Thursday, April 18, 2024

Cruise Weddings: Can You Get Married on a Cruise?

can you get married on a cruise ship

From floral arrangements to fine dining, these vessels are well-equipped to make your dream wedding a reality. While your wedding can take place on a ship, it is likely that the ship won't be sailing when your wedding actually happens. Cruise ships need to have a special license to perform a wedding in international waters, so most cruise ship weddings occur in port, and marriage license requirements depend on that port.

Should You Get Married on Board or in a Cruise Port?

We can arrange private shore excursions, cocktail hours, or other events just for your group. From custom bouquets to accents and arrangements, Royal Weddings offers an array of floral options to make your celebration more colorful. Wedding Coordinators are your point of contact during your cruise and will help guide you throughout the course of your wedding day to make sure your celebration goes off without a hitch. From there, Celebrity Cruises will take care of all the details, so you and your partner can sit back and relax until embarkation day. It's not necessarily the most romantic thing to stay in bed with your sweetie all day while your guests are onboard and fully aware of what you're up to. We understand that your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, and you want it to be flawless.

Embarkation Day Wedding

If you're looking to make your own shoreside arrangements, be diligent in checking out the cancellation policies for whichever services you're using, just in case. Plus, you'll pay above and beyond the price of whichever wedding package you choose every time you invite more people. Name a popular cruise line and chances are you can get married on one of its ships.

Not all captains can perform weddings.

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. On the more casual and festive end, Carnival Cruise Line weddings start at $1,499; MSC Cruises' weddings cost roughly the same. On the luxe end, Cunard's Royal Ceremony at Sea package starts at $3,300.

Most cruise lines offer tailor-made wedding services, each with its unique magnetism. Princess Cruises, a pioneer in at-sea weddings, offers comprehensive packages, including everything from legalities to honeymoon luxuries. There are many benefits to getting married on a cruise ship, amidst some downsides to consider—but it is definitely something worth looking into. Most cruise lines, especially post-COVID, have adjusted to modern times and modern couples.

can you get married on a cruise ship

Lower Cost

Additional cake, flowers and photography services are available for a fee. The marriage license is not included and the fee is one of the highest out there. Note that the cost for in-port marriage licenses vary by destination, from $200 to $700; a shipboard marriage license costs $900. Additional services for floral arrangements, live music and photography can be arranged at an additional cost. The most basic (and cheapest) package is Norwegian's Symbolic at Sea option, while a Harborside package allows couples to be married onboard at select ports of call.

Destination Wedding

This is what it costs to get married on a cruise ship - 9Honey Travel

This is what it costs to get married on a cruise ship.

Posted: Tue, 27 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Carnival‘s wedding packages start at $249 per person, for a simple and lovely ceremony. Of course, the sky is the limit, with add-ons and luxury packages that can include everything from a trio of live musicians to custom wedding cakes, glamorous floral arrangements, and full video services. Several cruises lines have private islands for wedding or vow renewals, but they can't always be legal marriages. For example, Disney Cruise Line captains can lead wedding ceremonies onboard or at Castaway Cay.

Cunard can offer you a Royal Ceremony at Sea on board the majority of its voyages and on any of its ships. Couples are drawn to the line's historic charm, formality and British influence, all of which make for a timeless experience. If it's classic romance you're after, a Cunard cruise wedding is probably the right choice for you. Renewing your vows on a Carnival cruise is, honestly, a lot like a wedding… which is perfect, because wouldn’t you marry them again?

NCL also offers legal same-sex ceremonies, available in destinations where same-sex marriages are recognized by local law. Weddings on Celebrity cruises include the option to have the captain perform either a legal or symbolic ceremony at sea -- including legal same-sex weddings -- under the line’s Malta registration. The line's fleet of ships offers a pleasant mix of fun and luxury, leaving the happy couple and their guests with plenty to do before and after the big day. Celebrity's newest ships are also upping the luxury factor on their Edge Class ships, with The Retreat -- an exclusive suite-only complex with its own deck, pool, and dining option. If you're leaning toward swapping wedding vows on a cruise, know that cruise weddings aren't all "Love Boat"-inspired glamour. You'll need to make decisions around where to get married (at sea or in port) and understand how those choices affect your guest list, risk of cancellation and the legality of the ceremony.

For any group celebration or occasion, we are by your side each step of the way. Trying to coordinate all the details and desires of group travel can be a daunting task indeed. Our large group cruises and event cruises make it simple to seamlessly plan and customize your special events to ensure they are memorable occasions you can look back on fondly for years to come.

Some countries have residency requirements, meaning you have to reside on the island for a certain period of time in order to legally marry there—not possible if you’re just making a cruise stop. Of course, you could legally marry in your home country before your cruise and have a symbolic wedding at the port. When it comes to getting married on a cruise ship, you’ll need to follow the laws of the country where the ship is registered. So you can easily marry on certain cruise lines’ ships, while there are others where you can’t.

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. Visit the Weddings page on our website and find out more about Celebrity Cruises wedding packages and destinations. Leave the planning to us and we’ll make sure to take care of every detail— all you’ll need to worry about is saying “I do” when the time comes. If you don't like being the center of attention, then a cruise wedding may not be for you.

In addition to the above benefits, you'll score priority check-in and boarding for the couple and guests with the Tie the Knot Harborside package, which includes a service in port before embarkation. Alternatively, Princess Cruises' Tie the Knot Ashore package includes a ceremony at a beach or garden (or even at a glacier in Alaska) and transportation for the couple in addition to the standard services of a Tie the Knot ceremony. Note that receptions, photography packages and enhanced ceremony options are available at extra cost on Princess Cruises. There are certain occasions when guests can board a cruise ship and celebrate your wedding with you even if they aren’t passengers. In order for non-sailing guests to be allowed to attend events onboard, your wedding ceremony and reception have to take place in one of our embarkation ports on sailing day. Most wedding ceremonies on a cruise ship are performed by a notary public in the United States and a non-denominational officiant in international ports.

can you get married on a cruise ship

Not all of P&O's ships cater to the same clientele and some don't allow children (which can be a plus for some couples). 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. Drop us an anchor below to share your experiences with cruise weddings.

Whether you’re planning to say your wedding vows on the high seas or at a picturesque port, understanding the legalities is key to ensuring your day goes smoothly. Getting married at sea sounds like a start to a fairytale, while having a destination wedding sounds like you’re off to a luxurious life. What if you could have both, without spending a ridiculous amount of money?

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. You’ll have to take note of legal requirements when it comes to getting married on a cruise ship or on land.

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