Yes, you can get married on a cruise ship. There are many reasons why you might want to do so โ but also some downsides to a cruise ship wedding, and things youโll want to take into consideration while planning, to ensure your nuptials go off without a hitch. Hereโs what you need to know.
In this Article:
What to Expect From a Cruise Ship Wedding
Iโve seen many a wedding taking place on a cruise ship and I know a fair number of avid cruisers whoโve opted for a cruise ship wedding. However, the experience is not for everyone. If youโre relatively new to cruising, this is basically how a cruise ship wedding goes down.
A cruise ship wedding basically combines a destination wedding with a hotel wedding. You get the thrill of getting married far from home, in a vacation-worthy locale, but you also get all the built-in services that you might when holding a hotel wedding, including accommodations, catering, entertainment, etc.
Which Cruise Lines Offer Weddings?
Many cruise lines offer wedding packages that bundle everything you could need into one cost. For example, Royal Caribbean offers wedding packages starting at $1,950, accommodating up to 10 wedding guests and including an officiant, planner/coordinator, Champagne for toasting, music, wedding cake, dinner for just the couple and a wedding gift.
Carnival Cruise Line, meanwhile, has a signature ceremony package starting at $1,799 for 10 guests and many of the same services and inclusions, though Carnival Cruise Line throws in photography services, too.ย
Other cruise lines that offer wedding experiences include Cunard, Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Margaritaville at Sea, Azamara Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Crystal Cruises, MSC Cruises and Disney Cruise Line. Not all offer wedding packages, per se, but they will allow you to get married or renew your vows on the ship.
How Does a Wedding During a Cruise Work?
When you get married on a cruise, you can choose to either get married while youโre in port (either at one of the ports that youโre sailing to or at the embarkation port), or while youโre at sea. All of these three options come with their benefits and downsides.
If you get married at the shipโs home port on embarkation day, you can get married on the ship and invite non-cruisers onto the ship to celebrate with you (theyโll obviously just need to leave before the ship embarks).
If you get married during the cruise itself, at sea and on the ship, keep in mind that your attendees will need to join you for the entire cruise (some couples prefer this, others do not).
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If you get married during one of the shipโs port days, your guests can join you in the destination, and in this case, youโd likely get married off the ship.ย
Out of these three options, I would recommend not getting married on embarkation day. While it may feel convenient for your guests and it leaves you with the rest of the cruise to enjoy the trip as a married couple, embarkation day is busy and stressful.
Youโll have to worry about long lines getting onto the ship. Since cruisers donโt have access to their staterooms right away on embarkation day, theyโll all be milling about in public spaces, making things crowded. Itโs just not the experience Iโd personally choose for a wedding.ย
Throughout all the planning, the cruise lineโs event planner will be able to assist you, ensuring that all your questions are answered and that everything is ready to go for the big day.
They can even help with ensuring youโre completely legal, and that you acquire the right marriage license for your in-port or at-sea wedding.ย
Cruise Ship Wedding Pros
The benefits of opting for a cruise ship wedding are pretty straightforward.
First, thereโs the cost. With the average cost of the typical wedding easily exceeding $30,000, youโll save a ton by hosting a cruise ship wedding.
Even if you get one of the more expensive wedding packages, like Cunardโs luxury wedding ceremony package that starts at $3,600, youโre still saving a substantial amount. If you consider the cruise itself to be your honeymoon, that lowers your wedding costs even more.ย
(Though, I think itโs worth mentioning, just in case you didnโt realize, that the cost of the wedding package will not include the cost of your cruise itself.
Youโll need to keep that additional cost in mind as you set your wedding budget, as well as the cost of travel to and from your cruise port, and the cost of any extra purchases not included in your cruise fare, like specialty dining costs, spa and salon services costs, etc.)ย
In addition to savings, you may also enjoy extra perks and specials when booking a cruise ship wedding. Couples often receive extra on-board credits, for example, or a welcome gift of strawberries and chocolate.
If traveling in a group, with all your guests on the ship, youโre more likely to receive even more extras, such as a stateroom upgrade for the lucky couple.ย
Then, thereโs the ease of planning. With most cruise lines including a wedding planner and coordinating services within their event packages, youโll have a professional on your team to ensure all your wedding planning iโs are dotted and tโs are crossed.
The general simplicity of a cruise ship wedding likewise makes things more convenient. If youโre not a big planner, or the idea of a traditional wedding seems overwhelming, a cruise ship wedding is the way to go.
