Princess Cruises Brings Back the "Love Boat"
If you grew up on classic The Love Boat episodes on TV - or binge watched reruns more recently - and fallen in love with the good-humored tales of romance and ‘meet cutes’ on the high seas, here’s some good news: For travelers into classic TV nostalgia or quirky themed cruises, Princess Cruises is again rolling out the red carpet on the gangway with an encore sailing of The Love Boat.
That’s right – the original cast of the iconic romance-at-sea TV series on CBS is reuniting again aboard the line that's the original Love Boat.
The TV show, which ran for a decade from the late ‘70’s to the late ‘80’s, brought cruising into the public eye. Through its wild success on the small screen showcasing the romance of the sea, and taking its beloved cast and a roster of Hollywood’s biggest stars as guests to exotic destinations, it is credited with helping launch modern-day cruising. Not to mention that every story line always had a happy ending.
And The Love Boat was filmed aboard an actual Princess Cruises ship; giving viewers a glimpse into a coveted cruising lifestyle.
Cruising has come a long way since the early days of The Love Boat. But so strong has the nostalgia for The Love Boat been, that in the fall of 2022, Princess was featured again as the setting of a spin-off. The Real Love Boat, updated for 21st century TV tastes as a reality dating adventure series, saw three real-life Princess crew members and 12 singles looking for love join hosts Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell onboard Regal Princess sailing through the Mediterranean.
Now, Princess is keeping The Love Boat tradition going strong. The cruise line has unveiled a second themed cruise, reuniting cast members from the original show.
Fans of the original show can sail along with Doc, Gopher, Isaac and Vicki Stubing as they cruise roundtrip from New York to Canada & New England aboard Enchanted Princess, August 31-September 7, 2024.
Princess Cruises Celebrations Ambassador Jill Whelan (aka Vicki Stubing) will join fellow Love Boat cast members including Bernie Kopell (Doc), Fred Grandy (Gopher), and Ted Lange (Isaac). Ezra Freeman, the bartender from the recently aired The Real Love Boat on CBS reality dating series, will also join the cast, and Princess promises other surprise guests will be announced.
Guests will set course for full The Love Boat immersion, with themed activities including:
- Sailaway party introducing the cast
- Meet-and-greet photo and signing opportunities
- The Love Boat-inspired guest activities with prizes
- Cocktail demonstration hosted by Ezra Freeman and Ted Lange – practice the finger point!
- Cast Q&As sharing favorite memories of the show and stories of their careers
- The Love Boat episodes airing on Movies Under the Stars and in staterooms
- The Love Boat trivia with the Cruise Director
- The Love Boat inspired menus and specialty cocktails
- Themed décor, photo backdrops and merchandise
And for real-life love birds joining The Love Boat, there will be a symbolic renewal of vows ceremony, officiated by the cast, with a commemorative certificate.
While The Love Boat themed cruise with members of the original cast will enchant guests with the immersion into retro TV and cruising, in the meantime, you’ll also be sailing on a very modern Princess cruise to Canada and New England. This time, the 3660-guest Enchanted Princess is the ocean-going co-star of the themed cruise, with an Italian-Inspired Piazza, two dozen dining options, a Sanctuary adults-only relaxation and spa area, Camp Discovery to keep kids and teens occupied while their parents rediscover the “Love” in The Love Boat, and four showrooms and lounges.
Jill Whelan, better known by fans of the classic TV series as Vicki Stubing, daughter of the ship’s Captain Stubing, is now Celebrations Ambassador for Princess Cruises. “Sailing with our fans brings us so much joy,” she says, “And this cruise will undoubtedly be a special reunion, taking us back to where it all began – on a Princess Cruise.”
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Images courtesy of Princess Cruises.
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