Mention of Pacific Princess and the “The Love Boat” springs immediately to mind. This is what happened on a recent cruise on Azamara Pursuit. One evening I got into a conversation with the Bar Manager Dejana about working onboard cruise ships, during the conversation it transpired that Dejana had worked for Princess Cruises prior to her time on Azamara. I explained that I have worked for Princess when they were initially taken over by P&O in 1974 explaining that I had been on the takeover team when Island Venture became Island Princess. Then in April 1975, I was flown to Newport News Virginia where Sea Venture operated by flagship cruises was undergoing transformation to Pacific Princess, the ship was being refitted in dry dock in a naval shipyard, which was rather interesting as we were only allowed in certain areas in the shipyard and any deviation from these areas we were likely to get picked up by the Military Police.
The first Captain on the newly converted Pacific Princess was John Crichton.
During my time at sea, he was the most approachable Old Man I sailed with.
Shortly after this, a film crew arrived on board to film what was to be the terrifically successful series for American Broadcasting Company “The Love Boat” this was first aired on 17 September 1976 and continued for approximately 10 years. The Original in 1976 was a made for TV movie, which was based on a non-fictional book “The Loveboats” by Jeraldine Saunders of her anecdotal account of her time employed as the first full-time female cruise director.
Outside deck shots were filmed on Pacific Princess. Island Princess was also used at times as the ships were sister ships and while not identical were interchangeable for filing purposes. Internal shots were filmed in TV studios ashore.
Being an assistant purser on these ships at the time I was constantly being compared to the TV character of Gopher by the ship’s passengers.
Gopher and Salty Seadog
Gopher was played by actor Fred Grandy. Grandy appeared in every episode throughout the run of the series but did not appear in the last of the TV movies, as he was campaigning for the first of his four consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
At the time I remember filming on board could be very disruptive as the camera equipment back then was very large and unwieldy and involved having lots of cables running around the filming areas.
I meet Dejana the Bar Manager and Sheldon the Head Barman on Azamara Pursuit
On hearing that I had worked on “The Love Boat” Dejana could not believe that she had met someone who had worked on Pacific Princess at the time and informed me that her Bar Manager Sheldon wanted to meet me.
Sheldon was a small boy at home in Trinidad and Tobago when the Love Boat was aired and he had watched it religiously, vowing to himself that he wanted to work on cruise ships, finally fulfilling his childhood dreams he ran away to sea and now holds his current position with Azamara.
Travelling on a smaller cruise ship is a bit like living in a small village. The following evening Heike the hotel manager on Azamara Pursuit, sought me out for a chat. I must admit I really enjoyed chatting to her and discussing some of the problems of running a floating hotel. Some issues had changed but many were much the same, some forty years after my time at sea.
Azamara Pursuit is in many ways similar to Pacific Princess
Azamara Pursuit Pacific Princess (The Love Boat)
Tonnage
30,227 19,903
Length
592 ft 550 ft
Beam
83 ft 6 in 80 ft 8 inch
Draught
19 ft 6 inch 24 ft 3 inch
Decks
12 Decks 9 Passenger 8 Decks 6 Passsenger
Propulsion
2 propellers 2 propellers
Speed
18 knots 20 knots 21 knots max
Capacity
702 max 640 lower berths 750 max
Crew
408 350
Passenger wise the two ships were pretty similar. The main differences between 1974 and 2022 were dining and entertainment. The Love boat had the Coral Dining Room where breakfast, lunch and dinner were served in two sittings each day.
Enjoying dinner with passengers in the Coral Dining Room
on "The Love Boat" - Pacific Princess
On special days at sea, a deck buffet would be served, for example, whilst transiting the Panama Canal.
The Love Boat Revisited - Memories from 1976
Read more from Salty Seadog.
I take it that it is you David in the centre of the picture with the Bar Manager and Head Barman. ......mmmm my perception of 'Salty Seadog' has now been shattered. But I guess seeing you in your 'youth', I think I see similarities (apart from the hair style!) ps Like the shirt.