NEED TO KNOW
Something exciting and new will be happening when The Love Boat Celebration at Sea sets sail in November.
PEOPLE can exclusively announce that Love Boat star Lauren Tewes and recurring guest star Charo will be joining Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange and Jill Whelan on Princess Cruises’ Love Boat Celebration at Sea when it departs from Galveston, Texas on the Regal Princess Nov. 16 for a seven-night sailing.
Tewes, 71, played cruise director Julie McCoy for seven seasons on The Love Boat, with her character being written off due to the actress’s public struggle with addiction. Tewes, who is now sober, did not participate in Princess’s previous Love Boat Celebration at Sea cruises, to fans’ disappointment.
On the 2024 sailing on the Enchanted Princess, Grandy, 76, noted that Tewes “has recovered magnificently” from and stated during the Behind the Scenes Stories panel that “even though she is not here, she is as much a part of the family as anybody else up on this stage.”
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Whelan called Tewes “a sister to all of us” during the panel. “She’s just a very genuine, sweet human being, and by the way, a spectacular actress,” Whelan, 58, said. “I mean, I even look back at The Love Boat episodes and I just marvel at her and her ability to move so effortlessly between doing a dramatic scene and comedy. But she is one of our favorite people and we adore her.”
Whelan, who played Captain Merrill Stubing’s daughter Vicki Stubing, had kept in touch in touch with Tewes over the years and had been talking to her about coming aboard in 2025.
“She was open to it,” the former child star told PEOPLE. “I told her everybody loves her so much and everybody wants to tell her how much they love her. I think it would be great for her.”
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Charo, meanwhile, served as one of The Love Boat’s most frequent guest stars during its 10-season run, playing lounge singer April Lopez. The role helped the Spanish actress, 74, rise to fame in the ‘70s and allowed her to show off her dance and flamenco guitar skills — which she will demonstrate during exclusive live performances on the Celebration at Sea.
On the Regal Princess in November, Charo and Tewes will join their costars in participating in the sailaway party, meet-and-greet opportunities, cast Q&As and a symbolic renewal of vows ceremony. The sailing will also feature Love Boat trivia and guest activities, a cocktail demonstration hosted by Lange, 77, and The Real Love Boat’s Ezra Freeman.
There will also be Love Boat episodes airing on Movies Under the Stars and in staterooms, Love Boat inspired menus and specialty cocktails, and themed décor, photo backdrops and merchandise.
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The cruise will stop in Cozumel, Mexico and Roatan, Honduras and feature dining opportunities at the ship’s specialty restaurants Alfredo’s Pizzeria, Chef’s Table Lumiere, Crab Shack, Crown Grill, Sabatini’s and Vines wine bar. Aside from the Love Boat festivities on board, guests will be able to enjoy entertainment at the Princess Live and Princess Theaters, as well as the Vegas-style casino.
Princess launched its first Love Boat reunion cruise in 2022 and brought it back in 2024, but this year will be the first that Tewes and Charo participate. The 2024 sailing took place on the Enchanted Princess, with guests traveling from New York City to New England and Canada during the seven-night itinerary in early September.
