can a cruise ship captain perform weddings

Can Sea Captains Really Officiate Legally Binding Marriages?

As in most things in life, particularly when the law is involved, it’s complicated. However, as a general rule, with a few exceptions like Japan, Bermuda, and Romania, sea captains do not have any inherent authority to officiate weddings where the couple will then be considered legally married.

(Japanese sea captains are given such authority, as long as they’re marrying two people who are also Japanese, and a similar thing is true in Romania, where interestingly Romanian law also gives aircraft captains the same power. Bermuda allows ship captains this same privilege, so long as the ship they’re captaining is registered in Bermuda. This was a not too subtle way to get more cruise ships to register their boats in Bermuda- and it totally worked, by the way.)

Despite this sort of authority not really being a thing in most regions, it is entirely possible, and not even terribly uncommon, for sea captains to marry couples. For example, one Captain Arnold Wonsever, working for Skyline Cruises in New York, noted he performs on average close to 200 weddings per year.

So how do all those sea captains who currently do it get around the legality problem, and where did the ubiquitous idea that such individuals had that authority come from in the first place?

To begin with, because there is such a common notion worldwide that sea captains are able to officiate legally binding marriages, some sea captains choose to go get the extra certification they’d need to do so. It’s simply a great way to make a little side money while otherwise performing their day job of captaining the ship. It’s also in some cases a way to get more people to come aboard your ship in the form of wedding parties.

Getting such certification isn’t difficult in many regions, such as in the United States where becoming ordained is absurdly easy, with various organizations offering this service online, in a few cases even for free.

Moving beyond the certified, some sea captains will simply officiate a wedding ceremony, but with it understood that said individual does not have the ability to sign off on things to make the marriage legally binding. However, there is even a caveat here in that, depending on where you’re from, it may be the case that declaring in front of witnesses that you’re marrying someone that you also then go and live with can qualify you for a common law marriage. And, contrary to popular belief, it’s often not required that you live with the person for several years before said common law marriage kicks in. In some places, it’s instant.

In this case, it wouldn’t matter if you had the guy who swabs the decks, or even a literal bilge rat, perform the ceremony. It could still be legally binding if you wanted it to be. And, pro-tip- the bilge rat’s probably way cheaper than getting the captain to do it.

For all other cases where the captain has no legal authority here, the individuals getting married will typically just go get married officially in front of a judge or minister somewhere else either before or after their wedding at sea. In fact, aboard some cruise ships where the sea captain isn’t certified to officially marry a couple, but said company offers some sort of wedding service package, the company will simply have an individual on board who does have the required certification. This way the couple gets the sea captain wedding ceremony they wanted, and the legally binding side of things as well all in one place.

This all brings us around to the question of how this widely accepted trope came about.

Well, nobody knows for sure… But the general thought is that, as traveling across the big blue was once a rather time consuming process and potentially done with many people packed aboard off to start new lives, there was sometimes desire for marriage while on the trip.

Now with the occasional need established, it’s also noteworthy that sea captains once had near absolute authority over the vessels they commanded. For example, captains from many regions historically had the authority to do things like arrest and jail those aboard their ships, create birth and death certificates, more or less function as a notary for official documents like wills, and even in some cases were required to note in their logs when weddings occurred aboard their ship.

Thus, it’s hypothesized that these types of extra powers, particularly officially logging marriages that happen on the ship and then later reporting them to authorities, all perhaps gave the general public the idea that captains could legally marry couples. And, for whatever reason, sea captains seem to have been happy to oblige such requests.

In an apparent attempt to get their captains to stop doing this, at least in the US Navy, in the early 20th century they included a section tucked away in the Code of Regulations dealing with this very phenomenon –

The commanding officer shall not perform a marriage ceremony on board his ship or aircraft. He shall not permit a marriage ceremony to be performed on board when the ship or aircraft is outside the territory of the United States.

According to the regulations, the only time such marriages are allowed is if a registered official who can perform a legally binding marriage is aboard the ship or plane and all relevant permits and permissions in accordance with local laws of the couple being married have been obtained.

Outside of that, however, the first sentence forbids captains from performing the ceremony, and the second sentence forbids them from allowing others to do it when at sea, presumably owing to the legal complication that arises from marrying people when out in international waters.

But to sum all this up- no, as a general rule, outside of the caveats previously mentioned, sea captains do not have the authority to legally marry a couple. This, however, has not stopped them from performing such ceremonies, nor Hollywood from promoting the idea that they do have this power. This has all resulted in an almost world-wide notion today that sea captains are able to do this, in turn resulting in some captains getting additional certification to be able to marry couples looking for a sea based wedding performed by someone in a snazzy uniform.

The culmination of all of this has even resulted in places like Japan and Romania granting their sea captains this ability. And in recent years there’s even been a push by shipping unions in the UK to likewise give sea captains this ability without having to jump through an extra hoop of getting outside certification.

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show ( iTunes , Spotify , Google Play Music , Feed ), as well as:

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Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly
Births, marriages and deaths at sea or abroad
British ships to be allowed to hold weddings at sea
A Marriage at Sea? Get Me Rewrite
The Dream – Married at Sea
Fisher and Fisher
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Sea Captains Performing Marriages
Are Ship Captains Allowed to Marry People at Sea?

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How to Get Married at Sea

Photo by Adriana Rivera Photography

What you see in old romantic movies just doesn't happen very often today. You can still have a wedding ceremony at sea, but it's not easy.

Even though it is believed to be a regular event, weddings at sea are a rarity. A ship's captain generally does NOT have the legal right to officiate a wedding at sea. In order for a Captain of a ship to perform a marriage at sea, he must also be a judge, a justice of the peace, a minister, or an officially recognized officiant such as a Notary Public.
Japanese ships allow Captains to perform a marriage ceremony at sea, but only if the couple has valid Japanese passports.
Through Bermuda law, and because most of the Princess captains have Bermuda licenses to perform weddings, captains aboard Princess Cruise's Golden Princess , Star Princess , and the Grand Princess may perform weddings aboard ship and at sea. Note that couples in Bermuda must be 21 and have picture identification showing proof of age. Contact the cruise line at 866-444-8820 or 800-774-6237 for more information.
A romantic alternative is to have your wedding aboard ship while it is docked in a port. You need to follow the port's requirements for such a wedding. All cruise lines offer this option.
Many cruise lines will require that once in port, you will need to leave the ship, swear before a judge that everything is correct with previously prepared paperwork, then go back to the ship for your ceremony.
If you want to renew your vows at sea, you need to show proof of a valid marriage.
Before Cruise West ceased operations in 2010, if the captain obtained a temporary permit to perform a wedding, the captain could officiate a wedding within designated Alaska waterways. Although there are alternatives to Cruise West, there do not seem to be onboard wedding options available.
A wedding at sea takes planning. It's not something you can decide to do at the last minute.
Having a wedding at sea makes arranging the honeymoon easier. Just make sure you tell friends and relatives to leave you alone after the ceremony!
Some websites may still mention Liberian law for the Princess Cruise Line weddings, but that was changed.

What You Need

Photo identification
Other required documentation
Time to plan your wedding
Communication and arrangements with the cruise line

Can Sea Captains Really Officiate Legally Binding Marriages?

Table of Contents:

Can Sea Captains Actually Perform Marriages With Legal Effects? [+video]

They can’t actually do this right according to countless movies and TV shows sea captains in addition to getting to where data uniforms and snazzy hats can marry couples aboard their ships thanks to power bestowed upon them by the sea.” Bermuda and Romania Sea captains do not have any inherent authority to officiate weddings where the couple will then be considered legally married. Japanese sea captains are given such authority as long as they marry Japanese people, and a similar thing is true in Romania, where interestingly Romanian law also gives aircraft captains the same power Bermuda allows ship captains the same privilege as long as the ship they’re captioning is registered in Bermuda, and it totally worked despite this sort of Authority.

