Cruise Talk: Princess Debuts 'Department of Romance'

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Author

Topic: Princess Debuts 'Department of Romance'

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-14-2007 04:39 PM

How very apt for Valentines day:

Princess Debuts 'Department of Romance'

Long known as a leader in romance, Princess Cruises is stepping up its commitment to love. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the hit TV series The Love Boat, famously set aboard a Princess ship, the company is debuting a new Department of Romance made up of a "dream team" of romance experts, and is launching a number of new "romantic pursuits" on its ships and on its web site.

Princess has tapped noted relationship experts to serve in its new Department of Romance -- prominent dating and romance guru Trish McDermott, everyone's favorite couples therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, seasoned wedding planner Alba Carreras, and America's favorite Love Boat captain, Gavin MacLeod. Together, these authorities will guide and inspire the line's passengers to rediscover romance, and incorporate it into their everyday lives.

"I don't think there's any better company to be an expert in romance than Princess Cruises," says MacLeod, former Captain Stubing of The Love Boat. "Ever since our show launched -- which is 30 years ago this year -- I have been amazed by the number of passengers who come up to me and share their romantic stories, for instance that they met their future spouse onboard, or that a moment on the cruise brought them closer together. Princess is synonymous with love on the high seas, and I'm delighted to play a role in helping couples embrace this important aspect of our lives."

"We consider the art of romance so integral to our passenger experience that it makes sense for us to dedicate an entire department to the cause," says Jan Swartz, Princess senior vice president.

The department has planned a busy 2007, with a variety of romantic pursuits scheduled to launch throughout the year:

Romance by Room Service -- Couples who want to snuggle up in their stateroom can create the perfect atmosphere by ordering Princess' new "Romance by Room Service" package which includes a special presentation of champagne and chocolate, scattered fresh rose petals and flameless scented candles, all set to a background of romantic music. Adding the line's "Ultimate Balcony" dinner provides all the ideal ingredients for a romantic evening.

"Become a Certified Romantic" ScholarShip@Sea Course -- For couples seeking to rekindle the romantic side of their relationship, Princess will be introducing an entertaining new class for its popular ScholarShip@Sea learning program -- Become a Certified Romantic. The course will offer tools on how couples can rediscover romance, as well as tips for sustaining romance long after passengers return home from their cruise.

Romance TV -- The romantic cabin ambience will be enhanced with the introduction of in-stateroom Romance TV programming featuring timeless romance movies such as "An Affair to Remember" and "Sleepless in Seattle."

Daily Romance Advice -- Passengers aboard Princess ships will receive daily reminders on how to celebrate and strengthen their relationships, as the daily Princess Patter activities program will feature a romantic tip or quotation to inspire affection.

Virtual Romance -- A new section of the Princess website will be devoted exclusively to the subject of romance, with tips, Q&As, resource information for romantic travelers, articles from the department experts and more.

Romance Report -- A semi-annual Princess Romance Report will debut on February 14th, in which the company's romance experts sound off on the "state of love" with facts, stats and forecasted trends.

These programs, to be launched with the debut of Emerald Princess this coming April.

Source:Cruise News/Princess Cruises

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

annnthony
First Class Passenger
Member # 3733

posted 02-14-2007 05:56 PM

M, you made this up!

Great humor, or, is it humour, for 2/14!

Posts: 315 | From: westwood,n.j.,USA | Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged

BigUFan
First Class Passenger
Member # 1382

posted 02-14-2007 06:24 PM

Sorry annnthony. It's no joke. I saw it in my Captain's Circle email the other day. They're celebrating the 30th anniversary of "The Love Boat."

Posts: 904 | From: Orlando, FL | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 02-14-2007 06:26 PM

Watching TV & statistics - very romantic.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 02-14-2007 06:40 PM

What a gimmick....

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 02-14-2007 07:14 PM

They are really running out of ideas...

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 02-14-2007 07:41 PM

Here's the link to the Princess website, with even more info on the program. A bit bizarre...

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na851

Rich

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

reeves35
First Class Passenger
Member # 6021

posted 02-14-2007 11:20 PM

Gavin McLeod has probably never had to work a day since they stopped making Love Boat. Not only does he get the weekly syndication cheques, now he gets paid by Princess.

It's nearly as silly as Scrapbooking at Sea.

Posts: 343 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Oct 2005 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-15-2007 12:10 AM

What is sad is that I bet they get thousands of people writing in etc.

As Harrison Ford once said to Anne Hesch " its an island, if you don't bring it with you won't find it here" same applies to a ship.

I just hope they don't put "Romance" reps or consultants on board, if one comes anywhere near me I think I'd throw up.

I agree - as bad as scrapbooking.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-15-2007 05:21 AM

quote:
Originally posted by annnthony:
M, you made this up!

It's silly enough to be made up, but sadly it's very true!

I'm sorry to be negative, but it's all starting to smack of George Orwell’s ‘Big Brother’ to me. The mass market cruise lines seem to increasingly want to exercise mind control over their passengers.

