Cruising : Royal Caribbean returns to Los Angeles 10 years after it left the city

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Guests who book a Royal Caribbean trip from the California port will be allowed to choose from 3-, 4- and 5-night itineraries on the cruise line’s 1,020-foot ship, Navigator of the Seas, which will explore Catalina Island, Calif. and select destinations in Mexico such as Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas.

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In the winter of 2022, Royal Caribbean says there will be 7-night itineraries that provide overnight stays.

This isn’t the first time Royal Caribbean has operated in Los Angeles either. The company had sailed from the popular destination with its Mariner of the Seas, but the ship was rerouted for South America and then Europe in early 2011.

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A report from the Los Angeles Business Journal suggested Royal Caribbean’s departure stemmed from lower than expected profits after consumers began distancing themselves from Mexican destinations following documented drug cartel violence. The Financial Times had described 2010 as Mexico’s “bloodiest year” four days before Royal Caribbean repositioned its ship from Los Angeles.

Ten years after that decision, Royal Caribbean is ready to return to California and the Pacific Coast of Mexico.

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“California was calling us home once again, and what better way to reintroduce Royal Caribbean than to bring our next-level cruise vacations to the City of Angels and make it a year-round adventure starting just in time for summer,” Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said, in a statement. “We’re excited to return to Los Angeles to add bigger, bolder vacation options along the West Coast.”

He added: “With a ship like Navigator of the Seas, complete with waterslides, activities from day to night and a lineup of restaurants, bars and lounges, friends and families alike are in for a memorable getaway.”

Customers who are interested in Royal Caribbean’s California voyages can start booking their 2022 trips starting on Monday, March 29.

Like much of the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean has had to cancel multiple sailings due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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