It's been nearly forty years since the iconic television show The Love Boat went on the air and introduced viewers to modern day cruising and, in the process, made Princess Cruises and its ships synonymous with vacations at sea.

As Princess prepares to celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary year in 2015, the company is honoring the role that The Love Boat played in its history by selecting the original Love Boat cast members to serve as godparents for its new cruise ship Regal Princess. All six Love Boat cast members - who played the roles of Captain Stubing, Gopher, Isaac, Doc, Julie and Vicki – will reunite to christen the new ship on November 5 in Fort Lauderdale.

The ceremony will officially launch the golden year anniversary celebrations for Princess Cruises, which will celebrate five decades of operation throughout 2015.

The actors include Gavin MacLeod (Captain Stubing), Fred Grandy (Gopher, the chief purser), Ted Lange (Isaac, the bartender), Bernie Kopell (Doc, the ship's doctor), Lauren Tewes (cruise director Julie) and Jill Whelan (Vicki, the captain's daughter).

"We can think of no more suitable godparents for our newest ship than the cast of the show that put Princess Cruises on the map," said Jan Swartz, the line's president. "The show has been such a visible part of our company's history, it made sense to kick off our anniversary celebrations with this special tribute."

The pilot episode of the Love Boat, shot aboard Princess' 730-passenger original Sun Princess in 1977, began the relationship between Princess Cruises and the show, which for ten seasons eventually became one of the highest rated and longest-running shows on television. The Pacific Princess and Island Princess were the primary floating stars of the show, while later episodes and specials were filmed aboard many of Princess' other cruise ships in destinations around the globe.

"I'm absolutely thrilled that my former cast mates and I will be part of Regal Princess' U.S. debut," said Gavin MacLeod, who has been Princess Cruises' ambassador since the show ended in 1986. "The fact that The Love Boat continues to air in international syndication around the globe is a testament to the show's longevity and the world's fascination with romance on the high seas."

The 3,560-guest Regal Princess, which entered service in May of this year, is arriving in Fort Lauderdale to begin her maiden season of Caribbean cruise vacations. Among the special features found on board is a dramatic multi-story atrium serving as the social hub of the ship, offering a host of dining and entertainment options; an over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on water; the Princess Live! television studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef's Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.

Many reports get this information wrong about the ' Love Boats ' !

I was Maitre d'Hotel on the ' Sun Princess ' when some of the original filming was done on board and have a copy of the book ' The Love Boats ' which is signed by Jeraldine Saunders, who had been a Cruise Director, and on which the original film was based.

This film was shown in the ship's cinema on the first night of most cruises.

The 1972 built Ex Spirit of London / Sun Princess is now chinese owned and operating short weekend cruises from Thailand.

She is now named ' Ocean Dream ' which should not be confused with the ' Japanese Peace Boat ' of the same name.

Bookings for her cruises are at present shown as available until May 2016 !
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[ 08-14-2014: Message edited by: Neil - Ex P. & O. S. N. Company. ]

The show has been off the air for over 25 years ... the people who remember the show must all be in the 60s or 70s or ..... not really the market that cruise lines want to put their marketing dollars behind and especially so for an upper middle market firm like Princess.

Doing this event months after the ship entered service you really have to question it. The 30 and even 40 somethings I do not think will jump up and down and want to book a cruise with Regal Princess or Princess at all because of this event.

I was weaned on the Love Boat since I was a kid. I am 47 this past July. I had brochures up the wazoo and would sit and mark off cabins as Julie handed them out. Me thinks you are a generation behind.

40 years would be 1975. I was just a youngster in 1975. It wasn't until 1978 or 79, that I really got into Love Boat followed by Fantasy Island on Saturday nights.

Princess does appeal to the 40 somethings and above, so that is still a market draw. The youngsters/party makers still hit up Carnival for the binge and puke runs.

Princess is a bit farther up the ladder. And if they are trying to draw that set of folks who used to watch then why not? They have that base that are in this age range now.

So does this christening "event" make you want to drop everything and run out and book a cruise?

Princess has done this before on other ships like celebrity weddings and ship voyages with the stars. One shot deals that came with a cruise.

Along with those prime Princess fans, may follow those word of mouth folks who know "Princess Past Passengers." When the Love Boat went international for tapings and cruises, the whole world got to know them, and that is some good advertising for the future.

Those folks who did not grow up with the Love Boat, those 90's and 2000's folks, may come to Princess just to experience the product because the name recognition is good.

The Love Boat is a long term name product. And I think that Princess is gambling on this thought, as it tries to attract new and old passengers on newer ships.

Every line has their schtick in terms of attraction and promotional revenue streams up and down the product scale, from binge and puke to Cunard and beyond.

Next came the Carla C. ex Flandre which had been built in 1952 and also was far from a modern cruise ship despite a big rebuild in Italy for Costa. Princess got her and the new build Italia from Costa on charters and hence Princess' tradition of Italian dining rooms for so many years.

All well and good but I don't think people book cruises just because of heritage or has been tv personalities. If that were true Cunard, P&O and Holland America would be beating them away with a stick ......

[ 08-15-2014: Message edited by: SSTRAVELER ]

quote:

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Originally posted by SSTRAVELER:
Princess got its start (and its name) from using the old C&P Princess Patricia during the winter off season on cruises to Mexico. She was nearly 20 years old and no luxury cruise ship.

Next came the Carla C. ex Flandre which had been built in 1952 and also was far from a modern cruise ship despite a big rebuild in Italy for Costa. Princess got her and the new build Italia from Costa on charters and hence Princess' tradition of Italian dining rooms for so many years.

All well and good but I don't think people book cruises just because of heritage or has been tv personalities. If that were true Cunard, P&O and Holland America would be beating them away with a stick ......

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Please don't try and confuse Neils rants with facts !

Anyways, you are correct, history of the line does not really come into play for 99.9% of the passengers.

[ 08-15-2014: Message edited by: SSTRAVELER ]

A great caustic comment !

Is this because you do not like Princess Cruises ?

The Princess Patricia was seasonal the first two seasons but the Carla C. marketed as Princess Carla and the Italia marketed as Princess Italia were year round Princess cruise ships. They went to Mexico, Alaska and even the Panama Canal/Caribbean. The Italia even did a long cruise in to the South Pacific. They also did weekend party cruises. They were the first full time American cruise ships for Princess. I am talking about the late 1960s: That's years before NCL even started construction on what ultimately became Spirit of London/Sun Princess!

Then came the Island Venture charter. She came to replace the Carla C. which Costa recalled to replace the lost Flavia. Princess got lucky that the brand new Island Venture was available and chartered her and renamed her Island Princess. She was also year round in the American market for Princess.

Then P&O bought Princess and transferred over the Spirit of London. They also bought the Sea Venture at the same time to become Pacific Princess. They also bought out the charter on the Island Princess giving Princess the three ship fleet.

Season operation was what I said !

They never stayed in the same areas for the whole year !

Thanks for confirming they never stayed in the same area year round !

It could not be a year round service to Mexico if they operated weekend party cruises and cruises mostly to Mexico as you state !