Jeraldine Saunders, a former cruise director whose book inspired The Love Boat, dies at 96

Variety

It was Saunders' 1974 book The Love Boats, based on her experience as a female cruise director for Princess Cruises, that inspired the hit Aaron Spelling-produced ABC series. The Love Boat series was developed for TV by W.L. Baumes, but Saunders' name was listed as "Suggested by Jeraldine Saunders’ The Love Boats" in the opening credits.