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20 Things to know when planning a cruise ship wedding

August 01, 2020 6 min read

Cruise ship weddings can be fun, simple, and affordable. Check out the things you should know before planning a cruise ship wedding!  Did you know that the average wedding in the United States cost over  $20,000?  I personally had my wedding on a cruise ship and I loved it! A cruise wedding can be as cheap as  $1500-$7000  depending on what you want and how many people will be attending. You can also add things and still have an amazing wedding on a budget.  A wedding on a cruise ship is a great way to save money, time, and is a very unique way to tie the knot!   I have created this cruise ship wedding guide for anyone looking for perspective and tips on tying the knot on board a cruise ship.  

1.) Reserve in advance  

With any wedding whether land or sea, reserve in advance because you may not be the only couple considering a certain wedding date. Also, you want to book your cruise vacation in advance to avoid it being sold out.  

2.)Your Wedding can be at a port or destination venue 

I had my wedding in Miami before the cruise set sail. You can choose to have your wedding on the ship in your home port before it sets sail or at another port like the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii etc. Keep in mind that you can not have your wedding while the cruise is actually sailing on the ocean because a legal marriage has to be within a country. Also, know that you can renew your vows on a cruise if you are already married!  

3.)Pick the right cruise for you  

For most ships they will require you to book your cruise vacation first before starting any wedding planning so keep this in mind. Also, every ship is different with different cruise lengths and things to offer so you will want to pick the cruise ship that matches your personality. I personally chose to have a wedding on Carnival cruise because it offered affordable wedding packages compared to other ships and I chose a 7 day cruise because it was not too long or too short. A 4 day cruise is also a great option.  

4.) Get the balcony suite  

You will be saving some major bucks on your wedding, so you will have some extra cash to get an ocean view suite with a balcony. I would highly recommend getting a balcony suite because it is more spacious and waking up to different views every morning will be very romantic.  

5) Bring marriage license  

You will need to get your marriage license prior to the wedding. After the wedding ceremony the newly married couple, their witnesses, and clergy will sign the marriage license. It will be up to the couple to file it with the courts after the wedding so that it will be legal.  

6) Non-cruising family members can attend wedding  

   Even if your family members will not be passengers on the ship, they can still be in attendance to your wedding when the ship is in port. When I had my wedding with Carnival cruise line I was able to get onto the ship with all of my family members and friends before the ship was to set sail from Miami, FL and have my wedding. Also, keep in mind there will be no other people on the boat besides you, your wedding guest, and the cruise staff at the time of your wedding because you will be given priority boarding and get on the ship earlier than others for your wedding.  

7.) Honeymoon will still be amazing even with cruising family members  

Speaking of family members, don't worry about your honeymoon being less romantic with family or friends cruising with you. The ships are so big and full of different activities that you are not likely to run into them. However, if you do want to hang out with them it can be very fun. 

8.) Let your guest know your plans ASAP  

When planning a cruise wedding you will want to let your guest know your plans as soon as possible, so that they can have time to prepare or take off from work. You can do this  BEFORE  sending out invitations by simply emailing, calling or texting your guest to give them a heads up of your plans.  

9.) Make a wedding website & registry  

When it comes to a cruise wedding there are a lot of little details that your guest will need to know and understand. On your wedding website or facebook page be sure to include hotel information, directions to the cruise port and where to meet for the wedding. You will also want to let them know that if they are a non-sailing wedding guest they will need to bring I.D and if they are a sailing guest to bring their passport.   Check out how I set up my wedding website  here .  

10.)Try to get group rates  

Try to book accommodations as a group so that your wedding guests and you can get better rates and save money on your cruise booking.  

11.) Wedding planners will assist you  

The great thing about having a wedding on a ship is that it will be a lot less stressful. The cruise wedding coordinators take care of everything, you just let them know what you want. Wedding packages offered on the ship also help to take a lot of the work out of the wedding planning. Packages will include cake, food, flowers, and entertainment..  

Tip:  A great company to get some beautiful themed wedding invitations is the  stylishscribe.com  and you can get real looking artifice flowers looking online.  

12.) When or when not to have your wedding cruise...  

Avoid summer and spring breaks:  if you choose to have your wedding during these times you may be sharing your cruise vacation with college spring breakers and families on vacation with their kids However, do book your cruise during these time if it fits into your wedding plans and guest schedules.     Avoid holidays: keep in mind when planning your wedding and cruise vacation that it may be more money during holidays.     Consider the season & weather: of course you will want to try your best to avoid bad weather months. For example I avoided having my wedding during hurricane season in Florida  

13.)Come at least a day prior to wedding cruise  

If you do not happen to live conveniently near the cruise port and are driving or flying in for the wedding, do yourself the favor and stay in a hotel prior to your big day. This will save you from running around like a crazy person and from getting stressed out. It also gives you more time to spend with family and friends prior to your wedding as wedding cruises typically are shorter.  

  14.)Get reliable transportation  

  Be sure to get reliable transportation to the cruise ship for your big day and preferably get a hotel near the cruise port. You may want to consider getting a shuttle from your hotel for you and your wedding party.  

15.) Arriving to cruise port...  

  you will be met outside by a cruise coordinator in a designated area. They will escort you and your wedding party into the ship in order to get ready. For your wedding you and all your guest will have priority boarding and check in. I boarded the ship at 10:00 a.m with all of my wedding guest.  

16.) Getting ready for your wedding  

  Makeup:  On the boat they can do your wedding makeup for you or you can be sure that your makeup artist comes with you into your cabin along with your wedding party.     Hair:   I would recommend having most of your hair done prior to getting on the boat and leave any minor finishing touches for the boat in order to save time in getting ready for your big day.     Clothes: Dress for the occasion, yes it is a cruise wedding and can be laid back but I would recommend to still dress to impress.       Cabins:   Your cabin will be ready early for you and your wedding party to get ready in.   I would recommend that you request a second cabin be opened so that the groom and the bridal party can get ready in separate locations.  

17.)Wedding ceremony  

keep in mind that  the ceremony room you get will be based off of the number of guest that you have attending your wedding. During your big day your guest will be directed to the ceremony room by your wedding coordinator.  

18.)Wedding Reception  

I would recommend that during the reception you just try and mingle with your wedding guest, with the exception of some candid shots and the standard wedding cake cutting photo. The time you have is short and it is better to pick up the professional picture taking after the reception where you will be able to go around the boat and outside to take plenty of photos by the photographer.  

19.) Photos and videography  

You can not bring your own photographer. Also, be aware that with any wedding that the professional photos and videos may be expensive. I personally would recommend getting the professional photos and video of your wedding and try to get the photo package that is right for your budget.     See example wedding video:  here  

20.) Honeymoon  

Time to sit back, relax and enjoy your honeymoon! My honeymoon was spent in Belize, Mexico, Honduras and Grand Cayman on the ship Carnival Glory. We had a balcony suite and really enjoyed every part of our honeymoon cruise from ordering room service in our cabin to snorkeling in the crystal blue waters of Mexico and riding around on a scooter.  

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The Pros and Cons of Getting Married on a Cruise Ship

See recent posts by Megan Wood

Getting married on a cruise ship is the ultimate destination wedding. It's an affordable, efficient, and fun way to combine your nuptials with a honeymoon for you and a vacation for your guests. Whether you want to elope at sea during sunset, bring your entire family to watch you exchange vows on a Caribbean beach, or trek to the top of an Alaskan glacier to say "I do," a cruise ship wedding can make it happen. But along with the many cruise ship wedding pros, there are some cons you should consider as well. Below, we put together a list of the advantages and disadvantages of getting married on a cruise ship.

1. Affordability 

Carnival ‘s wedding packages start at $249 per person, for a simple and lovely ceremony. Of course, the sky is the limit, with add-ons and luxury packages that can include everything from a trio of live musicians to custom wedding cakes, glamorous floral arrangements, and full video services.

2. Wedding Planners

Most cruise lines have a dedicated team of wedding planners who will organize and schedule everything on your behalf. Apart from picking your package and adding customized options, the bride and groom have little to do except show up and say “I do.” Some cruise lines even offer free wedding websites to help keep your guests up-to-date and organized.

3. Accommodations and Food

Deciding where you and your guests are going to sleep and eat is super simple on a cruise. The newlyweds can splurge on the Honeymoon Suite and guests have their choice of cabins — from interior to suite — depending on their budget. Norwegian ‘s freestyle dining plan means there’s a huge variety of included restaurants onboard, plus specialty options for romantic dinners for two.

4. Vacation and Honeymoon

After the wedding, your honeymoon begins at the next port. And your guests can enjoy having a proper vacation. Cruise ships set sail on almost every corner of the world, allowing you to combine your wedding with anything from island-hopping to climbing glaciers to circumnavigating the entire globe . Need help deciding which cruise to book? Check out our list of seven great cruises for first-time cruisers .

5. The Captain

Some cruise lines, like Princess , allow you to be married at sea by the captain. How cute is that?

6. LGBT-Friendly

Many cruise lines offer legal weddings for same-sex couples. Carnival launched same-sex Bermuda weddings in 2018 and Cunard ‘s first same-sex wedding is set to take place in November 2018.

7. Unforgettable Photos

If photos are your thing, a cruise ship wedding offers some of the world’s best and most creative backdrops, both on the ship and at port. You can hire a full photo team from the cruise ship, complete with edited and printed photos, or do it yourself.

8. It’s Fun

Couples have reported great success with getting married on cruise ships. Cruise ships tend to have a convivial and party-like atmosphere, and nothing makes people more excited than a wedding. Expect plenty of goodwill and well-wishes from fellow passengers on your big day at sea.

1. Other Passengers

If you’d prefer privacy on your wedding day, either choose a small cruise line or get married on land. You may not be the only bride on the boat, so be prepared to share the spotlight.

2. The In-Laws

Inviting family on a cruise ship for your wedding means they’ll be there on your wedding night and honeymoon. That works great for some families, but others may want more space and privacy.

3. Complicated Paperwork

Getting married at sea or in a foreign country can be complicated and require paperwork in advance. Be sure to check with your cruise line wedding planner for all the requirements. Some couples get married legally at home and simply have a ceremonial wedding on the ship.

4. Port Weddings Can Be Tricky

It’s not very common, but occasionally, a port call has to be canceled due to weather or time. If your heart is set on getting married on a specific beach in Jamaica, be sure you’re okay with having a back-up plan.

5. Seasonal Surcharges

Because cruise weddings have become so popular, some lines tack on fees for getting married on Valentine’s Day and preferred wedding months, such as May and June. Carnival even adds on surcharges for weddings on its newest ships.

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• Here's What to Know About Planning a Cruise Ship Wedding

Once you're over the initial excitement of your recent proposal, you'll have to start planning your wedding. Maybe you're not interested in the idea of a traditional church wedding, or you're looking through your options and want something a little different. Either way, tying the knot at sea is an increasingly popular choice, and one you might be curious about. 

That said, you may not know the first thing about cruise ship wedding ceremonies. How do they work? What should you keep in mind? We'll delve into the key details you'll need to know.

Why a Cruise Ship Wedding?

It's best to book in advance, check for wedding packages, cruises may not appeal to everyone, show caution with in-port weddings, make sure it's a legal wedding ceremony, choose the right cruise line, planning your cruise ship wedding.

You might be on the fence about planning a cruise ship wedding, as they aren't the most typical arrangement. It helps to know the benefits of a cruise ship wedding and how they differ from a standard reception. In truth, many people find that the perks of a cruise ship marriage far outweigh those of a traditional setup.

To start, cruises are often more affordable. Since entertainment is part of the package on cruise ships — and guests are free to visit the bar on their own — you won't have to spend nearly as much on music or alcohol. A cruise ship also presents a number of opportunities for fun, interesting pictures. 

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If you've asked your friends or family members for advice on booking a cruise ship, you might have heard that you'll save the most money when you book at the last second. In reality, it's better to book sooner rather than later if you're looking for the best deals.

There's a common misconception that cruise lines slash their prices as they inch closer to the departure date. However, cruise ships are likeliest to provide the best rates when they offer their first sale, and the prices tend to inflate as time goes on. Plus, those who book their cruise early on are far more likely to receive complimentary gifts and bonuses due to their advanced bookings.

Not every cruise line that's caught your eye will offer onboard weddings. Fortunately, most cruise lines do. Connect with a travel agency or browse through your options online to see if there are cruises offering shipboard wedding ceremonies. Sometimes, cruise lines will offer package deals where you can plan your honeymoon directly following the wedding ceremony.

There's a chance that a few people on your guest list are prone to sea sickness. If your cruise takes place on especially choppy water, this could spell disaster for the land-lovers in your life. While this shouldn't be the only factor to consider when you're planning a sea-based wedding ceremony, it's important to consider, nonetheless.

On your end, you may find a cruise wedding a little less intimate as well. It's not uncommon to be close to strangers during your ceremony, especially while dining or engaging in your daily activities. 

Cruises aren't a one-stop destination, which adds to the trill for most passengers. Still, that doesn't mean you should plan your entire wedding around the intended stopping points of the cruise ship, either.

Sometimes, cruises cancel in-port weddings due to unforeseen weather circumstances . From unpredictable hurricane warnings to storms that prevent ships from stopping at certain islands or beaches, there are many different risk factors at play. Don't make your entire cruise ship wedding contingent on your in-port ceremony.

Unlike traditional wedding ceremonies that feature a clergy member or a vow master, cruise-based weddings can be a bit trickier when it comes to legally certifying your vows. If you have a wedding planner, discuss the legality of your wedding at sea before you make the commitment.

Couples will sometimes decide to finalize the legal paperwork in advance of their wedding so that they can enjoy their cruise worry-free.

Certain cruise lines may offer a wedding package, but they aren’t all equal. You’ll want to choose the best cruise line for your specific needs. To that end, you have  a long list of options , including these top five choices.  

• Windstar Cruises : This cruise line is one of the leading options for soon-to-be-married couples. You’ll enjoy more personal treatment with uncrowded ships and an attentive staff. 
• Princess Cruises : As the first cruise line to offer onboard weddings, Princess Cruises has pioneered the practice. Their experience separates them from other cruise lines. 
• Royal Caribbean : With help from a “romance specialist,” the cruise program administrator and other professionals, you can plan your wedding to the most minute detail with Royal Caribbean.   
• Norwegian Cruise Line : If you take a trip with Norwegian Cruise Line, you can opt for a harborside ceremony and get married on the ship while it’s in port – perfect for both sailing and non-sailing guests.  
• Crystal Cruises : Work with a Crystal Celebrations consultant to plan your dream wedding, whether you want your ceremony on a beach in Bali or the hills of Tuscany.

With so many options, which will you choose?

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Just like any other wedding ceremony, a cruise ship wedding requires planning and forethought. If you remember the pointers above, you can map out your ceremony at sea with confidence. Have a happy voyage!

Check out these articles for more information on planning your cruise:

• Choosing the Best Cruise Destination
• Choosing the Right Cruise Line
• Choosing the Perfect Cruise Itinerary

About the Author

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective , an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more! 

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

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TAKE YOUR LOVE ON AN ADVENTURE

MAKE IT UNFORGETTABLE ROYAL WEDDING CRUISES 

You’re getting married! This is one of the most exciting and important times of your life, and Royal Caribbean® has everything you need to make your wedding as beautiful and seamless as you can imagine. From the right venue to the right menu, you’ll find fantastic choices onboard. Our inclusive wedding packages leave room for customization and those special personal touches, so the cake, flowers, music, breakfast-in-bed, and more are up to you.

Ready to say “I Do”? Start planning your Royal Wedding by submitting your information.

EMBARK ON ROMANCE 

Invite sailing and non-sailing guests to share in your occasion during embarkation day. Plus enjoy dinner for two at a specialty restaurant and more.

Start your wedding on the right note with live music at the ceremony. Then dance away at your reception with a live band, pianist, or DJ.

From custom bouquets to accents and arrangements, Royal Weddings offers an array of floral options to make your celebration more colorful.

Create a reception that reflects your personal style. Choose from a variety of unique options--from cocktail parties to restaurant buy-outs.

Pamper yourself with a couples' massage, a warm towel shave or prepare for your special day with salon services.

Capture your special moment with our team of professionally trained photographers.

