Princess Cruises is mourning the death of actor Gavin MacLeod, who as the stern but beloved Capt. Merrill Stubing, captain of ‘The Love Boat’ television series for 10 years, helped bring massive popularity to cruising to millions of people who watched for an hour every week.

MacLeod was 90.

“It is with sadness felt to the depth of the oceans that we mourn the passing of actor Gavin MacLeod our beloved global ambassador, dearest friend and treasured member of the Princess Cruises family for more than 35 years,” Princess Cruises said in a statement.

MacLeod was a talented sitcom actor who appeared in three huge television hits – as ‘Haines’ on McHale’s Navy; as newswriter Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; and as Stubing on The Love Boat.

“From his 10 seasons staring as Captain Merrill Stubing on the hit TV show “The Love Boat” (1977 to 1986) and for more than three decades following the show’s final season, Gavin enthusiastically shared his passion about the joys and adventures of exploring the world while cruising,” Princess Cruises said. “He always reminded us that, like the popular TV series, ‘cruising gives people something to dream about.’”

MacLeod, who celebrated his 90th birthday in February, officially became Princess Cruises’ global ambassador in 1986, appearing in a vast array of advertising campaigns and countless public and media appearances for the company.

His role for Princess continued until his passing, making MacLeod the longest-serving celebrity spokesperson and brand ambassador in history.

The original “Love Boat” series is currently in worldwide syndication, having been translated into more than 29 different languages, and is viewed by millions of fans in more than 93 countries.

Originally, in searching out a location for the movie pilot of what was to become his Love Boat television series, producer Douglas Cramer found the ideal setting with a cruise line that just happened to operate from its world headquarters in Los Angeles. known globally today as Princess Cruises.

After the 1977 pilot show, which was shot aboard the line's original Sun Princess in Mexico, Cramer teamed up with top television producer Aaron Spelling and the rest is history. “The Love Boat” went on to realize phenomenal success, continuing for 10 seasons until 1987 as one of the highest-rated prime-time television shows in the country. Princess Cruises soon became a household name as the primary setting and ocean-going co-star of the popular series and continues to be known as the "Love Boat" cruise line to this day.

With ships Pacific Princess and Island Princess the original floating stars of the show, “The Love Boat” was filmed aboard many Princess ships in exotic destinations around the globe. The show was often the catalyst for introducing American viewers to cruising and to such places A Sydney, Australia and Opera House, the Great Wall of China, the Acropolis in Athens Greece, and more.

“All of us at Princess Cruises and our loyal guests around the world whom, to this day, remain avid fans of Gavin’s, send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Patricia (Patti) and his entire family who have lost a loving husband, father and grandfather,” Princess Cruises said. “We offer our sincerest gratitude to them for sharing Gavin with all of us for so many years.”

Fellow actors from the hit show, as well as guest stars, paid homage to MacLeod when he turned 90 earlier this year in this video tribute produced by Princess Cruises.