Getting Married on a Cruise
When it comes to a list of the most romantic things you and your partner can do, we reckon that holding your wedding on a cruise is going to rank pretty highly. One of the biggest days of your life, with an incredible atmosphere, fantastic food, top-notch photo ops and getting to go on your honeymoon mere moments afterwards – how could it not?
Along with all that good stuff, cruise weddings are also a lot more forgiving on the wallet, you’ll be glad to hear. But like their onshore equivalent, there’ll be plenty of planning involved too.
Tying the knot at sea sound like your kind of thing? This is the article for you. Here, we’ll run through the costs involved with cruise weddings, how to go about planning them, and the best cruise lines offering water-based weddings right now.
How much does a cruise wedding cost?
While cruise weddings are always good value, how much you’ll pay for them depends on the line you’re sailing with, the package you go for, and any extras you decide to throw in too. With that said, even the priciest at-sea wedding can be way more affordable than a traditional wedding on land.
In terms of prices, they can start in the region of anywhere from a few hundred quid, as with MSC Cruises’ £500 offering, all the way up to Royal Caribbean’s £5,000+ destination weddings!
How do cruise weddings work?
There’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to cruise weddings. Generally, however, you’ll first have to pay for the cruise itself, and then the wedding package. Then there are licence fees to pay for, all of which vary by cruise line, package and location.
Once everything has been paid for, you have plenty of freedom to work with. So, you can get married on the ship ahead of departure, in the departure port (not the most romantic place as we’ve said), or on land at a destination port.
Can you renew your vows on a cruise?
Yes, you can. Along with getting married at sea, some cruise lines let you renew your vows onboard too. In fact, lines like Fred Olsen only let you renew vows, with the line not offering weddings onboard in any form.
Like cruise weddings, renewing your vows at sea is available in the form of packages ranging from as little as £200 all the way up to £1,450, which usually feature the renewal ceremony, champagne and cake, flowers, photos and a certificate. Pricier options offer a reception, with an additional fee for every additional guest.
What cruise lines can you get married on?
Azamara Club Cruises
Azamara offer a range of wedding packages depending on the traveller's requirements, bringing guests an all-round experience including weddings, vow renewals and honeymoons.
First up, the Test the Waters package is ideal for couples wanting to marry on deck. Prefer something on land? You can always opt for another package like the Shoreside Wedding, where you can select a destination of your choice to tie the knot in.
All ceremonies will be performed by a government-approved official and can either be performed in selected areas of the cruise or at a chosen destination.
Carnival Cruise Lines
Perfect for the young – and the young at heart – Carnival give guests the opportunity to choose between five wedding packages: Just You & Me, Time to Celebrate, Time to Celebrate...Big!, Let Us Serve You and Island Breeze.
Just You & Me is perfect for smaller ceremonies with up to eight guests, while the opulent luxury of their Let Us Serve You deal makes for a more luxurious occasion, complete with a wedding breakfast and champagne toast to the newlyweds!
Celebrity Cruises
Onboard a Celebrity Cruises ship you can opt for the Nautical Nuptials at Sea, which includes a captain-led ceremony, an events coordinator, live music, one hour of photography, a cake for two, champagne, a bouquet and additional romantic amenities. Shoreside ceremonies, meanwhile, also include transportation to the destination chosen.
There’s also the option of extras (for a fee) including a welcome reception, bridesmaid tea party and a cigar and cognac party to start your wedding off in style.
Costa Cruises
Costa know that setting is everything when getting married at sea. That’s why their packages include Caribbean Island Wedding, Italian Shipboard Wedding and a Honeymoon & Anniversary package, offering a range of exotic and envious locations that cater to all travelling couples’ tastes.
Locations, however, are dependent upon the number of guests attending, so this is well worth keeping in mind when making your bookings.
Cunard Cruise Line
There’s something rather historic and charming about a Cunard cruise wedding, so if you’re especially taken by classic British influences, then this could well be the cruise line for you.
Per the Cunard site: "The Royal Wedding at Sea package on a Cunard ship provides couples with a wedding licence, onboard wedding coordinator, two floral arrangements and traditional wedding music (although a live pianist, harpist or string quartet are available for a fee)."
And now that their ships are registered in Bermuda, Cunard’s Captains can conduct ceremonies at sea, too.
Princess Cruises
With Princess Cruises you can choose the Tie the Knot at Sea package, the Tie the Knot Harborside, or Tie the Knot Ashore.
These packages all include an abundance of highlights including a ceremony at a beach or garden, an onboard wedding chapel and photographer to capture your special moment. State-of-the-art technology also means you can broadcast the ceremony live to family and friends too.
Holland America Line
Holland America has a mature and sophisticated ambience making it an attractive option for older couples wishing to get wed.
Working alongside Royal Ocean Events, Holland America Line offer four packages: a couples-only ceremony, the Anchors Away Shipboard Wedding, Rembrandt Shipboard Package and the Royal Dutch Deluxe Package – all offering amazing extras like additional photos, 30-minute massages and more. You can even opt for a cool in-port location such as the glacier in Juneau.
MSC Cruises
MSC offer two wedding package options: onboard weddings and shoreside weddings.
Onboard weddings include priority check-in for the couple and guests, a wedding coordinator and other lovely additions, while shoreside ceremonies consist of destinations like Barbados, Jamaica and St. Maarten.
The line even gives couples the opportunity to customise their package – regardless of which one they choose – by upgrading with photography, music, flowers and everything in between. Couples can legally get married onboard too, so there’s no need to worry about bringing legal documents with them onboard.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian offer three wedding packages: Weddings at Sea, Escape by the Captain and Harbourside, with the latter giving couples the chance to marry at any port they choose if they fancy doing something a little different.
Guests also have priority embarkation if the wedding happens to be on embarkation day, along with additional extras such as beauty spa treatments and tuxedo hire for those who require it.
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises’ Weddings at Sea package provides guests with a ceremony conducted by the Captain, with little extras like champagne and floral arrangements for an added special touch. They’ll even throw in invitations and thank you notes for you too.
In wedding parties of 16 or more, the couple will also receive £200 onboard credit, while each couple within the party will receive £100 of onboard credit and up to three complimentary cabins too.
Royal Caribbean International
Whether you go for formal, grand or intimate, Royal Caribbean wedding packages let couples put a personal spin on things – as they should! And with four packages to choose from, making your day extra special is easy.
Whether it’s the classic Vows at Sea Package, Embark on Romance’s embarkation day ceremony, the small-but-perfectly-formed occasion of Intimately Yours or Destinations I Do port venue perfection, you’ll find what you’re looking for from your day with Royal Caribbean’s options.
Need a little more information on what we’ve mentioned above? Be sure to get in touch. We’d be more than happy to help you begin planning your big day with one of our fantastic cruise ship deals.