Create a stunning honeymoon registry and wedding website and be sure on your way to an extraordinary journey together.

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'Definitely get married on a cruise ship': The weddings take less planning than on land

• Carnival Cruise Line performed 2,200 weddings and vow renewals in 2019.
• There's less planning involved on the part of the marrying couple for a cruise ship wedding.
• The cost of a wedding and cruise combination can vary, just like a wedding on land.

Like so many others, Tom Hayes and Jimmy Isaacs had to push back their wedding because of COVID-19. But unlike most couples, the London-based pair's wedding didn't take place at a typical venue. Instead, they were wed on a cruise ship.

Hayes told USA TODAY that he's been on around 20 cruises – and that when he and Isaacs started seeing each other, he turned his other half into a cruise addict, too.

"Naturally, when Jimmy proposed to me in June 2019 we both immediately knew we wanted to get married at sea," Hayes said. "We had planned to marry aboard Norwegian Epic, sailing out of Barcelona in April 2021."

The couple married April 18 on the same ship with 27 of their loved ones. 

While it's not the most common destination for a wedding, marriages are performed on cruise ships fairly often.

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HOW MUCH TO SPEND: The 'appropriate' range of a wedding gift can vary

Royal Caribbean International, for example, hosts around 1,000 weddings each year, Celia De La Llama, a spokesperson for the line, told USA TODAY. 

And Michele Andjel, spokesperson for P&O Cruises and Cunard, Carnival Corporation's UK brands, told USA TODAY that on annual average, P&O Cruises hosts more than 500 weddings and Cunard more than 100.

Holland America Line carried out 27 weddings in 2019, the last "typical year" before the pandemic, spokesperson Erik Elvejord said. This year, Holland America already has 20 weddings "on the books."

In the same year, Carnival Cruise Line did 2,200 weddings and vow renewals, Matt Lupoli, Carnival spokesperson, said.

HERE'S HOW COUPLES CAN CUT COSTS: Many 2022 weddings are over budget thanks to inflation

FROM DOORDASH TO EGG DONATIONS: Couples putting in extra work to pay off 2022 wedding costs

Why get married on a cruise ship?

Macy Reeves married her husband on Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship on Feb. 8, 2020. They chose to get married at sea because of the size of her family, she said. 

"I couldn't afford to invite everyone to the wedding (it would've been more than 300 people) so a cruise wedding fixed that because I could invite as many sailing guests as I wanted and I was limited to 30 nonsailing guests," Reeves explained.

That means that anyone who booked a sailing on the ship could come to the wedding and an additional 30 could come onboard for the wedding and leave afterward.

"It worked out perfect," she said. "We had a five-day honeymoon cruise with our friends and family."

Just over a decade ago, Sharine and Dana Grayson-Thomas, frequent cruisers, got married on the Norwegian Jewel before it departed from New York City.

They made the decision to wed on a ship after already booking a venue, DJ, flowers, cake and more for a land-based wedding in Connecticut, Sharine told USA TODAY in July while the couple was celebrating their 10th anniversary on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas.

While planning, the Grayson-Thomases found themselves asking "will the guests like this?" And realized that they'd planned a celebration that wasn't for them at all.

"We were like, 'this is not us,'" Sharine said. "We were trying to plan for everyone else to enjoy."

So they changed course, cut their guest list from 200 to 60, and booked their wedding with Norwegian Cruise Line, which, at the time, Dana said was the only cruise line to offer same-sex wedding ceremonies.

What's it like to get married on a cruise ship?

Reeves boarded the ship at 10 a.m. on her wedding day and the event began around noon.

Before the ceremony, guests could spend the time as they pleased on the ship – drinking, eating, playing mini-golf – while Reeves readied herself. Then, they had a 12-minute ceremony before an onboard reception with dancing, drinks, dining and toasts before nonsailing guests disembarked.

While the ceremony and reception were shorter than land-side commemorations, the full celebration was longer.

"Other cruise guests saw us in our wedding attire and congratulated us," she said. "People bought us drinks when (we were) out on the boat. We participated in a wedding show onboard the boat. It was just a big party for five days instead of a one-day celebration with family and friends how most weddings are."

Sharine and Dana Grayson-Thomas boarded with their 60 guests before the rest of the passengers at 10:30 a.m.

They had a "circle of love" ceremony in one of the lounges with special purple, pink and fuchsia touches featuring silk flowers – you can't bring live flowers onto a cruise ship, they explained.

After the wedding ended, the newlyweds started their vacation with 14 of their loved ones, including their children.

How it works for wedding guests

Similar to a destination wedding, a cruise wedding offers guests the opportunity to become passengers and to stay for a vacation. And that is taken into account during the planning process.

"It was important to us that we chose a sailing that offered both a short (three-night) and long (seven-night) option so that our guests could stay for as short or as long as they wished – and this itinerary really fit the spec," Hayes explained.

But, depending on the situation, invited guests don't always have to remain on board after the wedding in order to attend.

Reeves had 30 "nonsailing" guests come onboard for the ceremony while the ship was docked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They stayed for the ceremony and a reception before disembarking.

Like Reeves, the Grayson-Thomases had some guests that disembarked after the wedding. After checking out the ship while waiting for the ceremony to begin, they said some of their guests had regrets about not sticking around for a vacation.

How much does it cost?

Like a wedding shoreside, the cost of the experience can vary.

For Hayes and Isaacs, the wedding aspect itself cost the London-based couple around £1000, or $1300. The actual cruise cost more. 

"We're on for seven nights and are in a Spa Suite – spoiling ourselves – so it's £2,600 ($3,410) for the two of us," Hayes said. "But some of our guests are doing three nights and in an inside cabin at £400 ($520) per person."

Reeves, who got married on a Carnival Cruise Line ship, said they spent around $4,000 on the ceremony and reception onboard and a "grand total" of $10,000 on the entire experience including her dress, the rehearsal dinner, the cruise, photographer, ceremony – the whole nine yards.

As of April 2022, the starting price to have a wedding on a Carnival  ship is $1,499 with up to 10 guests including the couple, a two-tier cake and a few other amenities. Cost increases from there. However, the cruise line is not currently booking new reservations for weddings or vow renewals, according to its website .

The Grayson-Thomases' 2011 wedding cost around $17,000, Sharine estimated – that covered the cost of the cruise for the couple, their children and the wedding itself. Dana commented that they saved a great deal of money by getting married at sea.

For reference, a wedding in the U.S. cost around $34,000 total on average in 2021, according to The Knot.  The ceremony and reception portion cost $28,000 on average.

How does planning work?

Getting married on a cruise ship entails minimal work on the part of the couple, according to Hayes.

"There's less to do," he said. "No negotiating with multiple suppliers – the florist, the venue, the band, the caterers, the drivers, the hotel, the bar staff, etc."

Instead, they were able to simply contact the Norwegian Cruise Line's special events team to communicate their desires. Norwegian also has a calendar available on its website for interested couples to investigate open dates for weddings and their assorted packages available for purchase.

Sharine Grayson-Thomas said the same. 

"If you like to have total control of everything and be like a 'bridezilla,' it’s not for you, they're really planning everything," she explained. "You're choosing a few things and you're giving them money for it."

Dana Grayson-Thomas said there are a few ways to incorporate your own flare, especially if the ceremony is held before the ship departs such as theme colors.

Reeves also hired a private photographer to work her wedding – even though she was bending the rules a bit.

"You're not supposed to … but I did it anyway," she said. "(The cruise line) wants you to use their photographers but if you tell them your 'aunt' or 'uncle' is a photographer and is taking your photos for free then they'll allow it."

And while no live flowers are allowed on board because of the possibility of insects traveling from one country to another on the ship, Reeves worked with a florist to select artificial floral arrangements to bring on board, she said.

Even though she added her own touches, it still was simpler than it would have been to plan a wedding shoreside, she said.

"Since the whole wedding was 2.5 hours total, it made the planning part very easy because it was just ceremony and reception," she explained. "I also had to have everything planned out and submitted to my Carnival cruise wedding planner at least 60 days before the wedding."

There was a downside though, to the simplicity: It felt rushed. Reeves and her husband, Michael, had to miss a few dances to go take photos with the photographer since there wasn't designated time to do that – when it may have taken place during a cocktail hour at a traditional venue.

But, Reeves said, they don't have any regrets.

"It was a fantastic experience," she said. "I would recommend anyone who is uncertain about what kind of wedding they're wanting but they know they want casual, fun, and unique to definitely get married on a cruise ship."

And Hayes agreed. "We had a wonderful day and the ship’s staff couldn’t have done more to make it go smoothly."

• Tips & Advice

9 Things to Know When Planning a Cruise Wedding

Most weddings follow the standard church ceremony-country club reception formula, but what if you and your fiancé aren’t a standard couple? Then you should make sure that your nuptials stand out. A fun, unique way to say, “I do” is to do it with the ocean stretching out endlessly in every direction. Most cruise ships accommodate weddings on board, and it’s an exciting way to tie the knot and to convince your friends and family to treat themselves to a vacation.

If you’re thinking about planning a cruise wedding, here are nine things you should know before the boat departs.

1. You Should Hire a Travel Agent

You might not need to hire a travel agent for your average vacation, but a cruise wedding involves so many moving parts that it’s almost impossible to pull it off without an expert. Enlist a travel agent to help with paperwork and make sure you don’t overlook any critical details as you plan.

2. You Can Wed at a Port

Deciding to wed on a cruise doesn’t mean the ship deck is your only option. Many cruise lines allow you to wed at the destinations where they port if you give the crew enough advanced notice. While international beaches make for a beautiful backdrop , keep in mind that a port wedding involves some risk since bad weather and choppy waters sometimes force cruise ships to skip a stop.

3. You May Want to Wed in Advance

Depending on the country where your wedding ceremony will take place, you might have to jump through crazy hoops to make it legal. An easier alternative is to get your marriage license at home and do an informal ceremony at city hall — one that’s legally binding — and then design a more heartfelt ceremony for the ship.

4. Different Lines Offer Different Packages

Depending on the vibe that you want your wedding to give off, you should choose your cruise line carefully. Whereas smaller cruise lines promise attention to detail and intimacy , larger lines could be capable of accommodating a bigger and rowdier party.

5. An Online Registry is Ideal

One issue that’s probably going to come up as you send out invites is that guests won’t quite be sure how to handle wedding gifts. Most won’t want to waste space in their suitcase with kitchen appliances, so create an online registry at Crate and Barrel, Amazon or MyRegistry.com and encourage your guests to buy gifts in advance and ship them directly to your home. This way, they won’t have to deal with the hassle of bringing them aboard — and you won’t worry about getting them back home.

6. It’s Smart to Book Early

When you book a cruise for a big group, regardless of the occasion, it usually requires some advanced notice. So, call the cruise line and set up the basics as many months in advance as possible, ideally around a year. This will ensure that they can accommodate you at the proper time of year and on the route you really want.

7. You Can Nab a Group Rate

Speaking of booking for a big group, it has its perks. Instead of asking your guests to book their packages individually, call the cruise line to set aside a big block of rooms for everyone. Chances are you and your guests will enjoy a discounted rate thanks to the sheer volume of business that your nuptials are bound to bring in. Even if the cruise line doesn’t specify this, don’t be afraid to ask about a group rate.

8. Certain Seasons Incur Extra Fees

When you book a traditional wedding venue in June, it’s usually more expensive than reserving the same place in October. The peak wedding season exists on the high seas, too. So after you choose your budget, make sure you carefully consider which time of year is most affordable and decide how much the weather outside will affect your final decision on a wedding date.

9. You Could Get Bumped

When cruise weddings work out, they’re beautiful affairs that the bride and groom, as well as their guests, never forget. But keep in mind that this type of wedding also requires some flexibility. There’s a chance that you’ll get bumped from your cruise — it happens sometimes when the cruise lines overbook. So be prepared for anything and have a Plan B in place, just in case.

You’ll never forget the joy and excitement of your wedding day, regardless of the venue. But if you want everyone in attendance to remember it with the same fondness, a cruise ship wedding is a creative and unique idea. Now that you’re aware of everything there is to know about planning a cruise wedding, it’s time to dive in and start the process. You won’t regret the extra effort when your big day arrives!

Kacey Bradley is the lifestyle and travel blogger for The Drifter Collective , an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Tripping.com and more!

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

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Cruise Weddings: 5 Things to Consider

Once you’ve found that special someone, there’s nothing more exciting that planning your dream wedding, especially if it’s a cruise wedding . But, with so many things to consider during the planning stages, it can easily get overwhelming. So, what to do? Let the experienced wedding coordinators at Norwegian Cruise Line take care of everything, of course!

A cruise wedding is just as easy to plan as a land-based ceremony, plus it's fully customisable. It's also an affordable way to combine your reception and honeymoon all in one amazing holiday package, often with significant savings over a land-based wedding ceremony and reception.

Here are 5 things to consider when you’re planning your cruise wedding, and some tips to ensure it’s smooth sailing all the way!

Wedding Ceremony Locations

When you picture your perfect wedding day, what comes to mind? Do you want a ceremony at sea or do you see yourself exchanging vows on a tropical beach or other on-land location? A ships’ captain will be happy to accommodate your onboard ceremony on embarkation day or on a day at sea, although this will limit your embarkation choices slightly. Or, you can choose to get married in port at cruise holiday destinations such as Alaska , Bahamas , Bermuda , The Caribbean , Europe or Hawaii .

Cruise Wedding Guests

Don't worry about the possibility of fewer family members and friends attending your wedding at sea, as chances are, guests will already be avid cruisers or are curious as they've never cruised before, so you could end up with even more people attending your ceremony! And that's a good thing, especially if you'll be travelling with 14 or more passengers (7 staterooms), as 2 of your wedding party can cruise for free! Wow, that makes a cruise wedding even more affordable, don't you think?

Wedding Receptions at Sea

Reception options onboard your ship of choice will take place in a lounge attended by waiters and bar staff. Options include a standard or a deluxe cocktail party, or a sit-down 4-course luncheon with wine service. And, if you're getting married in port, Norwegian Cruise Line allows up to 10 non-sailing guests to board the ship during your ceremony.

Cruise Wedding Packages

Now that you've established the basics of your cruise wedding, it's time to pick a matching ceremony package. The experienced wedding planners at Norwegian Cruise Line will work with you to arrange for fresh flowers, music and photography. Of course, the all important wedding cake (available in 12 flavours with traditional buttercream icing) will be created just for you by the ship's pastry chef. Spa wedding appointments for the entire wedding party are also available.

Tips for a Smooth Sailing Cruise Wedding

My personal suggestion for a cruise wedding is to hold the ceremony onboard the ship when it's still docked at it's home port of call. Why? It's easy to bring non-sailing guests onboard, you can have a quick reception, say your goodbyes and then the fun of your cruise/honeymoon begins! This way everyone is included but then you can simply sail off into the sunset to start your new lives together. How romantic!

Tips for a smooth sailing cruise wedding include:

• allowing yourself as much time as possible to plan; many brides-to-be start preparing at least a year in advance.

• if you’re not sure about something, ask your wedding coordinator to clarify.

• if you’re getting married in port, develop a back-up plan in case the ship can’t dock due to inclement weather.

• set up a wedding or a honeymoon registry with Norwegian Cruise Line where gifts can include shore excursions, speciality dining, onboard shopping, casino credits and more!

• start a free wedding website with Norwegian Cruise Line to share your excitement with your family & friends - and don’t forget to include a link to your wedding & honeymoon registry.

EDITOR'S NOTE

This ship is designed specifically with the Chinese guest in mind. To explore other Asia itineraries, please see our Norwegian Star Cruises .

• Cruise Advice

6 Ways Cruise Weddings are Unique

Heather Baxter

• March 17, 2016

If you’re considering booking a cruise wedding, there are some things you should know before you book that make a cruise wedding different from a typical land-based wedding.

1. All-inclusive and hassle free

I booked my Carnival cruise wedding a few weeks ago, and I haven’t done but maybe one hour of planning since. That’s because Carnival is my venue, my officiant, my caterer, my server, my entertainment, my cake baker, my bartender, my photographer, and even my videographer. There’s some paperwork I have to do to customize the wedding day to my taste, but otherwise that’s it. I don’t have to go searching for vendors and checking availability. I just made one or two phone calls.

