Regent Seven Seas Cruises:Seven Seas Mariner (after 2014 makeover); Seven Seas Mariner (before 2014 makeover)
Royal Caribbean International:Oasis of the Seas; Voyager of the Seas; Grandeur of the Seas; Jewel of the Seas; Allure of the Seas; Quantum of the Seas
Scenic Cruises:Scenic Gem
Seabourn Cruise Line:Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Odyssey; Seabourn Quest
SeaDream Yacht Club:SeaDream I
Silversea:Silver Spirit; Silver Shadow; Silver Galapagos; Silver Cloud
Star Clippers:Star Flyer
Un-Cruise Adventures:Safari Explorer; Safari Endeavour (in Mexico's Sea of Cortes); Safari Endeavour (in Alaska); Wilderness Discoverer; S.S. Legacy
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection:S.S. Catherine
Vantage Deluxe World Travel:River Discovery II; River Splendor
Viking River Cruises:Viking Odin; Viking Bragi; Viking Heimdal
Voyages to Antiquity:Aegean Odyssey
Windstar Cruises:Wind Surf; Wind Star; Wind Spirit; Star Pride

Yachts available by charter:Christina O
Retired ocean liners:United States
Theme galleries:The seven most spectacular suites at sea; the last of the great ocean liners

Featured Weekly Ad