‘The Real Love Boat’: Meet the Cast and Crew of CBS Dating Series (PHOTOS)
Will love be found on a cruise this fall? That’s the hope with CBS’ new The Real Love Boat (premiering October 5).
CBS has announced three of the crew members as well as 12 singles joining hosts Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell on a luxury Princess Cruises ship through the Mediterranean. Plus, you can watch the opening featuring the iconic theme song performed by the hosts.
The ship’s crew members — Captain Paolo Arrigo, bartender Ezra Freeman, and cruise director Matt Mitcham — play pivotal roles in the matchmaking and navigation of the romantic yet sometimes turbulent waters, just like the beloved The Love Boat, which serves as inspiration for this new series.
The singles (including a shoe designer, firefighter, nurse, teacher, and landscape architect) will be looking for a true love connection while visiting and competing in some of the world’s most beautiful cities, including Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Santorini, Athens and more. From divorce and broken engagements to terrible online dating experiences, being unlucky in love has not discouraged these singles from hoping to find romance.
Contestants will go on destination dates and compete in challenges to test couples’ compatibility and chemistry, while earning valuable rewards. New singles will come aboard to shake things up, plus those who don’t find a match will “Shove Off” and be left behind at port. After nearly one month at sea, one winning couple will dock in the final port and take home a cash prize along with a once-in-a-lifetime trip courtesy of Princess Cruises, the series’ exclusive cruise line partner.
Meet the crew and premiere episode singles below.
The Real Love Boat, Series Premiere, Wednesday, October 5, 9/8c, CBS
Crew
Name: Paolo Arrigo
Crew: Captain
Age: 46
Home: Italy
About: A highly accomplished mariner whose career spans more than a quarter-century at sea, Captain Paolo Arrigo joined Princess Cruises as a deck cadet in 1996 after serving for a year in the Italian Coast Guard.
Name: Ezra Freeman
Crew: Bartender
Age: 26
Home: U.S.A.
About: For Ezra, matchmaking is a passion, and romance is her weakness. She believes there is no better place to have an intense romantic experience than aboard a cruise ship surrounded by beautiful views and beautiful people. Ezra has been with Princess Cruises since 2019.
Name: Matt Mitcham
Crew: Cruise Director
Age: 36
Home: Canada
About: For 14 years, Matt lived the real-life version of “The Love Boat” making vacation dreams come true as a cruise director. He even met the girl of his dreams onboard in 2016, and they are now happily married. Matt is a total romantic who jumped at the opportunity to help people find what he has.
Captain Paolo Arrigo, Ezra Freeman, and Matt Mitcham
Matt Mitcham, Ezra Freeman, and Captain Paolo Arrigo
Premiere Singles
Name: Alisa Shah
Age: 24
Home: San Diego, Calif.
Name: Brett De Laura
Age: 36
Home: Dana Point, Calif.
Name: Brooke White
Age: 34
Home: Los Angeles, Calif.
Name: Daniel Cooper
Age: 25
Home: Atlanta, Ga.
Name: Emily Stone
Age: 24
Home: Colgate, Wis.
Name: Forrest Jones
Age: 30
Home: Houston, Texas
Name: Jordan Malabanan
Age: 26
Home: Windsor, Ontario
Name: Marty Hassett
Age: 33
Home: Charlotte, N.C.
Name: Michael Gonzalez
Age: 35
Home: New York, N.Y. / Los Angeles, Calif.
Name: Nathan Kroger
Age: 24
Home: Cincinnati, Ohio
Name: Nicole Wong
Age: 28
Home: Vancouver, British Columbia
Name: Shea-Lynn Noyes
Age: 28
Home: Toronto, Ontario
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