2. Can invite guests to sail or not

My groom and I are inviting all of our guests to sail with us, but some were a bit confused and felt uncomfortable going on our “honeymoon.” To us, this is not our honeymoon – this is a 7-day-long wedding celebration, and we want as many family and friends as possible to celebrate with us. It also gives us an excuse to take another cruise and call that our honeymoon. You just need to be clear with your guests as to whether they are invited on the cruise or only to the wedding.

3. Don’t know your venue

For onboard weddings, you will not know where on the ship your ceremony and reception will take place until about two weeks before your wedding. This is due to a number of factors such as number of guests attending, length of reception, and entertainment requests. It can also depend on whether there are multiple weddings occurring that day.

4. Cannot take home flowers or cake

Unfortunately, unsealed foods and cut flowers are two things on the list of what’s not allowed into the US according to Customs and Border Protections laws. However, the crew will keep your cake for you in the kitchen for the duration of your cruise and serve it to your guests at dinner each night. For the flowers, wedding couples can opt for the silk flower packages if they wish to keep them, or many brides are turning to Pinterest to create non-floral bouquets out of things like brooches or crocheted flowers. I’m doing this at my wedding for three reasons:

a. It’s cheaper (most packages only include the bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere – additional bouquets and corsages are extra), 

b. It’s better for the environment (why waste all those flowers for one day?), and 

c. They’ll be keepsakes (if it’s between keeping some dead, dried-up flowers versus a bouquet of crocheted flowers made specially by my Gram, I’ll take the latter). 

5. Guests cannot bring wrapped gifts

This is simply a security issue. If you want your guests to bring gifts, it may be a good idea to ask them to send them to your residence before or after the cruise instead. Another fun alternative is that most cruise lines offer honeymoon registries, which means guests can buy you onboard credit toward a variety of options like drinks, excursions, salon & spa services, etc.

6. Tuxedo rental on the cruise

It’s a little difficult to return a tuxedo the next day when you’re in the middle of the Caribbean. That’s why most cruise lines offer onboard tuxedo rentals for the groom and groomsmen. This will save you the hassle of having to change immediately after the wedding reception so that a volunteer non-sailing guest can take your suits off the ship and return them for you.

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Cruise weddings: Everything you need to know about getting hitched at sea

Are you considering a cruise wedding? At-sea nuptials have many selling points — including a wedding planner and a built-in honeymoon — especially for couples looking for smaller, more intimate weddings (up to 125 guests). They're also ideal for elopements. Yet before you decide to get married on a cruise ship, you'll want to understand all the pros and cons.

Think of cruise ships as floating hotels that can offer all the essentials a wedding venue needs, including food, drinks and overnight accommodations for guests. You've got space to host wedding-related events over several days — such as a pre-reception cocktail hour, pre-ceremony spa day with the girls and morning-after brunch. Cruise ship employees are trained in hospitality, with photographers, bakers and DJs already on board. Plus, imagine how gorgeous your wedding photos will be with the wide, open sea as a backdrop!

"This is a type of wedding that can fit anybody. People are ready to sail [again], they're ready to cruise, and they've waited a while to get married," due to COVID-19, says Liz Bernal, a travel planner who helps couples arrange their cruise weddings on behalf of Celebrity Cruises . "It's not just couples getting married for the first time, [and] not just second or third marriages."

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

If you're leaning toward swapping wedding vows on a cruise, know that cruise weddings aren't all "Love Boat"-inspired glamour. You'll need to make decisions around where to get married (at sea or in port) and understand how those choices affect your guest list, risk of cancellation and the legality of the ceremony. Perhaps the biggest question is whether you want friends and family sailing with you on your honeymoon.

Before you say "I do" to a cruise ship wedding, take some time to school yourself on the fine print and important decisions you'll need to make.

Should I get married on board or in port?

One of the first decisions couples need to make is whether to schedule their nuptials for embarkation day, at sea or in a port of call.

"We find most weddings are celebrated on board during embarkation day. This allows attendees who aren't sailing with the couple to visit the ship for the ceremony," says Matt Lupoli, of Carnival Cruise Line media relations. This option allows you to not only invite friends and family to your wedding but also enjoy a private honeymoon — without your mother-in-law or best man tagging along.

Another popular option is to get married while the ship's at sea. This is a fantastic option because you won't have the time pressure of embarkation day, nor will you have to give up any fun activities or beach time in port. Princess Cruises reports that 75% of its weddings are at sea.

One drawback of an at-sea wedding is that you may be forced to host events indoors because of high winds, rain or limited deck space, and the hours to rent a specific venue have to mesh with the ship's other programming needs -- including other weddings. Plus, if you want guests at your ceremony, they will need to book and pay for the entire cruise (or you'll have to pony up for their cabins).

With an at-sea wedding, you can ask the ship's captain to marry you, a perk only available on a few cruise lines (Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises , Cunard and Royal Caribbean , for example) when sailing in international waters. Your photos will look amazing, but buyer beware: Unless the captain is also a judge, notary public, justice of the peace or minister, your at-sea nuptials will be a symbolic, not a legal, wedding.

Related: 5 best honeymoon cruises for newlywed bliss

The final option is to get married at a cruise line's private island or during a port stop in another country. About 5%-10% of Princess Cruises' weddings are in port. For local flavor, you might be able to weave in reggae music in the background while in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, or gift guests leis in Honolulu. The drawback is that you can't control all of your surroundings; for example, the ceremony might be on a public beach.

One thing's for sure: The Caribbean's sunny ports are as popular as ever for a wedding ceremony.

"We're starting to see more weddings on the islands, whether their whole group is sailing with them or meeting them there," says Bernal.

Is getting married on a cruise ship legal?

The short answer is yes, in most cases. But you do need to get your paperwork in order before the wedding day.

If you're getting married on embarkation day at a domestic port such as Miami, Seattle, New Orleans or Fort Lauderdale, you can bring your own officiant to conduct a legal wedding, the same as you would at any land-based wedding venue. If your ceremony will take place during the cruise, either a local notary public (for ports in the U.S.) or a nondenominational officiant (international ports) will preside over the ceremony, making the wedding legal.

Don't worry — you don't have to find an available officiant in Jamaica or the Bahamas. The cruise line's wedding planners will do it for you. For example, all three of Princess Cruises' wedding packages include either a legal ceremony by the captain or one performed by a local officiant in port.

However, at-sea weddings on lines other than Princess get tricky: When a ship is sailing, it's in international waters, yet the ship is registered to a particular country. For example, Celebrity Cruises requires you to obtain a marriage license from Malta, as that's where its ships are registered. A notary public or religious officiant is always provided with any cruise line's wedding package.

Once you have an officiant, what about marriage licenses? Each country has its own requirements for in-port and at-sea weddings, and the cruise line's weddings department will assist in obtaining the information and, ultimately, the license. For example, if you want to get married while the ship is in the Bahamas, you need to first obtain a marriage license from that country, a process that can take up to 90 days. To get married in a U.S. port, you only need a marriage license from that state.

How big can a cruise wedding be?

Cruise weddings can range in size, though cruise lines do limit numbers. In many cases, the size of the venue restricts the number of guests allowed. The maximum size for a cruise wedding is about 150 guests.

According to Princess Cruises, two-thirds of its weddings have fewer than 10 people in the group and the average size of larger weddings is 25, with about two weddings each year with 40 or more guests. As the cruise line returned to service after the COVID-19 pandemic began, it reported that smaller, more intimate ceremonies were becoming more popular. Being married at sea by the captain is still, by far, the most sought-after package, says Princess Cruises.

Carnival's weddings run larger. "The average number of guests is about 40, but we host weddings of all sizes — from only the couples themselves to very large parties," said Lupoli. Celebrity Cruises has also started to see more larger cruise weddings post-pandemic.

Related: Big vs. small cruise ships: Which will I like better?

Can I invite guests who won't be sailing with us?

Beyond total guest numbers, each cruise line has strict rules about how many non-sailing guests can attend your embarkation-day wedding. For example, Royal Caribbean allows a maximum of 75 wedding guests (out of 150 total) to be day visitors who come for the shipboard ceremony and then leave before the ship sets sail.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it's not as easy for non-sailing guests to come onboard as before. They may need to submit their vaccination card or negative COVID-19 test results. You'll need to make these rules clear to your attendees and know that they can change between when you book the cruise wedding and the big day itself.

Shoreside ceremonies — in a port of call on the ship's itinerary — also welcome non-sailing guests but have capacity limits. The available venues can only fit so many people. This option is trickier, however, because you are only in port for one day, most likely. What if your aunt's flight into the port is delayed? She will miss the wedding altogether.

Even so, Bernal is seeing more of this in the Caribbean. "They'll jump on the flight to the island and meet the couple and then stay on the island for a few days," she says. "You can have non-guests in ports of call come on the ship but usually the couple comes off the ship to get married on the beach."

"The norm [for in-port weddings] is to sail with the whole group," she says, rather than have guests fly in for the ceremony.

Which cruise lines offer weddings, and which should I pick?

Name a popular cruise line and chances are you can get married on one of its ships. Viking is a notable exception that does not offer weddings.

Your best bet is to choose a ship whose personality and amenities match your preferences. But a few lines stand out for their wedding offerings.

Princess Cruises was the first cruise line to offer legal marriages at sea by the captain.

Princess Cruises' three packages (At Sea Wedding Cruise, Harborside Wedding Cruise and Ashore Wedding Cruise) fold in all the details for a flat fee and also offer a registry so that guests can help amp up the luxuries on their honeymoon at sea. Guests and friends can gift shore excursion credits, specialty-dining experiences, spa treatments and a private breakfast or dinner on the balcony. Celebrity Cruises also offers legal weddings at sea by the captain .

Royal Caribbean's and MSC Cruises' family-friendly onboard amenities, such as waterslides and large kids clubs, are a huge hit for couples planning to invite guests of all ages. Royal Caribbean offers four packages for weddings at sea with sailing guests, embarkation-day ceremonies with sailing and non-sailing guests, portside events around the world and elopements with just the couple or up to 10 guests.

Just like its parks, Disney offers Fairy Tale Weddings on its ships . Disney Cruise Line offers six venues, including indoor and outdoor spots on its ships (accommodating up to 40 guests) and on Castaway Cay (the line's private island in the Bahamas, which can host up to 100 guests). You can have costumed Mickey and Minnie join you for photos or offer a Dole Whip unity ceremony, as one couple did .

Windstar Cruises ' yacht-style smaller ships entice many couples planning a cruise elopement , with either just them or only a few guests. Many couples like the upscale yet low-key feeling of getting away on their own yacht, where entertainment focuses on fine dining, relaxing on deck and exploring in port, rather than running around to shows, rock climbing walls and other crazy big-ship attractions.

Related: The 5 best cruise lines for romance

What are examples of cruise wedding packages?

Exact wedding package inclusions depend on the cruise line you're sailing, whether you're getting married at sea or in port, and the level of package you choose.

Wedding coordinators and event managers for cruise lines — included with all packages — make the decision-making easy. They'll help you nail down specifics in advance so you can have a relaxing time on board. There are also third-party travel planners specializing in cruise weddings, such as The Wedding Experience , the exclusive wedding service provider for Celebrity Cruises, Windstar Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.

To give you a general idea, most cruise wedding packages are going to include a dedicated, private venue for the ceremony, a photographer, floral arrangements and a private space for the reception, whether it's a simple cake-cutting event or a plated meal. Some will also include Champagne to toast the couple.

Examples of extra-fee add-ons include videography, photography or live entertainment at the ceremony or reception (Carnival Cruises charges $150-plus for some tunes to accompany your celebration).

"We start with a package and design your ceremony to be just for you," says Bernal. "There's so many possibilities."

Bernal says one couple arranged a fireworks show off the coast of Puerto Rico and worked with Celebrity Cruises to stop the ship in the middle of the ocean for the best view. It's becoming more popular for couples to host a series of events on board the ship during the wedding week, says Bernal. Previously, couples have organized a whiskey tasting for the guys; afternoon tea for the girls; bachelorette parties at a ship's bar, club or lounge; or a private dinner in an onboard restaurant for guests the day after the wedding. All of these can be arranged by the ship staff.

How much does a cruise wedding cost?

The average price for a cruise wedding falls between $7,000 and $20,000, according to GroupTravel.org , a sliver of what a land wedding normally costs (an average of $30,000). Your specific cost will depend on which cruise wedding package you choose and which inclusions and add-ons you select.

On the more casual and festive end, Carnival Cruise Line weddings start at $1,499; MSC Cruises' weddings cost roughly the same. On the luxe end, Cunard's Royal Ceremony at Sea package starts at $3,300. Of course, you will still need to pay for your own cruise fare, on top of the wedding package rates, as do your guests.

The good news is that with these all-inclusive packages, you know exactly how much your at-sea wedding will cost from the beginning.

Related: 7 reasons you should splurge for a suite on a cruise

How far out should I book my wedding date?

If your goal is to make guests happy, the further out you book, the better access they have to cabin categories and locations, as well as flights. This also goes for pricing. Sailings and flights booked months out are often cheaper. Use those save-the-date mailings to your guests wisely and provide them with as much information as possible.

Plus, cruise ships have limited spots for weddings each week. For example, as of July, Royal Caribbean is fully sold-out for 2022 weddings and is not accepting bookings for additional nuptials this year.

The caveat, however, is that the further in advance you book, you run a risk of change or cancellation as ships are known to swap itineraries or take ships out of service. In other words, don't play up Aruba or a specific ship — all your guests need to know early on is that it's a Caribbean sailing.

Related: When is the best time to book a cruise?

Bottom line

If you don't like being the center of attention, then a cruise wedding may not be for you. Everyone on board and in port is going to ooh and aah at you as you sashay by in your wedding finery. This type of ceremony is also not ideal for couples who want to invite hundreds of guests or want the flexibility to select the perfect caterer, photographer, cake, florist or musicians.

On the other hand, if you want to plan a simple, stress-free wedding, it doesn't get much easier than this. Cruise weddings are ideal for couples who want a small event and love the one-stop shopping of having all the event details taken care of by the cruise line.

Which brings us to the honeymoon. Many couples use the sailing as their honeymoon — yet another aspect of the wedding you won't need to plan. But if your guests are joining the sailing, your romantic getaway may not be very private. If you want family and friends to attend your at-sea wedding, consider whether you can sneak away when needed without hurting anyone's feelings.

If you can't stand the thought of sharing a romantic vacation with your extended family, consider an embarkation-day wedding and bid your guests goodbye after the reception. The trade-off is your pierside event might not be as scenic as an onboard ceremony with expansive sea views.

Ultimately, if you're a person who wants a hassle-free wedding, with a one-stop shop for planning and a built-in honeymoon, then swapping vows ashore, in port or at sea might just be your dream affair.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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Weddings & Occasions

Wedding Packages

You’ve done the hard part: the man or woman of your dreams is yours, and aren’t they lovely? Do we ever have a wedding spot to match — aboard a Carnival ship! A Carnival shipboard wedding is a great way to start your life together… a spot as unique as the two of you. After all, think of all the weddings you’ve been to — we’ve got the fun alternative, with a view that’s hard to find on land and a sea breeze you just can’t get at a country club. Your shipboard wedding will be held in the port of your choice, so choose a city you’ll remember forever as the one where you made it official. Leave wedding stress ashore, because for a simple fee Carnival takes care of it all: the ceremony includes not only an officiant to get the knot tied right, but little details like the cake, champagne, music and more. And perhaps best of all: once you’re married, you’re already on your honeymoon! Your shipboard wedding can be customized to fit your imagination and budget. Add packages that include everything from a simple open bar and hors d’oeuvres reception to an elegant sit-down luncheon in the ship’s formal restaurant. Whatever you’re looking for, let our professional wedding agents help you design your ideal wedding. Learn more about shipboard weddings.

Wedding Venues

Personal touches.