Can captain take his wife on ship?

In the Indian Merchant Navy, officers serving on ships are permitted to take along wives on a voyage . This facility is given once a year to the captain and the chief engineer; lower ranks are permitted once in three years. The officer has to give an undertaking that his wife is not in the family way.

Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/musings/spared-cost-of-wrong-declaration-392451

Obtaining such a certification isn’t difficult in many areas such as the United States we’re becoming ordained is absurdly easy with various organizations offering the service online and in some cases even doing it for free moving beyond the certified some sea captain’s will simply officiate a wedding ceremony with the understanding that said individual does not have the ability to sign off on things to make the marriage legally binding however there is even a caveat he Individuals getting married typically go to get married in front of a judge or a minister somewhere else either before or after the wedding at sea. In fact, aboard some cruise ships where the sea captain isn’t certified to officially marry a couple but said company offers some sort of wedding service package, the company will simply have an individual on board who does have the required certification. Although sea captains do not have the legal authority to marry a couple, this has not stopped them from performing such ceremonies, nor has Hollywood promoted the idea that they do.

This has resulted in an almost universal belief today that sea captains are able to do so, resulting in some captains obtaining additional certifications to be able to marry couples looking for a sea-based wedding performed by someone in a cool hat and a snazzy uni. I found out that we set up our brand new podcast website with Wix, which you can find at brainfood.fm. I made this website entirely myself, all on Wix, and I have no technical abilities. Wix allows you to make a highly customized, professional, and robust website with ease. Wix approached us a while back to see if we’d like to make a website with them, and we were like, “Well, we’ve got this new podcast thing, let’s give it a go; that’s a pretty good fit.” Wix had recently gotten into supporting podcasts, so that’ll work pretty great and it was very easy to get set up. Wix has professional solutions for every need. whether you want to host a article, a picture gallery, or arrange bookings, you can do it all with Wix.

Can you be married by a ship’s captain?

Who performs the ceremony? A ship’s captain often doesn’t have the legal right to perform weddings at sea unless he is also a judge, minister, justice of the peace or a Notary Public .

Source: https://www.staysure.co.uk/discover/get-married-cruise-ship/

With Wix, there’s no heavy lifting; it’s all drag-and-drop. I even used a template for our website to make it even easier, but you can start from scratch if you want. We offer hundreds of templates on limited pages and top-grade hosting for free. You can upgrade to one of their premium plans for as little as five dollars a month to get even more, and you can do all of that by going to Wix.com. forward slash go forward slash brain food or just click on the link in the description below, and as always, thank you for perusal.

Can Sea Captains Really Officiate Legally Binding Marriages?

FAQ – 💬

❓ can sea captains marry people.

Ocean Myth #1: Sea Captains Can Marry People. Well, yes, sea captains can marry some one. In fact, in eleven states and many foreign ports, a sea captain can now marry another seafarer of the same sex. But what they’re not allowed to do is marry other people—that is, officiate at wedding ceremonies, pronounce that couples arrrr! now man and wife.

❓ Can a sea captain officiate a wedding ceremony?

❓ Can magenta captains marry?

This being a free country, Magenta, ships’ captains are allowed to marry anybody they want to. Performing marriages, however, is a different story.

❓ How does a ship's captain register a marriage?

The captains are allowed - actually required - to be the registrar of any marriages (along with other important events on the ship) via the ship's log. So as long as someone legal (captain or not) performed the ceremony, the captain will register the fact in an official document.

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I got married aboard the USS Yorktown CG-48, by my Captain. Sort of. We hosted “family cruises” every year, the crew would bring their fam & friends aboard and the ship would take them out into the Gulf for a few hours and “perform shows” of some of the ship’s systems. It was always a pretty fun. I had mentioned as a joke to my Division Officer that my girlfriend and I wanted to get married in front of the aft Missile Rails and he was like “yeah, I think we can do that.” So the next year we arranged to have the ship decorated from the Flight Deck to the Fantail with colored water-dissolvable paper, and the Lt. Chaplain from the shore station agreed to ride along to make it official. So my best friends were my Groomsmen & Bestman, my Div-O escorted my girlfriend, and my Captain did the ceremony. And then somebody’s kids figured out that the decorations dissolved when they got wet and all hell broke loose.

I’ve been on a fishing boat with the plaque, “Marriages performed at sea are legally binding for the duration of the voyage” and here is the story I was told. We all know travel by sea is somewhat dangerous and in times of yore, many people didn’t make it back alive. It was also uncouth, for lack of a better vernacular, for a woman of marrying age to die at sea (on a passenger ship-not a military one) unwed. Superstition or just the general culture of the time, idk, but if a ship found itself in distress without hope of rescue (think like forever ago until air/sea rescue / coast guard) it was ok for the capt to marry a couple so they didn’t perish unwed. It may be noted in the ships logs, not as they thought they would ever be recovered or read by living persons, just that the couple was married in the eyes of whatever deity they worshipped whilst alive, somehow blah blah the afterblah I don’t think that part matters-it could have been critically relevant to the people at the time and I won’t judge them for it. Since the “voyage” is never completed and the newlyweds perished at sea-it stands to moderate reason the families either let it stand for posterity/religion or simply never knew it had taken place. Perhaps there was a “if were going down, I’d like you to be my death husband” type of chatter amongst the proles and aristocrats, alike.

while not at sea, my father told me that when he was in the Army, he once was requsitionned by his captain for a marriage “entre la photocopieuse et la machine a café” (between the photocopier and the cofee machine) and the marriage was pronounced by a captain of the commisariat de l’armée de terre (now commisariat des armées), which have authority in such manners as officer of civil registration

My late father was a sea captain. I think he was with Grace Lines when he go up and down the west coast of South America. He emphatically stated that sea captains could not marry people. He said he thought it was probably a myth created by Hollywood. In fact, he said, it was a standing joke at the time that, yes, the captain could marry a couple but the marriage was only good for the duration of the voyage and once the voyage was over so was the marriage.

Who can and can’t be an officiant is highly dependent on what jurisdiction you are in. My wife and I had a friend, who isn’t clergy by any means, officiate at our wedding. I checked with my state beforehand and they do not require any special qualifications for an officiant, nor do they check on them. Literally anybody can officiate a wedding in my state. We were also common-law married well before our actual wedding, all it took was for us to present ourselves, officially, as a married couple. In our case, we filled out a “common-law affidavit”, provided by her employer, so that I could be added, as her husband, to her insurance. Another way is to simply file your taxes as a married couple, in the eyes of the government you are then, officially, married and would have to get a divorce should you split up.

Side note to a side note… Notaries, even ones in international waters, apparently have one rather specific restriction. In the case of wills, or other similar documents, notaries require a different certification if the document they notarize includes the words “of sound mind.” For that, they need a license to practice psychology, or related documentation from a psychologist.

As noted, at least here in the U.S. officiating a marriage isn’t anything sacrosanct, the legal aspects are largely bureaucratic and most anyone who wants to do it can with the right preparation. Each state has its own particular Marriage Licensing requirements that officiants need to understand and follow and depending on the law that might mean obtaining notary powers or making some archaic religious attestment but it’s generally not too difficult. “Religious tests” are more or less unconstitutional; the government is in no position nor has much interest in judging the merits of the ordained. I’m friends with a couple who were literally married by a Jedi!

