I'm currently binge watching The Love Boat - how realisticly did it portray cruising?

The Love Boat was one of my favorite TV programs. I sometimes still watch it on Sunday afternoons.

I flew for the first time in 1971. I was about 14. My Mom and I flew from Columbia, SC to Los Angeles. My Mom wore one of her church dresses. I wore a dressy church dress. I even went to the beauty shop and had an "updo". That trip is what inspired my love of travel, which is still going strong today. Plane travel in the 1970's made a person feel like royalty, unlike today when plane travel is a necessary evil that we must endure to get to our vacations.

This is an awesome thread! I've wondered the same thing as the OP, and I hope to binge the Love Boat sometime soon as I have only seen a few episodes, but love cruising....

Oh my, I can vouch for the Officers! At ages 19 and 20, 5 of my friends and I went on our first cruises (Cunard line). There was no shortage of attention from not only the Officers, but many of the crew. Our travel agent sat three of us at the Captains Table for dinner every night. I managed to seriously embarass myself attempting to crack a lobster. The Captain sat to my left, I used a "cracker" on the claw and it landed in his lap. With a smile and his proper British accent he said "I believe this belongs to you." I was speechless the rest of the evening. So young and innocent. Haha

Are you sure it was the doing of your travel agent ? In the early days, on some cruise lines the Captain often greeted embarking pax and would signal a staff member as to who he wanted at his table. Then the staff member would ask your cabin number.

I'm going on my 8th cruise this year in 36 years. While it's great and I am really fortunate to be able to say this, I am not even close to being in the leagues of others here on CC.

hahaha Im with you! We're not worthy! We're not worthy! lol Maybe when my hubby and I finally retire (or have the money to) then we might be able to fit in a few more.

For all of you who got sail-away streamers, I'm super jealous.

My hubby and I did our honeymoon with Carnival, and we followed certain bartenders to their various spots. So maybe Isaac was just that good, to have a ship following.

They removed the glasses from the champagne tower one by one and handed them out to passengers.

Your stateroom attendant cleaned and straighten your cabin multiple times a day. They also waited in the hall to greet you and open your door.

Streamers were fazed out during the late 80’s.

Officer’s were famous for “working the ladies” in the disco. But only the higher level officers on the first couple nights, then the lower officers worked on the “leftovers”.

For those of you that cruised in the 70s and 80s:

 

Gopher was offered a tip and he says he can't accept a tip per company policy. Was this ever true?

 

The rooms are huge. Were these suites or just sound stage fiction?

 

Gopher's position as yeoman purser would not be a position that even today would normally be one that gets tips. However Isaac, being a bartender, would be in a position to accept tips.

As others said, the room sizes were a fiction. These were the days before balconies on ships, so almost all cabins were insides and regular ocean views. For photos from the Pacific Princess from 2001, go to http://africa.caribill.com/ and click on "Pacific Princess" on the left side of the screen.

One think you will notice about the cabin photos is that the beds could not be put together. One was a couch during the day and the other folded out from the side. This was true for all inside and regular outside cabins. Rather odd for a ship nicknamed "The Love Boat."

They had crew members who had the job of dancing and making nice with the unattached women.

They had crew members who had the job of dancing and making nice with the unattached women.

Some lines still have this. Last I knew HAL and Crystal still had this unless it changed recently.

FWIW.... With a minor exception, it was The Love Boat at 9 PM on Saturdays (8 Central) followed by Fantasy Island at 10 PM (9 Central). More than likely, the close proximity of the two shows resulted in a reality distortion filter.

Even then, however, look at all the changes between cruising reality of the 1970s-80s and now.

Some lines still have this. Last I knew HAL and Crystal still had this unless it changed recently.

Cunard and Silversea still have the "gentlemen hosts", too.

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While the TV show is a work of fantasy, Does anyone remember people would dress up to catch a plane trip.

I happened to run across a couple of pictures I took of a flight to Hawaii in the early 70's. Most men were wearing sports jackets or suits and the women nice dresses or pant suits (remember them?) I'm glad that is no longer the norm.

As to tips, was Gopher an officer? I doubt if officers ever accepted tips.

But yes, most of the shows were extremely unrealistic in cabin size, how much the crew knew about or fraternized with the passenges and many other things.

Funny, we were just talking about dressing up to fly. I made both my husband and son wear suits the first time we flew to Hawaii. Don't remember what I wore but you can be assured it wasn't the sweat pants I wear today.

Our first cruise was on the Carnival Festivale in 1981. The main thing I remember was the dining room. It was down in the bowels of the ship, no windows, and the vibration from the engines was so bad my husband got sick. I don't remember much about our cabin except it had bunk beds on the walls. I think it was an outside cabin but without windows. Is that possible?

