The Love Boat……

This weekend my parents are celebrating there golden wedding anniversary ….. As cruise lovers it would of been great for them to celebrate on board and renew there vows but with such a large family a local hotel will have us all descending upon them on Saturday night instead……. How I wished when I was little that they’d got married on ‘The Love Boat’ 50 years ago, how cool would that of been ?

If your planning your wedding or looking to renew your vows have you ever though about combining these special occasions with a cruise?

Many cruise lines offer a variety of services to help you plan a shipboard or shore side ceremony, which, of course, will be combined with a romantic cruise honeymoon.

If you are looking for a wedding cruise, then it’s reassuring to know that most cruise lines offer full service weddings. Some have chapels on-board their ships where the ceremony can be held, or alternatively, the wedding can be organised ashore at one of your ports of call. The cruise line will cut through all the red-tape and arrange such details as musicians, cakes, flowers, confetti and even wedding photos. Getting married on a cruise is not only totally romantic, but completely hassle-free.

Whatever you choose, you can be sure that your life’s journey together will begin in luxurious style and you will take home memories that will last a lifetime. Generally, a wedding package will include:

A personalized ceremony
Wedding coordinator services
Flowers, cake, champagne, a photo album and a keepsake wedding certificate
Services such as photography, live music, receptions and pampering appointments, which can also be added to customize your wedding cruise package
It’s important to know that regulations require that the ship has to be either in port, or less than three miles from land for the wedding licence to be valid. Only Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises and Cunard offer weddings at sea with legal, captain-led wedding ceremonies.

Anniversaries

Whatever the anniversary, cruise lines will do their utmost to help mark the occasion and recreate the romance of the special day. Some cruise lines offer packages to commemorate special anniversaries such as silver or golden weddings. Packages include gifts, a cake or champagne to your cabin, or complimentary first-class transfers from home to the departure port. These can be booked prior to sailing or when on-board.

Azamara Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises offer in-port wedding ceremonies, on-board vow renewals and are one of only a few cruise lines able to offer captain-officiated legal marriages while sailing at sea due to the Maltese registration of their two ships. A variety of packages are offered that include anything from a private reception in the ship’s speciality restaurant to flowers, favours and professional photography. Guests should book their wedding in advance of sailing in order to allow time for the processing of licenses and other legal documents. Vow renewal packages are also available.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival offer a choice of on-board wedding packages in various ports of call with ceremonies conducted in the ship’s chapel. These range from an intimate ceremony for the bride and groom followed by champagne toast and cake-cutting to a ceremony plus reception with open bar and hors d’oeuvres or an elegant sit-down luncheon in the ship’s formal restaurant. On-shore destination weddings can also be performed in a number of exotic Caribbean locations. Whatever your taste or budget, you’ll find the ideal wedding package to suit your needs. Honeymoon, anniversary and vow renewal packages are also available.

Celebrity Cruises

Through a long-lasting partnership with The Wedding Experience, Celebrity Cruises offer both on-board vow renewals at sea and in-port wedding ceremonies. With the exception of the Celebrity Xpedition, all ships in the fleet offer legal marriages officiated by the ship’s Captain while the ships is at sea. With Celebrity, you can create a wonderfully memorable and fully customisable wedding in the destination of your choice, whether it’s a stunning cliff-top wedding in Greece or an elegant on-board affair with a reception as large or as intimate as you desire. Honeymoon and anniversary packages are also available.

Costa Cruises

The Italians invented romance and an elegant Costa cruise ship is the perfect location for your wedding ceremony and honeymoon with packages available in most ports of call. Couples can choose to have their wedding ceremonies in the on board chapel while the ship is docked in port, or ashore at various ports of call including the Caribbean. You can invite your guests to join you on the cruise, or invite them to board for the day as a non-sailing guest to celebrate your wedding. Honeymoon and Anniversary Packages are also available.

Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises’ dedicated Crystal Celebrations packages allow passengers to celebrate their weddings and renew their vows on-board. As well as all planning, cake, flowers, photography and music included, you’ll benefit from the services of an officiate and be presented with a bouquet and a bottle of champagne. All packages are customisable, with ‘just married’ décor, additional flowers, spa treatments and speciality dinner reservations all available and there’s also the option of holding your ceremony ashore.

Cunard Line

A Cunard cruise is a celebration in itself, but those who choose to celebrate their special day on-board one of the line’s stylish vessels will benefit from a wedding ceremony in a truly timeless and romantic setting. The Cunard Wedding package includes a ceremony conducted by the Captain, commemorative certificate and wedding menu, floral arrangements, cake, champagne, the services of a co-ordinator and a host of other extras. Cunard also offer a Renewal of Vows package to mark your special occasion, which includes a floral bouquet, cake, the services of a photographer, champagne and complimentary flutes to toast your special occasion.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines are the perfect choice if you’re thinking of cruising to celebrate an anniversary, as the line offers a complimentary package for couples celebrating their silver, pearl, ruby, golden, emerald or diamond wedding on-board. The package includes flowers, a gift, cava, and a photo session. The line also offers a Renewal of Vows package which includes a ceremony conducted by the captain on a sea day, the services of a professional photographer, bouquet, cake, champagne and a commemorative certificate.

