Sunday, March 31, 2024

Cruise Weddings: A Complete Guide to Getting Married on a Cruise Ship

best cruise lines for weddings

You might indulge in some new flavors while sipping on local spirits, wines and beers. Still, you might find yourself borrowing a DVD from the ship’s library to snuggle with your special someone for a post-dinner movie. If you really want to go all in, book a Sky Suite, available on Sky Princess, Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess. These cabins include enormous, panoramic-view balconies, a personal concierge and complimentary wine tasting, among other exceptional amenities. When you book a group of eight staterooms or more, we can hold cruise fare pricing for 30 days as you finalize arrangements.

How big can a cruise wedding be?

Treat yourself to lunch at a winery, or bike to a Mediterranean beach. We promise you won't need your wedding tux to tour Monte Carlo like James Bond (and you certainly won't need it on board, where the vibe is always casual yet upscale). With multiple no-surcharge restaurants on board, you'll enjoy fine cuisine together in a different venue practically every night for a week. Share a steak at the Polo Grill, and indulge in rich French fare at Jacques. Bicker over who gets the last bite of lobster pad Thai at Red Ginger one night, and trade tastes of tiramisu and cannoli at Toscana the next.

BEST CRUISE LINES FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY!

Princess Cruises offers some of the most romantic couples cruises overall, and it also has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the best cruise lines for older couples. A couples cruise can be one of the most romantic vacation options, but choosing the best cruise line for couples can be a challenge. You don't want that sunset marred by crowds on deck, the romance of a dinner for two killed by whiny kids at the next table, or a cozy evening ruined by cramped cabins with minimal amenities. While a cruise wedding is unlike your typical occasion, it still borrows from common wedding etiquette.

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Using a travel advisor who specializes in cruise weddings could be helpful in selecting the right vessel for your preferences and perhaps most importantly, your budget. It’s also helpful to note that not every ship in a cruise line’s fleet accommodates legal marriage ceremonies. Each cruise line has a dedicated wedding coordinator to help plan the absolute best cruise weddings. Typically, there are a variety of packages on offer, much like at any banquet hall or more traditional wedding venue. Most wedding ceremonies on a cruise ship are performed by a notary public in the United States and a non-denominational officiant in international ports.

Couples looking for a island ceremony can spend $1,400 and choose the “Island Breeze” package for a more exciting location. With videography, transportation, and live music it’s the perfect way to wow guests. Make sure to take advantage of Carnival’s online gift registry to help streamline the online aspects of a 21st century wedding.

best cruise lines for weddings

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Its Wedding at Sea ceremony, priced from $3,099, is performed onboard while at sea and officiated by the ship captain on Breakaway, Getaway, Epic, Escape and Bliss. Marriage certificates will be issued by the Bahamas (additional fee). The line's at-sea wedding package is one of the pricier base rates on this list, starting at $3,300. The Celebrity Weddings program offers onboard ceremonies and destination weddings and are some of the most reasonably priced on this list for couples who don't necessarily need a huge list of bells and whistles.

How much does it cost to get married on a cruise ship?

To get married in a U.S. port, you only need a marriage license from that state. Receptions can also be held at the specialty restaurants on all Millennium-class ships; a minimum of 25 guests is allowed for private functions with either a set menu or buffet. On Celebrity Reflection, weddings and receptions can be held at the ship’s conference center, a 2,853-square-foot venue that can hold up to 220 guests. Expect prime catering from the ship’s James Beard-awarded chef cooking up pre-set appetizers, entrees, soups/salads and dessert menus for the wedding guests. If the guest list doesn’t reach triple digits, a cozy alternative is the half-acre Lawn Club (with real grass) located on the upper deck of the Solstice-class ships. Unlike traditional wedding ceremonies that feature a clergy member or a vow master, cruise-based weddings can be a bit trickier when it comes to legally certifying your vows.

Why Choose an MSC Cruise Wedding?

Since we’ve already thought of everything, all you need to think about is how great it’s going to be. The experience comes with a private Champagne reception and a tour of the galley. For a more casual but still completely fun experience, visit Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse. Available on Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, the BBQ joint offers a great variety of smokehouse favorites from Chef Guy Fieri. Plus, it has an onboard brewery and live music, perfect for couples who love to dance. There are certain occasions when guests can board a cruise ship and celebrate your wedding with you even if they aren’t passengers.

Perfect PairWedding

Walk the deck hand in hand, admiring scarlet sunsets set against the impossibly turquoise sea. Come morning, indulge in mimosas and waffles on your private veranda as soft ocean breezes caress you with the gentlest, most sensual touch. Later, lounge in a poolside cabana for two, toasting your honeymoon choice with craft cocktails.

The pool deck and adults-only Solarium also have cozy double sunbeds for snuggling in the sun. Either a marriage in port or onboard can be legally binding, as long as the couple works with the cruise line to file the correct paperwork in advance. Packages typically employ the cruise line’s preferred vendors, so keep in mind that it might be difficult or impossible to handpick florists or photographers. Give us your number and a specialist will contact you as soon as possible about planning large group cruises and event cruises. Once you’ve chosen your wedding destination, search for available dates and times, fill out a request form, and one of our event managers will contact you to start the wedding planning process. Ceremonies at sea officiated by the ship’s captain abide by the laws of the country where the ship is registered.

