6/21/24: Princess Unveils Exclusive VIP Package for "The Love Boat" Celebration at Sea Cruise with Revered Original Cast

[LACruiser88]

June 21, 2024 9:30 AM EDT   Princess Cruises Unveils Exclusive VIP Package for "The Love Boat" Celebration at Sea Cruise with Revered Original Cast

Super Fans to Experience Up-Close Cast Encounters & Exclusive Access Aboard Enchanted Princess Canada/New England Voyage, August 31-Sept. 7, 2024   FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For die-hard "The Love Boat" fans, the ultimate cruise experience just dropped anchor. Princess Cruises has announced an exclusive VIP package for its late August Love Boat themed cruise that promises intimate, up-close interactions with the show's beloved characters – Doc, Gopher, Isaac, and Vicki Stubing – including the rare opportunity to perfect the Isaac finger point while mingling with the stars.       Princess Cruises Celebrations Ambassador Jill Whelan (aka Vicki) will join fellow Love Boat cast members including Bernie Kopell (Doc), Fred Grandy (Gopher) and Ted Lange (Isaac) for the highly anticipated second themed cruise aboard the Enchanted Princess voyage to Canada/New England, August 31-Sept. 7, 2024. Ezra Freeman, the bartender from the recently aired "The Real Love Boat" reality dating series on CBS and Paramount+, also will sail with the stars.   The new Love Boat VIP Package with exclusive access to the cast, includes: Exclusive Cast Cocktail Party – practice the Isaac finger point Reserved Seating at the Q&A in the Princess Theater – hear fascinating stories from the cast reminiscing about their favorite show memories, with premier seating Front-of-Line Access for the Cast Meet & Greet – be first in line and get camera ready for personal photos and autographs Dinner with the Cast – sure to be the top-rated dinner party of a lifetime Love Boat T-shirt and Mug – who doesn't love some nostalgic swag with the original show logo? Signed Cast Photo – get a frame ready to commemorate this incredible experience.   With limited spots available, the price of the Love Boat VIP Package is $450 per person and can be reserved through a Travel Agent or by calling 1-800-Princess, and referencing the Love Boat VIP Package.   "After the tremendous outpouring of love on the first themed cruise, we knew we had to create an exclusive experience for our super fans on the upcoming voyage," said Jill Whelan, Celebrations Ambassador for Princess Cruises. "My castmates and I are highly anticipating the upcoming cruise, where we'll be able to spend more time with these passionate cruisers and fans and we can't wait to hear how the show impacted their lives."   Additional Love Boat-themed activities offered for all guests onboard include: Sailaway party introducing the cast Meet-and-Greet photo opportunities Cocktail demonstration hosted by Ted Lange and Ezra Freeman Symbolic renewal of vows ceremony, officiated by the Jill Whelan and the ship's Captain "The Love Boat" episodes airing on Movies Under the Stars and in staterooms Show trivia with the Cruise Director, Jill Whelan and Ezra Freeman Specialty cocktails Love Boat décor, photo backdrops and merchandise   The seven-day Canada/New England Love Boat themed cruise aboard Enchanted Princess sails roundtrip from New York City and visits Boston; Eastport, Maine; Saint John, Canada (for Bay of Fundy); and Halifax, Canada.    Princess Cruises was the oceangoing co-star of "The Love Boat," which is credited with bringing cruising to the masses and showcasing the romance of the sea, taking Hollywood's biggest stars to sought-after destinations as story lines always ended on a happy note.

[SCX22]

That's a lot of money to schmooze with has been, C-List celebrities.  Maybe Princess is trying to make up for lost revenue given the low fares on this cruise?

[AZaTaz]

I was on the 50th anniversary cruise in 2015 on Pacific Princess. We had a blast but the Love boat cast being on board got old after the first couple of days. Too many venues packed with passengers trying to cozy up to the cast members. True Pacific was a small ship, Princess was trying to replicate Love boat cruise.

No interest here for this cruise maybe 75 anniversary cruise. lol 

[shellbeachjim]

We're going to pass on the opportunity.

