the real love boat

The ultimate guest experience is back on television with Princess Cruises returning to the stage as the setting for The Real Love Boat. It brings back one of entertainment history’s most prominent product placements.

The new series is a reality dating competition set on the Regal Princess® as it sails through the Mediterranean. It is a modern version of The Love Boat, which aired from 1977 to 1987 on ABC. The setting for the original was the Pacific Princess, a name synonymous with cruise ships for decades.

The Real Love Boat stars married actors Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijn, and the three principal cast members are current or former Princess Cruises employees. They are Matt Mitcham (Cruise Director), Ezra Freeman (Bartender), and Paolo Arrigo (Captain).

Matt Mitcham is a retired cruise director for Carnival Cruise Line® for 14 years. Through social media and more than 40,000 Instagram followers, he is a celebrity known for his hosting skills, and social media posts.

Paolo Arrigo originally served in the Italian Coast Guard and joined Princess in 1996 and is still a ship captain. Ezra Freeman has been with Princess for three years as a guest entertainer and includes TikTok Content Creator on her resume.

The Real Love Boat debuts October 5 on CBS and Paramount +.