Yes, You Can Actually Book a Real Love Boat Cruise Today

TLDR: Princess Cruises wasn’t just borrowed for a few establishing shots on The Love Boat. The real cruise line and the show became so intertwined that its captain spent 35 years as the company’s actual global ambassador, and Princess still runs genuine, bookable Love Boat-themed sailings today.

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The Pacific Princess and Island Princess, both real, operating Princess Cruises ships, served as the original filming locations for The Love Boat, with later episodes filmed aboard other Princess vessels in destinations around the world.

You can read the full story of the show’s cast, including Gavin MacLeod’s own near-tragic early career, in our full guide to the show.

The Captain Became the Company’s Real Spokesman for 35 Years

Gavin MacLeod officially became Princess Cruises’ global ambassador in 1986, the same year the show ended, and held that role for the rest of his life, a job that makes a lot more sense once you know how close he came to losing his career entirely before The Love Boat existed.

MacLeod’s connection to the brand ran deeper than advertising. He rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on October 23, 2000, when Princess’s parent company P&O Princess was listed publicly, and he and the rest of the original cast were named godparents to the real cruise ship Regal Princess at its 2014 naming ceremony.

His Real Favorite Trip Wasn’t Even the One the Show Was Known For

Despite the show’s Mexican Riviera reputation, MacLeod’s personal favorite cruising destination was Tahiti, and his favorite thing to eat on board was Princess’s signature fettuccine alfredo.

He also performed his own stage act, “Love Letters,” during actual Princess sailings and served as a celebrity judge for the line’s real onboard singing competition, “The Voice of the Ocean.”

You Can Genuinely Book a Love Boat-Themed Cruise

Following MacLeod’s death in 2021, Princess Cruises ran a themed tribute sailing aboard the Majestic Princess, a real seven-day round trip from the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, timed to coincide with what would have been MacLeod’s birthday. Surviving original cast members Jill Whelan, Lauren Tewes, Bernie Kopell, and Fred Grandy all appeared as hosts.

Fred Grandy’s own path from the show into an actual seat in Congress is its own remarkable story, as is Lauren Tewes’s real firing and eventual return.

The themed sailing included a 1970s-style disco deck party, a vow renewal ceremony hosted by the cast, in-stateroom screenings of the original series, and cast trivia and photo opportunities, following the same Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas itinerary the show itself had made famous.

Whelan, who continues to serve as one of Princess’s real “Celebrations Ambassadors” (a role that turned out to be her own genuine full-circle story), said the sailing carried extra weight given MacLeod’s role in her own life. “This cruise will be extra special because we will also celebrate the life and career of Gavin, our fearless leader, who not only played my dad on TV but was also a true father figure to me beyond the show.”

Princess Cruises and The Love Boat, Frequently Asked Questions