What matters most on your wedding day is that you’ll be spending it with the person of your dreams. But if you could custom-design your dream wedding, how would you make it truly your own? Let’s start with where — a Carnival destination wedding lets you choose a scenic island as the background for your memories. The blue skies, the sounds of nature and even the sea-scented breeze as you say “I do” will become some of the most vivid parts of the memories you make that day. It’s important to remember that a Carnival destination wedding makes planning easy, because we take care of nearly every detail. We’ll take the bride and groom to the wedding site, select a local officiant to perform the ceremony, and handle the music and bouquet. We’ll even help you obtain a legally-binding marriage certificate in your destination port! Since we’ve already thought of everything, all you need to think about is how great it’s going to be. Learn more about destination weddings.

These folks celebrated their wedding on a Carnival cruise. If you did too, we’d love to see! Hashtag your photos #CarnivalCruiseWedding — you may see them right here.

6 Best Cruise Lines for an Affordable Wedding Celebration

We’ve put together a huge guide that reviews 6 popular (and affordable) cruise lines for your wedding to help you decide on which one could suit you best. And don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post for tips to planning your cruise ship wedding .

We absolutely love cruising the high seas, and thought why not add our travel experience coupled with some research to help you make a wedding celebration choice! Love & Lavender is not affiliated with any of these cruise lines, nor have we been compensated in any way.

In fact, we’ve personally cruised with 5 out of the 6 cruise lines listed below (multiple times with some).

Cruise Ship Wedding Comparison

Note: prices in the chart below are subject to change and may be different than prices we have published as of the last update. This chart should not be used as a final price indication. Always contact the cruise line directly for firm price quotes.

Princess Cruises

Our Rating: 4.5/5

Why Princess?

Considered to be one of the most popular option for cruise ship weddings, Princess Cruise Lines offers what we think is the best combination of services for various wedding styles, whatever your ideal.

It’s an established cruise line founded in 1965, which makes it a reliable choice.

Chances are some of your guests may have already taken a cruise with Princess Cruises before your event.

They have established routes and good relationships in many tropical ports to help you plan the perfect wedding event free from last minute hiccups all brides and grooms fear.

See Pricing for Princess Cruises

Love & Lavender’s Experience

Love & Lavender has cruised with Princess Cruise Lines on several different ships including Diamond Princess, Golden Princess, and Sun Princess. Each cruise was a fantastic experience both onboard and on shore. We’ve had great memories from Princess ships that revolve around the wonderful restaurants, entertaining shows at night, and other amenities around the ships.

As a cruise line for weddings Princess is a top pick. Their wedding packages are reasonably priced, service is top notch, and their ships provide an atmosphere that is conducive to either large or small wedding parties.

Princess Cruises Wedding Packages

Princess Cruise Lines are quite accustomed to performing weddings, and many of their top ships are equipped with the services and accommodations needed to pull off fantastic celebrations.

Three packages for wedding services are on offer:

• At Sea –  prices are the cheapest with an overall price tag of around $2,600 with license fee included. This includes use of onboard services such as an officiant, live music, flowers, and champagne for the bride and groom, and other minimal yet romantic services on board the ship.
• Harbor Side Package – choose to go with something a bit more expensive, the harbor side package might cost you $3,300 depending on your ending destination. This includes many of the amenities listed above as well as priority boarding for the bride and groom, a wedding cake, silk flower arrangements, and more.
• Onshore Package – price can vary from $2,000 up to nearly $5,000 depending on location and other amenities chosen. With this package you are able to enjoy the exotic locals along the Princess routes and celebrate your marriage in an exciting spot you and your guests will remember forever.

Any Bonuses?

The benefits to sailing with Princess Cruises are many. They perform weddings throughout the year and have streamlined the process to provide you with the most worry-free package you can find.

Depending on your chosen package, you could end up having your cake, flowers, officiant, and even the music taken care of for you.

If you’re a low maintenance couple looking for lots of options, Princess might be the perfect cruise line to work with. Add all that to their ability to livestream the ceremony back to those left behind on land and it doesn’t get much better.

Celebrity Cruises

Why celebrity.

Celebrity Cruises is another popular choice for couples looking to have their pre-packaged wedding brought to life with fun extras and a dramatic location.

They offer unique routes that sail to in-demand locations all over the world. A trusted history of safe and entertaining cruises means you can’t go wrong.

Celebrity is a great option for couples interested in specific routes which Celebrity services, as well as those looking to pull of a fabulous nautical wedding with plenty of help from an experienced wedding crew.

See Pricing for Celebrity Cruises

We took a transatlantic cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette ship back in 2013 for our ‘engagement cruise’. Our final port of call was Rome, and then we went on to Florence where we got engaged! The Celebrity Silhouette ship was simply amazing – the food was top notch, lots of amenities and deck space, and the crew were extremely well trained and service oriented.

Celebrity’s clientele seems to be an older crowd with disposable income. There were not many young people of marrying age onboard. Nor did we find many children running around the decks. This could be due to the fact that our cruise was a transatlantic, which would mean less kids or adults with vacation time. This can be considered a positive on both accounts if you are considering getting married on a Celebrity ship.

Andrew also cruised on Celebrity Millennium ship when it first launched in 2002, and has very similar positive things to say about his experience back then.

Celebrity Cruises Wedding Packages & Rates

Celebrity Cruises offers two unique wedding packages for couples looking at either in-port or a shore side celebration.

• The aptly named “Nautical Nuptials” package offers many helpful amenities, such as a wedding coordinator, music, a photographer, the captain as your officiant, flowers, and more. This will normally cost you around $2,995 plus any fees for paperwork and tickets. Couples love the option to bring their own officiant onboard to perform the wedding as well.
• Depending on whether you choose a shore side or in-port wedding, you can expect to pay between $2,000 and $3,000 for the ceremony and a variety of extras.

Celebrity cruise captains are able to perform ceremonies at sea with legally binding marriage certificates. Their large fleet of ships offers a different mix for whatever theme your wedding will have from family friendly to VIP access.

They offer extras such as honeymoon treats for the new couple, throwing the welcome reception for your guests, and organizing small bachelorette and bachelor parties on board before the service.

Taking advantage of these awesome extras comes with a fee, but for those with a little cash to spend you truly can have an amazing wedding weekend experience — all inclusive and on the sea!

Carnival Cruise Line

Our Rating: 3/5

Why Carnival?

When you think of Carnival Cruises, you probably picture giant water slides, exotic meals, and tons of onboard entertainment. If all that seems like the extra bit of fun your wedding is missing, then a Carnival cruise might be the perfect place to tie the knot.

As the name would suggest, Carnival Cruise Line is an upbeat company that caters to thrill seekers, the adventurous, and those looking to maximize their relaxation and fun while cruising to top destinations.

Couples who choose Carnival usually do so with an eye to ensuring wedding guests are well entertained before and after the ceremony.

See Pricing for Carnival Cruise Line

Love & Lavender’s Experience

Carnival ships are dubbed as ‘fun ships,’ and that is certainly the case for the two Carnival cruises Love & Lavender has taken. Often less expensive than the other cruise lines on this list, Carnival is popular for families with kids, as well as young adults alike. There is a clear party atmosphere and ships can get crowded. That being said, some of the best onboard food experiences we’ve had have been on Carnival ships.

Carnival would be a great option for a destination bachelor/bachelorette party. Dance the night away and get your party on at one of many bars onboard.

Our rating of 3/5 stars reflects the fact that not everyone will appreciate a loud, party atmosphere for a wedding. Sometimes you just want peace and quiet, as well as a more refined atmosphere for your special nuptials.

Carnival Wedding Packages & Rates

Carnival wedding packages are limited to port locations only. Luckily, Carnival offers five unique wedding packages to fit different needs.

• “Just You And Me” package – the bride and groom along with six of their closest friends can enjoy a ceremony onboard with several amenities such as: recorded wedding music, priority boarding for you and your guests, keepsake champagne flutes and cake topper, wedding cake, decorations and the assistance of a wedding planner and photographer. This starting package will cost around $1,300 and is perfect for an intimate ceremony.
• “Time to Celebrate” package – For a little more pizazz you can welcome 20 guests to the ship for only $22 per person. This brings the total to $1,700 and includes all the extras you receive in the “Just You And Me” package mentioned above. For even more extras, this package offers an organized cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres to keep your 20 guests entertained and happy.
• Still not enough? You might want to add on with the “Time to Celebrate….BIG!” option – lets you add a 90-minute reception with open bar and custom ice carving. This package will wow up to 20 guests with an evening of high-class entertainment for around $2,000 with an additional fee of $30 per person.
• “Let Us Serve You” ceremony package – If all of the above sounds ideal, but you’re still missing the traditional sit-down meal, then this package is probably for you. At a base price of $1,600, the package offers all of the fabulous extras from above plus the addition of a wine and champagne infused dinner in place of the cocktail reception. Cost per guest is $35 a seat.

Couples looking for a island ceremony can spend $1,400 and choose the “Island Breeze” package for a more exciting location. With videography, transportation, and live music it’s the perfect way to wow guests. Make sure to take advantage of Carnival’s online gift registry to help streamline the online aspects of a 21st century wedding.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Why norwegian.

Norwegian Cruise Line is an excellent choice for couples that want a magical experience for a nautical wedding. Their romantic packages and extravagant luxuries are sure to make your guests swoon, as your perfect cruise ship wedding unfolds before them.

The cruise line is one of the most inclusive companies for planning weddings of all sorts. Love is love with Norwegian, so if you are planning a same-sex marriage they are a great choice.

As long as the ceremony is legally recognized in your destination, it will be legally recognized onboard a Norwegian cruise ship!

See Pricing for Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Wedding Packages & Rates

With a total of three loaded with extras wedding packages to choose from, Norwegian has something for every wedding style.

• “Wedding at Sea” package – exactly what it sounds like, a ceremony on deck that is officiated by the captain of the ship. When you choose this classic package you also receive important add-ons such as flowers, a cake, music, and romantic snacks for the couple. A wedding planner will assist you on your big day. And you’ll be sure to remember the best moments from this wedding package with the included portrait and keepsake certificate provided by Norwegian.
• “Harbor Side” package – starting at $2,995, this package allows couples to tie the knot onboard an elegant ship in one of Norwegian’s many ports of call. This package includes the amenities mentioned, and allows couples to choose their own unique location. Choose from exciting ports in the U.S. such as Alaska and Hawaii or something a bit more exotic like Mexico, Canada, Europe, and the always-popular Caribbean.
• Destination Wedding – Norwegian offers exotic ceremonies on Alaskan glaciers, sandy beaches, and more. Prices vary by port, and the package includes transportation and champagne for the happy couple.

Spa and beauty services, live music, photography/videography, tuxedo rentals and a wide variety of wedding receptions are just some of the added bonuses you can expect from Norwegian Cruise Lines. Our favorite bonus is the rose petal or shell lined aisle that couples can add to their on-shore wedding ceremony.

Royal Caribbean International

Our Rating: 3.5/5

Why Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean is another popular name that should be familiar to cruise lovers. This company’s special emphasis on Royal Romance experiences means they are specially suited to handle your wedding needs.

For those who love the idea of a wedding out at sea, Royal makes sure that their ship captains (and first officer) are legally able to perform ceremonies. You can even expect traditional nautical vows for those who want the open sea element to be reflected in the ceremony.

See Pricing for Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean is the parent company of Celebrity Cruises. Naturally, our time spent on several of Royal Caribeans ships has been very satisfying. Similar to Celebrity, Royal Caribbean rates highly for service, food, and amenities across the board. The crowd tends to be slightly younger than Celebrity and with less families than would be on a Carnival ship.

Royal Caribbean Wedding Packages & Rates

The Royal Romance package offers three romantic venues for choosing the perfect wedding ceremony location and amenities.

• “Paradise Shipboard” package – is the most economical of Royal’s offerings and costs around $3,200. As the most simplistic wedding package, it includes priority check-in for the couple and their guests, a wedding planner, access to an onboard ceremony with legally recognized officiant. It also provides the new couple with a talented photographer and a total of 20 prints to remember the special day. Music, Flowers, a honeymoon meal including chocolate covered strawberries and a sparkling wine are included.
• “Paradise Destination” package – offers similar amenities with the added bonus of a unique location starting at $3,500. This package allows the bride and groom to get married onboard the ship or at a number of exotic locales. Glaciers, waterfalls, and ancient ruins are just a few of the magical options available to couples who choose this package. It also includes important extras, such cake for the couple, flowers for the bouquet, and assured and responsible transportation to and from the ceremony for the bride and groom. While the photographer is included in the package, the cost of prints will be extra.
• “Royal Romance on Sea” package – lets happy couples say their vows as the ship navigates open waters. This type of service is officiated by either the captain of the ship or the first mate. Starting at $4,000, the deluxe package includes a larger wedding cake, a dozen long-stemmed white roses for the bride, Champagne, and even a romantic breakfast in bed and dinner for two that the bride and groom can enjoy when their magical ceremony has ended.

For an extra dose of adventure, the Royal Caribbean experience offers unique locations for their Shore Side ceremonies. Picture yourself tying the knot on a sandy beach in Puerto Rico or even atop an icy glacier in Alaska. For those with a real touch for the classy and exotic, you can even select your wedding to be at a traditional winery in the postcard ready Santorini, Greece!

Holland America

Our Rating: 4/5

Why Holland America?

Holland America offers a wide variety of itineraries to worldwide destinations on a fleet of beautiful cruise ships. With extra amenities galore and destination wedding opportunities, they definitely make our list of top cruise lines to host your wedding celebrations.

The line traditionally caters to a sophisticated clientele with money to spare. Such a classy aesthetic makes it an attractive choice for mature couples or even older couples looking to wed in the most refined manner possible onboard a luxury cruise liner.

You can have your ceremony at a unique island or glacier destination or perform your vows in one of the many onboard chapels features on each ship. Let’s take a look at a few package options below.

See Pricing for Holland America

Love & Lavender has cruised with one ship in Holland America’s fleet. Our review reflects the fact that Holland America is known to be an older crowd. They do provide outstanding service in many areas such as food, amenities, etc. We would recommend them as an option for a second marriage or an older couple looking to tie the knot.

Holland America Wedding Packages & Rates

Holland America has several wedding packages, cheapest option is a solitary ceremony with no guests and starts at a very inexpensive $800. The onboard ceremony includes check-in, a wedding planner, the officiant, and a wedding certificate for the couple.

• “Anchors Away Shipboard Wedding” package – for those wanting a few more of the best amenities. Priced at only $1,395, this package adds a bouquet and boutonniere, plus a simple cake, a single table arrangement, and a bottle of Champagne to toast the newlyweds. Additionally, photography services (a single 8×10 photograph), and a commemorative album with recorded music are included to make the day a special event.
• “Rembrandt Shipboard” package – only available in select destinations, it offers the same additions as the “Anchors Away” package but adds more photos and guaranteed transportation for the newlyweds via limousine.
• “Royal Dutch Deluxe” package – starting at a steep $2,600, it takes the Rembrandt package to a new level with more extravagant versions of the above-mentioned offerings. The extra money is worth it for the 30-minute massage for two, and the premium champagne along with romantic turn-down service help.
• Private Island: For a real private and romantic experience, Holland America operates its own private island in the paradise of the Bahamas. At a starting price of $1,900, this romantic package includes a local officiant, a marriage license, a tropical bouquet and boutonniere to set the scene, and a romantic treat of chocolate-dipped strawberries and a bottle of Champagne for the couple. Complete with recorded music, a photographer and photos, a wedding album, and the keepsake certificate to achieve the perfect island wedding escape you’ll never forget.

With added bonuses such as a private wine tasting, decadent chocolate-covered strawberries, and champagne, the Holland America wedding experience is sure to be a treat!

Costs for the Royal Caribbean packages are not accurate nor are the offered packages. A simple check to the website showed $4650 for destination & there is no such thing as the “Paradise Shipboard” package. If possible May you provide the links or deals on how you received this information?

So where would you recommend a couple in their 30s who want a religious wedding (with their own pastor) who would like to stay in the U.S.? Thanks for doing this by the way!

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Wedding Planning

Elena & Daniel: husband and wife team behind Love and Lavender. Read Our Story

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Where to Elope

Cruise Elopements and Cruise Weddings

How To of Cruise Elopements

There are a growing number of cruise providers who can offer wedding packages and most of them offer two different options. You can either choose to be married on the beach at one of the stops along the cruise route for a romantic island wedding or alternatively you can be married on-board the ship before it leaves port, allowing you the chance to enjoy the ultimate ‘elopacation’ afterwards!

