Princess Patricia was the first ship to operate for Princess Cruises, one of the largest cruise lines in the world. She was launched on 5 October 1948 and completed in May 1949 for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Stanley McDonald chartered the Canadian Pacific steamer in 1965. He intended to establish the winter cruising market by operating out of Los Angeles and cruising to Acapulco, Mexico. This is the period when Princess Patricia, which cruised to Alaska, would be laid up.