When Gavin MacLeod Met ... Gavin MacLeod

Gavin MacLeod and Gavin MacLeod meet
on the bridge of Island Princess

Princess Cruises wondered, "What's in a name?" I have a simple anwer to that...one of my Facebook "friends" is Linda Coffman from Texas and I enjoy reading her posts about life in the Lone Star state. Less pleasant was when I met a travel agent from Florida who attempted to steal my Cruise Diva brand name with a bogus trademark application.

However, in the case of Princess Cruises, this name game is happier. While the name Gavin MacLeod naturally is associated with the famous TV captain of "The Love Boat"—it turns out that the line coincidentally also has a real-life bridge officer with the same name and the long-time Princess ambassador couldn't wait to meet him. When Island Princess Third Officer Gavin MacLeod, who hails from Inverness, Scotland, joined Princess in 2010, he never gave much thought to the fact that he shared a name with the actor who made the role of "Captain Stubing" an iconic part of television history. But when Island Princess recently called at the port of Los Angeles, the two men met on the ship's bridge and enjoyed lunch together at Sabatini's restaurant. The pair also signed several navigational charts to be auctioned for charity.

Frequently filmed aboard Princess ships throughout its 1977-86 run, "The Love Boat" created a lasting legacy in the cruise industry. Actor Gavin MacLeod has continued his association with the cruise line ever since, serving as an ambassador who travels regularly aboard Princess ships and represents the company at a variety of events throughout the year.

Image Courtesy of Princes Cruises