One thing to bear in mind is that a cruise wedding is not something you can do at the last minute, it does require some planning and a fair amount of notice. That does not mean that eloping on a cruise negates the purpose of eloping to avoid all of the stress of wedding planning! The majority of cruise providers will take care of all of the arrangements provided that you book in advance and take care of some paperwork. In fact, here is an easy step by step guide to getting married on a cruise !

• Choose a cruise provider who offers wedding packages, then select the services you need.
• Book the cruise and wedding through the company’s weddings coordinator and be sure to specify exactly what you want.
• Choose additional activities such as on-shore excursions like you would on any normal cruise, but not on the wedding day itself unless you are getting married on an island beach!
• Register for the appropriate marriage license and provide the required documentation.
• Confirm your booking with the cruise company.
• Pack your bags, head to the ship and get married!

Choosing A Cruise Elopement

The main concern when it comes to planning to elope on a cruise is, of course, selecting the cruise itself. It is important to note that wedding services are not available on all cruise lines, and in some cases are restricted to certain ships or routes. One of the most popular providers when it comes to eloping on a cruise are Princess Cruises, largely because they offer such a wide variety of options.

As shown below, they are one of the few Cruise Lines who are able to offer weddings at sea, although these are a little more expensive than those conducted in port. Princess Captains are also licensed officiants as well allowing couples to live out the complete fantasy as per those Hollywood movies! The company also offers the unique ability to have guests back home watch your wedding via a webcam feed live from the ship! Other alternatives for those looking to elope on a cruise include Disney Cruises, where you can tie the knot on Disney’s own private island Castaway Cay and Carnival Cruises that offers a range of onboard and destination packages for eloping couples including shore-side ceremonies in places like Key West, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico, Bahamas, and Barbados.

The cruise lines below offer various options in terms of ceremony choice and budgets if you are considering a cruise wedding, cruise elopement or vow renewal at sea.

1. Princess Cruises

2. celebrity cruises, 3. disney cruise line, 4. carnival cruise line, 5. norwegian cruise line, 6. royal caribbean international, 7. p&o cruises, 8. holland america, 9. cunard line, 10. electra cruises-newport beach, california, planning a cruise elopement.

Before you sign on to elope on a cruise, make sure to read this whole article from www.CruiseCritic.com : 9 Things to Know When Planning a Cruise Wedding .

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Let’s connect, note: packages subject to change without notice.

* NOTE: We have reviewed thousands of Elopement Packages offered by a wide range of Vendors in many different destinations and discovered that prices can vary greatly by location, season, supplier, day of the week plus due to inclusions/exclusions and many other factors. Plus they are subject to change without notice. Eloping couples should confirm all of the details of their elopement packages before booking. Please see our Disclaimer for more details.

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Celebrate Your Wedding with Princess

Princess Perfect Weddings creates unforgettable moments by offering packages tailored for couples seeking unique and romantic ways to say "I do," including grand ceremonies in The Love Boat’s picturesque piazza as well as outside deck areas that offer breathtaking venues with stunning ocean views, providing a perfect backdrop for a romantic ceremony, at a price significantly lower compared to land-based venues.

Princess Perfect Weddings offers couples a range of options within a variety of wedding, renewal of vows and proposal packages, each ensuring that the couple's dream vision can be realized, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations. 

With all Princess Perfect Weddings packages performed at sea, ship captains serve as the ceremony officiant and all packages include a dedicated wedding specialist who works closely with couples pre-cruise and on board to tailor their wedding package according to their unique vision and requirements. From selecting the perfect venue to arranging decorations, flowers, and photography, every detail is handled to ensure a seamless and unforgettable event.

In addition to the beautiful ceremony and reception venues, couples and their guests also enjoy the unmatched amenities and entertainment onboard the iconic Love Boat. From world-class dining options to luxurious spas, vibrant nightlife, and thrilling onboard activities, Princess ensures an unparalleled experience for all guests.

For more information about Princess Perfect Weddings, visit  princess.com/weddings

Any Adventure With You

Travel Meant to be Shared

How We Planned the Cruise Ship Wedding of Our Dreams

Updated on July 6, 2020 • Originally Published July 6, 2020

In March of 2018, David and I got married on a cruise ship on the Norwegian Breakaway. However, it wasn’t a quick process – we spent over a year planning and organizing. Here’s how we pulled off our cruise ship wedding.

What This Post Covers:

Why We Chose A Cruise Ship Wedding

David and I got engaged on a (different) cruise in February 2016. We enjoyed being engaged for a while and really didn’t start looking at anything wedding planning-related at all. But about six months later, someone asked us when we were getting married and we realized we needed to put some thought into it if we wanted to get married any time soon. So, I started looking at different venues and locations and realized that almost everything I saw was either out of our budget or had an extremely short period of time during the day that we could use the venue.

Throughout our wedding planning, the biggest thing I wanted was to have a way to have as much time with our family and friends as possible. At this point in our lives, we had been to enough weddings that I knew that the best part of it all was having everyone you love in one room. Aside from the actual getting married part, the part I was most excited about was spending a lot of time with our friends and family. On the other hand, as long as there was a party involved, my fiancé left the specifics of the wedding to me. (I was lucky in the fact that he was pretty easy to please when it came to wedding planning and choices.)

However, the more I looked, the more I became disappointed with the options. No matter the location we went with, we were probably only going to be able to afford a few hours at our location, which meant only a few hours with the people we loved. And because we are from different states, our location was always going to be inconvenient to someone. I started to feel that there was nothing out there that would work for us. And, even though I hadn’t really even started at all, this made me feel like I was done with wedding planning. Somewhere in this time, I started looking for European elopement options (if you’re married, you understand where I was at in the wedding planning process…)

A few months into searching, someone suggested a cruise ship wedding to me. And it started clicking – a cruise ship wedding, why not? We got engaged on a cruise. Cruising was our favorite way to vacation. What better way to start our married life together than on a cruise? This would mean that we would not only get a great party (a week-long party at that) but also plenty of time with our friends and family.

However, the next thing we needed to work through was whether a cruise ship wedding was cost-effective for our guests…

Comparing the Pricing of our Cruise Ship Wedding

Before we decided on a cruise ship wedding, David wanted to see how much it would cost for our guests in comparison to a “normal” wedding. He said that if it was too expensive, then he wouldn’t feel comfortable asking others to come. This was fair, so I took a look at how it compared by looking at expenses we had paid to attend weddings in the past. I averaged this cost, since not every wedding had every activity. However, our expenses typically broke down like this:

• The bachelor/bachelorette parties.
• A bridal shower and gifts at the bridal shower.
• Travel for the wedding itself, including at least two nights of hotels (for example, we usually go into town the night before a wedding and grab a drink with the bride and groom after their rehearsal dinner, even if we aren’t in their wedding party).
• A wedding gift.
• Additional food and drinks, such as after-parties, food the morning of the wedding, brunch the morning after the wedding, etc.
• Rehearsal dinner costs.
• An outfit for the wedding, and/or a bridesmaid’s dress or groomsmen’s suit.
• Other optional events, such as an engagement brunch.

When I did that math, the median price of an off-season cruise would be equal to or cheaper than attending a wedding and all of the activities and costs surrounding it .

Now, my math maybe isn’t perfect. But, looking at these numbers, we decided it would cost the same to do a cruise ship wedding as a traditional one. Once we realized that, we said, “Why not?” It would allow us to have a week with the people we love the most while creating a unique memory with our friends and family. It also took the pressure off of finding the “perfect” location and venue for our guests, while also giving us the chance to make our wedding day what we wanted.

After a lot of back and forth with our parents and our friends, we realized that a good amount of the people we were inviting would be interested. In fact, many people said that as long as a cruise ship wedding was what we wanted, they would be there. It was surprisingly easy to convince everyone, which ultimately sold us on getting married on a cruise. And that’s where the planning part got started.

Picking the Cruise That We Would Get Married On

Once we realized we had plenty of buy-in from those we loved, I began deciding on which cruise line we wanted to get married on. Our friends love to drink as much as we do while on vacation, so we knew that a big selling point to them would be by making the trip “ultimate” in terms of including alcohol in the price. Not to sound like lushes, but I knew that we would struggle to market coming on a cruise to a bunch of twenty- and thirty-somethings without an alcohol package included or available for cheap.

So, when I started looking at cruise lines, I compared Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, and Princess cruise lines. I looked at all of their wedding packages, the price of cruises, the price of alcohol packages, and which port they embarked from. Since we live in Virginia, we decided that it would be extremely cost-prohibitive if we asked people to fly down to Florida to embark, as that would increase the total price (and time needed) to make the trip for our guests. This helped us to narrow it down to cruises that embarked out of either New York City or near Washington, D.C.

David and I had both sailed on both of the two ships that leave out of the Washington, D.C.-area before: Carnival Pride and Grandeur of the Seas. While we enjoyed the cruises we took, the ships were kind of small. We knew that we wanted to do something on a larger ship. Therefore, it was pretty easy to narrow it down to New York City, as that was the next closest cruise port, and the only other one our guests could feasibly drive to. We realized that this meant that we had two choices, based on which ships were homeported there: either Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas or Norwegian’s Breakaway. As we did this research, we realized that the cheapest pricing would be sometime in the spring, since that was technically still “off-season” timing for cruising. This also worked perfectly with many of our guest’s schedules.

We love Royal Caribbean (and prefer it over any other cruise line) but the perks offered with Norwegian’s group booking options eked their cruises out for our selection. When we booked, a group package with Norwegian meant that we each guest got to pick two free options from the following: free beverage/alcohol package, free premium dining, free Wi-Fi, free gratuities, or shore excursion credits. There were a few other options as well, but they were less tangible, such as 20 free photos from the ship’s photographer or a cocktail party for all guests.

Additionally, for every seven guests booked, we were able to get a percentage of the total booking price back, and that could be applied to any of our cruise expenses (including applying the discount back to every booking, making the total price cheaper for everyone in our group – which is what we did).

Other cruise lines didn’t really offer as many booking perks or discounts, (and especially no alcohol package) which meant that it was quickly decided. Thinking back, I didn’t really look at the wedding packages themselves – my decision was more based on making sure our guests would have a good time. So my research focused more on the perks and cruise ships, and the wedding and ceremony part came second. Once we chose Norwegian cruise line, dates were picked, a deposit went down and it was decided: our cruise ship wedding was going to be on the Norwegian Breakaway!

Cruise Ship Wedding Planning

Once we knew what cruise ships we were going to get married on, the details also started to come together. We sent our invitations out more than a year in advance. From there, however, there wasn’t much planning we needed to do until about four to five months before the wedding .

Invitations and Cruise Booking

Once we decided on the exact cruise, we almost immediately sent our invitations out to our guests. One of my biggest tips for a destination wedding , especially a cruise ship wedding, is to send your invitations out as soon as possible. This allows your guests to have plenty of time to fit your trip into their travel plans while also finding time to save money.

We invited about 100 people and, of those people, about 40 of them came. Rather than collect RSVP cards, we decided to push people to our wedding website. On our wedding website, we gave everyone the information about the cruise and asked people to RSVP by booking. I would then got a bi-weekly print-out from our group planner, listing who decided to book. We encouraged people to book even if they weren’t sure if they could come because it meant that they had a room reserved, even if the ship filled up . There was no consequence to cancel as long as it was done within 60 days before sailing. We had a few people utilize this (for illness or work problems) but for the most part, those who booked came with us.

Because we knew it was already a big expense to have people come to a cruise ship wedding, we asked that the only thing that people spend money on was themselves. This included not doing anything outside of our cruise (such as a bachelor/bachelorette weekend) or buying gifts. This also helped to keep the price of the cruise down for all of our guests – and, besides, the gift for us was our guests being willing to spend a whole week with us!

How We Booked The Cruise

As soon as I inquired with Norwegian about a group, I was assigned a booking agent named Janine. She was extremely sweet and if I were to ever have another group booking with Norwegian, I would 100% work with her again. Janine coordinated not only our group, but a lot of our accommodations on board as well (such as the conference room we played the newlywed game in later in the week, and our dining reservation the day of our wedding).

In order to RSVP with our group, all of our invitees had to call Janine, rather than call or book through Norwegian themselves. She would take their information and their deposit, and ask which of the two group booking amenities they wanted to choose. A majority of our guests chose to include the beverage package and gratuities with their booking, which helped everyone to keep the price down. All of our guests were not required to pick the same thing, so that meant that those who didn’t drink picked amenities like free dining or free Wi-Fi.

Wedding Website and Emails

To make sure that we had clear communication with our guests, we put a wedding website together that listed everything they needed to know. We tried to make the information that was on the website was extensive; it ranged from information about the trip itself, what amenities were going to be available on the ship, our wedding day details, how to travel to the port, and how to book. I updated the site regularly with information when things came up, like booking deadlines, and other information that we found our closer to our sailing dates, such as bus information and onboard activities .

We also made a listserv with our guests’ email addresses and, six weeks before we sailed, we emailed them once a week with pertinent information – such as a reminder to check-in to their cruise, information on when and where to get on the bus to the cruise (something we paid for ourselves), and everything people would need about the trip itself (such as what to pack and when/where our wedding would be). We even had multiple people comment when they boarded the bus that these regular emails made it easy to plan and pack, making it that much more of a vacation for them.

Working with Royal Ocean Events

Our cruise wedding was planned in tandem with Royal Ocean Events . This is a team that is external to the ship and is tasked to help plan onboard weddings for cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival, and Norwegian.

Booking the Ceremony and Reception Rooms

Overall, our experience with Royal Ocean Events (ROE) was good, but it wasn’t the best. However, I choose to look at it positively because, in the end, we were able to get married in the venue we wanted, with the reception we wanted. And because that can be difficult for groups, especially with a bigger cruise ship wedding like ours, then that means I accomplished everything I set out to with ROE.

However, one of the biggest struggles I had with ROE was finding the right time to hold our wedding. When you first reach out to ROE, they send you a list of options for your ceremony and they encourage you to pick a date ASAP. This is because, once you choose a day and put a deposit down (ours was about $1,000), ROE reserves your date and no other weddings can be held on the ship on that day. I did this pretty quickly after we choose the cruise we were going on because I knew right away what day I wanted to get married and it was one of the only planning things I did over a year out.

Once I put our deposit down, I was also told of a few options that were available for us because the day we were having our ceremony was an at-sea day. They said that this meant I would have more options, one of which included being told that we could have an early afternoon ceremony time. They also mentioned one of my options could include getting married in the main dining room, which I immediately Googled and fell in love with. The room was big, bright, and airy – and reminded me of a 20’s dance hall. It was the perfect place to get married!

We were also given a “worksheet” that we were told would be used to reserve all of our selections for the ceremony and wedding day itself – such as spa appointments, entrance, and exit songs, the order of the ceremony itself as well as add-ons such as a microphone for the reception, etc. We were told that this wasn’t due until 60 days out from our wedding and reassured many times that all our selections would be available until then.

This is where things started to go wrong.

Sometime around 4-5 months out, my Mom made a good point – why not square away a lot of the basic things like ceremony location and time now, so that there weren’t any issues later on? That way we could put it on our wedding website, and our guests would have some more flexibility, especially if they wanted to do something earlier in the day, etc. I thought this was a great idea, especially since I hadn’t really made too many selections up until now. It would be fun to start planning! However, when I gave ROE a call, I found out that the planner I had been working with had left the company, and I was assigned to another planner named Jade.

Jade was truly a sweet person and, before we go any further, I will admit that she did as much as she could for us. However, ROE is a completely separate third-party company that is hired by the cruise lines to liaise between the ship and the person planning the event. That means that any decisions that are made have to be approved by the ship and planned around anything else that is supposed to happen on board that day. So, in Jade’s role as a cruise ship wedding planner, she is stuck in the middle: between a bride who has opinions about their wedding day, and a ship that is trying to also host and entertain 2,000+ people .

When we first met, Jade and I chatted a bit about what I wanted and she told me that she said that if ROE had mentioned it before, having a ceremony in the Manhattan Room was probably an option for us, and that she was more than happy to help with whatever we wanted. I hung up on the call excited to start planning and feeling confident about our choices! This was all dampened a few days later when Jade emailed me saying that she was only able to get us in the Fat Cats Jazz Club (it’s now called Syd Norman’s Pour Bar) for a 4 p.m. ceremony, with a 6 p.m. wedding reception in the same room.

