Sun-swept destinations, engineering marvels and a variety cruise options mark Princess Cruises’ just-announced “Americas” program to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera and West Coast for the 2011-12 season.

Season highlights include two new week-long itineraries in the Caribbean, two new 14-day day itineraries through the Panama Canal, and a new seven-day California Coastal route featuring the best of the Golden State’s ports.

The line’s Americas season runs from September 2011 through May 2012 and includes:

Caribbean – Five ships sail the sparkling waters of the Caribbean, offering 14 itineraries to more than 20 sun-kissed ports. Passengers can choose from sailings of seven to 14 days, including two new itineraries – seven-day Southern Caribbean (with Aruba, Curacao and Princess Cays) and Western Caribbean (featuring Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel) routes on Crown Princess, both roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale.

Panama Canal – Princess continues to lead the way in Panama Canal cruising with five itinerary options including 10-day partial transits and 14-day itineraries between Ft. Lauderdale and Los Angeles, featuring Coral Princess and Island Princess, ships specifically designed for Canal cruising. On select 14-day departures, Princess offers the Two-Day Experience with a full transit of the Panama Canal and a full-day in Fuerte Amador. In total, passengers can choose from 38 departures, sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, or between Ft. Lauderdale and Los Angeles, San Francisco or Vancouver.

Mexican Riviera – Sapphire Princess sails on seven-day Mexican Riviera itineraries roundtrip from the convenient Port of Los Angeles. The ship offers 11 sailings of the popular seven-day roundtrip itinerary from Los Angeles, featuring calls at the festive posts of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

West Coast Cruising – A new 7-day California Coastal itinerary debuts aboard Sapphire Princess, with three departures sailing roundtrip from Los Angeles with calls at San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Ensenada. In addition passengers can enjoy a popular seven-day Wine Country sailing between Los Angeles and Vancouver, plus a selection of coastal voyages ranging from quick overnights to five-day getaways.