The cruising secrets of a Love Boat original
Former child actress Jill Whelan played Captain Stubing’s daughter Vicki in the 1970s and has been travelling on ships ever since.
No matter how many years fly by, American actress Jill Whelan will always be known for her role in The Love Boat as Captain Stubing’s daughter Vicki, the loveable scamp in a blue blazer learning about life on the high seas.
The Californian native has been an actor since her early success in commercials at age eight. Having grown up on The Love Boat set – she had her first kiss on camera – Whelan continued to act in TV shows, movies (including 1980’s Airplane!) and the theatre, plus the revival show Love Boat: The Next Wave.
Nostalgia and Whelan’s bubbly warmth have made her a natural for her other role, since 2015, as global celebrations ambassador for Princess Cruises.
Three of the cruise line’s ships starred in the series – Sun, Pacific and Island Princess – which ran for a decade from 1977.
Many travellers from Generation X and beyond were first inspired to try cruising after seeing the fun of port-to-port travel on The Love Boat, although it was actually shot in Hollywood. Whelan married former Denver Broncos quarterback Jeff Knapple on board Caribbean Princess in 2017, and has become a true cruising convert, criss-crossing the oceans with other original actors from the show.
Love is still in the air
Cruising and romance go so well together. You have the deck, the moon and the dramatic ocean backdrop – it’s like being in a movie. Princess Cruises excels at marriage, proposal and vow-renewal packages. Imagine the cachet of being married by a captain, with the horn playing the theme from The Love Boat, with the flowers, decor, hair, makeup, and food all taken care of. The honeymoon is embedded, and the guests get a holiday too. No other cruise line could be called The Love Boat.
My cruise modus operandi
I’m social, so I love meeting the captain, people-watching, and hopping around the specialty restaurants. It’s incredible to have a real steakhouse at sea. My husband and I go to the shows, great productions with real Broadway performers, and party a little – we don’t have to get behind the wheel of a car. But I’m an earlybird, so I always work out in the gym or do a pilates class, and try to take the stairs as much as possible.
We are family
Bringing kids on a cruise is invaluable: their classroom is literally a different country every week. Every day they open the curtain and have a new piece of art to stare at, a destination to interact with. Exposing my sons to places like Barcelona (pictured) has set them up for their own future travels; one of my boys returned to Greece to explore further.
When I recently cruised with my kids, parents and sister’s family, we would reconvene for quality downtime at The Sanctuary [the outdoor full service wellness lounge], playing board games, eating together, sharing our day – off those phone contraptions that rule our lives back home.
Standout shore excursion
Alaska blows my mind. It is like sailing into another world, where every sight is a National Geographic cover. When I sailed to Alaska for the first time five years ago, I expected to see a frozen world of ice and glaciers, but was amazed to discover the temperate rainforests; they’re a magical hobbit world. It was so unexpected.
My packing tips
Bring layers to anticipate indoor/outdoor living, and enough choices for all the events on board, but streamline to avoid overpacking. You get better at it with each cruise. When I travelled recently with friends and family, I gave them gift baskets with a USB power strip, binoculars for whale and birdwatching, and fairy lights.
The cabin walls are magnetic, so if you bring magnets you can hang the fairy lights and pin up your schedule. I always bring a portable speaker; my husband and I love sitting on the balcony on sea days with a glass of bubbly, unwinding to our favourite songs.
My favourite ports
There are ports that are just jaw-dropping, and cruising is hands down the best way to arrive in that destination. Highlights would be San Francisco for its beauty and liveliness, Capri (pictured) for glamour, Genoa as the ultimate Mediterranean port, and Sydney: seeing the famous Opera House welcome you to Australia is a thrill.
History is better out of books
A world wonder that I discovered through cruising is the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey. It’s an incredibly atmospheric place, where Cleopatra had her sister killed, and John the Baptist spoke. You can see beautiful mosaics that remain intact. To experience first hand the sophistication of people who walked the Earth thousands of years ago brings history alive.
My next cruise
I am reuniting with the cast members who played Doc, Gopher and Isaac to sail around Canada and New England as the leaves change, which will be stunning. I grew up with them. We always have a ball when we get back together and connect with fans. A Love Boat-themed cruise on Enchanted Princess sails round-trip from New York, August 31-September 7, 2024.
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