Holland America Line

Whether it’s an intimate and elegant ceremony for two or a larger ceremony for the whole family and plenty of friends, with Holland America Line, you’re assured of a thoroughly memorable celebration. You can tie the knot on-board or ashore under a paradise island palm tree – the choice is yours. Whatever your preference, the line’s wedding cruise co-ordinator is on-hand to tailor your package to your needs. HAL’s wedding package includes cake, champagne, photo album and certificate as well as such customisable options as photography, music and spa appointments. Couples can also renew their wedding vows on-board or on HAL’s private island, Half Moon Cay. Vow Renewal packages include a corsage for the bride, a photo and photo album and dinner for two in the ship’s Pinnacle Grill. Wedding Anniversary Packages are also available.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises provides the perfect setting for your on-board wedding ceremony. There are three different wedding packages to choose from – Silver, Gold or Platinum – with each including a wedding ceremony and the services of a wedding co-ordinator on-board. Depending on which package you select, you’ll be able to choose from a whole host of additional extras to enhance your special day, including a wedding cake, wine, photographs and a deluxe breakfast in your cabin. MSC Cruises can also organise events and provide gifts on an individual basis for couples on their honeymoon, or those celebrating a wedding anniversary.

NCL Cruises

With NCL, you can celebrate your wedding day on-board your cruise ship in style, or choose a larger destination wedding and have your ceremony in a stunning port of call such as New York, the Caribbean or Bermuda and bring your entire family along. Wedding packages range from a small ceremony and intimate reception, to a sit-down lunch or a five-course meal when a ship is in port. Whatever you choose, every detail will be handled for you. All ceremonies include the services of a wedding officiate, wedding coordinator, champagne, wedding cake, photography and many other extras such as speciality flowers, videography, and tuxedo rental. The line also offers a number of pre-bookable Romance Packages for honeymooners or those wishing to commemorate a special anniversary.

P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises offer a Weddings at Sea package for those wishing to get married or renew their wedding vows while sailing the ocean waves. Whilst you enjoy your special day, your dedicated wedding planner will take care of all the details, from organising a beautiful and memorable wedding ceremony hosted by the ship’s Captain to dressing your own private wedding venue with fresh flowers. Other extra touches include a host of pre-wedding pamper treatments, champagne breakfast in bed, and on the day, a hand-made wedding cake, bridal make-up and personalised photography. P&O Cruises also offer special occasion packages which are the perfect way to add that special touch to your time away if you are renewing your wedding vows and also a number of enticing honeymoon cruise packages.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises offer one of the most extensive ‘celebrations at sea’ selections of all the cruise lines. Their unique Tie the Knot program combines your wedding ceremony, reception and honeymoon into one complete, special package. There are three wedding packages to choose from, each overseen by an on-board wedding coordinator who will ensure that things run smoothly. Tie the Knot at Sea involves a legal marriage ceremony at sea officiated by the ship’s captain whilst in international waters, while Tie the Knot Harbourside is ideal if you have non-sailing guests. Tie the Knot Ashore, meanwhile is the ideal choice if you would prefer to get married on land at one of Princess’ exotic destinations. There is an extensive range of extra touches available to help create your perfect wedding, such as a pampering pre-ceremony spa treatment. There are then a number of reception packages to choose from ranging from hors d’oeuvres with open bar to full sit-down, five-course gourmet meal in one of the specialty restaurants. Princess Cruises also offer a number of honeymoon, anniversary and Renewal of Vows packages.

Regent Seven Seas

Regent Seven Seas Cruises extends its tailored approach to cruising excursions by offering the services of a personal wedding consultant, who will help couples to conduct the perfect wedding or renewal of vows ceremony. This means that all the staple ingredients, such as officiate, cake and champagne will be there but you get to choose the where and how of your ceremony and hand-pick the details. The line also offers a honeymooner package which features a letter of congratulations from the Captain, Veuve Clicquot Champagne and caviar, in-suite canapés every afternoon, a miniature wedding cake and Leonidas chocolates.

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Romance is the name of Royal Caribbean’s extensive wedding and vow renewal program. Whether you’d prefer to have your wedding aboard one of the line’s spectacular, feature-packed ships whilst in port or ashore in a suitable romantic destination, Royal Caribbean offer a range of packages to suit everyone each overseen by a personal Royal Romance Wedding Consultant. A Paradise Shipboard package involves a full on-board ceremony, with the services of a co-ordinator, officiate, certificate photography and wine, while a Paradise Destination package offers all this but in the cruise destination of your choice. A Royal Romance at Sea package is the ultimate on-board ceremony, where you choose the location and enjoy all the line’s wedding service plus the added bonus of fresh flowers in your stateroom, champagne, dinner for two in a speciality restaurant and a keepsake marriage certificate. The line also offers a Renewed Romance package; which involves a full renewal of vows ceremony either on-board or on one of the line’s own private islands.