Assuming, though, that the Florida Notary Public is duly appointed and commissioned at the time of the ceremony, that both the bride and the groom are qualified to be joined in marriage, that the couple have obtained the required Florida marriage license, and that the marriage ceremony is performed in Florida,

When my step-dad was in the Navy, he had to goto his Captain and ask permission to get married to his first wife. He told Me the Captain would basically take the role of being like a father to the guys on the ship. Not 100% sure, I also think on some ships, The Captain can double up as an Ordained Minister, if the ship does not have a Padre

Please do a article on that time in the UK people believe that blacksmith’s had spiritual powers and there for anyone who is not being allowed by the Anglican Church could slip over the border into Scotland to obtain a legally binding marriage Wich was often a blacksmith. Which had the bonus that the couple often had rings forged as part of the cerimony

In most states in the US it is possible for almost anyone to lead the ceremony and sign off on the paperwork as the administrator. While I am card carrying duly ordained minister of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster there are few states that could actually challenge me the truth is that I have never once been asked to present credentials when turning in the paperwork. A bit disappointed about that, actually, after all my ordination cost me twenty bucks! May His Noodly Goodness shine down upon you all. Ramen

See I assumed that, given it was in international waters, the captain of the vessel is the nearest head of authority with respect to the country the ship is registered with, and thus had the ability to exercise said country’s law at their own discretion in most circumstances. Including (if all the paperwork was in order and carried out in the required manner by said country) marrying a couple.

A captain is more like the ‘Mayor’ of the ship. Certain (Mayor)s inherit the position, some are assigned it, & others earn it regardless if they’re elected or not. Hence, even though a ship’s captain may have absolutely no authority to make a legally binding marriage, its their duty to have records of the status of the individuals on ship, commonly known as a manifest, & everything pertaining to marriage must be officially finalized once ashore.

Speaking of common law marriages in Saskatchewan Canada living for as little as 3 months makes you common law. What has now lead to a court case in which 2 same sex room mates are getting divorced despite not being in a relationship due to a mistake by the census. The 2 individuals were foreign exchange students and did not correctly understand the questions asked and in a phone interviews for the census they suddenly found themselves effectively married by accident.

I’m with Jack Sparrow on this one: there are only two things in this world, what a man can do and what a man can’t do. For example, you CAN pirate the Black Pearl before getting rip roaring drunk and eventually marrying Elizabeth and Will before the mast while engaging in pitched sword battles. Just make sure you have a good photographer standing by.

In the state of Ohio, any couple who hold themselves out to the public/economic/social world as being husband and wife can be considered married, regardless of whether or not they have had a wedding and for how long they have lived together. For example, if before our wedding, my girlfriend and I had represented ourselves as Mr. and Mrs. and applied for and received a home mortgage, we would both be entitled to dower rights, just as if we had a church/judge/justice of the peace wedding ceremony, and regardless of the fact that we had only lived together for three years (not seven, as in some states by statute), because we legally represented ourselves as a married couple.

This addresses the issue of what is legal, but barely touches the historical reasons, including the fact that people have generally been more concerned with what the society would recognize, as opposed to technical recognition of the law. The family, historically, has not been a thing determined by law as we speak of it (though the English expression “in-law” refers to a concept of law, one I think that differs from what is commonly spoken of today as “legal”.

Now what you forget and omit is that the opinions of the US govt ( or any government for that matter) do not apply outside of their own territirial jurisdiction. So outside of their own territorial waters they have no say on this or any matter. But general principals of marriage reciprocity bind them to recognize the union

How about. article on common law marriage? That is a simple concept with so many misconceptions and rumors surrounding it, in the size snyway. Only certain states allow it for example, but if it is allowed in one state, most of not all other states must honor the marriage as legal. Fascinating subject actually and a article would be very educational and would clear up the misconceptions.

Just so you know I am a mariner myself and have a captain’s license and I can tell you this much having a captain’s license gives you great authority because stimming back from the days of Columbus and before captains were considered ambassadors of their country therefore they had the power vested in them by their country which is also where the whole captains officiating marriages came into play. Just a side note captains also have diplomatic immunity when traveling abroad to this day and are still considered ambassadors of their country which is why a licensed Captain will have a green passport signifying an ambassador vs the standard blue passport that everyone else gets

This will blow your minds… Czech Republic is landlocked, however. If a sea ship is outside of it’s teritory and life of a person engaged is in clear danger, than a captain has the authority to officiate wedding and it’s completely legal as long as the ship sailed under Czech flag. This applies planes to, just flag is replaced by registration in Czech Republic. § 667 fo Czech civics code (Občanský zákoník) So yeah, even landlocked countries can have sea captains marrying people 😀

I can’t believe you missed the obvious. Sailors in foreign ports would find gullible women and tell them they would marry them. The women would be eager to believe because many sailor would be given a stipend for a wife from either the Navy or the larger merchant shippers. The captain would play along with the rouse so the sailors could get laid. Many a bastard child was left behind never to meet their father.

Now here’s a question for you, and potentially a subject for a new article. What is marriage? How is it defined in the Bible? And the bigger question I have is why does the government get involved in what is essentially a religious matter? Also along the same vein, what is divorce? How is it defined in the Bible? I can understand how the government would get involved in evenly dividing up a married couple’s is state. But I cannot understand how the government has anything to do with whom I choose to live with, have children with, and spend my life with.

2:17 “some sea captains choose to (…) get certified, so they’re able to (marry couples).” Certified? You just say that as though we are supposed to know what that means. Certified in/as what? By whom? I even rewound the article to see if I maybe just missed your explanation, but it did not help, there seems to be none.

I love this website but does anyone find his hand gestures excessive and distracting? Like I get that it’s good to use your hands as a presentation technique but it just seems that he’s over-compensating by making some sort of gesture with every single phrase. It’s not as bad in this article as his hands are cut out. I don’t mean to knit-pick because I like this website and the info in it..but I do find it very distracting.

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Can Boat Captains Really Marry People?

By matt soniak | nov 2, 2009.

can a cruise ship captain perform weddings

Reader Meredith wrote in with a question: "Why can boat captains marry people? Can other people in charge of other large vessels perform weddings?"

Meredith, if you plan to have a boat captain officiate your wedding (how Jim and Pam of you), I hope you read this before leaving port. While a good sailor knows that the captain is the ultimate authority on a ship, his or her power extends only so far. At one point, the United States Navy explicitly stated, "The commanding officer shall not perform a marriage ceremony on board his ship or aircraft."

What about non-Navy captains, though? Well that depends on the captain. They can't perform marriages at sea (or on dry land) by virtue of their maritime license alone, and no state has enacted a statute explicitly authorizing ships' captains to officiate marriages. However, if a captain also falls into one of the categories of "persons qualified to solemnize marriages" prescribed in laws of the state they're in, then they're good to go.

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, my home sweet home, these qualified persons are:

"¢ Active or retired justices, judges or magisterial district judges of the Commonwealth "¢ Active or senior judges or full-time magistrates of the District Courts of the United States for the Eastern, Middle or Western District of Pennsylvania "¢ Active, retired or senior bankruptcy judges of the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern, Middle or Western District of Pennsylvania who are residents of the Commonwealth "¢ Active, retired or senior judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit who are residents of the Commonwealth "¢ Mayors of any cities or boroughs of the Commonwealth "¢ Ministers, priests or rabbis of any regularly established church or congregation

Despite what the laws say, some people have gone ahead and gotten married by plain old boat captains anyway, and the courts have been pretty inconsistent when ruling on the validity of these marriages. In one well-known case, Fisher vs. Fisher , a court ruled that a particular marriage solemnized by a ship's captain was valid (and more generally that, absent a statute stating otherwise, an exchange of vows between two consenting parties constituted a valid marriage). In another case, Norman vs. Norman , a court came down on the opposite side of the fence.

