Anyone who has sailed with Princess Cruises is very familiar with the “Love Boat” theme. After all, it plays as the ship horns when the vessels arrive or depart from ports and to commemorate special events during the voyages.
However, the voice behind the famous theme song, Jack Jones, died on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, in a hospital in Rancho Mirage, California. The Grammy-winning singer was 86 years old.
Jones performed the “Love Boat Theme” that was paired with the famed “The Love Boat” TV show – with both the song and series going down in history as classics. In fact, the series ran for nine successful seasons as one of the highest-rated prime-time television shows in the US.
As Princess Cruises has themed its fleet after “The Love Boat,” this is naturally a heavy loss for the cruise line and its guests.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jack Jones, the iconic voice behind The Love Boat theme song,” the Carnival-Owned cruise line shared in a statement on X.
“Jack’s voice will always be part of our journey and the memories of our guests. We celebrate his life and the joy he brought to our Princess family. Forever in our hearts,” continued the post.
Unfortunately, Jones is not the only “Love Boat” star to pass away in recent years – which is sad but not surprising considering the series aired between 1977 and 1986.
On May 29, 2021, Gavin MacLeod, who played Captain Merrill Stubing on the hit TV show, died at the old age of 90.
In addition to being an established actor in Hollywood, MacLeod was also a well-known figure in the cruise industry and even served as an ambassador for Princess Cruises beginning in 1986.
In total, the celebrity had a more than 35-year relationship with the cruise brand – and the cruise line hosted a themed sailing in his honor onboard Majestic Princess in 2022.
“Love Boat” Legacy Lives on Through Princess Cruises
Not only is the Princess brand a big fan of “The Love Boat,” but several Princess ships actually appeared on the show – with the series largely credited for making the cruise line a household name.
The pilot episode, which aired in September of 1977, was actually filmed onboard the original Sun Princess.
The ship launched in 1972 and sailed under this name from 1974 until 1988, but is no longer in service. However, Princess welcomed its newest Sun Princess earlier this year when she embarked on her maiden voyage on February 28, 2024, as the first of a new category of Sphere-class vessels.
Later episodes were filmed on the original Pacific Princess and Island Princess – neither of which are still owned and operated by the cruise line. The Island Princess that is part of the fleet today has the same name, but is an entirely different (and newer) vessel that launched in 2003.
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Today, Princess Cruises continues to keep “The Love Boat” legacy alive through theming and decor onboard, using the show’s beloved theme song as the ship horn fleet-wide, and through special events.
In 1997, the cast had its first big reunion since the series ended to commemorate the naming and christening ceremony for Dawn Princess.
More than a decade later in 2014, the original cast came back together for another special reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the cruise line and to take part in the christening of Regal Princess. 25 of the biggest names and guest stars from the show attended the event.
More recently, Enchanted Princess hosted a “Love Boat” cast cruise earlier this year from August 31 to September 7, 2024.
The special sailing featured special VIP experiences with Jill Whelan (Vicki Stubing), Bernie Kopell (Doc), Fred Grandy (Gopher), and Ted Lange (Isaac). Ezra Freeman, known from the reality series “The Real Love Boat,” also made an appearance.
