Sydneysiders will sail down memory lane this weekend when the “Love Boat” cruises into Sydney Harbour with Captain Merrill Stubing onboard.
Gavin MacLeod, the actor behind the charismatic captain in the hugely successful Love Boat television series, will arrive on Princess Cruises’ Pacific Princess on Sunday (February 26) taking Sydneysiders back in time.
The ship is the namesake of the original Pacific Princess, which starred in the filming of the Love Boat series in the 1970s and 80s.
Since the show ended in 1986, Gavin, a cruise-lover, has continued his connection with Princess Cruises as a spokesperson for the cruise line.
Gavin has joined Pacific Princess’ world cruise as a guest speaker from Auckland to Sydney, regaling passengers with tales of the original Pacific Princess and the cult series which made him a household name around the world.
Regarded as a catalyst for the cruising boom, the Love Boat cruised through ten seasons from 1977 to 1986 and is still in syndication in 92 countries worldwide including Australia. The show’s stories centred around the ship’s crew, led by the charming Captain, with celebrities playing guest roles and Princess Cruises’ passengers cast as extras.
Princess Cruises' Commercial Director Stan Birge said the cruise line always welcomed Captain Stubing back on board.
“The Love Boat is a colourful part of our history and we love being able to bring such a cherished era of television and cruising back to life with Gavin’s help,” Mr Birge said.
Princess Cruises’ fleet now consists of 16 ships, including three which are based in Australia year round - Sun Princess, Dawn Princess and Sea Princess.
Princess Cruises invites Love Boat fans to share their memories of the tv series and cruising onboard the original “Love Boats”, Pacific Princess and Island Princess, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PrincessCruises and on Twitter using the hashtag #loveboatinsydney
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