The Love Boat Sails Again

[skylynx]

So, one of my birthday presents from my DH was the first season of Love Boat just released on DVD. The Love Boat was my first introduction to cruising, and before I ever set foot on a cruise ship, I wondered if it would be just like the Pacific Princess with the wacky crew and nutty passengers and non-stop PG-13 romance. Not to mention piles of sombreros and straw handbags dragged onboard by passenger returning from port. (I did bring back a particularly spectacular sombrero from my first Magic Western cruise in Cozumel--which several DISboarders borrowed for photo ops)

It is a GREAT way to get a cruise fix if you've maxed out of watching the DCL promo DVDs or your own vacation videos. It's funny how many big stars took their tour of duty on Love Boat. At the time I think the Love Boat was the height of cruise luxury...compared to Magic or Wonder it looks like a aging shopping mall. Still...it has its 70's charm. The DVD has only been out a week...good fun!

 

[inkkognito]

Wow, I remember our family always watching Love Boat...along with Fantasy Island, it was a staple in our household. Oddly enough, I never felt a special affinity for cruising in those days although when I reached adulthood I did want to at least try it. My mother took me to see the original Posiden when I was a wee tot. The part with Shelley Winters scared the heck out of me so maybe that offset some of the appeal for a while.

 

[mmouse37]

We always watched the Love Boat!!! Fun to reminisce (sp?)

 

[wallyb]

Hi, I'm Julie McCoy, Your Cruise Director!

 

[ramkam]

The original Love Boat was called the Sun Princess. The Sun Princess eventually became the Majestic for Premier Cruise Lines. As you probably know the the Premier Cruise Line was the Disney Cruise before there was a Disney Cruise Line. There you go, the Love Boat connection to the Disney Cruise!

 

[WDWLVR]

DH picked that up and we were watching it last week. I remember way back when I got to see the Pacific Princess in person. I was in Aculpoco at the time (on another line). They wouldn't let us on board even though they had let us get on another Princess ship earlier in the trip (well before the days of tight security).

 

[skylynx]

Here I am in this Love Boat nostalgia crush, and thinking instead of waiting around for DCL to do an Alaska cruise, we could become traitors and go on Princess next year for one of their many Alaska cruises. Do any of you remember the "special" Love Boat multi-episodes where they went to Alaska? I think Our Cruise Director Julie (thank you for that stunning photo, by the way) was chasing down some guy, to no avail, in the Alaska one.

I had a feeling there were going to be plenty of other Disboarders who are Love Boat fans! That's why it was my obligation to alert everyone who didn't already know that this treasure was available close as your local Target. The clothes and hair on people alone are worth buying this DVD set!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Wow, I remember our family always watching Love Boat...along with Fantasy Island, it was a staple in our household.

So true in our household!!!!

Life seemed so much simpler back then.

 

[wallyb]

I loved the times when...
María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza Rasten
AKA Charo was on!

 

[skylynx]

OMG...all this week the CAPTAIN HIMSELF is on the Cruise Critic boards on the Princess site...I'm sure this had NOTHING to do with the release of the DVD.

 

[scm]

Sailing on the Love Boat began my long love affair with all things Princess and I am patiently waiting for my grandkids to outgrow Disney so I can return 'home'. There is just no argument that Disney is the ideal cuise for families with younger children. But the advantage of Princess then and now is the range of ports as opportunities to educate about the Middle East, Alaska, Northern Europe,etc. It would be wonderful if Disney grew into that role.

 

[crzy4magic]

The old Pacific Princess - which was the Love Boat after the first season or so - was retired by Princess about 5 years ago. We had done the NCL cruise from Boston to Bermuda and it was docked aft of us at St.George. That summer it was doing NYC - Bermuda, then it was going to be sold by Princess.

It was incredible how small she looked. Even from the Norwegian Majesty, which is 1/2 the size of the Wonder and Magic the Love Boat looked more like a yacht than a modern day cruise ship!

The next year a huge new Pacific Princess - probably without the TV history of the old one - was put in service by the Princess Cruise line.

 

[yazee1]

Fantasy Island gave me the creeps. The Love Boat rules! That being said, I wonder what I'd think of it now, 30 years later. I just added the series to my Netflix queue.

 

[gardengirlco]

Fantasy Island gave me the creeps. The Love Boat rules! That being said, I wonder what I'd think of it now, 30 years later. I just added the series to my Netflix queue.

ITA about Fantasy Island. I watched it, but it disturbed me for some reason. Definitely creepy!

I did love The Love Boat though. Used to watch it with my grandpa.

 

[stevenpensacola]

Hi, I'm Julie McCoy, Your Cruise Director!

Why else would a teenage boy watch The Love Boat.....Julie, and background bikini babes around the little pool.

Things about the show which puzzled me....
1. Is it normal that the bartender (who is always drying a glass) hangs out with the captain and the ships doctor (I could not stand the doc)?

2. how did Isaac manage to tend bar at every bar on the ship at the same time?

Favorite show: Sonny Bono as Deacon Dark..."hit it with a hammer and smash it....put it in the garbage and trash it"

 

[NancyIL]

The old Pacific Princess - which was the Love Boat after the first season or so - was retired by Princess about 5 years ago. We had done the NCL cruise from Boston to Bermuda and it was docked aft of us at St.George. That summer it was doing NYC - Bermuda, then it was going to be sold by Princess.

It was incredible how small she looked. Even from the Norwegian Majesty, which is 1/2 the size of the Wonder and Magic the Love Boat looked more like a yacht than a modern day cruise ship!

The next year a huge new Pacific Princess - probably without the TV history of the old one - was put in service by the Princess Cruise line.

The current Pacific Princess is still small, as cruise ships go. It, along with sister ships Royal and Tahitian Princess, carry about 670 passengers each. All were acquired from the now-defunct Renaissance cruiseline. The rest of the R ships are scattered among a few other cruiselines, such as Azamara and Oceania.

I think "The Love Boat" DVD would make a great Mother's Day gift for my mom!