If anyone has sailed with Princess Cruises in recent years, they may have been treated to the fantastic Love Boat horn that sets Princess Cruises apart from the other cruise lines.
I first heard the horn in 2017 when on board Regal Princess and it was a nice surprise to hear when it first sounded leaving Port Everglades. Whilst we visited various ports in the Caribbean we were able to hear the tuneful horn and we even took part in a ‘horn battle’ in St Maarten with a Royal Caribbean ship – Princess won the battle of course!
The horn plays the first two lines of the Love Boat theme tune, using seven differently tuned horns. The Love Boat was a 1970s US TV show set on a Princess Cruises ship.
The show was credited with the rise in cruise ship vacations and the increased popularity of Princess Cruises. Since it started, the TV series has been translated into 29 different languages and viewed by millions in 93 countries around the world, placing the Princess Cruises brand in homes across the globe.
On ITV’s The Cruise: Return to the Mediterranean, the horn on Royal Princess had to be repaired after it starting hitting a wrong note. Thankfully after a bit of a clean, the horns were restored and back to working order.
Disney Cruise Line is the only other cruise company that I’m aware plays a tune with its horns. Disney Fantasy’s horns play ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’, which is quite magical to hear. Check out Disney Cruise Line Blog’s post, which features all seven different Disney tunes.
What do you think about cruise ship horns? Which is the best you’ve heard? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below.
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Thank you Leo, I didn’t know this!