Love Boat theme - is it really helping Princess?

[mom says]

As much as I enjoyed the original TV show, I think it's time for marketing to retire this. Especially since the new show may have harmed more than it helped in attracting their new target demographics. I still like the themed ship horn. Someone compared Princess with Disney on their reliance on nostalgia.  But the big difference is that Disney has also kept things fresh, adding new features and character meets to stay up to date. Princess not so much. We won't talk about Medallion (not a total fail, but nothing to brag about either). The only thing Disney won't talk about is Bruno.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

We like the Love Boat horn playing the song going under the Golden Gate bridge.

When we were just on Royal, the Capt played it under another bridge as well.

He seemed to really like the theme under bridges! 😁

We thought it was a hoot....Toot....too.

[SiliconCruiser]

Princess has been milking this Love Boat stuff for over 30 years after the show went into reruns.  If the company wants to attract a younger demographic, it might be time for them to hire some fresh marketing people.  Otherwise the nostalgia will only attract the boomers and maybe some Gen-Xers.

[SantaFeFan]

24 minutes ago, SiliconCruiser said:

Princess has been milking this Love Boat stuff for over 30 years after the show went into reruns.  If the company wants to attract a younger demographic, it might be time for them to hire some fresh marketing people.  Otherwise the nostalgia will only attract the boomers and maybe some Gen-Xers.

 

Apparently they did hire some fresh marketing people, and the horrible The Real Love Boat mess was the result. 

[SiliconCruiser]

22 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Apparently they did hire some fresh marketing people, and the horrible The Real Love Boat mess was the result. 

The TV show fiasco had very little to do with the Princess marketing people other than grasping upon the opportunity to add it in as an attraction to some of the cruises.  If Princess wants to attract a younger demographic, they have to develop a different marketing image rather than riding on the tail of a TV show that ended before much of the younger demographic was even born.

[cr8tiv1]

E. Musk needs to buy out Twitter executives he fired.  I wonder how much Princess would have to pay to "release" JP ????  

 

Is there anything that he has done that has been good for the Princess Brand?  I welcome you to expound on this.

[MamaFej]

3 hours ago, mom says said:

 The only thing Disney won't talk about is Bruno.

No no no no

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, SiliconCruiser said:

The TV show fiasco had very little to do with the Princess marketing people other than grasping upon the opportunity to add it in as an attraction to some of the cruises.  If Princess wants to attract a younger demographic, they have to develop a different marketing image rather than riding on the tail of a TV show that ended before much of the younger demographic was even born.

I get a lot of promotional material from Princess and I don't recall seeing anything in those materials mentioning the Love Boat show.  How are they alienating a younger demographic?

[Honolulu Blue]

20 hours ago, CT D&N said:

Curious how the Princess community feels about the whole Love Boat theme and is it really helping Princess?  I'm probably in the the minority but I'm finding the whole Love Boat thing a little tacky and wondering if it really is a good marketing choice for Princess to the extent it has and continues to be promoted.  I've cruised with Princess several times and do so based on the staff, service, and overall experience.  However, if I had never cruised Princess I certainly wouldn't be persuaded to do so because of the Love Boat theme.  Actually, the whole Love Boat thing would likely have me looking at other cruise lines such as Celebrity, HAL, etc.  While I appreciate the historical connection Princess has to Love Boat, I'm left wondering if it's time to move on so Princess can best market and compete moving forward.

My perspective on things:

 

I think Princess is trying too hard to be all things to everyone by marketing to basically everyone all at once.  Boomers are still in love with the Love Boat.  For Gen X they have 80s and comedy cruises (swoon 😍).  For the Millies and Gen Z there's the reboot.  The Medallion and its app mostly attract the younger souls.  And for racing fans there's the promotion with Daniel Suarez and his team.  I expect Princess to narrow things down eventually to just a few groups on whom this marketing works.  It will be interesting to see what they think works in the years to come.

[Honolulu Blue]

20 hours ago, j4lambert said:

The Real Love Boat has been canceled by CBS after 4 episodes due to extremely low ratings.

Technically it's not canceled yet... it's been punted over to Paramount+, the streaming channel.  Source:  Breaking News - "The Real Love Boat" Moves Exclusively to Paramount+ Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 2 | TheFutonCritic.com

[Coral]

41 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

My perspective on things:

 

I think Princess is trying too hard to be all things to everyone by marketing to basically everyone all at once.  Boomers are still in love with the Love Boat.  For Gen X they have 80s and comedy cruises (swoon 😍).  For the Millies and Gen Z there's the reboot.  The Medallion and its app mostly attract the younger souls.  And for racing fans there's the promotion with Daniel Suarez and his team.  I expect Princess to narrow things down eventually to just a few groups on whom this marketing works.  It will be interesting to see what they think works in the years to come.

I have thought they have had an identity crisis for years as they really didn't know what demographic they were trying to attract. They keep throwing things at the wall to see what works.

 

[Grego]

21 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Advertising is all about making an emotional connection and sparking a memory that makes you recall the product when it is time to make a purchase. The Love Boat tie in has served Princess well and will continue to do so as people who watched the show between 1977 and 1987 continue to be potential customers. It causes an instant connection to Princess. By way of example, what comes immediately to mind when you say “Holland American”?  Nothing. Or “Celebrity”? Nothing. “Carnival”? Party ships. “Royal Caribbean”?  Amusement park decks. “Princess”?  That’s the Love Boat company!

 

Well said and I totally agree.  There is no question that Love Boat show put cruising in the minds of so many folks and the industry took off from there.  Our first cruise was with Princess over 30 years and 51 cruises ago and it was because of that TV series.  Heck, we still have the episodes on the TV in the cabin as we are getting ready for dinner instead of watching the news.

