If I was going to set sail on my first-ever cruise, this would be the one: sailing along with my childhood memories – the cast of Aaron Spelling’s The Love Boat.
The cruise was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Princess Cruises coupled with the christening of its newest ship, the Regal Princess. The original cast, Gavin MacLeod (Captain Stubing), Bernie Kopell (“Doc” Bricker), Fred Grandy (purser “Gopher” Smith), Ted Lange (bartender Isaac Washington), Lauren Tewes (cruise director Julie McCoy) and Jill Whelan (the captain’s daughter, Vicki), had come aboard as godparents to the new ship.
But first, a nostalgia-packed fête with more “remember them?” stars who appeared during the 10-year run of the TV series. The evening was hosted by Florence Henderson (better known for her run on The Brady Bunch) amidst warm starry skies on the lido deck, which flowed with champagne, an incredible Flamenco performance by The Love Boat’s most frequent visitor, Charo, plus 25 former guest stars, including but not limited to, Loni Anderson, Joyce DeWitt, Jamie Farr, Pam Grier, Christopher Knight, Rich Little, Kristy McNichol, Lee Meriwether, Don Most, Mackenzie Phillips, Marion Ross, Charlene Tilton and Adrian Zmed.
So, once you’ve hobnobbed with your girlhood TV heroes, have sipped and eaten your weight in champagne and hors d’oeuvres, what happens the morning after?
Well, if you watched The Love Boat, you’d think it entails meeting the love of your life, having an argument over mai tais while in port in the Bahamas, and then making up and going off to get hitched once you’ve arrived back in Fort Lauderdale. And sure, there was some of that. (There were at least three weddings that we knew of during our short trip, including one where McLeod gave a heartfelt reading during the ceremony in the public piazza.)
But alas, not for me. Although MacLeod/Capt. Stubing did pull me into his lap for a hug during a particularly enjoyable chocolate and wine tasting one night on deck 16. (The cruise line has a partnership with master chocolatier Norman Love – there’s chocolate everywhere from spa treatments to special cocktails and cooking demos.)
Just like The Love Boat theme song promised, there truly is something for everyone. Each morning, the Princess Patter newsletter would arrive at our door, becoming a daily guide to life at sea. And while skeet shooting looked like fun on the TV show, now you’ve got to head to the “Bullseye shooting simulator” for fun. Also on the upper-deck fitness area is a running/walking track, a basketball court, a driving range, batting cage, shuffleboard tournaments and Ping-Pong. Then head below deck to the well-equipped fitness centre, with its dozens of treadmills and elliptical and training machines (along with the full roster of classes, from Zumba and spinning to yoga).
The stately piazza with its three-storey-high winding staircase, all glass and marble, serves as a core gathering hub for pop-up entertainment, from fantastic nightly live music to strength-defying feats by Vegas strongmen. Hundreds gather; arms slung over the golden bannisters, to smile and watch the action below.
But the lido deck really is the pulse of the action with swimming, sun tanning and poolside games during the day (we witnessed a rather hilarious drunken synchronized swimming competition), and outdoor movies and DJ dance parties by night.
While I had set a course for adventure, I was surprised by the luxuriousness of the cruising experience. For instance, the 20-room Lotus Spa with its Enclave – a waterworks retreat complete with hammam, scented showers and steam rooms, was one of the most soothing spas I’ve ever experienced. Meanwhile, the staterooms are spacious and elegant, and we particularly enjoyed having our (free) room-service morning coffee on our private seaside balcony while taking in Caribbean breezes and aquamarine waters.
During a Q&A session with The Love Boat’s original cast, Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, said their target guest is “a meaningful traveller; someone of any age who seeks enrichment in life by visiting destinations and enjoying the cultures.”
But, as usual, Gopher (Fred Grandy) said it best: “Now you can transcend the fantasy of the show, and live it.”
And for a few lovely days in the Caribbean, I did just that.
For more information about Regal Princess’ inaugural Caribbean season visit princess.com.
The writer was a guest of Princess Cruises. It did not review or approve the story.