Only a handful of cruise lines, including Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises, have ships registered in countries that permit their captains to perform weddings. MSC Cruise offers couples the flexibility to choose between an onboard wedding and an onshore wedding. For onboard weddings, couples can opt for a pre-cruise consultant to assist with planning and arrangements. For onshore weddings, MSC Cruise can arrange for a beach setup and escort the couple and their guests to the ceremony. Cruise weddings offer a unique and stress-free way to tie the knot, but with many couples sharing the same ship, concerns about personalization may arise.

A cruise can be a brilliant choice for a honeymoon or vacation together. Romantic and relaxing, a cruise is the perfect complement to a hectic wedding. Finally you're alone to unwind, eat well, have someone make your bed, and explore new destinations together.

Royal Caribbean's and MSC Cruises' family-friendly onboard amenities, such as waterslides and large kids clubs, are a huge hit for couples planning to invite guests of all ages. Royal Caribbean offers four packages for weddings at sea with sailing guests, embarkation-day ceremonies with sailing and non-sailing guests, portside events around the world and elopements with just the couple or up to 10 guests. The Just You & Me package (starting at $1,355 for eight guests) includes the wedding ceremony, bouquet and boutonniere, the tiered wedding cake, champagne toast, photography services, decorated aisle and officiant. If a party of eight is just too small for the couple, there is the Time to Celebrate…Big! Package (20 guests; $1,975 for 20 guests) that includes all amenities from the “Just You & Me” package, but adds a 1 1/2-hour reception, open bar, hors d’oeuvre and a custom-designed ice carving.

Or, for dinner with a view, dine early at the back-of-the-ship Tuscan Grille, an Italian steakhouse with a wine country feel. Celebrity's ships are sophisticated and hip, and cater to couples on adult getaways, rather than families on holiday. Plus, there are plenty of onboard spaces tailor-made for parties of two -- from wine bars to multiple specialty dining venues, double pool loungers, and, on the Solstice Class ships, top-deck lawns perfect for picnicking. On Celebrity Edge and Apex, couples can snuggle up to the acoustic tunes of a live band in the Rooftop Garden.

If you are looking forward to experiencing the best cruise wedding on the sea, then look no further than Princess Cruises. Celebrity cruise captains are able to perform ceremonies at sea with legally binding marriage certificates. Their large fleet of ships offers a different mix for whatever theme your wedding will have from family friendly to VIP access. With so many top-notch specialty restaurants onboard, any table for two will do for a romantic night out. On Solstice Class ships, our favorite for couples is Murano, the upscale Continental restaurant offering both tasting and a la carte menus with luxe dishes like caviar, escargots, sweetbreads and foie gras.

The spacious fitness center might beckon, but perhaps you'll like the water sports platform best. Then, go ashore and lose yourself in the magic of Caribbean isles, each one different from the last. Foodie couples will surely fawn over Le Voyage, the first at-sea restaurant from superstar chef Daniel Boulud, Celebrity's global culinary ambassador. Boulud promises globally inspired plates like smoked salmon loin with cream of caviar, pickled cucumber and dill in a stunner of an establishment. If that type of modern, edgy experience is what you crave on your trip of a lifetime, this stunning 17-deck vessel will have you celebrating in a big way. Stroll hand in hand through the reimagined Rooftop Garden, with cantilevered float pools extending over the water's edge.

Here's What to Know About Planning a Cruise Ship Wedding

best cruise lines for weddings

Leave the planning to us and we’ll make sure to take care of every detail— all you’ll need to worry about is saying “I do” when the time comes. In order for a wedding ceremony at sea to be legal, ceremonies need to be conducted under the laws of the country in which the ship is registered, and all of Celebrity Cruises ships are registered in Malta. Holland America offers special wedding extras when at least eight staterooms are booked for an At Sea Symbolic or Anchors Away Harborside wedding through its Group Advantage Program. The entire group receives lunch at Pinnacle Grill (Holland America's upscale alternative restaurant), a private wine tasting and chocolate-covered strawberries, plus a bottle of in-room Champagne. The Ashore package comes in a wide range of price points depending on your destination of choice. At the lower end of the spectrum are weddings on HAL's private island, Half Moon Cay.

How far out should I book my wedding date?

For your honeymoon, you'll want to book at least a Sea Terrace with a private balcony, as it comes with a red hammock for those laid-back sea days. If you're feeling flush, treat your VIP selves to Rockstar Quarters, suites that each offer more space, an in-room bar and access to an exclusive sun deck area. Oceania is known for its ultra-comfortable Tranquility Beds; as honeymooners, you're allowed to spend as much time in them as you please. Splurge on a massive Oceania or Vista Suite to take advantage of expanded balconies with hot tubs and in-suite dining tables when you just want to enjoy a meal in private. The ship itself embraces an elegance not seen before on typical fun-loving NCL sailings.

