This one hurts. Princess Cruises says it’s selling Pacific Princess – the vessel most closely identified as being the famed “Love Boat.” Of course, like most love stories, it’s a little complicated. The ship that still inspires fond memories of Captain Stubing, Julie, Isaac, Gopher, Doc, plus hundreds of beloved guest stars, in the 1970/80s TV show “The Love Boat” is in fact the second iteration of the Pacific Princess, which took the reigns, er ropes, of the original in 2003.
But after sailing 1.6 million nautical miles, 11 world cruises and offering hundreds of itineraries to destination across the globe, the ship ran into a tidal wave called the pandemic and has been offloaded by Carnival Corp. to an “unidentified buyer” as part of the company’s plan to accelerate the removal of less efficient ships from its fleet.
Despite replacing the original Pacific Princess, the new vessel continued to be considered the Love Boat, not least by Princess marketing types, but loyal Princess guests and fans of the show as well. Indeed, the association was immediate when Gavin MacLeod (forever cast, even in real life, as the loveable Merrill Stubing) stood on the bridge as it passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge on its inaugural voyage.
MacLeod – designated as an official ambassador for the cruise line – also returned to the ship with former castmates in 2015 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Princess Cruises.
“People always ask us why ‘The Love Boat’ was so popular, and I always say it’s because it gave people something to dream about,” said MacLeod at the time. “They could dream about being out on the open seas on a cruise and discovering the world’s greatest destinations, dreaming about love, and of course happy endings since the shows always ended on a high note. I’m proud to have played a role in the growth of the cruise industry – to see where these ships have come from the days we filmed aboard the original Pacific Princess…”
The original Pacific Princess gained its fame as one of two primary Princess ships (the Island Princess was the other) used in the filming of the iconic TV show, which the cruise line says, “introduced viewers to modern day cruising and, in the process, making Princess Cruises and its ships synonymous with vacations at sea.”
Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz, commented, “Pacific Princess holds so many memories and cherished experiences to all who sailed upon her… it’s difficult to say goodbye…”
The cruise line says guests with bookings for future sailings will be notified, and along with their travel advisors, will receive information on how to book another cruise when operations resume. Guests who prefer a refund will be accommodated.
LOVE BOAT FUN FACTS
• TV’s Love Boat sailed approximately 250 voyages
• The TV pilot was filmed aboard the Sun Princess in Mexico
• The series was preceded by a film starring Dick Van Patten as captain
• The sequel ‘Love Boat: The Next Wave,’ was broadcast in 1998 and there have been occasional additional TV specials
• All six original cast members reunited for the first time in 1997 to christen the Dawn Princess in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
• The original Love Boat has been viewed in 93 countries and translated into 29 different languages
• Florence Henderson was the show’s most frequent guest star, having appeared nine times. Her Brady Bunch castmates Robert Reed (5) and Maureen McCormick (5) were also favourites.