[Grego]

21 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

Another JP flop!

If you are also thinking the Medallion is a flop, I can't totally agree.  Yes, the app is not perfect but the actual medallion piece itself has a lot of very good useage.

The other flop has to be the sponsoring of a NASCAR vehicle with the Princess Sea Witch logo on it.  I haven't seen one positive result of that.

The new CEO of Carnival Corp  has announced he is very involved in "cleaning house" and I for one will send him my household broom to start at the top of Princess Cruises.

[Grego]

46 minutes ago, Coral said:

I have thought they have had an identity crisis for years as they really didn't know what demographic they were trying to attract. They keep throwing things at the wall to see what works.

 

Sure sounds like someone that doesn't know what they are doing or what industry they are working in.

[trey420]

I thought they could've had a cool modern-day take on the love boat more drama, sex, maybe people falling off the boat.  But the played out bachelor dating thing is no fun.

 

For the person that watched the series its gonna finish on paramount + so it's not totally dead.  Just don't look for season 2.

Edited October 30, 2022 by trey420

[wrongwaywatson]

LOL  I watched the show as a kid in the 70s and loved it.  I still like to watch it, because it takes me back to when things were simpler.  When we go on a cruise, I usually watch 1 episode a day, LOL.  Sometimes my husband will watch with me, but usually not.   I'm glad that they are the Love Boat (original, not reboot).   Besides, what does it hurt?  I don't think it turns away younger people.

The reboot?  I didn't watch it, but it appears to have been a BAD idea, LOL  I've never watched any of those bachelor type dating shows, though.  

[Coral]

43 minutes ago, trey420 said:

I thought they could've had a cool modern-day take on the love boat more drama, sex, maybe people falling off the boat.  But the played out bachelor dating thing is no fun.

 

For the person that watched the series its gonna finish on paramount + so it's not totally dead.  Just don't look for season 2.

It basically means they finished editing the series and no more work needs to be done but they are not willing to lose more money on prime time, thus, Paramount+. It is dead.

[disneyochem]

I remember watching the original Love Boat as a kid.  We didn’t watch it often since my parents limited our tv viewing hours and my brothers never wanted to watch it!

 

I do remember the song and some of the guest stars but I can’t watch the old series now!  I cringe at the inappropriateness of that show!  As a youngster, I certainly didn’t get all of the sexual innuendos, and now I wish I didn’t!  Just ugh on the stalking and sexual misconduct of staff.  I don’t think this show aged well.

 

My opinion—which I realize posting on a Princess board will not be viewed favorably!

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

 

 

I do remember the song and some of the guest stars but I can’t watch the old series now!  I cringe at the inappropriateness of that show!  As a youngster, I certainly didn’t get all of the sexual innuendos, and now I wish I didn’t!  Just ugh on the stalking and sexual misconduct of staff.  I don’t think this show aged well.

I watched the original Top Gun recently and realize that some things in that film would not be included in a feature film today. 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Coral

[Kay S]

7 hours ago, disneyochem said:

 

I do remember the song and some of the guest stars but I can’t watch the old series now!  I cringe at the inappropriateness of that show!  As a youngster, I certainly didn’t get all of the sexual innuendos, and now I wish I didn’t!  Just ugh on the stalking and sexual misconduct of staff.  I don’t think this show aged well.

It was a different time.  I was an adult when it premiered, and though sometimes cheesy, the show did not seem risque to me.  Today, Doc would be hauled up on harassment charges.  🙂  My adult children have no interest in watching it, so I understand your point.  However, in the 1970s it did do a lot to get people wanting to cruise.  (I didn't catch the reality show, but I'm guessing it wasn't totally family friendly either.)

[katisdale]

No one ever mentions the 2nd Love Boat series with Robert Urich as the captain. I liked that show as well, not the latest.

[Rick&Jeannie]

I stumbled across this on YouTube the other day.  Amazing to look back and see how many well-known stars did guest appearances on The Love Boat!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4YB-YgOI_o&t=117s

[Coral]

1 hour ago, katisdale said:

No one ever mentions the 2nd Love Boat series with Robert Urich as the captain. I liked that show as well, not the latest.

It is weird - where I live, I did not get that channel. It was on an off channel if I remember correctly. I think I tried to watch it on YouTube later on but didn't get far.

 

I remember a long time ago - before Princess got On Demand, I saw an episode on a ship. It was supposedly on the Sun Princess, right?

Edited October 30, 2022 by Coral

[john watson]

The original show ran from late 1976 to 1986, roughly 245 episodes. Using a number of ships, not all from the Princess fleet.  I think most of its success was due to the very wide range of guest stars it attracted.  To them an easy single TV appearance with a free cruise thrown in seemed to attract a variety of stars.  It operated on a number of levels with the theme each week.  A concept that whosoever came on board hating each other, single no hopers etc. they found true love.  Data protection and giving out confidential information was acceptable as was crew fraternisation. Overall quite often there was a big message which Captain Stubing revealed to the crew at the end. If Captain Stubing was found out it would be something along the lines of running a Mexican orphanage on the side using his own salary. You could not screen it today in a similar way due to a number of reasons and as such its more of a historical American TV series.  Princess cannot do much to further the idea now as modern TV people always want to screen things which are not commercially useful.

 

Regards John

[Roberto256]

On 10/29/2022 at 9:37 AM, j4lambert said:

The Real Love Boat has been canceled by CBS after 4 episodes due to extremely low ratings.

Thank you, Jesus.

 

I can't decide which was more awful ... the show, or Jerry O'Connell