Jenny Block on setting a world record… on the Love Boat
I get invited to do all kinds of interesting things: Sleep on the Great Barrier Reef; rappel down a 21-story hotel; sand board the dunes of the Oregon coast; hot air balloon high above Santa Fe; climb the rocks of Joshua Tree. But I was particularly excited and definitely intrigued when Princess Cruises asked my wife and me to join them on a cruise that would be part of an attempt to break the Guiness Book of World Record for mass vow renewals. I’ve never broken, or even attempted to break, a World Record before. We were in.
The record stood at 1,201 couples … that is, until Feb. 11, 2020. Early that afternoon, ceremonies took place on the top decks of three ships: The Regal Princess, Royal Princess and Crown Princess. Each ship had a Guinness World Records adjudicator to verify the record. We were on the Royal Princess on a five-night cruise to Cabo San Lucas, and it was quite an experience being with all of those people for this monumental event.
They counted and re-counted us. We waited until all three ships were ready. And then the ceremony began. I wore my wedding gown and my wife wore her wedding tux, which caused quite a stir as we were the only people — as far as I could tell, anyway — who were in full wedding garb. We both got teary-eyed as we recited our vows. It was kind of magical to be among all of those people and yet feel like I was in this perfect little romantic bubble with my wife of almost two years.
There were only about three other LGBT couples aboard. Still, I was over the moon at how sweet people were to us. So many people stopped us to comment on our outfits; some asked to take photos with us. With so much love in the air, no one seemed to care that we were a lesbian couple. It was really nice, to be honest. Since you never know, especially in today’s climate.
The captains of Royal Princess and Crown Princess officiated the ceremonies on their respective ships, but on the Regal Princess, we had Gavin MacLeod aka Capt. Stubing from The Love Boat officiate, while Jill Whelan, his TV daughter Vicki, served as matron of honor.
MacLeod said the beautiful ceremony was such a special experience that it brought him to tears as he and his wife recited their vows with the crowd. Whelan said she was not prepared for how touching it would be. “I was so touched to be a part of it. I think if you have a good marriage, you think back to your own wedding and it brings back all those happy memories.”
There were so many sweet stories that came to light as a result of the occasion. One couple on our cruise had been married for 69 years. Another couple had met 40 years ago on a Princess ship and later married in the Virgin Islands. Yet another couple, from Australia, had met on a Princess ship, gotten engaged on a Princess ship, gotten married the day of the vow renewals on the ship and then renewed their vows there, too.
MacLeod met a wonderful woman who recently retired as a lieutenant colonel … the same rank as her husband. “She did a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan [and then] retired because her husband didn’t want her to go back for another tour in the Middle East once they started having grandchildren. She was so lovely, youthful, interesting and full of life,” he said.
This was actually MacLeod’s first cruise in a while and he said he was awestruck by what the Princess ships are like now. After a week, he still hadn’t explored the entire ship. He also recalled the most memorable moments on his hit show were when he married Marion Ross on the very last episode, and when his wife Patti was a guest star. For Whelan, the best part was simple, “Working with Gavin. I’m a lucky woman that I got to be his TV daughter.”
I feel really lucky to have had all the interesting experiences that my career as a writer has afforded me, including our vow renewal. We got to have high tea in the Sanctuary, the upper deck luxury quiet area. We ate great food, including lobster tail two nights in a row. We went on two sailing excursions in Cabo and had an exquisite dinner there at El Farallon. We watched movies under the stars on the ship’s top deck. We danced in the ship’s club with great new friends we made onboard. We even toured the bridge.
You never know where life will take you. All I know is that I’m grateful for an amazing partner with whom I can take this journey. And I feel lucky to have had the chance to renew the vows we made on March 17, 2018, while sailing the high seas. It’s amazing what can happen when you keep your eyes and your heart open to what awaits you.
Contact Jenny at GirlOnGirls@gmail.com.
