Cruise Weddings: A No Hassle, Cost-Effective Way to Tie the Knot

My husband and I had a fantastic wedding on a Carnival cruise ship.  We were married in the ship's lovely chapel prior to leaving the San Diego port with 35 guests sharing our joy. 

The ceremony was followed by a 1-1/2 hour open bar reception with hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, a piano player providing background music and a photographer. 

After the reception, our guests left the ship and Ted and I headed to Mexico for our honeymoon.  You might also choose to take your family and friends along on the cruise with you. ... I know many of our guests were sorry they had to leave the fantastic ship!

With a cruise wedding, a ships' coordinator will assist you throughout the process and the wedding officiant is included in the package – though I asked my minister to perform my ceremony.  Also included in wedding packages are a bridal bouquet with matching boutonniere for the groom, sparkling wine & keepsake champagne flutes, a wedding cake with keepsake topper, cake cutting service and champagne toast, and wedding march music.

What will you pay for a cruise wedding package?  Fees range between  $1,195 and $6,000 depending on the cruise line and the add ons that you choose.

If you choose to be married in another country, you will need to get a marriage license for that country – the license fee can range from $300 in Aruba to $685 in St. Maarten.

Which cruise lines provide wedding services?  Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Azamara and Cunard.

Smaller cruise lines, such as Windstar, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas, don’t offer weddings, but they do provide vow-renewal ceremonies. Renewals are often done as a group with other couples and offer a ceremony by the captain, a cake, bottle of wine and a renewal certificate.  Renewal packages cost around $200.

I highly recommend cruise weddings, and one of my favorite things is to combine my ministry with my travel business by performing weddings on cruise ships! 

Have you been married on a cruise ship?  We'd love to hear about your experience – post a comment and let us know how it went.