Synopsis
The sitcom was usually set aboard a Princess Cruises cruise liner called the Pacific Princess, whose passengers and crew had romantic and funny adventures every week. Other ships used were twin sister Island Princess, the Stella Solaris (for a Mediterranean cruise), Pearl of Scandinavia (for a Chinese cruise), the Royal Viking Sky (for European cruises) and the Royal Princess and Sun Princess (for Caribbean cruises). In 1981 P&O Cruises' MV Sea Princess was also used for a special feature length episode called "Julie's Wedding", set in and around Australia, and guesting Lloyd Bridges, Katherine Helmond, Harry Morgan, Patrick Duffy and Anthony Andrews, among others.
Series stars MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, and Ted Lange are the only cast members to appear in every episode of the regular series, including the last three two-hour made-for-TV movies, and stayed throughout the entire run. MacLeod was not the captain in the first two TV movies, however. We are told in Love Boat II that Gopher, Doc, Isaac, and the captain in that movie all served together in Vietnam, but no reference to this is ever made to their shared history again. However, when MacLeod's character was introduced, there was mention of him being "the new captain." Though Grandy was given an appearance in every episode and stayed throughout the entire run, he missed the last of the three two-hour made-for-TV movies.
For its first seven years, The Love Boat was successful in the ratings. During that time, it ranked among the top twenty, if not the top ten, popular shows then currently on television. For the 1980–1981 season, it posted its highest rating at #5. By the start of the 1984–1985 season, the ratings were beginning to drop, and at the end of the following year, The Love Boat was cancelled after nine years on ABC, although a number of two-hour specials aired during the 1986–1987 season.
The series became immensely popular in reruns, both in syndication and on TV Land.
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