When the new Royal Princess launches in June 2013, Captain Tony Draper will be at the helm of Princess Cruises’ newest vessel, leading a senior officer team with more than 100 years of seagoing experience among them. The senior four-stripe team will also include Relief Captain Dino Sagani, Chief Engineer Fabio Braccelli, Hotel General Manager Dirk Brand, and Staff Captain Tim Stringer.

Princess Cruises has unveiled a special exhibit aboard its seven Alaska ships that takes passengers back in time to the early days of cruising in Alaska.

Matias Grosso, Star Princess bartender, will be competing for the prestigious title of Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year at the competition finals in Rio de Janeiro next month. Grosso is one of four Princess Cruises bartenders who contended in the event’s semifinals last week in Miami, and one of more than 10,000 bartenders worldwide who have been battling throughout the competition.

Princess Cruises is being sued by a Panamanian fisherman who spent 28 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Adrian Vasquez has filed a lawsuit in Florida against the cruise line, alleging negligence after one of its ships sailed past his stranded vessel.

Brian O’Connor has been named vice president of North American sales for Princess Cruises and Cunard Line. In this role, O’Connor will oversee the development of programs to meet the company’s sales goals, and he will manage the field sales team that represents both cruise lines to travel agents across the United States and Canada.

Princess Cruises had the biggest booking day in its history for a new ship’s inaugural season with the anticipated debut of Royal Princess . Opening the books on its 2013 Mediterranean season on March 15, sales for the new Royal Princess reached an all-time record for the most bookings of any ship’s maiden season voyages.