They sent me some photos of the venue ( see above ) and I was so disappointed. Fat Cats was completely different than the Manhattan Room. While the Manhattan Room was a large venue that looked out over the ocean with a lot of natural light, the Fat Cats club was small, dark and had a very limited ocean view. While there was nothing wrong about Fat Cats itself, it just didn’t scream “wedding” to me.

This frustrated me completely. Again – it wasn’t Jade’s fault, but I felt that ROE shouldn’t have even mentioned a choice of venue or potential time if they weren’t going to be able to get it. All those months I spent dreaming of a wedding in the Manhattan Room were dashed. After a little bit of back and forth, we found out that there were no other venues that would be able to accommodate our wedding on the ship on that specific day and this was the only time and space we were going to get – take it or leave it. So not only did this go against everything we were initially told, but ROE/the ship was also completely unflexible about it all .

This was maybe about eight months before our wedding. So rather than get defeated, I tried to see what could be done. And that turned into about two months of Jade and I going back and forth on different time options, venue choices, dinner timing, etc. She was really doing her best, but things started getting weird. For example, I was once told, “Well, the ship said you can have the Manhattan Room, but only at 10 a.m. You’ll then have to wait until 4 p.m. until your reception in Fat Cats.” Lol, what?!

It was literally like this for a while – back and forth with odd timelines and just nothing we wanted. I finally was just so frustrated I called her one day and said, “Look. This is what I want. I was told at the beginning this is what I would be able to do and my heart is set on it. I think if I am not able to do it, I might have to go somewhere else.” I wasn’t looking to threaten her, but I knew that if we couldn’t try to compromise, then I would have to find another way to plan this wedding, without ROE’s help. And it was a bummer – because I knew that if I decided that, it probably wasn’t going to be an event on board, and maybe not even on the cruise itself.

Then finally, about a week later, I got a call that said, “Alright. We were able to get you in the Manhattan Dining Room for a 2 p.m. wedding. Unfortunately, this is all we can do in this space, as they have to prepare for the dining service. But would this be alright?” Yes, of course. That was all I wanted! While I still wasn’t a big fan of Fat Cats, I knew that we couldn’t ask the ship to stop dinner service for our reception without doing a buyout of the restaurant (which I found out later would have cost us tens of thousands of dollars). However, the ceremony was good enough for me! I was so relieved. I signed the contract almost immediately.

So, my advice to you if you end up working with ROE? Be persistent. Please note that I didn’t say, “Be rude,” or “Be disrespectful.” But I do think that you need to be insistent about what you want. If you know you want a venue on the ship, keep asking about it. If they are not able to get it for you, they will let you know. I will note that during my process they never said, “no” to the Manhattan Room for me, which is part of why I kept trying. Because if there is a chance that they can get it, you need to work together with them .

From my experience, I think ROE gets recommendations from the ship and then just runs with it. This is probably because it’s easier that way, especially when they are coordinating hundreds of events at a time. However, this may mean that the first recommendation with the ship may not be what you want – but ROE is hired to help you make your event perfect! So keep being insistent, in a nice way, and I think that you will eventually be able to find a compromise on how you want the day to be.

I will say that later in our cruise ship wedding week, I saw another bride heading into Fat Cats for her ceremony. I checked the time on my watch and guess what? It was at 4 p.m.! This really made me feel like this was the standard option that they offered people on Norwegian Breakaway, especially with smaller weddings. Not that it isn’t an O.K. option, but I am living proof that you can be insistent with what you want, and what you ask for, and they will do their best to give it to you.

Coordinating the Cruise Ship Wedding Itself

Outside of securing the venue, it was actually fairly easy to plan our cruise ship wedding ceremony with ROE. Once the venue was in place, they didn’t need anything from us except for the worksheet we were to turn in about 60 days before our wedding. This worksheet asked for anything we might need for our wedding ceremony, ranging from the order in which our bridal party was were going to walk in, to the songs we wanted to be played, and the script of vows that we wanted. It also asked some questions about the reception, ranging from the order we wanted the events to go and when in the reception we wanted to cut the cake.

Honestly, I really liked the worksheet; it was a great way to get organized and really think about the choices that we wanted. I didn’t have too many ideas in the way of some ceremony things like songs, which they suggested on the sheet, which also helped. We were also able to add in any “non-traditional” things we wanted to do – such as our sand ceremony and our readings from our parents during the wedding.

For our reception, we were able to get in the Fat Cats club for about an hour and a half with no venue charge. Jade booked it as a “group gathering” which helped us save more money (as our ceremony price was covered by the wedding package we paid for). However, to add on additional items, such as a DJ and waiters to serve drinks to our guests, it did cost a little bit of extra money. The DJ cost around $200 and the waiters were $100 apiece, with one waiter being required for every 20 guests .

Because a majority of our guests already had chosen the Unlimited Beverage Package as part of their cruise, we were able to hire a dedicated bartender and two waiters for about $400. This meant that we weren’t charged for alcohol at all during our reception (though I will note that if the two people who didn’t have an alcohol package – my grandparents – were to order a drink, which they didn’t, we would have had to pay for it. This was not a problem and we would have gladly paid for their drinks, though they didn’t order anything.) We were also able to tip all the DJ and waiters ahead of time, which meant that we had nothing to worry about day-of.

For both our ceremony and reception itself, we were lucky because our onboard coordinator Mary Ann was able to head into both spaces beforehand and set it up to our liking. The amount of time we had between events meant that she was able to move our guest book from our ceremony to our reception, set up our cake, etc. It gave such a special touch and felt like a traditional wedding in the fact that everything came together seamlessly.

The only thing left was to get everyone together for dinner. I did a lot of research on dinner and even looked into booking out a restaurant so we would have a completely dedicated space. However, since we were already planning on doing all of the wedding things during our reception, I decided that it was silly to book out a restaurant as well. What else were we going to do in a space all our own? Therefore, I decided to use what the ship already had. So after our reception, we headed back down to The Manhattan Room to eat dinner together. We were able to book this directly through our group booking coordinator Janine. This worked out perfectly, as we were able to have three semi-private tables of 16 people side-by-side to each other, which still enabled us to have a reception-style dinner. And like a “normal” reception, David and I got up and talked to our guests, thanked them for coming, etc.

After our reception, we planned to just bar hop around the ship and participate in anything that was happening while celebrating. However, it turned out that the newlywed game was happening at the end of the day, which was a fun way to cap our wedding day. ( And the best part? We won! ) After that, most of our guests were exhausted after 2-3 days of embarking, partying, and celebrating, so many of them went to bed. We finished the day off by having drinks with those who were still awake out on the ship’s deck. This was a great choice because we were approaching Florida and the weather was gorgeous !

Overall, I will note that we didn’t go too crazy about spending a lot of money on the ship and adding a lot of extras to our ceremony/reception. And we still had the perfect day! (This is one of the things I was initially tempted to do, but after experiencing it, I warn against it in my tips for making your destination wedding the best day ever .) Because if your venue has the capacity and areas to make your wedding just as good as if you paid for the extras – then why not save the money? You’re still having a cruise ship wedding and to me? That is the ultimate thing to focus on!

Planning the Cruise & Organizing a Large Group

Our Schedule During the Week

As we were planning, my mom and sister made a point that I (eventually) agreed with: part of the reason why we picked a cruise ship wedding was that we would be spending a week away with the friends and family that loved us the most. Why not get them together a few times during the week?

In the beginning, I was nervous that asking people to come together multiple times would take away from what was also going to be everyone’s vacation. Rather, I wanted to just meet up with people organically on the ship. But having a handful of activities throughout the week ended up being a great idea and a fun way to connect with everyone.

To facilitate this, we worked with our group coordinator to coordinate with what was happening on the ship each day. Our activities were a combination of attending things that were happening onboard together, like Rock of Ages, to a group excursion that we all participated in, to some gatherings we invented such as happy hours and a newlywed game. f scheduled events throughout the week. We also created a schedule that we sent out to all of our guests (and included in their welcome bag). And what surprised me? That almost everyone came to all of them! You can see the schedule below .

My future mother-in-law and I also made welcome bags to hand out to guests as they got on the ship. This was a great way to welcome everyone, and they included things such as Advil in case anyone was hungover, tide wipes if anyone spilled anything. We included the schedule in this bag as well so that everyone had a copy in case they weren’t able to access the emailed itinerary on their phones.

Something I would change if I did this again: I wouldn’t plan anything for the two days after our wedding. Only a few people ate brunch with us because everyone was so tired from the past few days. Most people ended up relaxing together by the pool that day anyways. Additionally, two days after our cruise wedding, we also had a happy hour-type thing that we actually forgot to go to (whoops!) Again, I think everyone needed a few days of “downtime” or, really, doing what they wanted instead of forced family fun ☺️

However, I did find that people attended many of our events later in the week. On Thursday we were all able to get together for a snorkeling excursion (more on that below). After snorkeling, a lot of our guests went off to explore Nassau. And then that night, Janine was also able to book reserved seating for our group so that everyone could sit together to watch Rock of Ages ! We also had an impromptu Happy Hour beforehand and met at a bar near the theatre and had some drinks together. This led to us having a really great (read: tipsy) time while watching the show. I highly recommend doing something similar.

On Friday, we asked that everyone meet us at the conference rooms for (another) newlywed game. We didn’t expect to play the newlywed game on our wedding day; however, my family worked so hard on putting this one together, with personalized questions and a slideshow, that we didn’t want to cancel this one! We got a chance to play with my grandparents (who had been married for 60+ years) and a set of our friends who had recently been engaged! It was a much more intimate game than the one we had played with the whole ship and it was fun hearing our friends and family’s answers. Our maid of honor (my sister) and best man were our emcees, which made it just that much more fun. And, just like our wedding day, people were able to hop out to the atrium to grab a drink easily. (And, not to brag, but we won, again!)

Afterward, we had another reservation in one of the main dining rooms for all of our guests. They split our party up into three tables again, but they were all next to each other and everyone easily split up. It was another fun way to get everyone together before grabbing (more) drinks later that night.

On the last day of our cruise, we had planned to meet to do the escape room as a group. However, we were told that this wasn’t something we could book ahead of time – it was only able to be booked onboard. Turns out, this was because it was canceled for the whole cruise. But this just meant that people got together on their own and we all ended up running into each other and having drinks together throughout the night.

On Sunday morning, which was our embarkation day, our wedding planner Mary Ann (very kindly) added our group to the VIP debarkation lounge that met up in the Manhattan Room. Rather than embarking separate, everyone met there and had drinks and some breakfast. Once our bus was at the port, we then all embarked as a group and boarded the bus together. If you do something similar, see if your onboard coordinator can do the same!

Travel Planning

As we were deciding whether or not to do a cruise ship wedding, one of the biggest things I wanted to do for our guests was to reserve a bus to bring everyone to the port . Most of our guests were leaving within the Washington, D.C.-area, so I knew that it would be easy to coordinate getting everyone there on the same bus. I also knew that people would be more likely to want to come if getting there and back was easy, and it would save everyone some money on transportation at the same time.

We found that the bus line with the best pricing and the most flexibility was with Academy Bus . I highly recommend them, as they handled things really well. For example, one of the biggest things I was nervous about was making sure that everyone was at the port on time during embarkation day. I also got really worried about the bus breaking down, too. They assured me that there was nothing to worry about and if something happened, they would do their best to get us there before the ship left, including sending a new bus and driver within two hours if needed. I also left enough time in our itinerary that, if something like this were to happen, we would still be able to get to the port by the latest time possible (which was around 4 p.m.)

On embarkation day, we left from our D.C.-area park-and-ride around 6 a.m. We had everyone who wanted to take the bus “sign-up” beforehand, so we could make sure that we didn’t leave anyone behind. My sister made a checklist with everyone’s phone numbers so we could give someone a call if there was an issue. We also checked before everyone boarded the bus to make sure that everyone had their passports and check-in paperwork.

We left at 6 a.m. because it allowed us to get to the port early while also leaving enough time for people to go back to their houses or hotels if they, say, left their passport or something. It also left a lot of time for traffic as well. Luckily, there were no issues either way, and we made it to the port around 10 a.m., which was right on time. To make the experience more comfortable, my mom and I went and grabbed some breakfast items like muffins and croissants the day before, and we also grabbed some coffee from a shop near the park-and-ride, so our guests had snacks and coffee available if they wanted. Once we were on our way, everyone took a nap and we played some movies and some of our guests even brought some beer along solely for the bus ride. As we got closer and closer, the excitement mounted – we were all about to be on vacation, and David and I were about to be married!

Excursion Planning

Another big thing that we organized was an excursion with all of our guests. As we were emailing everyone in the weeks before we embarked, we asked if there would be interest in snorkeling together when we were in Nassau, Bahamas. And, while I didn’t think that there would be much interest, almost everyone wanted to come!

We decided to do a group booking for an excursion called “snorkel and sail.” This excursion included boarding a catamaran and then sailing out into the ocean to snorkel for an hour or two. The price also included all-you-can-drink alcoholic beverages onboard. Rather than plan this with Royal Ocean Events, I was able to plan this with Janine, our Norwegian group coordinator. Once people signed up, she was able to label us as a group and put us all together on the same catamaran . The best part? The catamaran didn’t hold too many people, so the excursion included largely our group with only a handful of others. So, it was almost like a private excursion for our guests without the extra price.

It was also another great way to spend time with our friends and family a few days after our wedding. Overall, it was fairly easy to plan, as we just encouraged people to sign-up via the Norwegian website and then Janine took care of the rest! And it didn’t take too much extra planning, either – all we did the morning of the excursion was meet in the embarkation area, which ended up being right next to the cruise ship, and then off we went! Snorkel and Sail was also a great excursion because they had a TON of booze served onboard – so more than a few people were feeling good by the time we finished

Other Cruise Ship Wedding Things to Note

Here are some small things I noticed during our cruise ship wedding that I would note for anyone who planned to do the same. I will say that some of these won’t make sense without reading more about our wedding day itself , so check that out before reading on! ☺️

• Our Cake – We did not finish our cake during our ceremony and it was then delivered to our table at some point after the dinner we at in the main dining room. But we didn’t get to eat it then because it was sent after we headed out to play the Newlywed Game. We kept trying to grab it during other meals that we ate during the week, only to be told it was going to be delivered to our room. It never was, and we also learned later that we were not allowed to take it off the ship due to potential contamination. So if you order a cake, make sure to eat it, as you won’t be able to take it off the ship with you at the end of your cruise!
• Video of the Newlywed Game – After we played the Newlywed Game, we asked our cruise ship wedding planner Mary Ann multiple times if we could have a copy of the video they took during the game. We knew that they had it because, during the week, we kept seeing it air on the cruise television channel. We didn’t plan to do anything with the copy other than keep it to reminisce on our wedding day. However, we were told that the cruise line does not release the cruise-board video. There wasn’t even a highlights video we could buy! It was sad and frustrating, as we lost a big part of our wedding day that we could have had as a memento.
• Collecting photos after the wedding – After the cruise, we decided to have everyone send their photos, whether we were in them or not, to a collective Google Photos album. This needed up being one of the biggest things I would recommend for anyone else planning a cruise wedding because it meant that we had every moment of our cruise captured. Even when I made a photo album capturing our wedding a few months later, I used many of these photos – because it was a great way to show off the fun that people had with us! It also gave us a chance to see what everyone else did during the week. I highly recommend doing this so that you can capture every single moment!