Cruise Ship Wedding Cons
So what are some of the potential downsides to having a cruise wedding?
For one, you canโt always control your surroundings. If you want to have your wedding on the cruise ship deck, with the ocean in the background, for example, your big day might be moved inside, to one of the ship’s other venues, if the weather doesnโt cooperate.
Likewise, if you have your wedding while in port, on a beach, you canโt really prevent other travelers from wandering into or close to your ceremony space.
In some instances, this is not a big deal. In my experience, most cruisers are fairly respectful of wedding parties on the ship. They may stop and stare, but theyโre not going to overtly get in the bride or groomโs way.
Iโve also, though, seen wedding parties actively peeved that the cruise shipโs hustle and bustle goes on around them, while theyโre trying to get photos or otherwise enjoy their day.
Then, thereโs the fact that cruise ship weddings are more limited than on-land weddings. Most cruise ship weddings are on the smaller, more intimate side, so if youโre dreaming of a wedding day that includes hundreds of your closest friends, family members and mere acquaintances, tying the knot on a cruise ship might not be for you.
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Youโll likewise be restricted to the cruise shipโs offerings, in terms of cake design, dรฉcor, ceremony space, etc. While these offerings take into account most couplesโ preferences and common wedding trends, if your dream wedding includes something completely out of the box โ say, you and your spouse-to-be riding away from the reception on horseback โ you might be out of luck.
Lastly, itโs worth noting that basic cruise ship wedding packages only include your ceremony, technically. For a reception celebration, youโll likely need to make a group reservation at a specialty restaurant on the cruise ship.
Tips for Planning Your Cruise Ship Wedding
Taken all of the above into consideration and decided that a cruise ship wedding is right for you? If so, here are a few tips to ensure your wedding day is as magical as possible.
1. Book Carefully and Early
Keep in mind that youโll likely not be the only couple on board getting married during your chosen sailing, and the cruise ship will have a limited number of wedding slots available.
As such, if you have your heart set on getting married on a certain day or during a certain sailing, book your cruise and your wedding package as soon as you can, for the most choices possible.ย
You may also want to opt to cruise during less-busy periods, for less competition for those wedding slots, such as during the week, avoiding holidays and spring break season.
2. Make Things as Easy as Possible for Your Guests
While your cruise ship wedding coordinator will make the wedding planning and day-of as easy as possible for you, extend the same courtesy to your guests.
Start by letting your guests know as soon as possible that youโll be having a cruise ship wedding, so they RSVP and can plan any travel accordingly. If youโre inviting them to go on the cruise with you, offer a block of cabins that they can book at various price points, just like a Group Cruise.
Additionally, plan a mix of โtogetherโ activities and free time. You want your guests to walk away having had an excellent vacation, but you donโt want to monopolize their free time (and you likely donโt want to spend your entire romantic cruise catering to Grandma Maryโs wishes and demands anyway).
3. Arrive at Your Cruise Port a Day in Advance
While this is a piece of advice I hand out often, to all cruisers, itโs especially something to consider if youโre having a cruise ship wedding. Arrive at your cruise port one day ahead of embarkation day.
While you may think that thereโs no way at all that you could miss embarkation, you never know when a flight is going to be cancelled, weather is going to be bad or something similar is going to make it impossible for you to get to the cruise port on time.
Worth Reading: Boarding a Cruise Ship โ All You Should Know
You can alleviate all worries about missing your cruiseโs embarkation by arriving at your cruise port one day in advance, staying overnight in a hotel and then traveling to the cruise port the morning of embarkation.
4. Carefully Consider all the Pros and Cons of a Cruise Ship Wedding Before Making Your Final Decision
Lastly, it canโt be overstated that you really need to think about all the pros and cons of a cruise ship wedding before booking.
Will some of your family not be up for a cruise ship wedding, particularly family members that youโd really like to have present on your big day? Do some of your friends or family members get seasick? Is everyone healthy enough to travel internationally?
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How flexible are you, typically, and for big events? When youโre at the whims of the weather and the cruise line, you may need to be very flexible in where, when and how your nautical nuptials eventually take place.
If youโve fully thought about whatโs best for you and your fiancรฉ, your guests, your budget and your personal preferences, and youโve found that none of the cruise ship wedding cons are a big enough deal to dissuade you, then itโs time to book.