Celebrity Cruises has just made history after hosting its first legal same sex wedding at sea.
Francisco Vargas and Benjamin Gray were joined by family members for an intimate ceremony on board Celebrity Equinox on January 29th.
The ship was sailing from Key West, Florida, to Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, when the ceremony was officiated by captain Dimitrios Manetas, making history for the line.
Vargas, who actualy works for one of Celebrity’s travel partners, Cruise Planners, said: “Traveling is in my blood. When we heard Celebrity Cruises was celebrating equality and embracing our community, we wanted to be a part of it.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of support from our Cruise Planners family and hope our story brings strength for others in the LGBTQ+ community to confidently love whoever they choose.”
Celebrity offers its own programme allowing couples to have onboard ceremonies or destination weddings.
The package- Nautical Nuptials at Sea- package a captain-led ceremony, an event coordinator’s services, live music, photography, cake, a bottle of champagne, plus additional amenities post-ceremony.
In October 2018, a referendum vote in Malta, a place where the majority of the Celebrity fleet is registered, opened the door for the line to legally recognise same-sex marriages and have the fleet’s captain’s officiate ceremonies.
Celebrity announced this on the 29th anniversary of National Coming Out Day which came after the news that they were the first ever cruise line to become an official sponsor of Miami’s Gay Pride festival.
The line raises funds for a local non-profit organisation servicing the LGBTQ community through a series of educational and wellness programmes.
Celebrity Cruises’ president and chief executive, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, has stated: “Together we are paving the way for couples around the world to know that their love and commitment is to be celebrated equally, and that everyone is welcome on board a Celebrity cruise.”
What do you think of this moment in history for Celebrity? Have you cruised with any other cruise lines that has legalized same-sex marriages onboard? Have you attended any weddings at sea? Leave us your comments!
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