 

I will note that today is Bernie Kopell's 91st birthday.

[cr8tiv1]

5 hours ago, SCX22 said:

That's a lot of money to schmooze with has been, C-List celebrities.  Maybe Princess is trying to make up for lost revenue given the low fares on this cruise?

 

That's a bargain cruise if it is price for the week.  Too bad I would have to fly there and add a hotel night.

[SCX22]

8 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

That's a bargain cruise if it is price for the week.  Too bad I would have to fly there and add a hotel night.

 

I think the theme is scaring people away.  The cruise that's a week before this has Interiors already sold out and the fares for Obstructed Balconies and Balconies are even higher than this cruise.  I think it's time to move away from The Love Boat.  Princess can't ride that boat forever.

Edited June 21 by SCX22

[Scottdalfonso]

We are on this cruise..we booked it not even knowing about the love boat stuff until a few weeks later. The itinerary has changed twice, I know quite a few people canceled according to posts on FB and I don't think it's selling great. No one has gotten upgrade bid offers yet, either and we're already at the day 70 day mark. As cool as it will be to see some of the Love boat stuff, I hope it doesn't take over the whole cruise...I see it mentions episodes of the show on MUTS...hoping that's not ALL they show, lol

[AZaTaz]

On the 50th anniversary cruise the Love Boat show was on muts at least 60% of the time. 

[azbirdmom]

We were on the last Love Boat cruise in October 2022 and it was a lot of fun.  But now that we've done it once we're good!

[DougH]

I was on the 50th Anniversary cruise and had a blast. Played trivia with Isaac a few tImes and had a short chat with Jill as she wrote her Christmas cards in the lobby. All of the cast was very friendly and approachable

[startedwithamouse]

8 hours ago, SCX22 said:

That's a lot of money to schmooze with has been, C-List celebrities.  Maybe Princess is trying to make up for lost revenue given the low fares on this cruise?

Has been C list celebrities?  These are actors for the Love Boat series, and they're very nice people. They've had these cruises in the past too. 

 

Be nice.

 

[SCX22]

31 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Has been C list celebrities?  These are actors for the Love Boat series, and they're very nice people.

 

I guarantee you that if people were asked to identify these actors/actresses by name or photo, very few would be able to name them.  It's not like they reached the fame of Jane Fonda or Robert De Niro; people can recall these actors from the same generation.  Time to move on.  Princess should too.  I'm sure they're very nice people.  

[bandgbasset]

We also were on the 50th anniversary in 2015.  We had a blast.  Captain Stubing  came on the speaker and said “this is your captain speaking.”  Jack Jones was also on the cruise.  Got lots of pictures.  Have a great autographed photo of the entire crew.

 

[slidemaster5]

We are on this cruise because my wife is a Love Boat fan. She was not tempted based on this pricing. You are really paying for the dinner. Anyone can go to the meet and greet - the package just lets you get priority access. She just plans on buying merchandise. 

 

This cruise is not selling well. The itinerary has been a mess. Newport was dropped. The Maine stop is now showing Eastport without excursions. 

[wcook]

I’m a huge love boat fan. The basic cruise would be neat. But the VIP package price falls into AYFKM territory. 

[Sea Hag]

I can't think of a single reason why I would want to do this. I hope everyone who can and does has a great time. 🙂

[slidemaster5]

49 minutes ago, wcook said:

I’m a huge love boat fan. The basic cruise would be neat. But the VIP package price falls into AYFKM territory. 

 

At least one can't say Princess is nickel and diming on this package. 

 

 

 

[MacMadame]

20 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

We were on the last Love Boat cruise in October 2022 and it was a lot of fun.  But now that we've done it once we're good!

It's definitely one of those "one-and-done" things.

 

I went on my first cruise during The Love Boat on tv era and probably wouldn't have if I hadn't seen that show. I think the cruise might be fun but I have no interest in the itinerary. 