I watched Love Boat as a kid and couldn't wait for the sail away party where everyone on deck tosses stuff to the people at port. Imagine my 14 year old surprise when they didn't do it. I was rather disappointed. Over the years, I've seen formal night go down in dress. Maybe it depends on the line?

Still did on Sitmar in the early l980s, Princess bought Sitmar after that.

While the TV show is a work of fantasy, Does anyone remember people would dress up to catch a plane trip.

I remember it quite well...I was in the Army (Investigator) and I flew quite often - sometimes from the States - Overseas. Flying back in the 60s to the middle 70s was "an event". Yes, people dressed up, meals were served and the "Stewardess" were pleasant.

So much for back then.....Now? You are treated like cattle.

I agree ... the show made me want to cruise SO much. My first 'cabin'? It was a quad with 4 bunks. Tiny. Me and my friend were 'bunked' with 2 strangers. YUP ... 1982 on Carnival. The ship's photographers were our tour guides and we got those professional photos for free!

Myself and a friend also "bunked" with two strangers too. It was also on Carnival"s Mardi Gras.

We had a great time with our cabin mates. I believe they were from the south, maybe Texas?

My friend lost their addresses, so we were not able to keep in touch.

Funny, we were just talking about dressing up to fly. I made both my husband and son wear suits the first time we flew to Hawaii. Don't remember what I wore but you can be assured it wasn't the sweat pants I wear today.

 

Our first cruise was on the Carnival Festivale in 1981. The main thing I remember was the dining room. It was down in the bowels of the ship, no windows, and the vibration from the engines was so bad my husband got sick. I don't remember much about our cabin except it had bunk beds on the walls. I think it was an outside cabin but without windows. Is that possible?

It's very possible! Our first cruise was on the Carnival Mardi Gras - outside cabin with no windows -- and we were way forward with a slight slope to the floor! :D And the ships were so tiny compared to the ones out today - lots of rocking & rolling on those!!

We did get the streamers (this was back around 1990) but I'm thinking that was only on our first cruise or so (then they were deemed unfriendly to the environment).

I think about the only thing that hasn't changed are the vacuum toilets. Our TA even warned us not to be sitting on them when we flushed.

I watched Love Boat as a kid and couldn't wait for the sail away party where everyone on deck tosses stuff to the people at port. Imagine my 14 year old surprise when they didn't do it. I was rather disappointed. Over the years, I've seen formal night go down in dress. Maybe it depends on the line?

That went away in the 50's or so. I remember it a long long time ago....back when it was OK to throw stuff in the ocean....Not these days...:)

The talk about flying in the 60s and 70s, my first flight was courtesy of Uncle Sam who set me to SE Asia for my senior trip!

We were required to travel in class A Uniforms, and as it was winter here in the states, that wool outfit was pretty hot and sweaty

on arrival!

My parents cruised a lot in the 80s, always on Princess. My mom always took plenty of formal dresses and semi-formal outfits and dad had his tuxedo and nice suits. While I’m thankful that I can wear more casual dresses to dinner in the MDR nowadays, I always loved looking at the beautiful cruise photos of my parents when they returned from their adventures. The one time they left out of San Francisco, they reserved one of the lounges and had a bon voyage party with lots of our friends and family. As the ship was leaving, they tossed streamers at those of us on shore...I was probably 10 or 11 at the time and thought it was pretty darn cool. (I found out later that my older siblings short-sheeted my parents’ bed in their cabin, which dad deemed not so cool!). [emoji6]

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Found the deck plans for the Pacific Princess (Scroll to the bottom of the page). Consideration that the smallest ship that I've been on has been Carnival's Elation, this ship is tin-eee.

I went on my first plane in 1979, I was bought a new dress for the occasion and we sat in the smoking section (yuck). My kids laugh at me when I talk about it. Next flight is at 5:30 am. Leggings, oversized T and sweat shirt, warm and comfortable for sleeping.

Great thread! I absolutely loved the series and didn't miss an episode, back in the day.

Watching two episodes of the Love Boat as we speak. They are on a small ship called Alexander the Great sailing around Egypt.There is lots of drama and intrigue. too much fun!

Watching two episodes of the Love Boat as we speak. They are on a small ship called Alexander the Great sailing around Egypt.There is lots of drama and intrigue. too much fun!

I was just watching the same episodes! But I prefer the earlier shows with the original characters.

My first cruise was in 1989 on the Carnival Holiday (long gone). It was about 1/3 the size of most new ships but sure seemed HUGE to me! Cabins were pretty big....much roomier than on my recent cruise on Oceania, but of course, it was a window room....no balcony. I loved the Midnight Buffet with all the beautiful food and ice carvings....haven't seen that in years. We only had traditional dinner seating times but every night the waiters had a parade around the dining room and it was so much fun. On the last night there was the Baked Alaska parade. People did dress up more for dinner, but I remember being quite casual during the day. That cruise started my addiction, which I haven't tried to cure....just keep giving into it every year. ;) :')