Choosing the Best Cruise Destination

Meals in the ship’s three dining venues feature menus from a Michelin-starred chef. And if you've always want to learn to scuba, this cruise line offers programs and dives from the ship’s marina and destination beaches. Don't worry — you don't have to find an available officiant in Jamaica or the Bahamas. For example, all three of Princess Cruises' wedding packages include either a legal ceremony by the captain or one performed by a local officiant in port. "We find most weddings are celebrated on board during embarkation day. This allows attendees who aren't sailing with the couple to visit the ship for the ceremony," says Matt Lupoli, of Carnival Cruise Line media relations.

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Make Sure It's a Legal Wedding Ceremony

best cruise lines for weddings

Sailing with more than 50 guests might be its own organizational challenge, but couples looking for a larger wedding at sea can opt to hold their ceremony at a land-based venue in one of their itinerary’s approved destinations. As with any milestone event, you can keep it as simple as an intimate elopement or as lavish as a large ceremony with a banquet dinner with every upgrade on offer. Choosing a cruise line that provides options will help tailor your wedding day to fit within your means as well as your dreams.

Norwegian Prima also delivers lots of outdoor deck space, impressive crew-to-guest ratios for a big ship, upgraded cabins and The Haven, NCL's ship-within-a-ship enclave. All 107 Haven suites provide access to an expanded sun deck, a new infinity pool overlooking the ship's wake and an outdoor spa with a glass-walled sauna and a cold room. You even score a 24-hour butler, as well as access to the exclusive Haven restaurant and private lounge. Pick Windstar's Wind Surf for mellow Caribbean island-hopping cruises, where turquoise seas are calm and the wind is gentle. Few ships are better meccas for romance than this 342-passenger, five-mast ship. That said, you may not know the first thing about cruise ship wedding ceremonies.

Use those save-the-date mailings to your guests wisely and provide them with as much information as possible. But you do need to get your paperwork in order before the wedding day. Use Cruiseable's Bliss Filters to find Disney sailings that are high on romance.

Princess Cruises Wedding Package Details:

The crowd tends to be slightly younger than Celebrity and with less families than would be on a Carnival ship. Couples who choose Carnival usually do so with an eye to ensuring wedding guests are well entertained before and after the ceremony. In fact, we’ve personally cruised with 5 out of the 6 cruise lines listed below (multiple times with some). Asian restaurant Tamarind is pure joy, with its elegant decor and understated touches. But there's nothing understated about the menu, which offers full-on fusion cuisine.

Create a stunning honeymoon registry and wedding website and be sure on your way to an extraordinary journey together. For a wedding photo to remember, couples can opt to have their pictures snapped on MSC's dazzling Swarovski crystal-encrusted staircases. Marriage licenses are extra in all cases, and prices vary depending on local authorities. "We start with a package and design your ceremony to be just for you," says Bernal. Use the Bliss Filters sliders to zero in on the kind of romantic Crystal Cruises voyage you're seeking.

Carnival Wedding Packages & Rates

The intimately yours package allows up to 10 guest and the price of it is $1,950. The Embark on Romance Package allows up to 50 guests and is approximately $5,600. Celebrity cruise line offers many different packages for your special day. You might be on the fence about planning a cruise ship wedding, as they aren't the most typical arrangement. It helps to know the benefits of a cruise ship wedding and how they differ from a standard reception.

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These cruise lines offer customized options to ensure your special day stands out amid the sea of matrimonial celebrations. Discover everything you need to know for a dreamy cruise wedding experience. The line also has two additional wedding packages with increasingly stepped-up amenities for either legal or symbolic ceremonies at select ports in North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Anchors Away Harborside package, starting at $2,000, adds priority check-in for the couple and their guests, and photography services. In addition to the above benefits, you'll score priority check-in and boarding for the couple and guests with the Tie the Knot Harborside package, which includes a service in port before embarkation.

Additional services from photography to music, receptions and pampering appointments can be added to the package. And group bookings bring added incentives for couples who say “I do” with Holland. If eight or more staterooms are booked, the couple gets a free upgrade and a complimentary wedding cake for up to 16 guests. Guests benefit, too, with a Pinnacle Grill lunch, chocolate-dipped strawberries per stateroom, a bottle of Pierre Larousse Brut sparkling wine and a private one-hour wine tasting per guest. Services include reserving an ideal location on the ship, or at a venue in or near a port of call, to host the ceremony.

Additionally, Disney offers a low-stress, low-hassle package that -- while not cheap -- certainly delivers on bringing fairytales to life. Named "Best for First-Timers" by Cruise Critic, Viking River Cruises will appeal to honeymoon couples who haven't traveled overseas before. With this cruise line, there's none of that "where do we go now?" anxiety, as Viking reps meet you at the airport and guide you to your ship.

With a total of three loaded with extras wedding packages to choose from, Norwegian has something for every wedding style. When you think of Carnival Cruises, you probably picture giant water slides, exotic meals, and tons of onboard entertainment. If all that seems like the extra bit of fun your wedding is missing, then a Carnival cruise might be the perfect place to tie the knot. Celebrity Cruises is another popular choice for couples looking to have their pre-packaged wedding brought to life with fun extras and a dramatic location.

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