So, kids, if you're planning on having a wedding at sea, make sure your captain is qualified. Or just do it and let the courts sort it out later. Or, if you're in New Jersey, I'd be happy to be ordained in the Universal Life Church and perform an official mental_floss wedding for you. I'll take requests via Twitter .

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:

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
15 ways cruisers waste money
12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line

Wedding at Sea - by Captain, legal or not?

By CruiseNut7 , July 12, 2009 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Hope NCL experts or future brides can help ........ I have spent hours researching, but still not certain. I've called NCL and they refer you to a wedding planning company. There is not much info on the wedding thread, but I will ask over there. Can you legally get married at sea officiated by the Captain? I found one article that noted if the ship was registered in Bermuda, then the Captain could marry you at sea. We don't want a harborside or dock side wedding. If we can't get married by the Captain while sailing, then we'll plan something else. We'd be sailing out of Miami. Thanks for your help! Diane :):)

Sorry, you can't get married at sea by the Captain.

I've read there are two exceptions, neither of which applies to you:

(1) Captains of Japanese ships are permitted to marry couples holding Japanese passports.

(2) Captains of ships registered in Bermuda can legally perform marriages. No NCL ship is registered in Bermuda.

I just found this on the BEST CRUISES FOR WEDDINGS section of CC. Looks like I may have a chance on Princess or Celebrity.

I just found this on the BEST CRUISES FOR WEDDINGS section of CC. Looks like I may have a chance on Princess or Celebrity. If you want to get married at sea by the captain, you're limited to only a handful of cruise lines, due to legal limitations that are based on ships' countries of registry. New to the "can officiate" list are Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises , whose ships are now registered in Malta. Princess Cruises ' captains are also able to marry couples at sea; its ships are registered to Bermuda. :)

I don't know where some of the "information" on this CC section comes from, but the Celebrity and Azamara Web sites clearly state their Captains are not authorized to perform weddings, nor may weddings be performed at sea on board their ships.

Princess is your only option among US cruise lines.

time2cruise1

I don't know where some of the "information" on this CC section comes from, but the Celebrity and Azamara Web sites clearly state their Captains are not authorized to perform weddings, nor may weddings be performed at sea on board their ships. Princess is your only option among US cruise lines.

Or the website has not been updated yet since " New to the "can officiate" list are Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises "

I was also aware that Princess Captains can marry couples. My DD was married on RCCL while docked in Miami. Several guests continued with all of us on the cruise but ours sons flew in to attend the ceremony and then left the ship before it sailed away from Miami, as did a few other guests. My DD could choose anyone she wanted to officiate but she opted to use the official that RCCL had under contract.

She enjoyed having a RCCL wedding coordinator. We also were amazed at how inexpensive this wedding was for all its elegance.

When the couple got home, we had a casual island themed reception at a hall for all those people who could not fly to Miami to attend the service.

With all the money my DD and SIL saved with the cruiseship wedding vs traditional wedding, they were able to buy their first house. Good thing because a few years later we welcomed twin granddaughters.

1. Even though it is believed to be a regular event, a ship's captain generally doesn't have the legal right to perform a wedding at sea. In order for a Captain of a ship to perform a marriage at sea, he must be a judge, a justice of the peace, a minister or an officially recognize officiant such as a Notary Public.

2. Japanese ships allow Captains to perform a marriage ceremony at sea, but only if the couple has valid Japanese passports.

3. Through Bermuda law, and because the captains have Bermuda licenses to perform weddings, captains aboard Princess Cruise's "Golden Princess" and the "Grand Princess" can perform weddings aboard ship and at sea. 800-774-6237

4. A romantic alternative is to have your wedding aboard ship while it is docked in a port. You need to follow the port's requirements for such a wedding. All cruise lines offer this option.

5. Many cruise lines will require that once in port, you will need to leave the ship, swear before a judge that everything is correct with previous prepared paperwork, then go back to the ship for your ceremony.

6. If you want to renew your vows at sea, you need to show proof of a valid marriage.

7. If the captain obtains a temporary permit to perform your wedding, a Cruise West captain can officiate your wedding within Alaska waterways.

1. A wedding at sea takes planning. It's not something you can decide at the last minute.

2. Some states and locales allow you to use their marriage license elsewhere (like in a foreign port). Ask your county clerk if this is so.

3. Having a wedding at sea makes arranging the honeymoon easier. Just make sure you tell friends and relatives to leave you alone after the ceremony!

4. Couples in Bermuda must be 21 and have picture ID showing proof of age.

5. Some websites still mention Liberian law for the Princess Cruise Line weddings, but that was changed.

What You Need:

* Other required documentation

* Time to plan your wedding

http://marriage.about.com/cs/marriagelicenses/ht/marriedatsea.htm

According to Cruise Lines International Association, cruise weddings have grown at a phenomenal rate the last few years. Five years ago, there were practically none, but this year there will be thousands. Carnival Cruise Lines alone estimates it will plan over 2000 weddings this year, and those weddings will also have a built-in honeymoon. This growth rate should not be surprising. You can have a wedding and then sail off on your honeymoon! No travel time wasted between the "I dos" and the fun. Most cruise weddings are on the major cruise lines. Wedding packages are available from American Hawaii, Cape Canaveral, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Holland America, Norwegian, Premier, Princess, Regal, and Royal Caribbean International. However, with the exception of the Grand Princess, you will need to "bring your own" clergyman or other official to perform the service.

Cruise weddings can take place onboard in a public room on the ship, or on a romantic shore such as a beach or a glacier. The Grand Princess has its own wedding chapel, and the captain is authorized to marry you at sea. RCCI's Voyager of the Seas has a wedding chapel, but you will need to tie the knot while in port. Many couples get married while in a Caribbean port or before the cruise begins. That way the guests can come aboard, enjoy the service, and disembark before sailing. Alternatively, you could invite all your guests on the honeymoon!

Because of the increase in the popularity of "different" weddings, some independent wedding planners have begun to offer cruise weddings. A Wedding for You, Inc. and Flowers and Cruises, Inc. are just two companies that can help you plan a memorable day.

The price range of a shipboard wedding is just like one ashore--from a few hundred dollars to thousands. You will need to consult with a cruise travel agent, an independent wedding planner, or the cruise line's wedding department to select the best package for you. Although the options may seem to be endless, many packages are similar. Just be sure that your dreams and your budget are in sync. Good luck!

http://cruises.about.com/cs/cruiseweddings/a/cruiseweddings.htm

My fiance and I are getting married on embarkation day Sept 2010 on the NCL Pearl.

We just booked the ship and paid for the wedding ceremony and will figure out the details early next year

My fiance and I are getting married on embarkation day Sept 2010 on the NCL Pearl. We just booked the ship and paid for the wedding ceremony and will figure out the details early next year

Congratulations. Yes, most cruise lines do have provisions for weddings on embarkation day.

However, the OP wants to be married at sea, by the Captain, which is a horse of a different color.

Maybe, but given that cruise lines charge a substantial sum of money for these events, wouldn't you think that is something they would be quick to add? Why turn away possible business by making it appear the answer is "no"? You wouldn't even need all the details...just a splash headline about it.

My DD was married on RCCL while docked in Miami. Several guests continued with all of us on the cruise but ours sons flew in to attend the ceremony and then left the ship before it sailed away from Miami, as did a few other guests. My DD could choose anyone she wanted to officiate but she opted to use the official that RCCL had under contract.

I'm wondering if this took place before 9/11. How did your sons board the ship not as passengers? I know in the old days (really old!) people would come aboard to say their goodbyes and then there was the "all ashore who's going ashore" cry. ha

Who, if not the captain, did the ceremony, a minister (the person on contract) on board?

OP, that is always an option for a wedding at sea, using the minister/priest/rabbi rather than the captain.

