Wedding cruises can be fun, inexpensive, and a great way to bring friends and family together in a carefree setting, even if it’s your first cruise. Before planning a wedding cruise, you should ask yourself a few questions:
What is our cruise wedding budget?
Like land-based weddings, the cost of wedding cruises ranges from affordable to bankrupt. The good news is that even if you only have a small wedding budget, you can still host a reception and celebration at sea or in port.
Keep in mind that you will have two main expenses: the cost of the cruise itself and the cost of the wedding. Factors that affect the total price include the grade of cabin you choose, the number of guests at your wedding, the shore excursions you take, and how many days the cruise lasts. And if you’re not embarking from a port that you can drive to, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of a flight to get there.
When do we want to sail?
As with reserving a space for a shore wedding, you will need to determine the optimal date for your cruise wedding. Even in winter, cruises leave from the east and west coasts, taking you from cold to mild weather.
Where do we want to navigate?
Although Caribbean cruises are very popular (and are among the most affordable), cruises actually sail to all seven continents. If you are going to combine a wedding and honeymoon cruise (also known as a weddingmoon), consider visiting romantic ports on the Mediterranean. Use a source like Expedia to find and quote available cruises by destination.
Do we want friends and family to sail with us, or just attend our wedding by boat and then disembark?
The couple (and / or their parents) are expected to bear the expenses of the ceremony, reception and their own passage. Guests sailing with them are expected to pay for their own cabins and transportation to and from the port. It is up to you whether you want to spend your honeymoon with family and friends or say goodbye to them from the ship’s railing after getting married.
Is it difficult to plan a cruise wedding?
It is actually the easiest type of destination wedding you can have. The cruise line company you select may have a dedicated wedding department and a variety of wedding packages for you to choose from. Or they will refer you to the company they delegate to organize their cruise weddings.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a cruise wedding?
Cruises are well equipped to meet the basic needs of a wedding. Many have wedding chapels. The ships’ large kitchens can feed any number of people, their onboard musicians can provide live entertainment, and their photographers sail most cruise ships. But the big advantage is affordability: reception costs, per person, compare favorably with wedding venues in major cities.
Another advantage is that you can sail on your honeymoon immediately after the wedding. Some couples encourage friends and family to sail with them; others schedule the wedding when the ship is in port and then greet the guests.
On some cruise lines, you can marry the captain while the ship is at sea. On other lines, you will have to get married while the ship is in port and have an authorized officiant.
Depending on whether or not a couple is outgoing, they may not like being assigned to a large table and dining with strangers. Now that various cruise lines are more flexible when it comes to meal times and seating, that’s not a problem, and not a problem at all if you’re taking your guests on the cruise!
What are some unique options for a cruise wedding?
Several cruise lines that sail the Caribbean have a private island, and these are nice, informal places to host a beach wedding. Some even have a chapel. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines can customize events to offer couples everything from a wetsuit wedding alongside the Flowrider on their latest ships to a wedding atop an Alaskan glacier, where the couple is transported by helicopter.
Are cruise weddings expensive?
The more elaborate the event and the further away from the ship, the more expensive it will be.
How long does it take to plan a wedding at a cruise destination?
To ensure you get the cruise and cabin you want, start planning as far in advance as possible. But procrastinators can often be accommodated.
Any other suggestions for cruise weddings?
You can sail and get married without having a cruise wedding. If your ship calls Montego Bay, Jamaica, for example, you can get married at Half Moon Resort. You have an affordable destination wedding package that picks you up at the port and brings you to the resort. Provide a marriage officer, photographer and videographer, champagne, snacks for ten, a wedding cake, and are deposited back on the ship in time to board. And if you are traveling alone, it will even provide two witnesses.
Be sure to check with the resort to make sure this package is available when you want to get married.
