What Happened to the Love Boat Cruise Ship?

By Alice Nichols

The Love Boat cruise ship was a popular television series that aired from 1977 to 1986 on ABC. It featured the escapades of a diverse and colorful cast of passengers and crew aboard a Pacific Princess luxury liner. The show was one of the most successful shows of its time, and it spawned several spin-off films, novels, and even a musical.

The real Pacific Princess ship was operated by the Princess Cruise Lines from 1971 to 2002. It was originally built for Flagship Cruises in 1971, but it was sold to Princess Cruise Lines in 1975 and renamed the Pacific Princess.

The name Love Boat came about when the production company for the show leased it in 1977. It then became known as “The Love Boat” and remained so until 2002 when it was retired from service.

The Pacific Princess went through several changes over its lifetime, including an extensive remodeling in 1988 to make it more suitable for filming. It also added public rooms such as the Grand Salon and Vista Lounge, along with private cabins with balconies overlooking the ocean. The ship also featured two swimming pools, a sun deck, a spa area, and two bars.

The ship made many trips around the world over its 31 years of service. It sailed to Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Mexico, South America, Africa, Europe and other destinations including numerous Caribbean Islands.

In 2001 the Pacific Princess was sold by P&O Cruises to Festival Cruise Lines who renamed her “The American Star”. In 2004 she ran aground off Fuerteventura in Spain’s Canary Islands due to engine problems during a stormy night and eventually broke apart on January 18th 2005 after being battered by strong waves for several days.

The Love Boat cruise ship may be gone but its legacy lives on in reruns of the show which still air around the world today. Despite its retirement from active service as well as its eventual fate at sea it is remembered fondly by fans of all ages who remember watching fondly each week as Captain Stubing welcomed us aboard ‘the Love Boat’.

Conclusion: The ‘Love Boat’ cruise ship may have come to an end but its legacy lives on through reruns of the show that still airs today worldwide. While it may have been retired from active service and eventually met an unfortunate fate at sea in 2004 – 2005; fans have fond memories watching each week as Captain Stubing welcomed them aboard ‘the Love Boat’.