What are Weddings on Cruise Ships?
You may be surprised to learn that the term weddings on cruises (sometimes referred to as a marriage cruise) can mean a number of slightly different things. Some well-known cruise lines offer an actual wedding at sea while others perform the wedding ceremony while the ship is docked in port. And other cruise wedding packages will provide a symbolic, non-legal ceremony at sea, assuming that you have been legally married elsewhere. In any case, having your wedding on a cruise is an excellent way to combine your celebration of commitment with a honeymoon on the sea.
All cruise wedding packages come with an on-board wedding coordinator who will see that there is the appropriate level of beauty, formality and attention to detail. Regardless of whether the wedding is at sea or on board in port, the bride and groom must be paid passengers of the cruise in order to book a cruise wedding package. Even so, time and space requirements limit the number of weddings that can take place per sailing, so be certain to work out the details of your specific package far in advance, after booking your cruise.
Your assigned wedding coordinator will help you to plan and schedule your unique, memorable event, and answer your burning questions.
Cruise Ship Weddings at Sea
Currently, the cruise line weddings that are actual legal weddings at sea, are on Azamara, Princess and Celebrity. Wedding packages from these cruise companies allow your ceremony to be performed by the ship’s captain on the “open seas”. Anything from a romantic and intimate dinner to a full reception with invited friends and family may follow. Necessarily, your guests must be paying cruise passengers. The complicated license requirements for a wedding at sea will be taken care of by the cruise company.
To avoid the hassle and costs of obtaining foreign wedding permits required in some cruise destinations, many couples choose to marry legally near home, prior to their cruise, and then plan a symbolic wedding ceremony aboard the ship. This keeps all the romance of a traditional exchange of vows with the uniqueness of being on a ship.
At sea or in port, all cruises for weddings that offer packages, can arrange for a symbolic wedding ceremony. Whether legal or symbolic, if you have your ceremony on the cruise ship, then it may be in such location as the ship’s chapel, library or other room.
You Wedding in Port, Yet On Board the Cruise Ship
If the ship is in port, you may have your ceremony officiated on board by the ship’s captain or by an officiant of your choice. You have some options for who may be allowed to share in your wedding service and/or reception, be they guests or a minister. This typically depends on the cruise line, the package you have purchased, and the country of the port. Some packages allow guests who have not reserved cruise accommodations, to attend, after going through security measures. Your contract will allow for a set number of guests, yet additional guests may be welcome at a per person extra charge. After the nuptials or reception, these non-sailing guests will disembark.
Your Wedding in Port, on Land
A port wedding, on land, while the ship is docked, may be equally romantic. For example, holding your ceremony in a small historic church in Puerto Rico or exchanging vows on a St Thomas beach, do sound pretty amazing for your day of dreams. If your wedding will take place while the ship is docked at ports of call, and not at your place of embarkation, then it is most likely that your ceremony will be very intimate, with few witnesses.
On the other hand, if you tie the knot at the embarkation port (the port where the cruise starts), then you can arrange for a larger affair with more guests attending. And, your guests, of course, will not need to be cruise passengers. The couple should arrange to arrive at the port city at least a day in advance of the sailing, to see to any final details. Your cruise staff should be able to help find a lovely hotel for your nights before the cruise.
Keep in Mind
Do your planning as far in advance of your sailing date as possible. Be aware of the local regulations and marriage license requirements of your chosen ceremony location. Even in your home country, you may be able to get your marriage license by mail before you arrive at the port or you may need to get it in person. If your wedding will be while your ship is docked at a port in a foreign country, your guests may in fact be limited to paying cruise passengers.
So have fun on your wedding cruise. Bon voyage!
