The Love Boat is back! The popular TV show that debuted in the 1970s and focused on romance and fun aboard the Pacific Princess has been reinvented… with some slight changes.
The new version — dubbed “The Real Love Boat” — airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on CBS. Now instead of following Captain Stubing in a scripted show, the format has turned into a reality dating program where real people look to find love.
So what exactly can you expect? And what happened in last night’s episode? In case you missed the debut, you can view it on CBS.com. We also have a full recap below…
First, What Is The Real Love Boat?
As mentioned, The Real Love Boat is a new version of the classic series, but with some major changes. Hosted by the real-life couple Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijn and set about the Regal Princess from Princess Cruise Line, the format is a reality dating show.
Singles board the ship in port, meet and mingle, and then hope to catch the eye of a member of the opposite sex. If they are picked by a single at the ‘Sail Away Party’ at the end of the episode, then they get to stay aboard and continue trying to find their perfect partner. If not, then it’s time for debarkation and they head off the ship as it sails to the next port.
Along the way, a small group of real crew members from Princess — Captain Paolo, the bartender Ezra, and the cruise director Matt — will also serve as sounding boards to help the singles make tough decisions.
The couple left standing at the end of the series wins $50,000 and a luxury cruise aboard Princess.
What Happened in Episode #1 of The Real Love Boat?
Last night was the premiere of The Real Love Boat. There, we got to meet the cast, the contestants, and have our first look at who would stay and who would go.
The episode began as many cruises do, with drinks by the pool. There we started to get a look at the first 12 contestants that were part of this week’s episode. They included Jordan, the 26-year-old firefighter who also comes across as a bit of a playboy. There’s Emily, a 24-year-old labor and delivery nurse from Wisconsin. As well as Daniel, the charismatic 26-year-old youth basketball coach.
In total, there were five men and five women… but a twist later in the show adds two more guys to the lineup.
What a great looking group of singles!❤️🔥 #RealLoveBoat pic.twitter.com/TqvxzgAh37
— The Real Love Boat (@RealLoveBoatCBS) October 6, 2022
Starting Guys:
- Jordan, 26, Firefighter
- Michael, 35, Account manager
- Daniel 26, Youth basketball coach
- Marty 34, Account executive
- Brett, 37, Footwear designer
Starting Girls:
- Shea-Lynn, 29, Sports radio host
- Emily, 24, Nurse
- Nicole 28, Entrepreneur
- Brooke 35, Food and beverage rep
- Alisa 24, Landscape designer
Following a few drinks, we learn how the game will work. At each port, either the men or the women are in control, and in this episode, it starts with the ladies. The singles will go through challenges, be sent on dates, and whichever team is in charge gets to decide who to partner with from the other side at the end of the episode. If a person isn’t selected, then that’s the end of the cruise from them.
The Icebreaker
After laying out the ground rules, it then turned to ‘The Icebreaker,’ where each person went to the head of the pool to introduce themselves in a memorable way. Brett donned a cowboy hat and sang a little song. Nicole showed off her strength by lifting another contestant. And Michael came clean admitting he wasn’t the best boyfriend in his last relationship.
First impressions can be intimidating, but we sure do love a good icebreaker!🧊 #RealLoveBoat pic.twitter.com/9UnYN0gv7G
— The Real Love Boat (@RealLoveBoatCBS) October 6, 2022
And then Brooke explained she was a dolphin whisperer, complete with clicking to sound like a dolphin. Yes, some of the characters are a bit eccentric.
After each person had gone, the singles voted on the ‘Catch of the Day’ — the one person who most stood out. The winner got to select another single to have dinner with at the Captain’s Table.
The winner of the most votes went to Alisa, the landscape designer who seemingly won the crowd over with her Pilates moves.
That meant Alisa got to pick a guy to take to dinner, but as she was about to select, two more male contestants were introduced — Nathan, a 24-year-old former college baseball player, and Forrest, a 30-year-old energy advisor from Houston.
Dates Around the Ship
Despite the temptation of new choices (she seemed especially interested in Nathan), Alisa selected Michael, who she got some one-on-one time with (after starting dinner with Captain Paolo offering some advice on relationships).
Meanwhile, the other singles started to make connections of their own. This included them going on their own dates. Brooke and Brett make a connection over two-stepping. Shea-Lynn and Daniel hit it off with drinks.
That’s one way to exercise!💪🏽 #RealLoveBoat pic.twitter.com/oc4f2AmSPv
— The Real Love Boat (@RealLoveBoatCBS) October 6, 2022
Other singles that seemed to draw to each other were Jordan and Nicole, who worked out together. And while Nicole loved Jordan’s tattoos, she was very worried that he’s too much of a ‘player’ and was also interested in Daniel. Nathan and Alisa also got a hot tub date where she seemed to swoon over his physique and referred to him as a “Greek God.”
And Marty and Emily hit it off with a date on the mini-golf course where viewers got to see the first kiss of The Real Love Boat season.
Who Paired Up & Who Left the Ship
After the singles all got a chance to get to know each other, the episode culminated in the ‘Sail Away Ceremony.’ With the girls in charge, the five ladies each selected a guy one at a time to stay. And because Alisa won the earlier competition, she had the designation to pick first. The order of the remaining contestants was chosen by drawing a bingo ball.
Alisa had gone on the Captain’s Table date with Michael, but then also had a date in the hot tub with Nathan. In this case, Nathan came out on top, with Alisa selecting him to stay.
Next up was Emily, who made the obvious choice of Marty, whom she kissed during her date on the mini-golf course.
Shea-Lynn went third, selecting Daniel to stay. This caused some issues for Nicole, who also had eyes on the basketball coach.
Selecting fourth, Brooke picked Brett, the guy who taught her a few two-stepping moves.
The last to pick was Nicole. At this point there were three guys remaining — Jordan, Michael, and Forrest. And while Nicole seemed a bit hesitant that Jordan might be too much of a sweet-talker, she ultimately selected the firefighter.
That meant Michael and Forrest went unselected. With well-wishes, the two still single guys packed their bags and headed off the ship.
If you missed any part of the first episode of The Real Love Boat, you can catch up by watching for free on CBS.com.