 

OTOH, it is my dh's and my birthday month. 😄

[cruisequeen4ever]

I was shocked to see that this cruise is doing a Canada New England itinerary. It has no connection to The Love Boat other than being on a Princess ship. To me, the Canada New England cruises are the least romantic cruise itineraries in the entire world, so it really feels like a mismatch to have as The Love Boat themed cruise.

 

As for this new VIP package, I may actually be tempted to pay for it because of the dinner with the cast, but it is a very steep price. When we were on a Med cruise years ago, Jill Whelan was onboard with her family, so we got to see her in her every-day element with her family as they enjoyed a cruise. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I didn’t talk to her or ask her for an autograph, but it was super fun seeing her on board. 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

10 minutes ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

I was shocked to see that this cruise is doing a Canada New England itinerary. It has no connection to The Love Boat other than being on a Princess ship. To me, the Canada New England cruises are the least romantic cruise itineraries in the entire world, so it really feels like a mismatch to have as The Love Boat themed cruise.

 

As for this new VIP package, I may actually be tempted to pay for it because of the dinner with the cast, but it is a very steep price. When we were on a Med cruise years ago, Jill Whelan was onboard with her family, so we got to see her in her every-day element with her family as they enjoyed a cruise. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I didn’t talk to her or ask her for an autograph, but it was super fun seeing her on board. 

A couple of notes:

 

1.  I wonder if you're local to New England or Canada's east coast.  I have found that people in their local area tend to underrate how interesting their areas are.  I'm doing this route (though not these ports) in a few weeks and I'm looking forward to it.  I think it'll be interesting, if not romantic.

 

IIRC, Princess in the Love Boat era just had a couple of ships.  I know they did the Mexican Riviera and Pacific Coastals, but where else did they go in the 70s and 80s?  I'm sure the Princess veterans and LB fans will enlighten me.  Pretty please? 🙂

 

2.  I think the VIP package is designed so that super fans can get close access to their favorites from back in the day without disturbing the riffraff too much.  I appreciate your respect for Ms. Whelan, and I imagine she would have too.

[Lady Arwen]

We’re sailing on the cruise one week prior on August 24th.  It’s almost sold out, just a few balconies left.  This later one still has tons of availability.  Kinda glad we chose the earlier sailing.  Nothing against the cast, but it’s not something we would have any interest in.  

[Wehwalt]

I was also on the 50th. It was fine. That was enough. 

[slidemaster5]

2 hours ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

I was shocked to see that this cruise is doing a Canada New England itinerary. It has no connection to The Love Boat other than being on a Princess ship. To me, the Canada New England cruises are the least romantic cruise itineraries in the entire world, so it really feels like a mismatch to have as The Love Boat themed cruise.

 

As for this new VIP package, I may actually be tempted to pay for it because of the dinner with the cast, but it is a very steep price. When we were on a Med cruise years ago, Jill Whelan was onboard with her family, so we got to see her in her every-day element with her family as they enjoyed a cruise. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I didn’t talk to her or ask her for an autograph, but it was super fun seeing her on board. 

 

 

Yeah, unfortunately New England and Canada doesn't have the blazing heat, pickpockets of the Med or Carribean tourist traps such as Senor Frog and Diamonds International that you must find romantic, lol.  

[Lady Arwen]

12 minutes ago, slidemaster5 said:

 

Yeah, unfortunately New England and Canada doesn't have the blazing heat, pickpockets of the Med or Carribean tourist traps such as Senor Frog and Diamonds International that you must find romantic, lol.  

As a Canadian, I thank you for recognizing the obvious.  The east coast of Canada and the US is quite lovely.  Looking forward to our sailing in August on Enchanted.  Honestly, the least romantic place is the Caribbean.

[startedwithamouse]

1 minute ago, Lady Arwen said:

As a Canadian, I thank you for recognizing the obvious.  The east coast of Canada and the US is quite lovely.  Looking forward to our sailing in August on Enchanted.  Honestly, the least romantic place is the Caribbean.

Agree. We sailed a NE and Canada cruise last year and want to return and do a land vacation.