SANTA CLARITA, Calif. Princess Cruises announced the celebrity guest list for the Regal Princess naming ceremony and Love Boat cast reunion taking place in Ft. Lauderdale next month. Tori Spelling, actress and daughter of famed Love Boat producer Aaron Spelling, will serve as the official Master of Ceremonies for the ship’s christening and host of the Regal Princess’ gold carpet.
“We’re incredibly excited to host what will be one of the largest Love Boat reunions ever aboard our newest ship Regal Princess,” said Jan Swartz, president, Princess Cruises.
On Nov. 5 in Ft. Lauderdale, Ms. Spelling will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the ship’s naming ceremony which will feature the original cast ensemble from the iconic television show, The Love Boat, as the ship’s godparents. Performing the naming honors will be Gavin MacLeod (Captain Stubing), Fred Grandy (Gopher, the chief purser), Ted Lange (Isaac, the bartender), Bernie Kopell (Doc, the ship’s doctor), Lauren Tewes (Julie, cruise director) and Jill Whelan (Vicki, the Captain’s daughter).
The Love Boat first aired on September 24, 1977 and sailed into television history for ten seasons. Viewers began their decade-long love affair with the show and its memorable guests and eventually it became one of the highest rated and longest-running shows on television. The Pacific Princess and Island Princess were the primary floating stars of the show, while later episodes and specials were filmed aboard other Princess ships in cruise destinations around the globe.
The 3,560-guest Regal Princess, which entered service in May of this year, is arriving in Ft. Lauderdale to begin her maiden season of Caribbean cruise vacations. Among the special features found onboard is a dramatic multi-story atrium serving as the social hub of the ship, offering a host of dining and entertainment options; an over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28-feet beyond the edge of the ship; the Princess Live! television studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; Princess Watercolor Fantasy, a fountain and music show; the Night Sky Lounge, a new nighttime experience that will enable guests to enjoy a chic and contemporary poolside nightclub under the stars; and balconies on all outside staterooms.
The ship’s naming ceremony is just the beginning of the celebrations that will mark the company’s golden anniversary. Guests sailing on any of the line’s 18 cruise ships during 2015 will enjoy a wide range of 50th anniversary experiences.
Princess has an interesting timeline of their past 50 years on their site well worth a visit. For those interested in the history visit Princess timeline.