Cruise Weddings: A Complete Guide to Getting Married on a Cruise Ship
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Wedding packages on Cunard include some above-and-beyond extras, like a White Star Bellman to escort the bride to the ceremonial room and pressing service for bridal outfits. Couples getting married on a Norwegian cruise can add a conch shell aisle or fresh rose arch to shoreside ceremonies for extra charges. With our Cruisetours, you can combine your cruise with an exciting land tour where you’ll stay in authentic lodges and travel remote roads and railways in deluxe transportation. Please make sure to let the caterer know in advance as they will be responsible for storing the cake and assisting in serving it to your guests.
We Make It Easy To Plan And Customize Your Group Cruise
Ultimately, if you're a person who wants a hassle-free wedding, with a one-stop shop for planning and a built-in honeymoon, then swapping vows ashore, in port or at sea might just be your dream affair. Princess Cruises was the first cruise line to offer legal marriages at sea by the captain. Your best bet is to choose a ship whose personality and amenities match your preferences. "We're starting to see more weddings on the islands, whether their whole group is sailing with them or meeting them there," says Bernal. Group bookings come with a dedicated Concierge who can help arrange all your group events including shore excursions, exclusive use of a specialty restaurant or other venue, conference space, cocktail parties, and more.
How to Keep Guests Comfortable on the Water
Working with the right planner will ensure you’re following the proper legal guidance for a cruise wedding or cruise wedding reception. MSC weddings allow couples sailing in the Caribbean to legally tie the knot onboard or ashore with its wedding packages. Couples aren't required to be married before the sailing, nor do they have to worry about bringing legal documents onboard. Weddings can only take place on sea days and on cruises lasting at least seven nights. There are only two time slots available for ceremonies daily (late morning and mid-afternoon).
Cunard Cruise Wedding Caveat:
Picture your romantic rooftop ceremony, offering unparalleled views of Willis Tower and Navy Pier, followed by a lively reception indoors where dining and dancing await in our stunning interior space. We would definitely recommend The Yacht Starship for your wedding. A lot of things we didn’t have to worry about and the things they weren’t able to provide like a photographer they had an amazing list of recommendations. We truly want to thank starship and we will definitely be back on their dinner cruises.
A cruise wedding combines one of the most important days of your life with exciting travel destinations, plenty of entertainment and an array of things to eat, do and drink. Most major cruise lines offer a variety of services to help you plan your wedding, and options range from onboard wedding ceremonies to weddings before you embark, on top of a glacier or on a sandy beach. Some neat options of cruise wedding venues include the shores of San Juan; a winery in Santorini; cruise line private islands like MSC’s Ocean Cay Marine Reserve; or atop a glacier in Juneau, Alaska. The nice part about a destination cruise wedding package is that many cruise lines include roundtrip transportation from the ship to the venue for the couple in the cost of the package. A legal marriage can’t be recognized in open seas, which are not under the jurisdiction of any country, unless the ship captain or officiant is also a justice of the peace, minister, or notary public. That means that most legal cruise weddings take place either onboard the ship in port or harborside, docked in a destination.
Dream big for your big day
Let’s start with where — a Carnival destination wedding lets you choose a scenic island as the background for your memories. We’ll take the bride and groom to the wedding site, select a local officiant to perform the ceremony, and handle the music and bouquet. We’ll even help you obtain a legally-binding marriage certificate in your destination port! Since we’ve already thought of everything, all you need to think about is how great it’s going to be. Wedding coordinators and event managers for cruise lines — included with all packages — make the decision-making easy. They'll help you nail down specifics in advance so you can have a relaxing time on board.
On the other hand, if you want to plan a simple, stress-free wedding, it doesn't get much easier than this. Cruise weddings are ideal for couples who want a small event and love the one-stop shopping of having all the event details taken care of by the cruise line. For example, as of July, Royal Caribbean is fully sold-out for 2022 weddings and is not accepting bookings for additional nuptials this year. The average price for a cruise wedding falls between $7,000 and $20,000, according to GroupTravel.org, a sliver of what a land wedding normally costs (an average of $30,000). Your specific cost will depend on which cruise wedding package you choose and which inclusions and add-ons you select. "They'll jump on the flight to the island and meet the couple and then stay on the island for a few days," she says.
Should I get married on board or in port?
If you extend the invitation for the latter, be sure to book your cruise wedding well in advance. You will need to secure a block of cabins with a group rate and ensure that guests have ample time to plan the vacation and request off work. Many couples use the sailing as their honeymoon — yet another aspect of the wedding you won't need to plan. But if your guests are joining the sailing, your romantic getaway may not be very private. If you want family and friends to attend your at-sea wedding, consider whether you can sneak away when needed without hurting anyone's feelings. Shoreside ceremonies — in a port of call on the ship's itinerary — also welcome non-sailing guests but have capacity limits.
St Augustine Sailing
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With that in mind, it's important to know your guest list (or at least the age restrictions of your wedding) before you book. Aurora and Arcadia are child-free (nobody younger than 18 is allowed onboard), while Azura, Brittania, and Ventura allow children. If you're holding anything more than an intimate wedding on a Norwegian cruise, you'll be charged an extra fee for an additional wedding coordinator for every 25 guests beyond the first 25.
Unique onboard experiences, plus a range of facilities make nearly anything possible. If you’re planning on combining your wedding with a honeymoon, a five to seven-day cruise will likely be ideal. “If the wedding party can sail along with the couple, then the party continues for the entire cruise and that could also be a very memorable event for all,” says Frank.
If you’re a guest, take your cue on what to wear from the invitation and when in doubt, ask. Just because it’s a destination wedding in Hawaii doesn’t automatically mean flip-flops and shorts are acceptable. On the other hand, many couples enjoy the freedom to fuss less about gowns and tuxedos as they — and many of their nearest and dearest — get ready to voyage through Alaska or set sail on a tropical vacation.
The wedding photo ops are truly spectacular on this historic boat wedding venue, and couples rave about the entertainment and affordability. Decorated with a flawless Greek motif emblematic of its name the 115-foot Athena is the perfect vessel for medium-sized weddings or corporate events. She can seat all of your guests for dinner on the upper deck, with a set of fine glassware for all. Many cruise lines and companies can accommodate weddings, including Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean, among others. These cruise lines offer a variety of routes and price points so it’s often best to work with a travel agent to find the exact cruise that best suits your desired event. Every wedding is different, so we offer packages designed around your wishes.
Many cruise ships do have chapels, but some offer more scenic options like a ceremony out on deck. This yacht company has four boat wedding venues to choose from for your big day, the largest of which can accommodate up to 600 guests. You’ll love the luxurious feel of these yachts, and the food is highly regarded.
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