(deleted...unintentional duplicate)

OK...I did a little more digging into this and here's what I found.

Celebrity and Azamara put out a press release on 2/13/08 saying later that year their captains would start performing weddings at sea. It is now July, 2009, 17 months later, and there has not been another word from them about this. If you click on the link they provide, it just takes you back to that old press release, and of course their FAQs continue to say you can not get married at sea on their ships.

I guess they got cold feet, like a groom on his wedding day. :D

I'm wondering if this took place before 9/11. How did your sons board the ship not as passengers? I know in the old days (really old!) people would come aboard to say their goodbyes and then there was the "all ashore who's going ashore" cry. ha Who, if not the captain, did the ceremony, a minister (the person on contract) on board? OP, that is always an option for a wedding at sea, using the minister/priest/rabbi rather than the captain.

The cruise lines make an exception to their "no visitors" rule for weddings. If they didn't, they wouldn't be getting many wedding bookings.;)

The cruise lines contract with a wedding planning agency, which actually makes all the arrangements with the bride and groom. There is one agency that handles the weddings for most of the mass market cruise lines. Normally the officiant, who is supplied by the agency as part of the package, is nondenominational.

Cruise lines do not routinely have clergymen on board, although they may during certain special holiday seasons.

OK...I did a little more digging into this and here's what I found. Celebrity and Azamara put out a press release on 2/13/08 saying later that year their captains would start performing weddings at sea. It is now July, 2009, 17 months later, and there has not been another word from them about this. If you click on the link they provide, it just takes you back to that old press release, and of course their FAQs continue to say you can not get married at sea on their ships. I guess they got cold feet, like a groom on his wedding day. :D

Thank you for all the info you have provided - I appreciate everyone's input - even the "cold feet" comment (hey, you never know, although we've been together over 20 years). ;)

Most of the mass market cruise lines use The Wedding Experience (dot.com) to plan all facets of your shipboard wedding whether harborside prior to sailing or at sea. So, after spending some time on their website, I found that Princess offers a ceremony at sea with the Captain officiating. Here's what you get for $2,250: (we're Platinum with Princess - do you think they'd throw in some cheese and crackers)! :)

If you’ve always dreamed of being

married at sea and by the ship’s

Captain, this is the package for you.

Exclusive wedding chapel

Candlelit ceremony

Captain to perform ceremony

Special vows at sea

Wedding coordinator

Two fresh floral arrangements

to adorn the ceremony location

Rose bouquet (one dozen)

Boutonniere

Photographer

One (1) 16x20 canvas print

(2) 8x10 photographs

(5) 5x7 photographs

Wedding cake for two

Bottle of champagne

Two Princess keepsake champagne flutes

Keepsake wedding certificate

Again - thanks everyone!

We got married at sea on the Princess Crown last January. The planning of the wedding was very easy and we had a fantastic time. The captain was phenominal. There were 12 of us in total and I think the most difficult part was just coordinating everyone's travel (and that wasn't very hard.)

My marriage certificate is from Bermuda and had no problem changing my name here in the US.

We are heading to Bermuda on the NCL spirit at the end of the month. I have never been and figure that I should at least see the county that has supplied our certificate. The marriage certificate is actually very cool - it shows the latitude and longitude of the ship when we were married.

I would definitely recommend it. :D

We got married at sea on the Princess Crown last January. The planning of the wedding was very easy and we had a fantastic time. The captain was phenominal. There were 12 of us in total and I think the most difficult part was just coordinating everyone's travel (and that wasn't very hard.) My marriage certificate is from Bermuda and had no problem changing my name here in the US. We are heading to Bermuda on the NCL spirit at the end of the month. I have never been and figure that I should at least see the county that has supplied our certificate. The marriage certificate is actually very cool - it shows the latitude and longitude of the ship when we were married. I would definitely recommend it. :D

Thank you for sharing your experience. I was hoping to hear from someone who had actually gotten married by the Captain at sea.

Congratulations on your "at sea" nuptials! :)

My daughter got married by the captain last year on CB. It was a lovely ceremony. True, you don't get alot for the $2000 +. We had about 12 travel with us Booked Starwalkers for cocktail hour with the cake (extra$) and also a reception dinner at Sabatinis (extra$) But for ease of planning it was worth it. The photographer was great! Even gave them the proofs so she could develop them even though all they got was the included pictures. (they did give her extra though after)

You do need to book early as there are limited slots and the earlier you book the better chance you grt to have it when you want it as they are done at sea days only

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Healthy Living

Can Sea Captains Officiate Marriages?

Portrayed as possessing mystical powers in various films and TV series, sea captains often capture our imagination as figures capable of conducting weddings on the high seas. But is there any legal weight to this portrayal?

The legal landscape regarding sea captains officiating marriages is far from uniform globally. While countries like Japan, Bermuda, and Romania allow this privilege, it’s an exception rather than the rule. Romanian law, intriguingly, extends this authority to aviation captains as well.

In Japan and Romania, sea captains gain this privilege when marrying two local individuals. Bermuda extends this privilege to captains helming ships registered under its flag, incentivizing cruise ships to register in Bermuda.

Despite the rarity of legal authorization, it’s not uncommon for sea captains to conduct weddings. For example, Captain Arnold Wonsever from Skyline Cruises in New York City officiates around 200 weddings annually.

Some sea captains take the initiative to obtain additional qualifications to legally officiate marriages. This not only supplements their income but also adds allure to the ship as a wedding destination, attracting more guests.

In regions like the United States, where becoming an ordained minister is relatively simple, several online platforms offer certifications, sometimes even for free, facilitating this side endeavor for captains.

However, despite conducting ceremonies, sea captains lack the authority to sign documents for legally binding marriages. Certain countries recognize common law marriages, where simply stating the intent to marry in front of witnesses and living together could constitute a marriage.

Interestingly, couples can separate the ceremonial aspect—regardless of who officiates—from the legalities, ensuring they meet legal requirements elsewhere, if necessary.

In instances where the sea captain lacks legal authority, couples often arrange for a court or minister to formalize their marriage before or after the sea wedding. Cruise lines offering wedding packages but lacking captains with the necessary credentials often resolve this by providing staff who can officiate legally.

Laws Around The World

In Norway, for instance, maritime law allows captains on Norwegian ships to officiate weddings under specific conditions. The ship must be registered in Norway, and the ceremony must take place within Norwegian territorial waters. This privilege is an exception within the broader legal framework and highlights the maritime influence on matrimonial laws.

Similarly, in Canada, the legal landscape varies by province. While some provinces grant sea captains the authority to officiate weddings, others do not recognize their ability to solemnize marriages. These nuances demonstrate the intricacies within a single country’s legal system.

Moving to Australia, the laws also differ across states and territories. In some regions, sea captains can conduct weddings, provided certain criteria are met, such as the vessel being registered in Australia and the ceremony occurring within specific maritime boundaries.

The United Kingdom, with its extensive maritime history, presents an interesting case. While British law historically allowed sea captains to perform marriages, changes in legislation have restricted this authority. Today, most sea captains in the UK lack the legal power to officiate weddings, emphasizing the evolving nature of legal regulations.

Countries like Greece, Denmark, and Italy have their own maritime laws and regulations concerning sea captains and marriage officiation, though the specifics can vary widely.

The Powers Held by Ship Captains

The role of a ship’s captain encompasses commanding the vessel, its passengers, cargo, and crew. Their responsibility extends to ensuring adherence to procedures and safety measures. From overseeing loading and unloading to maintaining overall ship operations, a captain’s duties revolve around the ship’s safety and efficient management.

