Love And Marriage

There are so many people who get married or re-new their vows overseas, the Caribbean being the destination most people go to.  Have they thought of doing this on a cruise?

Planning your wedding on a cruise can be as simple as planning your honeymoon. The wedding coordinators arrange everything from the ceremony, menu, cake, flowers and music. Some even help you to obtain wedding licences or provide invitations and thank you notes.

Typically on board weddings are held in a ships chapel, if there is one or a lounge, library or boardroom but larger ships can offer something a little different such as the rock climbing wall!

To give you an idea, here’s some cruise lines which offer a great variety of ceremony options for anyone looking to plan a cruise ship wedding.

Princess Cruises have a great range of packages on all ships. Most of these have dedicated wedding chapels. They have 3 different choices varying in price from a on board ceremony to a package at a destination they stop in.  Not only can your ceremony be conducted at sea by the Captain or First Officer, they can also broadcast the ceremony live via web cam to friends and family on land.

Celebrity Cruises Captains perform the ceremony at sea and also provide for an additional fee a welcome reception and bridesmaid tea party. I like the “nautical nuptials” with lovely romantic extras like chocolate covered strawberries, his and hers robes and rose petals on the bed!

If your after a fun and quirky choice and have young children with you, Disney Cruises may be for you. Apart from the various Disney characters on board, you can marry on the ship or at Disney’s own private island, Castaway Cay.

Carnival Cruises usually appeal to younger couples as they have a great party atmosphere and are probably one of the most affordable choices of packages.  They have a great on line gift service for guests to contribute to the couples wedding and provides couples with a wedding website, blog and facebook/twitter up-loaders.

Royal Caribbean offer a great range including a option of the Captain or First Officer to include special “nautical” vows. Get married on the ship or by a glacier in Alaska, a waterfall in Hawaii or by some ancient ruins in Greece.

Not all of the P&O ships have children under 18 years of age on board, so if you want a child free wedding go for Adonia, Arcadia or Oriana, You can choose to receive the VIP treatment with a bottle of champagne, meats, cheeses, pastries and fresh fruit delivered to your cabin in the morning. You can also book a excursion to personalize your day.

NCL also offer a vast array of options. Get married at sea or at one of the selected ports of calls or how about such destinations as a beach in St Thomas or Bermuda? If you want you can also purchase a fresh rose arch for a shore side ceremony.

If you do fancy getting married please do bear in mind that not all cruise liners do weddings. It is also worth noting that if you fancy a certain port of call, sometimes the ship may have to cancel going to that destination for various reasons, such as bad weather.

After reading this, it does wet your appetite, give me a call and I can give you an idea of the many packages available.