It is not unreasonable to assume the 1970s’ TV series The Love Boat inspired people to go to sea.
The show, set aboard a Princess Cruises ship, featured stories of romance, boisterous fun and adventure on the high seas. It was one of the highest-rated prime-time TV shows of its time with a decade-long run on US screens.
Now it is time for the ship to get its due. Princess Cruises, now owned by Carnival, and the show’s cast were presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is one of only three brands awarded such an honour.
Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises’ president, recognises the show’s importance in making the Princess brand a household name.
She said it “opened the hearts and minds of millions of viewers to the adventures of cruise travel by way of the exotic destinations our ships visited on the show”.
Alas, there was one noticeable absence at the event. The 600-berth Pacific Princess (built 1971), which was featured in the show’s opening credits, was scrapped in 2013.
