Weddings

Although cruise weddings are becoming more and more popular, not every cruise line offers them. Generally, the bigger lines are all for them, and feature packages designed around the wedding itself. Others will offer all the amenities you need for the ceremony, as well as small-scale receptions for afterwards. Some won’t offer onboard weddings at all, though will offer vow renewals – more on this later.

The legality of at-sea marriages can be a bit of a thorny issue, so make sure you’re well aware of everything regarding it before you book. The same goes for legalising a wedding if it’s in a foreign port; your wedding planner can explain all the details and let you know where the best location will be. You should also be prepared to do the legal housekeeping before or after the cruise. If this is the case, then the ceremony will be purely symbolic. This will also be the case for private island weddings. Here the captain will lead the ceremony, but since they can’t perform legal ceremonies, the “actual” marriage will take place in the cruise terminal. Is that really where you want to actually be married, even if a cruise is waiting to whisk you away straight afterwards?

The popularity of weddings has meant that certain cruise lines pump up the prices during certain times of the year, including holidays like Valentine’s Day and months when weddings tend to be popular, such as May and June.

An in-port wedding in the Caribbean or Mexico sounds romantic, but ceremonies like this do come with a risk. If the ship is forced to cancel the call, then your in-port wedding will go bye-bye along with it. For this reason, it might be best to avoid getting married in ports located in countries that have hurricane seasons.

There’s something about a mid-voyage ceremony that’s undeniably enticing, especially in the romance stakes. But getting married onboard while the ship is still docked could well be the best option. It’s one of the most flexible, whichever way you look at it. Not all your guests will be able to sail, so it’s a great way of inviting everyone you want onboard (including the clergy), having the ceremony, and then the reception!

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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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 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 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 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’ 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.

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.