Legalities in Maritime Law

The legal framework surrounding sea captains’ authority varies across jurisdictions. In some instances, specific countries grant captains the privilege to officiate marriages under defined circumstances, while others strictly confine this authority to recognized officiants, diverging from the popular perception.

Clarifying Misconceptions

Instances portrayed in media, such as a ship’s captain conducting a wedding ceremony, often deviate from reality. While the allure of a maritime matrimonial moment might captivate audiences, the actual legalities behind it remain distinct.

The Maid of the Mist Case

The notion of getting married by a boat’s captain, as dramatized in media or entertainment, may not hold true in practical terms. For instance, the idea of being married by the captain of the Maid of the Mist, a picturesque image, remains a made-for-TV experience. In reality, the legal prerequisites for marriage typically necessitate a recognized officiant, diverging from the fanciful portrayals.

Real-Life Instances of Sea Captains Officiating Marriages

Japan’s Special Privilege: In Japan, a few sea captains are granted the exceptional authority to officiate weddings. This privilege extends when they marry two Japanese individuals aboard their ships. This unique legal provision showcases a rare instance where sea captains hold the legal power to solemnize marriages.

Romanian Aviation and Maritime Exception: Romanian law extends a similar authority not only to maritime captains but also to aviation captains. This distinct legal provision widens the scope of who can officiate weddings, offering an intriguing blend of aviation and maritime influences.

Bermuda’s Strategic Incentive: Bermuda presents an interesting case where sea captains are eligible to officiate marriages if their ships are registered under the Bermudian flag. This strategic move by Bermuda aimed to entice more cruise ships to register under its jurisdiction, granting captains the authority to conduct weddings on these vessels.

New York City’s Prolific Captain: Captain Arnold Wonsever, operating with Skyline Cruises in New York City, performs a substantial number of weddings annually. Despite legal complexities elsewhere, this captain showcases a practical example where sea captains play a pivotal role in conducting weddings, adding a touch of maritime charm to these ceremonies.

Additional Qualifications for Officiation: Some sea captains worldwide opt to obtain additional qualifications beyond their maritime roles to legally officiate marriages. This proactive step allows them to offer this unique service while conducting their primary duties as ship captains.

Navigating Legal Waters: Despite lacking direct legal authority in many jurisdictions, sea captains conduct wedding ceremonies, often circumventing legal hurdles by ensuring couples fulfill legal requirements elsewhere, such as obtaining a marriage license or seeking legal solemnization from recognized officiants.

Cruise Line Strategies: Cruise lines offering wedding packages often navigate legal complexities by ensuring that if the ship’s captain lacks the necessary credentials for officiation, they provide alternative staff or resources to oversee the legal aspects of the wedding. This strategy enables couples to enjoy their dream sea captain-led ceremonies while ensuring legal compliance.

The Romanticized Depiction: While cinematic portrayals often embellish the authority of sea captains to officiate marriages, practical examples showcase a more nuanced reality. The allure of sea captains conducting weddings often collides with legal prerequisites, necessitating additional steps to validate the union’s legality.

Legal Frameworks and Exceptions: Various countries possess unique legal frameworks that either grant or restrict sea captains’ authority to officiate marriages. These exceptions highlight the intricate tapestry of legal regulations worldwide, adding layers to the discussion of sea captains’ roles in conducting weddings.

The romanticized portrayal of sea captains wielding wedding authority finds its roots in a blend of tradition, legal nuances, and cinematic imagination. However, the legal reality often involves additional steps to ensure the union’s legality, despite the allure of sea captains marrying couples on the open waters.

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So You Want to Get Married on a Cruise

Everything you need to know to start planning your shipboard nuptials.

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June is the most popular month for weddings, and an increasing number of couples are deciding to tie the knot on cruise ships. Besides the romance of saying “I do” at sea, shipboard weddings offer lots of perks: they’re relatively easy to plan, they include a built-in honeymoon, and they’re often much more affordable than a traditional ceremony ashore.

Many people believe that couples can be legally married by any ship’s captain. Alas, it’s not true. Where that notion arose is anyone’s guess, but it’s been fueled for years by Hollywood movies and 1970s sitcom The Love Boat. Although not all captains can perform weddings, many cruise lines have figured out ways for couples to marry, and on some ships captains do perform the rites.

It all comes down to the laws of the country where the ship is registered. Bermuda, Malta, the Marshall Islands, and the Bahamas give their blessing to captains marrying couples at sea. But these ceremonies aren’t as spontaneous as the movies and TV would suggest. They must be arranged well in advance, and couples need to obtain marriage licenses. Currently, captains legally officiate on Princess Cruises and Cunard Line, whose ships are registered in Bermuda, and on Celebrity Cruises, whose ships are flagged in Malta. (Some other lines that are legally able to offer this service choose not to.)

Lines with ships registered in other countries can still arrange weddings on their ships, but these take place while the ships are in port or at destinations on the cruise and involve a nondenominational shore-side officiant. Such weddings offer other upsides: The couple can usually invite a few nonsailing guests at no charge (or purchase a reception package that allows for a larger guest list), and destination weddings can take place in exotic locations like a Caribbean beach or an Alaskan glacier.

Cruise weddings are also relatively easy to plan because most lines offer set packages that vary from a simple ceremony followed by a champagne toast to more lavish receptions with live music and a sit-down meal. A professional wedding planner arranges everything and helps couples get the required license from the destination.

Princess Cruises is one of the best-known lines for weddings (it is the line featured on Love Boat). Its at-sea ceremony is performed by the captain in the wedding chapel or library and includes a candlelit ceremony, recorded music, two floral arrangements, a rose bouquet and boutonniere, a professional photographer, and a small cake. Also included are keepsake champagne flutes, a bottle of wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, a deluxe breakfast for two, dinner for two at a shipboard specialty restaurant, and rose petals on the bed with turndown service. All this costs $2,998, including $498 for the license.

Princess also offers shipboard weddings in port performed by a nondenominational officiant. These have fewer included items and vary in price depending on the destination ($2,500 in San Francisco and $3,000 in New York, for example). Weddings ashore are priced from $3,000 to $5,000. There are also ample ways to personalize any kind of ceremony with additional flowers, a custom cake, and live music.

Cunard’s wedding package features an at-sea ceremony with the captain and flourishes like a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, invitations and thank-you cards, and a White Star bellman to escort the bride to the ceremony. On the ocean liner Queen Mary 2, the price is $3,400, including the license.

Celebrity Cruises’s weddings start at $2,995 plus $750 for the license, but they offer plenty of optional extras, such as a bridesmaids’ tea or a gentlemen’s whiskey tasting.

And Carnival Cruise Line, which is very popular with young couples, has five packages, starting at $1,995. Ceremonies on the ship are conducted in port or at destinations, and captains do not officiate.

Convinced? Here are some tips for planning a cruise wedding

Plan ahead. Most couples start six to nine months before the cruise, but many lines recommending starting as early as a year ahead.
There may be limits to the number of guests you can invite to weddings on the ship in port. Carnival allows no more than 50 nonsailing guests.
Some popular dates carry surcharges. For example, Carnival charges $200 extra for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, while May and June dates are $100 extra.
If you have your heart set on marrying in a Caribbean destination, avoid hurricane season (June through November) when ships may have to miss a port due to weather conditions.

A view of stone walls and lakes over Sky Road in Galway County

The Debunker: Can Sea Captains Officiate Weddings?

June means summer and the promise of long, lazy days at the beach, which might be why this is the time of year the United Nations observes World Oceans Day and the U.S. celebrates National Oceans Month, in order to raise awareness of the seven seas, what Melville called “the watery part of the world.” In that vein, we’ve asked Skipper Ken Jennings to navigate us through four maritime myths that refuse to die. It turns out that none of them really hold water.

Ocean Myth #1: Sea Captains Can Marry People.

