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GET MARRIED ON A CRUISE OR CELEBRATE AN ANNIVERSARY!
Being aboard a ship can be the perfect setting for a
honeymoon, wedding , anniversary or for reaffirming your vows. It's so romantic!
In
fact, more and more cruise lines offer shipboard wedding packages
and wedding planning services. Indeed, a cruise can be the setting
for an ideal wedding -- easily planned and very personal, with the
marriage ceremony, reception and honeymoon all rolled into one
convenient package. Easiest is a shipboard wedding ceremony and
reception for your guests on embarkation day followed by your
honeymoon; of if the wedding guests go on the cruise also you can
have a shoreside wedding on a tropical beach or a sunset ceremony at
sea with everyone in the wedding party taking the entire cruise. You
can even
charter a yacht or small ship and have control over ship programs,
even the itinerary.
Most couples often find costs significantly less than a similar
land-based wedding and reception.
Here are some tips on ceremonies at sea:
You
can have the ceremony on deck or in a
ship's lounge on the day of embarkation. You must make arrangements well in
advance. Some people have the entire wedding party sail with them on the
cruise. Others just have a wedding ceremony and
reception on board before the cruise, then go on the cruise themselves.
Weddings: Don't forget to
bring passports and
notarized documentation of any previous divorces. Most places have waiting
periods. In some countries a government official must come on board
and officiate the wedding ceremony. Sometimes it's easier to have a legal ceremony
at home and reaffirm your wedding vows in a second ceremony on board.
Renewal of vows: Some ships have an afternoon or sunset
ceremony for couples who want to reaffirm their wedding vows on board a cruise
ship, usually officiated
by the captain.
Programs: Weddings at sea can be
simple and complimentary; or they can range in
price from less than $100 to several hundred dollars to a
custom $20,000 wedding. Typical features include souvenir
cruise wedding album, wedding cake, champagne, limo service from the
airport, flowers, a framed photograph. There may be complimentary champagne or
a fruit basket or flowers in your cabin on your arrival, wine with dinner, a
souvenir video, or even a future cruise discount. One cruise company gives
honeymooners a future anniversary cruise for half-fare.
Here
are typical cruise wedding programs on both big and small
ships.
AZAMARA CRUISES
Azamara offers legal, captain-led wedding ceremonies, vow renewals
and in-port wedding programs. Private receptions in the ship’s
specialty restaurant.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
Shipboard wedding ceremonies are available on embarkation day in Carnival's U.S. ports and many Caribbean destinations. Vow renewal packages are
also available. For $35 you can have your stateroom decorated with
streamers and banners.
CELEBRITY CRUISES
Celebrity’s most popular wedding package is a captain-led wedding
ceremony and a reception. Vow renewal celebrations are also offered.
COSTA CRUISES
Costa’s cruise weddings take place while the ship is in port, either
onboard or on land on a beach or in a garden, with the company’s
wedding planners taking care of all the details. Couples may invite
guests to join the full cruise or simply spend the wedding day on
board in port with the
bride and groom
CUNARD
You can have a wedding
mid-Atlantic on Queen Mary 2. The ceremony takes place on days at
sea, and includes the wedding ceremony, photography and video, and a
reception afterwards. The main package includes the ceremony
conducted by the Captain, traditional wedding music, a White Star
Bellman escorting the bride, floral arrangements, champagne and
wedding cake. Cost is $2,500 plus marriage license fee of
$575. Other options are available for purchase such as a harpist,
ice sculpture, or caviar breakfast in bed.
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Guests on Disney Cruise Line can exchange wedding vows onboard the ship or
ashore for a beach-side wedding ceremony on the line’s private island. A
wedding planner handles all details, including floral arrangements,
cakes and Champagne. Various honeymoon packages can be
purchased such as $99 romantic encounter with robes, champagne and
chocolates.
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
If you book at least eight staterooms for your wedding party, the entire group has private
wine tastings and chocolate-covered strawberries and Chase Limogere
Brut in their staterooms.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
Wedding packages are available in ports in the U.S., Canada, Europe,
the Caribbean, Mexico and Bermuda and include a wedding ceremony on
board conducted
by a local official plus all the features of a wedding, from music
to wedding cake and sparkling wine. Norwegian also offers vow
renewal packages on cruises. Various packages of wine, strawberries,
chocolates, photos, spa treatments.
PONANT
Discount on your stateroom after a wedding, champagne, photo,
and surprises during the voyage.
PRINCESS CRUISES
Princess has weddings at sea ceremonies in the Mediterranean,
Caribbean, Alaska and other locales, which couples can customize
with live music, flowers and reception options. A harborside wedding option
enables couples to be married in port, and on-shore beach weddings are
available in many ports.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
A honeymooner package features champagne and caviar, en-suite
canapés every afternoon, a miniature wedding cake, chocolates and
more.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
One package features a wedding ceremony onboard ship before the
embarkation sailing. Shoreside wedding venues include glaciers in Alaska,
European castles, rainforests and an Italian vineyard.
SEADREAM YACHTS
SeaDream offers two wedding vow renewal ceremonies – one designed
for couples only, the other for as many as 12 guests, and both
include champagne, canapés, a cake and flowers.
STAR
CLIPPER
Newlyweds can expect champagne, fruit basket, and surprises
throughout the cruise.
WINDSTAR CRUISES
For couples celebrating honeymoons, renewing wedding vows or
honoring a special anniversary there is champagne, chocolate-dipped
seasonal fruit, breakfast in bed, massages and dinners for two at
sunset.
Check our Search by
Destination section to help you decide where to go, read about the various
ships, then fill in a Booking Request
to get help with the details.
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