‘Love Boat’ Star Bernie Kopell Recalls Scathing Review Before Show Became a Hit (Exclusive)

Bernie Kopell is proud of everything The Love Boat achieved.

The actor, 92, caught up with PEOPLE at Princess Cruises’ Love Boat Celebration at Sea, where he recalled how the odds were stacked against the beloved series at its inception. Not only had it taken three pilots to get the show off the ground, but early reviews weren’t kind.

“The first review we got from this a—— at the LA Times said, ‘It’s going to sink like the Titanic,'” he recalls.

Years later, fans are gathering and reminiscing with the cast as they share their appreciation for the show. Fans even continue to write to the cast, with Kopell noting, “I got a lovely letter from Germany.”

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Thinking back on getting the role of  Dr. Adam Bricker, Kopell says he “felt so lucky” to join the show.

“[After the] audition for that role, [I was] waiting for months. I’m calling my agent, ‘Do we know anything? Anything?'”

One day, he got the answer he hoped for, “[He said,] ‘You got the f—ing part!’ Oh, yipee!”

Kopell is touched by how much love he’s gotten from fans throughout the years, sharing, “I had doctors come up to me, one particular doctor on one of the cruises. He came and he said, ‘[You] stand by your patients, and you’re kind to them and you’re helpful and you’re competent.’ ”

Laughing, Kopell adds, “It’s in the script. I have to be that way.”

When it came to developing Dr. Bricker, Kopell recalls, “There were some late-night meetings about how to name this guy, so I have a background [when] directing the pilot and he said, ‘Well, the guy chases the ladies. He’s a bit of a pricker, isn’t it?’ I said, ‘Well, we can’t call him back. We have to change the P to a B.’ And that’s how it came about,” he laughs.

Stars Lauren Tewes, Fred Grandy, Jill Whelan and Ted Lange, as well as recurring guest star Charo were all aboard for the unforgettable fan experience.

Kopell still revels in the close bond the surviving cast members share, noting, “We became the second family to each other.”