Couples have gotten the message that a cruise can be the setting for an ideal destination wedding, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. The options are limitless such as getting married at sea by a ship's captain to choosing an exotic destination such as a beach wedding. Alternatively, some couples opt to have their cruise wedding on the ship while still in port. Here are some popular cruise wedding options.
Best Weddings at Sea
Princess Cruises offers legal marriages at sea complete with the ship's captain performing the wedding ceremony. Many of Princess' cruise ships even have a dedicated wedding chapel and a wedding cam that allows the ceremony to be broadcast live from the cruise ship via the Princess Cruises website. Choose a Princess Cruises wedding package such as the Tie the Knot at Sea wedding package starting at $1,800. It includes a wedding coordinator, cake, champagne, flowers, music and photographs.
Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises also offer captain-led wedding ceremonies while their ships are at sea now that their ships are registered in Malta (except Celebrity Expedition). Celebrity Cruises offers a variety of wedding packages that start at $2,500 for the basics and increase when extras such as a private reception are added.
P&O Cruises is one of the only other cruise lines that offer legal captain-led wedding ceremonies at sea on their Bermuda-registered cruise ships. Private wedding venues with seating for up to 80 guests can be booked on many of P&O Cruises' ships. Weddings at sea packages start at 1,000 GBP ($1,500 USD) and include an onboard wedding coordinator, the captain-led ceremony, music, champagne, flowers, invitations and even pressing of bridal outfits prior to ceremony.
Best Cruise Ship Weddings in Port
Many couples choose to get married onboard while the ship is in port because many wedding guests are not able to stay onboard for the cruise. For these types of ceremonies, a local officiate comes onboard to perform the ceremony since the captain of the ship is not allowed to marry couples while the ship is in port. Some cruise lines have a maximum number of non-sailing guests allowed onboard and the bride and groom must be booked on the cruise.
For example, Carnival Cruise Lines offers 24 different ports of call where shipboard weddings can be performed including Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Long Beach, Tampa and Seattle. Starting at $1,195, the Just for the Bride and Groom Package allows six non-sailing guests to accompany the bride and groom. The package includes a wedding coordinator, photographer, flowers, cake and champagne toast. For $1,635, the Welcome Aboard Package (includes a one-hour open bar) will accommodate up to 20 guests.
Holland America Line offers one of the cheapest cruise weddings although no guests are permitted to attend. Available in the ports of Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, San Diego, Seattle and Vancouver, the Smooth Sailing Shipboard Wedding package costs $795. To include non-sailing guests, the Anchors Away Shipboard Wedding starts at $1,395.
Other Cruise Wedding Options
Holland America Line – Couples can get married on HAL's private island. The Half Moon Cay Chapel Wedding package starts at $2,150 for a maximum of 10 guests. Alternatively, couples cruising to St. Thomas Virgin Islands can get married at Bluebeard's Castle for $1,850. Or, choose a wedding on a glacier. The Glacier Wedding package includes a helicopter ride for the couple along with the services of a photographer for the cost of $2,695.
Royal Caribbean – Royal Caribbean wedding packages range from being married on the cruise ship while in port to a selection of island destinations and other locations. The basic Shipboard Duet starts at $2,195 for a shipboard wedding while in port. A Deluxe Beach wedding package in St. Thomas starts at $3,995. In addition, couples can get married on the FlowRider surfing simulator or on a rock wall for an additional $300 to the wedding package selected.
Cruise lines such as Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Lines also offer extensive wedding packages while their ships are in port. Be aware of the unexpected when planning a cruise wedding. If the cruise ship does not stop in the port where the wedding is to take place, it will be cancelled. Other points to consider are that many cruise lines charge a surcharge for certain dates and holidays as well as making the marriage licence the couple's responsibility.
Renee Ruggero - Renee is a published travel writer and cruise industry insider with more than 1,000 days on cruise ships, visiting over 50 countries.