Well, yes, sea captains can marry some one. In fact, in eleven states and many foreign ports, a sea captain can now marry another seafarer of the same sex. But what they’re not allowed to do is marry other people—that is, officiate at wedding ceremonies, pronounce that couples arrrr! now man and wife.

The popular romance with the idea of a wedding-planning skipper is so deeply engrained that both the United States and British navies have had to issue rules explicitly reminding their officers that they’re not allowed to perform weddings at sea. (Sort of makes you wonder how many mixups over unlicensed marriages led to these new rules.) The same goes for civilian captains. Every U.S. state has its own list of people whose job titles allow them to solemnize marriages (typically judges, ministers, mayors, and the like) but so far, no state has specifically added “salty sea-dogs” to the roster.

Of course, if a skipper really needed to officiate at a lot of weddings (like, say, Captain Stubing on ABC’s The Love Boat) there are workarounds. In some states, like California and Massachusetts, the skipper could come ashore and file for a 24-hour marriage-performing power-up at his or her local courthouse. Alternately, an outfit called the Universal Life Church claims that every state but Pennsylvania and Virginia will legally recognize marriages performed by one of its 18 million clergy members—most of them regular folks who paid $5 online in order to order to be “ordained.” I’m sure that some of them, somewhere, are even sea captains. You may now kiss the bride, matey.

Quick Quiz: Before Gavin MacLeod first donned the freshly creased white uniform of The Love Boat ’s Captain Stubing, he appeared for seven seasons on what other legendary TV hit?

Ken Jennings is the author of Because I Said So! , Brainiac , Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac , and Maphead . He's also the proud owner of an underwhelming Bag o' Crap . Follow him at ken-jennings.com or on Twitter as @KenJennings .

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Can Cruise Ship Captains Marry People At Sea? What are the Rules?

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Rene, who happens to be in the photo above, is not a cruise ship captain and can definitely not marry people at sea. But getting married aboard a cruise ship can be a wonderful idea, compared to many other alternatives, due to the many advantages and perks you would be able to enjoy, and how practical things can be.

Most cruise lines offer different wedding packages, with a wide array of inclusions, like the rental of a particular venue (both on board and shore side), beverages, cake, photos, and even treats arranged in-room, like a bottle of champagne, breakfast or the cruise lines’ most precious gesture: Chocolate-covered strawberries.

Many of us have heard of Captains officiating weddings and vow renewals on board, however there are a few things you may not know about these types of events.

One of the main things to consider is the fact that Captains, or any officer on board for that matter, can’t REALLY marry a couple no matter what you have seen on TV or in the movies. They can, however, officiate the wedding event, but the actual marriage certificate will have to be signed by someone else who has the legal ability to do so.

Any time you have seen or heard of a Captain marrying a couple, it only means they were part of the ceremony, giving out a speech and creating a wonderfully memorable wedding by reading out a preset text. No legal involvement at all in that sense. In order to cover the legal side of a wedding, someone licensed to do so must be on board, or it can be done elsewhere, before boarding the ship.

Next, the invited guests. Already before Covid, it was difficult, if not impossible, to bring guests on board for such an event, if they were not actually sailing. I don’t need to tell you that post-Covid this has entered the impossible realm. Meaning, when making plans, you must take into account that everyone attending that beautiful event will have to actually sail on the cruise (and for the entire voyage, no partial sailings either). The only workaround would be to organize a land-based wedding ceremony, and have people fly in to attend it (a very popular site for such an event is Nassau, Bahamas).

One of the main reasons an on-board wedding may sound like such a great idea is because you get to have a honeymoon right along the wedding! It will involve international travel, mostly unlimited drinks, and the endless fun that a cruise trip already entails.

If this is something you’d be interested in making a reality, make sure you allow plenty of time to plan things ahead, browse around what packages different cruise lines offer, and don’t neglect to get familiar with all the legal side of the wedding. Ultimately, doing your homework will pay off. After all, who wouldn’t be jealous of a couple who pulled off the perfect wedding aboard a cruise ship?! – ThatGuy

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My Personas

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I worked on cruises for 3 years. Here are 6 things I'd never do on board.

I used to work on cruises. After many days at sea, there are things I'd never do on a cruise .
I never wear my room key around my neck and try to avoid misnaming the ship.
I never buy the drink package or pay for meal upgrades in the main dining room.

I've sailed around the world as a cruise-ship employee , and now I enjoy cruising as a passenger.

I love the salty sea air, waking up in a new country, and lazy days by the pool, but a week at sea could get more complicated this year with cruises predicted to be in high demand .

While fighting a little harder to secure a prime seat on the pool deck, you may as well also avoid some rookie mistakes.

Here are six things I'd never do on a cruise after working on them for three years.

Pay for upgrades in the main dining room

Typically, main dining room meals are included in the cost of a cruise. But in recent years, it's become common for cruise lines to charge guests extra if they want to upgrade to "supplementary" items like lobster or certain steaks.

I know $12 may not seem like much for a steak or lobster tail at dinner, but the cost of the cruise is supposed to include your food.

So, even though I enjoy lobster, I stick with the items without the upcharges.

Buy the drink package

I enjoy a piña colada by the pool or a Manhattan while listening to a jazz set after dinner. Even so, it doesn't make sense for me to pay in advance for 12 to 15 cocktails a day.

I've done the math on typical unlimited drink packages , and the cost simply isn't worth it for me.

This is especially true with a port-heavy itinerary. If I've gone ashore to explore all day, that means I'm not sidled up to the bar slurping down alcoholic slushies.

Touch shared contact surfaces with my fingers

Fellow guests will never see me touching the elevator buttons with my fingertips. Knuckles and elbows do the trick.

Some cruise lines are better than others at wiping down commonly touched surfaces, but I don't take any chances. I avoid touching things others frequently touch, and I wash my hands frequently.

This strategy has worked for me, as I have never contracted norovirus, even when it was running rampant on a ship I was on. It's quite contagious and can linger on your fingertips even after using hand sanitizer . I'd definitely rather be safe than sorry.

Wear my room key around my neck

I never walk around the ship with my room key around my neck, and I especially never do this when on land.

There are two reasons for this. First, I see many passengers using the room keys dangling from their necks to flaunt their cruise loyalty status . It just looks pretentious.

The sophisticated cruisers with the highest status, with the most days at sea, never show off their fancy room keys.

That's because they know the more important reason — safety. In port, that room key bouncing off your chest looks like an invitation to be robbed. It screams, "I have money! Come and take it from me."

Misname the ship

English is a funny language that has its quirks. Naming conventions make that even more complicated.

Ships have proper names, and so do not require a definite article. For example, "Tomorrow I am embarking on Discovery Princess," or "I enjoyed scenic cruising on MS Westerdam."

If you want to look like a savvy sailor, learn to drop the "the!"

Plan my port-day itinerary so tight that I may not make it back to the ship on time

Oh, the recurring nightmares I've had about not making it back to the ship on time during a port day.

I've never missed a sail away, but I have cut it too close at times and have had to run down a pier or two. Just recently, as a passenger, my taxi driver got lost returning our group to the port at night.

When I realized how late we were going to be, I forked over $8 per minute to be connected with the ship. I pleaded with them to wait for us. It was a sprint through the port to get back on and we received quite a scolding from the first officer.

That time, we got lucky. In the future, I'll be giving myself more time than I think I need to make it back.

