Charo played April Lopez, a recurring guest‑star role on The Love Boat, appearing in ten episodes between 1977 and 1987. Her first appearance in the role was the episode “Acapulco Connection” (October 15, 1977), in which she is introduced as a Mexican woman who stows away in a laundry hamper.

Over the years she returned in episodes with different storylines: she appeared as a lounge singer in “April’s Return” (May 5, 1979); in “April’s Love” (January 1980) she comes aboard with her manager and fiancé; then in “April the Ninny” (January 1981) she becomes a nanny; and later in “Aerobic April” (November 1984) she’s cast in the role of an aerobics instructor.

In interviews, Charo has described how she came to get the role of April Lopez. Charo told Parade magazine, “Aaron Spelling heard about me, but I was too busy.” Spelling later arranged for his people to see her perform at the Sahara in Las Vegas; she recalled that she had declined many offers because of her schedule but “said ‘OK, I do one show.’”

From that first appearance as April Lopez, the response was strong, and producers asked her to return. As she put it, “Immediately, the rating and the reaction was so big that they wanted me to be steady, but I could not.” Her character sometimes shifted roles across episodes — April was a stowaway, then a lounge singer, nanny, tutor, aerobics instructor — reflecting the episodic format of The Love Boat.

Florence Henderson once told The Hollywood Reporter, “If Aaron liked you, he’d have you return often. I think Charo and I hold the record for most guest appearances, at least 10.”