They decide what to feed and when. They also decide what entertainment we have. They tell us what to buy onboard, and where to shop ashore. They just love to bus us around the ports of call taking us to what they have decided to show us. They of course regularly make announce in an attempt to apply verbal persuasion. I bet the MUTS screen even carry advertisements for onboard services. (If they don’t, how long before they do?) They certainly do not encourage us to make our own decisions and do our own thing.

Now they want to tell us how and when to be romantic.

[ 02-15-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

feargus
First Class Passenger
Member # 3982

posted 02-15-2007 07:27 AM

''Long known as a leader in romance'' by whom??

Next to the real doctors office are they going to have the Love Doctors office?

I've just dropped enough money to feed a family for a month on flowers for Valetines day, I have had enough of romance.

Posts: 249 | From: Halifax,Canada / Abu Dhabi, UAE | Registered: Jul 2003 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-15-2007 09:10 AM

quote:
Originally posted by feargus:

I've just dropped enough money to feed a family for a month on flowers for Valetines day, I have had enough of romance.

That's not romance, that's consumerism!

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-15-2007 10:41 AM

As they are now giving romance classes on board through the "scholarship at sea " programme (see above press release).................will that include teaching you how to shag with tips for a better shag ? If so will they rate you out of 10 ? If so who will be watching or is this a public class ? If not are they building a special shag suite on board ?

P....lease. Of course I have answered my own question above, yes they are having shag (opps) I mean romance consellors/instructors on board. They will be the ones with a big red heart around their name badge who look like Dr Ruth.

This is so crap. Just concentrate on getting decent bloody food and ships that don't catch fire please, crew who are well trained and want to be there, clean everywhere, good wine did I mention better food ? and reintroduce wine stewards. Sorry having a moment on this one....but my shag comments still stand.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

BigUFan
First Class Passenger
Member # 1382

posted 02-15-2007 10:52 AM

Well said, Mike. If they'd put a little more emphasis on the level of service rendered, they need not resort to such gimmicky promotions. Apparently, they haven't read my Caribbean Princess review yet.

quote:
Originally posted by feargus:
Next to the real doctors office are they going to have the Love Doctors office?

No, they'll just put that office next to the "Future Cruise Sales" desk.

[ 02-15-2007: Message edited by: BigUFan ]

Posts: 904 | From: Orlando, FL | Registered: Jun 2000 | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 02-15-2007 12:18 PM

quote:
Originally posted by feargus:
I've just dropped enough money to feed a family for a month on flowers for Valetines day, I have had enough of romance.

It can't be coincidence that they released this news on 14 February.

It's about as much to do with romance as all the flower shops' and card shops' offers have for the same day.

It's all about screwing more money out of us.

My partner and I have decided that we have had enough of being ripped off on Valentine's Day. We'll celebrate it, but some other day. I was naughty and splurged £2.35 for a greetings card. And we enjoyed some ping cuisine at home.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

Cunard Fan
First Class Passenger
Member # 7530

posted 02-15-2007 12:24 PM

quote:
Long known as a leader in romance

I would think that other more luxurious lines like seaborn or Windstar would be considered the leaders.

Posts: 2327 | From: Pasadena just north of Queen Mary | Registered: Sep 2006 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-15-2007 01:53 PM

Princess are going to introduce beds on deck called SUTS - 'Sh*gg*ng under the stars'.

[ 02-15-2007: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

soundsailor
First Class Passenger
Member # 4164

posted 02-15-2007 02:24 PM

Just the thought of finding myself in the same lounge with Dr. Ruth, horrorfies me.

Posts: 150 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

Frosty 4
First Class Passenger
Member # 5826

posted 02-15-2007 04:24 PM

What a Joke! I wonder who in marketing came up with this dumb idea? Probably will get a promotion.
What was that post recently about the age of most cruisers?? DOH!!! Like we need advice from Dr. Ruth!
Put this on Carnival not Princess!!!
F4

Posts: 2531 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 02-15-2007 04:38 PM

Whereas it perfectly makes sense to establish that Princess is 'competent' for 'romance' it is a rather strange approach to do it this way.

A 'departement' providing somehow organized or prearranged activities is the opposite to what I associate with romance.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 02-15-2007 05:11 PM

What do us guys know about romance, anyway?

Do any of the ladies here have an opinion to add?

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

dmwnc1
Cruise Director
Member # 3785

posted 02-15-2007 09:13 PM

...and how about their new advertising slogan?

Escape completely

Posts: 5650 | From: Clarksburg WV | Registered: Apr 2003 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-16-2007 12:09 AM

Or their romantic strap line

Get completely shagged

(mainly in the wallet)

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

mec1
First Class Passenger
Member # 4287

posted 02-16-2007 03:40 AM

Given the average age of Princess passengers I think they have missed a trick.

Free Viagra.

Posts: 1675 | From: London, England | Registered: Nov 2003 | IP: Logged

Matts
First Class Passenger
Member # 4120

posted 02-17-2007 05:03 PM

quote:
Originally posted by feargus:
Next to the real doctors office are they going to have the Love Doctors office?

No but there are classes. Princess really are the 'cheesiest' line these days but this was a short step from the proposing on the MUTS thing.

If and when I propose to someone I want it to be on a Freedom class and I'll pay RCI to do a special parade perhaps.....

Posts: 829 | From: London, United Kingdom | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

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