Just before Valentine’s Day, Princess Cruises Celebrations Ambassador and original cast member of “The Love Boat” Jill Whelan is returning to Australia after more than 40 years to celebrate love at sea. Jill Whelan, who played Vicki Stubing on the iconic television show that brought cruising into millions of living rooms, will board Royal Princess in order to spread the love with Princess Perfect Weddings.
Whelan’s visit comes at a time when the cruise line is seeing a 127% increase in booked wedding ceremonies and an 83% increase in performed ceremonies from 2022 to 2023.
“I was lucky enough to star on ‘The Love Boat’ onboard Pacific Princess from the age of 12, and grew up seeing some of the most amazing love stories play out on the show,” said Whelan. “As the Celebrations Ambassador of Princess Cruises, I am excited to see so many Aussies continuing to experience romance and share the love onboard our cruise ships, just as I did all those years ago.”
While the cruise line did not disclose the ship’s itinerary, nor what the special event would be, Royal Princess is set to sail a Valentine’s Day cruise on February 14, 2024. The 17-day roundtrip cruise from Auckland, New Zealand will feature ports of call in Bay of Islands, Port Chalmers, Wellington, and Tauranga, New Zealand, and; Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart, Australia. Guests will also enjoy scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.
Stuart Allison, Princess Cruises Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, UK & Europe said that weddings at sea are giving Aussies a more economical way to celebrate their wedding.
Allison said, “Booking a wedding with Princess Cruises has never been more affordable and accessible than it is today. Our Princess Perfect Wedding packages are less than half the price of an Australian wedding, ranging from AU$4,468 ($2,909 USD) to AU$9,689 ($6,309 USD), and include everything you need to make the day remarkable.”
Princess Cruises offer three basic Princess Perfect Wedding Packages from which couples can choose depending on the size of their wedding. Each of the packages includes a dedicated wedding specialist who can arrange fresh floral arrangements, photography, live music, wedding cake and more.