Princess Cruises will attempt a world record this winter, and it’s planning to seek the accolade in the most on-brand way possible.
For Valentine’s Day in February 2020, Princess is hoping to host the largest renewal of vows ceremony ever held at sea onboard a Regal Princess sailing from Fort Lauderdale.
Gavin MacLeod, who portrayed Captain Merrill Stubing on the long-running television series “The Love Boat” will be the officiant for the ceremony, while Jill Whelan, who played his on-screen daughter Vicki, will serve as the matron of honor.
“I’m honored to be officiating this ceremony and can’t think of a better way to celebrate and commemorate a couple’s love, than by reaffirming their commitment to one another onboard the ‘Love Boat’ over Valentine’s Day,” said Gavin MacLeod, who has long served as a Princess Cruises brand ambassador.
Jill Whelan added, “It wouldn’t be a Princess cruise unless there’s romance. We invite couples of all ages to join us for this celebration of love on the high seas.” Like her on-screen Dad, Jill also serves as a Princess brand ambassador.
Princess has long been synonymous with the long-running series “The Love Boat” that introduced a generation of travelers to the notion of vacationing at sea. The series ran from 1977 to 1986.
Set onboard the Princess ship Pacific Princess and filmed onboard both the real-life ship and her identical sister Island Princess, the series featured the main cast acting as crew, and a revolving cadre of guest stars drawn mostly from the television A-List of the day.
The show was also noted for its catchy theme song, sung by Jack Jones. The modern-day Regal Princess and other Royal-class Princess ships are outfitted with ship’s horns that play a rendition of the opening notes of the song.
The Regal Princess sailing from February 9-16, 2020 is now open for booking. The seven-night Caribbean itinerary will include Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Princess Cays. Regal Princess is outfitted with the new Medallion Class, which offers guests wearable technology for a personalized onboard experience.
The Love Boat ultimately drove the cruising industry to explosive growth, with Princess being a major beneficiary. Having begun operations with a single, rented ship on cruises to Mexico over fifty years ago, Princess now deploys 17 ships to destinations on every continent.
Source: Princess Cruises