• Our Color Scheme – One of my favorite parts of having a cruise ship wedding was the choice I made for our color scheme. I decided to go with “ocean” colors – meaning, all ranges of blue. David had a blue suit and each of my bridesmaids had colors ranging from light blue/green to dark blue. I loved the ombre blue look and the color scheme fit in easily with our ocean-type decor.
• Our Wedding Party’s Attire – One of the biggest things for me during our wedding was making sure that people weren’t spending a lot of money outside of the cruise itself. Therefore, we asked that our wedding party to try to find a simple outfit – a sundress for the girls and khaki pants and a white dress shirt for the boys. Because I knew that my bridesmaids needed a little more guidance, I went to David’s Bridal and found a color combination that I loved. I sent it to them with the idea that they could go to DB’s and pick one if they wanted, but I also encouraged them to find something just as suitable on other sites such as Amazon. Most of them did, while others who didn’t want to shop just went to DB and found a dress they could wear in other situations. For the guys, most of them already had khakis and dress shirts, so not much effort was needed on their part. I didn’t mind if they had mismatching shoes, so I encouraged them to wear boat shoes or dress shoes, whichever made them comfortable for the day. It was an easy way to coordinate a bridal party without making anyone go out of their way – either monetarily or effort-wise.
• Flowers for our Ceremony – When we first considered a cruise ship wedding, I was all for buying flowers through the ship. However, I quickly found out that we were not allowed to bring on our own live flowers and, through the ship, the price for our bridesmaids’ bouquets and groomsmen’s boutonnieres would be in the hundreds of dollars, I changed my mind. Instead, my Mom went to a craft store and created mine and my bridesmaids’ bouquets for less than $10 apiece. When we were on the ship, our wedding package included David’s boutonniere and a bouquet of 12 white roses for me. Between this and the fake flowers, it ended up being exactly enough – and we used my white roses bouquet as the toss bouquet for the reception. Since the groomsmen didn’t end up wearing suits, we forwent any flowers for them and gave my bridesmaids their fake bouquets after the wedding as a souvenir. Now, my bouquet sits on my dining room table and makes me smile every day.

• Our Guest Book – For our guest book, I knew I didn’t want a book that would be put on a shelf and never opened again. So, I found a beautiful photo of a wooden anchor on Pinterest and decided we would use that instead. One of David’s co-workers was able to make something similar and we found some silver sharpies that people could use to sign it. One of the big things I asked was that people didn’t sign messages on the anchor itself (I was worried that we only had 40 guests and a small piece of wood – and that there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone to write something. Besides, it would be hanging on our wall – names would be sufficient). I genuinely loved our guest book because it not only had a nautical feel, which was my overall aesthetic, but it’s a fun piece that we look at on our wall every day. When we hung it up, I was very pleased – the writing is light enough that far away it looks like an anchor on the wall, but up close you can see its a guest book. It’s one of my favorite decorations in my house and I highly recommend doing something similar if you are planning a cruise ship wedding!
• Strawberries and Canapes – This is a specific thing only to Norwegian Cruise Lines, but we found that we were always getting deliveries of canapes and champagne to our room. In fact, on our wedding night, we had a tray of strawberries delivered that was so big, we knew it was impossible to eat and we brought it out to our guests (I was dozens of strawberries). We also received canapes every day and sometimes they would have extra room service and knock on our door to see if we wanted it. Nothing bad, but definitely something to note if you do a wedding with Norwegian 🤗
• Onboard Messenger – Throughout the week, we found that everyone found met up with us and others via the Norwegian instant messaging app. it wasn’t 100% reliable, but it was a great way to at least try to attempt to get everyone together – especially when we had scheduled events. If coordinating a big group, try to get everyone to download your cruise line’s instant messaging app before they board – it will definitely help to keep everyone in touch!

Would I Do a Cruise Ship Wedding Again?

Our wedding was one of the best things we ever did and it truly fulfilled everything I ever wished for , and I wouldn’t change it for anything. So, honestly, yes, I would 100% do this kind of wedding again. It was a great chance to spend so much time with the people we loved while also removing a lot of stresses like coordinating a wide variety of vendors. Looking back, there was still some stress leading up to it, but I felt like the wedding day very much reflected our personality so perfectly. Now, almost two years later, I still think of this cruise as the best time in my life. There were some hiccups, yes, but nothing outrageous and all of the good outweighs all of the bad in my mind. I highly, highly recommend a cruise ship wedding for anyone who is looking for a fun, unique destination wedding!

Looking for other destination or cruise ship wedding tips? Check out some of my other posts below:

• Our Cruise Wedding on Norwegian Breakaway
• How to Know if a Cruise Wedding is Right for You
• Eight Ways to Make Your Destination Wedding the Best Day Ever

Any Questions?

Hopefully, these tips helped you with your own cruise ship wedding planning! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask away in the comments and I will get back to you ASAP!

Want to see more of our other travels? Take a look at my Instagram stories. Did you and your significant other get married on a cruise ship wedding? How did you plan your own wedding? Are you thinking about getting married on a cruise ship wedding? Make sure to comment below .

And don’t forget to save these cruise ship wedding planning tips for later via the images below.

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June 30, 2023 at 10:55 pm

Omg, THANK YOU for this! My fiancé and I are also set on having a cruise wedding! I’ve been searching for more in-depth info from any other brides out there. There are a lot of wedding videos out there but no “walkthroughs” of the planning process. Your blog was exactly what I needed. We’re 2 years out from the date we want and I want to be prepared to book once the itineraries come out. Thank you again!

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Whether it’s a cruise through the mediterranean or the tropical vibes of the Caribbean —your heart is set on celebrating with family and friends on the cruise of a lifetime. But nothing can take the wind out of your jet-setting sails quicker than your “Let’s do this!” day dreams giving way to “How the heck do we make this happen?” No worries.

We get it—and we’re here to help. If you’re ready to savor your engagement, feel confident about the experience you have planned for your guests, and soak in a stunning celebration without worry—we’re the cruise  wedding planners for you.

Working with Tamika Charles was an experience that was beyond top notch. Her spirit was always welcoming and happy to help in any way. She was more than a wedding planner she helped bring peace.

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bride (Jackson Hole)

Let’s get this perfectly-planned party started.

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Cruise Wedding Planning Guidance & Travel Support

Perfect for you if….

You’re seeking a destination wedding expert to help you find and secure a luxury cruise with in-house planning services—as well as arrange travel plans for you and your guests. You want to get connected to the right pros, and hand off complicated travel-booking logistics to our team.

what's included

• Personalized cruise recommendations
• Negotiation and booking
• Unlimited email availability
• A personal hand-off to your in-house coordinator so you can take over from there
• Access to our online travel program and all of its perks (including custom group bookings)
• Travel and accommodations booking for you and up to [number] guests

INVESTMENT BEGINS AT $250

We know what you’re wondering:, snag our free guide for a totally transparent, wildly trustworthy look at how much you’ll spend as you plan a destination wedding., full planning for destination weddings.

You’re seeking ongoing, white-glove support from an expert destination wedding planner and designer who knows your locale deeply, is connected to its best venues and vendors, and can transform your vision into an event atmosphere that wows your guests and looks even better than you envisioned.

You want to arrive at your destination without a single stress, lingering task, or logistical item on your mind—but instead with unwavering confidence, peace-of-mind, and a ready-to-party! spirit (oh, and a new stamp in your passport of course).

• Video planning sessions + unlimited email availability
• Access to our online-planning program
• Budget planning
• Venue and vendor selection, negotiation, communication, and payment management
• Event-design creative direction—including custom mood boards and sketches
• Timeline creation, management, and distribution to key parties
• Rehearsal coordination
• Day-of direction

INVESTMENT BEGINS AT $12,000 (FINAL INVESTMENT DETERMINED AFTER YOUR CONSULTATION)

Cruise wedding planners.

We’re thrilled to offer cruise wedding planning across the States, Europe, The Caribbean, and beyond.

Europe + Beyond &Travel + Planning

Mari came upon wedding planning as an extension of her career organizing conferences. And just like a wedding, it all started with a proposal! Mari was asked to plan a special engagement proposal and afterwards helped the couple plan their wedding.  From that point forward she knew that weddings were her calling. To Mari, planning is not a job to her, it is developing a bond with couples and having the honor of being a part of this special moment in their lives.  

Mari and her team specialize in Chancey Charm weddings in Europe and beyond, just wrapping up a gorgeous 7- day wedding she’s still gushing about in Greece this past summer.    She also serves as a venue + travel expert.

While she relishes connecting with clients, Mari truly loves the moments of fun spent with her daughter.  Mari and her team live in Europe, making planning your European destination wedding stress-free!

East Coast + Caribbean & Travel + Planning​

As a New York native, Tamika observed people from all over the world and it sparked a desire to travel. She has loved experiencing different cultures and learning about the traditions of other countries firsthand. For over twenty years she has been an event planner and is now solely focused on planning weddings. The love of adventures and traveling led her to become a  certified destination wedding specialist. Dream weddings in stunning seaside locations are her forte.  

Tamika specializes in Chancey Charm destination weddings in the Caribbean, Mexico, and in New England.  She is also a certified travel agent and also serves as a venue + travel expert.

When she isn’t planning or traveling you will probably find her at home creating, whether it’s baking for her family or crafting something fun.

Domestic Planning + Design​

Europe + Beyond Travel + Planning

East coast + caribbean travel + planning.

Domestic Planning + Design

With a passion for serving others and celebrating life’s moments Madison Carter found her “home” in wedding planning.  She believes that every love story is unique, beautiful and worthy of being told.  Madison and her low country wedding team are dedicated to telling her clients’ stories through organic and thoughtful designs.  They are a dedicated partner with each of their couples, there with them every step of the way.   

Madison serves our clients in the Low Country, traveling from Charleston to Amelia Island. She has a special love for Sea Island, Montage Palmetto Bluff and The Ritz Carlton Amelia Island.

When she isn’t designing stunning weddings, you can find her spending time with her sweet family of 4, soon to be 5!

Taylor is a Certified Wedding & Event Planner, with several planning courses and trainings under her belt, as well as, a luxury portfolio to wow.  She truly enjoys diving into all the nitty gritty details and logistics that make up all areas of a stunning destination wedding. She believes that, without the little elements, a wedding is not complete.  Her passion for planning comes from making connections and relationships with her clients, who she adores. Every wedding is unique to Taylor, allowing her to help each couple plan something that represents who they are.

Taylor serves our destination clients up and down the west coast, as well as, the midwest and Hawaii ( our bags are packed ).

When she’s not planning you can find her reading, working out, traveling, and finding unique coffee shops to try new coffee selections. 

SOUTHEAST + CARIBBEAN

Stacie is a certified destination wedding planner with an eye for the details and an obsession with bringing your wedding dreams to life.  When you’re working with Chancey Charm, it’s all about a completely custom design and guest experience that represents you as a couple. She strives to take her clients’ breath away at every reveal and enjoys serving a luxury market with the help of her husband.

Stacie serves the Southeast, as well as, Mexico and Caribbean.

When she’s not planning, weddings, you can find her spending time with her husband and wrangling her 4 precious boys. Stacie is proud to own faith led family-business and truly believes that this is her calling.  

CAPE COD + EAST COAST

A certified wedding and event planner based on the east coast Pamela has been in the wedding industry since 2014. She has a passion for creating incredibly unique and memorable weddings for her couples – that leave guests blown away. With years of experience behind her, her couples know that she is bringing top planning advice and expertise with her to each planning meeting. Her goal is to make sure that each wedding reflects the special love story of the clients she serves, and she takes pride in every wedding. 

Pamela serves our destination clients up and down the east coast,  specializing  in Cape Cod and Boston.

When Pamela is not planning, she is spending time with her family, trying new restaurants, shopping, and planning her next adventure! 

FLORIDA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Kelsey’s love for all things weddings began when she enrolled in an event management course in college.  She quickly changed her major to hospitality and never looked back. Kelsey’s favorite part of planning a wedding is creating a genuine relationship with her couples. She knows just how important it is to listen to them and understand what makes them who they are, so that she can design a wedding with them that reflects that. Creating that best day ever for her clients is her love.  

Kelsey plans weddings for our clients in Florida and the Caribbean.  She specifically loves Amelia Island, 30A, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Anguilla, St Kitts, and Jamaica. 

When Kelsey isn’t planning you can find going out to eat with friends or grabbing wine at a local spot in Tampa, she loves walking around downtown and visiting the new shops in the area. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

We’re thrilled to have our work celebrated and awarded by an array of industry leaders

WHAT BRIDES LIKE YOU ARE SAYING:

“I would have paid her double in hindsight.

I absolutely can’t imagine orchestrating my wedding without the help of my Chancey Charm Europe planner, Mari. After all the logistics and coordination she handled, I would have paid her double in hindsight. She absorbed all the stress so that my wedding day could be the best day of my life. Truly.

Jackson Hole Bride

SIGNATURE WORK

destination wedding planner, international wedding planner, chancey charm,

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On the blog, destination weddings, rosemary beach wedding planning.

Cruising Into Your Wedding Weekend Like…

DESTINATION WEDDING VENUE HIGHLIGHT – Chateau Giscours, Bordeaux, France

Ritz Carlton Amelia Island Wedding Venue + Guest Activity List

Destination Wedding Cost | Free Guide

European Destination Wedding Cost Comparison – Italy VS Greece

Five Tips For Choosing the Perfect Destination Wedding Favor

Top Tips For Planning A Small Wedding

Top Tip For Planning A Destination Wedding | New Training Video

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“We are so thankful for them!

Skylar is the best! She is not only creative but also has a great eye for what is important. Her team was great our whole wedding weekend and went above and beyond. We are so thankful for them!

Shannon (Jackson Hole bride)

Our award winning team

of cruise wedding planners are truly outstanding and can’t wait to guide you through each step of your planning journey.

Let’s get you from “destination dreaming” to “I totally do!” 

Fill out the form below and our founder, Sarah Chancey, will be in touch with you shortly! We’ll connect you with the perfect cruise wedding planner for your needs and get the ball rolling on curating the event experience of a lifetime.

• 1445 Sadler Road  #1040 Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
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Naked cruise to sail from Miami in 2025

MIAMI (Gray News) - A nudist adventure awaits with the Big Nude Boat cruise scheduled to sail from Florida next year.

Bare Necessities Tour and Travel announced its newest nude cruise will be the Norwegian Sky cruise ship out of Miami.

The Big Nude Boat 2025 cruise will be a 10-day trip taking travelers to the Caribbean with scheduled stops that include the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia.

Bare Necessities said it will be taking over the Norwegian Pearl from Feb. 3 to Feb. 14, 2025.

According to the cruise itinerary , clothes-free experiences will be planned throughout the trip including nude beach days on private islands and nude days at sea.

But there will also be proper nudist etiquette and other rules for guests on board that include no photo zones around the pool area and dance venues, according to the cruise’s policies .

The travel company recommended that passengers bring some sort of casual clothing for the times they need to dress, along with a swimsuit as not all excursions will be clothing optional, but lingerie or fetish wear will not be an acceptable form of clothing on board.

The Big Nude Boat 2025 cruise tickets are currently on sale with prices starting at $2,000 for double occupancy.

Information about costume parties and onboard events is expected to be released at a later date.

Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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What To Wear To A Wedding On A Cruise Ship

Table of Contents:

But the standard wedding on a boat is typically associated with semi-formal attire, so colored linen shirts and beige slacks are acceptable, perhaps even a jacket. Sport coats, khakis, and Polo shirts will also be excused by the bride and groom. Shorts are uncomfortable.

What should female guests at weddings wear?

Women should wear a formal floor-length gown that covers their ankles at the hem, but if the wedding appears to be a little less formal, a chic cocktail dress might also be acceptable. Also acceptable are chic pant suits for women.

The language used in wedding invitations, such as “black tie optional” and “semi-formal,” can be difficult to understand, leaving you completely in the dark about the appropriate attire for wedding guests. The most typical wedding dress code is formal attire, according to Alicia Mae, CEO of the New Jersey-based wedding planning company IL Events. However, many couples would prefer their guests arrive in black-tie attire.

Despite the fact that formal attire may be the most typical, a wedding invitation may also specify a number of other dress codes. It can be challenging for guests to decide which level of formality they want to adopt because formal, semi-formal, and casual are a bit more ambiguous than, say, black-tie.

Investigating the venue is one of the best ways to decide what to wear. “As a guest, I would first think of the wedding location as the background that sets the tone,” says Mae. You can get a sense of the wedding style by conducting a quick Google search for the venue, and the location likely has pictures of previous weddings that you can use as inspiration.

On a cruise, what constitutes country club casual?

This uptown cruise line prides itself on its country club casual attire. During the day, you may wear jeans, shorts, and similar clothing, but not at night. In the evening, cocktail dresses or pantsuits, along with nice slacks and shirts or blouses, will make you feel right at home.