Watch: Why it costs $1 million a day to run one of the world's biggest cruise ships

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8 Tips for Getting Married on a Cruise Ship
THE BEST CRUISE WEDDINGS
How to Plan a Cruise Ship Wedding
Top 12 cruise lines for weddings
A Simple Wedding at Carnival Cruise Lines in Port Canaveral, Florida
10 great reasons to get married on a cruise

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COMMENTS

Can Sea Captains Really Officiate Legally Binding Marriages?
In fact, aboard some cruise ships where the sea captain isn't certified to officially marry a couple, but said company offers some sort of wedding service package, the company will simply have an individual on board who does have the required certification. ... The commanding officer shall not perform a marriage ceremony on board his ship or ...
What You Need to Know to Get Married at Sea
Contact the cruise line at 866-444-8820 or 800-774-6237 for more information. A romantic alternative is to have your wedding aboard ship while it is docked in a port. You need to follow the port's ...
Can Sea Captains Actually Perform Marriages With Legal Effects? [+video]
The captains are allowed - actually required - to be the registrar of any marriages (along with other important events on the ship) via the ship's log. So as long as someone legal (captain or not) performed the ceremony, the captain will register the fact in an official document. A ship's captain generally does NOT have the legal right to ...
Does The Captain Perform Cruise Weddings?
866-562-7625. Email Your Questions. Locate a Travel Agent. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions here . The captain can perform cruise weddings on international waters and your marriage will be legally recognized. Read more about who performs cruise weddings.
Can Boat Captains Really Marry People?
Well that depends on the captain. They can't perform marriages at sea (or on dry land) by virtue of their maritime license alone, and no state has enacted a statute explicitly authorizing ships ...
Can Ship Captains Marry People?
Celebrity Cruises Weddings. Celebrity Cruises' ships are registered in Malta, which offers two benefits for wedding packages - firstly, the captain is legally allowed to perform the ceremony, and this is included in all packages offered by the cruise line ().Secondly, Celebrity Cruises can also offer legal same-sex weddings, as they are legal in Malta ().
Cruise Weddings Frequently Asked Questions?
You are able to schedule a ship tour after you have booked your wedding. Ship tours include a full tour of the venues of the ship and a luncheon. The cost is $250.00 for up to 4 guests. Plus $60.00 each per additional guest.
Who Performs at The Weddings on a Cruise?| Royal Caribbean Cruises
Who performs the wedding ceremony? A. In the United States, a Notary Public or a non-denominational officiant will preside. In non-U.S. ports, a non-denominational officiant will preside. Legal ceremonies at sea are performed by the Captain or Staff Captain. Symbolic ceremonies at sea are performed by a non-denominational officiant.
Cruise weddings: Everything you need to know about getting hitched at
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 ...
Wedding at Sea
2. Japanese ships allow Captains to perform a marriage ceremony at sea, but only if the couple has valid Japanese passports. 3. Through Bermuda law, and because the captains have Bermuda licenses to perform weddings, captains aboard Princess Cruise's "Golden Princess" and the "Grand Princess" can perform weddings aboard ship and at sea. 800-774 ...
Sea Captains and Weddings: Legal Realities
Bermuda extends this privilege to captains helming ships registered under its flag, incentivizing cruise ships to register in Bermuda. Despite the rarity of legal authorization, it's not uncommon for sea captains to conduct weddings. For example, Captain Arnold Wonsever from Skyline Cruises in New York City officiates around 200 weddings ...
Cruise Ship Weddings: 7 Things to Consider
2. Determine whether you want to marry at sea or in a port. Photo by Shutterstock. Getting married on land while the ship is docked at a foreign port can be tricky. Laws vary by country, and some prohibit cruisers from marrying in port by insisting on residency or even that your parents or grandparents married there. 3.
Getting Married on a Cruise
Although not all captains can perform weddings, many cruise lines have figured out ways for couples to marry, and on some ships captains do perform the rites. It all comes down to the laws of the country where the ship is registered. Bermuda, Malta, the Marshall Islands, and the Bahamas give their blessing to captains marrying couples at sea ...
Cruise Weddings: A Complete Guide to Getting Married on a Cruise Ship
Services of a wedding coordinator pre-cruise and onboard. Ceremony officiated by ship captain. Decorations. Recorded music. Wedding cake and sparkling wine toast. Dedicated photographer. Keepsake certificate and small gifts for the wedded couple. Dinner for two and/or a luncheon for guests. Breakfast in bed.
The Debunker: Can Sea Captains Officiate Weddings?
Ocean Myth #1: Sea Captains Can Marry People. Well, yes, sea captains can marry some one. In fact, in eleven states and many foreign ports, a sea captain can now marry another seafarer of the same sex. But what they're not allowed to do is marry other people—that is, officiate at wedding ceremonies, pronounce that couples arrrr! now man and ...
Does The Captain Perform Cruise Weddings?
The captain can perform cruise weddings on international waters and your marriage will be legally recognized. Read more about who performs cruise weddings. {{alert.title}} {{notification ... The Captain can perform your ceremony once the ship is in international waters. Your marriage will be legally recognized in The Bahamas.
marriage
So as long as someone legal (captain or not) performed the ceremony, the captain will register the fact in an official document. Captains are likely to be licensed to perform the marriage (especially on cruise ships) aside from their captain status; as all it takes is a mail-in certificate from some religion (Universal Life seems to be popular).
Can the Captain of a Cruise Ship Marry You?
The answer is yes, but there are some restrictions. The first is that the captain must be legally qualified to marry couples in the country or region where the cruise ship is registered. This means that if you plan on having your wedding on board, you should double-check with the cruise line to make sure that the captain is legally allowed to ...
9 Things to Know When Planning a Cruise Wedding
In some cases, you might need to do the legal paperwork before or after your cruise wedding and have that ceremony be symbolic only. 9. Don't plan post-wedding celebrations too early. While many ...
Can Cruise Ship Captains Marry People At Sea? What are the Rules?
But getting married aboard a cruise ship can be a wonderful idea, compared to many other alternatives, due to the many advantages and perks you would be able to enjoy, and how practical things can be. Most cruise lines offer different wedding packages, with a wide array of inclusions, like the rental of a particular venue (both on board and ...
Can the ship's captain really perform your wedding when in
In some instances, the ships captains can perform the functions of a justice of the peace. In other case, you need a clergyman/woman. And location of the ship could make a difference, as could the nationalit(ies) of the bride and groom. The answer appears to be "some captains on some ships for some people." But not "any captain on any ship" for ...
Cruise Weddings Frequently Asked Questions?
All Cruise Ships; Deck Plans Cruise Dining ... Can the Captain perform our wedding ceremony, and will it be legal? The Captain can perform your ceremony once the ship is in international waters. Your marriage will be legally recognized in The Bahamas. Check with your local governmental authorities to see if they will also recognize your marriage.
Can a Carnival Cruise Ship Captain Marry You?
The answer is yes, Carnival Cruise Line captains are authorized to perform wedding ceremonies. The Captain can officiate the ceremony in international waters or in the port of embarkation, depending on the cruise line's policy. The process of getting married on a Carnival Cruise Line ship is relatively straightforward. Couples must fill out ...
Things a Former Cruise Employee Would Never Do on a Cruise Ship
Pay for upgrades in the main dining room. Typically, main dining room meals are included in the cost of a cruise. But in recent years, it's become common for cruise lines to charge guests extra if ...

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The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel and Golf Resort, Panama City Review

What are your “Rights” at Sea. What Laws are in Force While on a Cruise Ship?

Discover more from Frequent Floaters

Questions related to Weddings

My Personas

I worked on cruises for 3 years. Here are 6 things I'd never do on board.

Pay for upgrades in the main dining room

Buy the drink package

Touch shared contact surfaces with my fingers

Wear my room key around my neck

Misname the ship

Plan my port-day itinerary so tight that I may not make it back to the ship on time

Watch: Why it costs $1 million a day to run one of the world's biggest cruise ships

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VIDEO

COMMENTS