After many years of cruising and witnessing numerous fashion trends come and go, I can attest that choosing the right outfits for your cruise comes down to just three factors: your cruise line, your itinerary, and your current fashion mood.

You should be aware that many cruise ships have a designated evening dress code, such as casual, informal, or formal, that is in effect in public areas and restaurants starting at 6 o’clock each day. Thank goodness, a casual, easy-going look is always appropriate for the day.

Country club casual: The atmosphere of the Martinis Lounge on board Oceania Insignia.

When dining out on a ship, is formal attire required?

Bring a fancier, more formal outfit if you want to go to a “cruise elegant” evening. Men can put on suits or dress slacks with a sport coat and dress shirt. Women should wear cocktail dresses, pantsuits, or sophisticated skirts and blouses. A tuxedo or ball gown is a popular choice for some guests who want to go all out.

Choosing what to wear on a cruise requires taking into account a variety of factors, including your cruise destinations and their climates, the activities you plan to partake in both onboard and ashore, as well as your opportunities for formal dining. Naturally, choosing what to wear on a cruise to Alaska will be very different from choosing what to wear on a cruise to the Caribbean.

It will be necessary to pack various outfits for activities like horseback riding, ziplining, and ATV tours in addition to beach and shopping days.

Your cruise clothing should be comfortable above all else. Keep in mind that you only have a limited amount of space in your luggage and hotel room, but you’ll need enough clothes to cover all of your excursions and get you from point A to point B.

Does a woman have the right to wear pants to a wedding?

Yes, you can definitely wear pants to a wedding. Pants are totally acceptable if dresses aren’t your thing or your legs aren’t your best feature, as long as you consider the venue and time of day.

The summer wedding season is in full swing, and some of you might be wondering what to wear. Yes, you most definitely can wear pants to a wedding. As long as you consider the time of day and the venue, wearing pants is totally acceptable if you don’t like dresses or your legs aren’t your best feature. Here are some tips on how to feel comfortable wearing pants to a wedding.

If you’re unsure, ask the bride, the bride’s mother, or a member of the wedding party for some guidelines. The wedding dress code may be specified on the invitation. In a pinch, it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed as a wedding guest.

Dress pants with a nice flowy look in silk, soft crepe, or chiffon overlay are elegant enough to work for a black-tie optional wedding.

Can a woman wear pants to a wedding?

You certainly can, though. If dresses aren’t your thing or your legs aren’t your best feature, wearing pants is totally acceptable as long as you consider the venue and time of day. Here are some tips on how to dress confidently when wearing pants to a wedding.

The season for summer weddings is well underway, and some of you might be wondering what to wear. Yes, you can definitely wear pants to a wedding. If dresses aren’t your thing or your legs aren’t your best feature, wearing pants is totally acceptable as long as you consider the venue and time of day. Here are some tips on how to dress confidently when wearing pants to a wedding.

If you’re unsure about the wedding dress code, ask the bride, the mother of the bride, or a member of the wedding party for clarification. As a wedding guest, it’s always preferable to be overdressed than underdressed in a pinch.

Dress pants with a nice flowy look in silk, soft crepe, or covered with chiffon are elegant enough to work for a black-tie optional wedding.

How should one dress for a wedding at sea?

The most typical beach wedding attire for men consists of a button-down shirt, slacks or chinos, and a suit jacket or blazer if the ceremony is formal. For women, flowing maxi and midi dresses are popular beach wedding attire, but jumpsuits and dressy separates are also suitable options.

To aid you in navigating and appreciating life’s most important moments, we have included third-party products. We might receive a commission if you buy something after clicking one of the links on this page.

You’ve been invited to a beach wedding, which means you can finally go on vacation, right? Wrong. Before you pack your T-shirts and flip-flops, there are a few things you should know about what to wear to a beach wedding. Depending on the venue and type of event, guests’ attire for beach weddings can vary, but given the weather and setting (lots of sun and sand), it’s frequently more casual than black tie. However, there should still be some formality present because it is a special occasion. We have you covered if you’re not sure exactly what to wear to a beach wedding. In the section below, we go over proper beach wedding guest attire, including what to wear to adhere to various dress codes. We’ve also included a few shoppable outfit suggestions for men and women to make your search for beach-friendly clothing even simpler.

Wedding attire for a beach wedding is typically assumed to be dressy casual, but other weddings may be more formal, so what exactly should guests wear for a wedding at the beach? However, beach wedding attire for both men and women typically consists of vivid hues, floral prints, airy fabrics, and entertaining accessories.

What should I wear for a cocktail party?

Women can also wear nice jumpsuits or dressy suits with heels or formal flats in addition to the traditional cocktail dress. For men, a suit and tie are a necessity for cocktail attire, according to all experts.

The most popular wedding dress code, undoubtedly cocktail attire, can be challenging to follow when choosing what to wear as a guest. With the assistance of a few etiquette experts, we’ve eliminated the element of guesswork from selecting an outfit.

Cocktail attire attempts to strike a balance between formal and informal as well as elegant and cozy. Men typically don a suit and tie while women typically don a cocktail dress for an event with this dress code, such as a wedding.

According to bridal consultant LauraLee Baird, “cocktail attire is intended to bridge the gap between day and night.”. “A full-length gown is not required, but it is still appropriate to dress up for the occasion. This combines the fabric and embellishments of a formal gown with the shorter, garden party dress silhouette. Alena Kate Pettitt, author of English Etiquette: The Motivation Behind the Manners, continues, “Think somewhere between a sophisticated formal occasion and office or party wear.

For a beach wedding, what should the female guest wear?

Since beach weddings are frequently informal affairs, opting for a fun print, a vibrant color, and a shorter hemline will usually work. If the wedding is more formal, choose a jumpsuit or a dress that is a little longer, and look for solid, lighter colors.

Consider yourself fortunate if you received an invitation to a beach wedding this year. It feels a little bit more special because of the salty air and the roaring waves of the ocean. But as a wedding guest, you might be unsure of what to wear. A sweeping formal gown might feel inappropriate, and heels don’t really work in the sand, logically. However, you also don’t want to look too casual while wearing a printed sundress.

Having a clear understanding of the dress code is the first step in deciding what to wear as a guest. Since beach weddings are frequently informal affairs, opting for a fun print, a vibrant color, and a shorter hemline will usually work. If the wedding is more formal, choose a jumpsuit or a dress that is a little longer and go for solid, lighter colors.

While black may be a traditional wedding dress color, try to stay away from it for ceremonies by the sea. Choose vibrant hues instead, such as pink, coral, turquoise, or purple. If it’s a hot summer day, look for clothing made of breathable, lightweight materials. Although linen and cotton are excellent choices, satin and velvet should be avoided because they will look and feel heavy.

What should I wear for coastal chic?

A recent fashion craze known as “Coastal Grandmother” is called “Coastal Chic.”. It includes elements like airy dresses, straw accessories, light linens and cottons in muted colors, with sporadic pops of vibrant pastels like blue, pink, and yellow.

Coastal Chic is a recent style trend making headlines under the name of Coastal Grandmother. It has elements of breezy dresses, straw accessories, and lightweight linens and cottons in neutral shades with the occasional splashes of bright pastels like blue, pink, and yellow. The style is timeless and classic, far from being a trend with an expiration date, reminding one of stylish fashion icons like Diane Keaton and Martha Stewart with their effortlessly relaxed looks. In the same way that personal style has no time limit, timeless style does too. Even when we are in our grandmother years and beyond, we can still be cool, sophisticated, and stylish.

The term “Coastal Grandmother” was subject to some discussion when this group first decided to look into this “trend” in more detail. While some people thought the phrase was ageist and offensive, others embraced it as a support for fashion models who are over 40.

I am years away from ever becoming a grandmother, although there are many women my age who are grandmothers. Suddenly, the word grandmother no longer means “old” to me; therefore, I am not offended by the use of that word in any context really. In fact, the whole concept of old versus young just keeps changing for me as time passes and I continue to age. I feel younger at 48 than I did at 30, and I feel healthier than I ever have in my entire life. I don’t consider myself even at the halfway point in my life, if I have any say in it, so as far as I am concerned, I am still firmly planted in youth.

What do you wear to boarding a cruise ship?

What should I wear on embarkation day? Since you will most likely be doing a lot of walking and standing in line, comfortable shoes are key. Dress casually, and don’t be surprised to see tropical wear on Caribbean cruises or even groups in matching T-shirts. Also, make sure you check the weather beforehand.

Since you most likely will be doing a lot of walking and standing in line, comfortable shoes are key. Dress casually, and don’t be surprised to see tropical wear on Caribbean cruises or even groups in matching T-shirts. Also make sure you check the weather beforehand. Layers are always convenient for temperature changes (such as between overly air-conditioned interior spaces and muggy Florida weather), sudden rainstorms, or when you break a sweat from exploring the ship.

All rooms or cabins are cleaned and prepped on embarkation day, so it depends on when yours is ready. The cruise director will make an announcement over the PA system when rooms are ready. In some cases, you might be able to pop in early if your cabin has already been cleaned; some ships will block hallway access with fire doors until all rooms are serviced. If you have a bag you’d rather not carry around, the guest relations’ desk might be able to hold onto it for you.

Luggage is delivered to the cabins within a few hours after boarding. Most cruisers get theirs before dinnertime, but there’s a chance luggage could be delayed or that some of your bags arrive before others. (Because of that, dinner on the first night is almost always a casual affair.uisers get theirs before dinnertime, but there’s a chance luggage could be delayed or that some of your bags arrive before others. (Because of that, dinner on the first night is almost always a casual affair.) We recommend packing a carry-on with anything you’ll need for the first day on board.

Can I wear a floral dress to a beach wedding?

If the dress code is more casual, Other beach weddings will have a more relaxed dress code, such as ‘casual’ or tropical—this means floral prints, linen material, and even some boho-style maxi dresses are fair game.

If you’ve been invited to a beach wedding, you’re in for a treat. A cool sea breeze, a romantic sunset, and a ceremony on the sand—it’s the perfect excuse to take a tropical vacation. But despite the picturesque setting, it can quite the challenge for wedding guests to know just what to wear to a destination wedding like this. Beach weddings present a number of challenges when it comes to appropriate attire—you need shoes that can be worn on sand and a dress that’s lightweight enough to keep you cool and easy to pack without wrinkling or taking up too much real estate in your suitcase.

To help you navigate these challenges and fully enjoy your friends’ or family member’s big day, we’ve rounded up the best beach wedding guest dresses for every type of oceanside ceremony. Whether you’re attending a large, formal affair in Capri or heading to an intimate gathering in Melides, these wedding guest dresses have you covered. From floral gowns to casual mini dresses and everything in between, here are our picks for the 34 best beach wedding guest dresses that will keep you comfortable all night long, whether you’re on the sand or the dance floor.

Even though beach wedding attire often means a more relaxed dress code, sometimes the hosts prefer their guests to wear formal attire. While it’s unlikely to be a black-tie affair, you’ll still want to find elegant styles that will look polished with a clutch and a chic pair of sandals instead of heels. The formal dresses and gowns below are lightweight, packable, and come in bright colors that scream destination wedding by the beach.

What do you wear to a wedding at a yacht club?

Look, if you can fit in with a cocktail party, you’ll be good to go. Then you can also bring earrings. Like this that are much more formal, pair it with a formal necklace.

Can you wear jeans to dinner on a cruise?

On formal nights, proper attire includes tuxedos, suits, or slacks (jackets required) for men and evening gowns, cocktail dresses, or dressy pantsuits for women. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but they’re not appropriate in any public venues for dinner or cocktail hour.

Cruise clothing is the subject of countless questions. What exactly is a cocktail dress code or smart casual for women? And what exactly does your cruise line consider formal enough for your formal night dress code? Few issues create as much confusion among cruisers as what they are allowed to wear onboard, especially the when and where of it all.

Cruise line dress codes run the gamut from hyper-casual to elegant (and don’t forget White Nights, of course). For example, you may be surprised to learn that the high-end dress code of Viking Ocean Cruises is closer to Norwegian Cruises’ than to Seabourn’s. Or that Royal Caribbean’s dress code may be enforced differently from ship to ship.

If you’re wondering what cruise clothing to pack for your holiday at sea, here’s how each major cruise line would like you to dress. Once you’ve made it onboard, it’s important to know that most cruise lines reiterate the dress codes for specific times and venues in each day’s newsletter.

Is it cold on a cruise ship at night?

And while you might be cruising the Caribbean or some other tropical locale, ship decks can get pretty cold at night when the sun goes down and the wind picks up, so it may be smart to bring a shawl or light jacket. 19.

There’s a reason the cruise world has an army of dedicated followers who spend as many of their vacation days as possible plying the seas. The whole experience is relatively stress-free, with planned meals, excursions, and onboard entertainment. But for those who are new to the cruise or anyone looking to get more out of their high seas vacation, here are 23 cruise tips to help you out.

Related: Check out these 10 things you didn’t know you could do on a cruise.

A lot of cruise ships offer drink packages, which sound like a nice, worry-free way to enjoy yourself while onboard. But in some cases, you’d have to drink at least eight alcoholic beverages per day to get your money’s worth with the package. Crunch the numbers ahead of time to see if a package is the best option for you.

How many outfits do I need for a 7-day cruise?

Bottom Line: As a rough guide, for a 7-night cruise, you will need to bring enough clothing for at least 4 formal or semi-formal nights, a couple of casual evenings, pool and loungewear, and practical clothing for excursions on dry land. I fall somewhere in the middle, as I usually do, and can understand both sides of the debate while really not having much of an opinion about it myself.

Related Articles:

• Can You Get Married On A Cruise Ship?
• How To Arrange A Wedding On A Cruise Ship
• Is It Legal To Get Married On A Cruise Ship?
• Cruise Weddings. What To Know Before You Book!
• How To Book A Cruise Wedding
• Do I Need My Marriage License For A Cruise?

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Caribbean cruise line reroutes ships, cancels stop at island port due to violence, turmoil

• Published: Apr. 25, 2024, 12:11 p.m.

Royal Caribbean International has canceled stops at its private beach in Haiti through September as a result of the violence plaguing the island nation, a private fan blog, citing messages to travelers, reports. AP

• Robert Higgs, cleveland.com

MIAMI – Royal Caribbean has cancelled stops at its private port of Labadee through the summer because of simmering violence in Haiti.

In March, the cruise line canceled stops at the private beach area through May, but this week Royal Caribbean reworked cruise schedules through the summer and into September, a post on the Royal Caribbean Blog said.

“Guests booked on cruises in the summer and early fall are getting notifications from Royal Caribbean that their visits to Labadee have been canceled,” the blog said. “On Tuesday (April 23), cruisers began to share updates they received from Royal Caribbean that their itineraries have been updated to drop Labadee and replace it with another port or a sea day.”

Labadee is a beach area on a peninsula in northern Haiti near Cap-Haitien used exclusively by Royal Caribbean. The cruise line has its own security force at the site, which is walled off from the rest of the country.

The 260-acre site has been leased by Royal Caribbean since the 1980s. It is about a six-hour drive from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and thus far has not seen any incidents of violence, the blog said.

More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence from January to March across Haiti, a more than 50% increase from the same period last year, according to a report Friday by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. The vast majority of violence is in Port-au-Prince .

Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s former capital, has been spared much of the violence and is going through a bit of a resurgence, The Associated Press said . Business owners, anxious parents and even historic state ceremonies have been relocating there, and that began even before gangs started attacking key government infrastructure in Port-au-Prince in late February.

Royal Caribbean International had no formal announcements of the changes posted to its website. Royal Caribbean Blog is an unofficial site for fans of the cruise line and is not affiliated with Royal Caribbean International.

But it cited chatter and messages from cruise ticket holders about changes to their itinerary that showed stops at Labadee were being canceled and replaced with either an extra day of cruising at sea or stops in alternate ports.

A notice from the cruise line, reposted on the blog, informed guests about the change in travel plans, without explicitly mentioning the violence.

“Due to the continuing situation in Haiti, we’ll now visit Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, instead of Labadee, Haiti,” the notice reads. “We’re sorry for the change – your safety is our top priority. Nevertheless, we’re excited to visit a new port with you!”

Grand Turk is the capital island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago north of Haiti.

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