Help! Which cruise for an island wedding?

Hi there!! First time cruiser here trying to pick a cruise to get married on a beach site wedding. I definitely want to leave out of the port of New Orleans and I want my wedding/cruise to be in April of 2015 (Currently pregnant :D ). The two ships that have cruises leaving from NOLA in 4/2015 are the Dream and the Elation. Basically I have narrowed it down to two sailings:

5 Day - on Elation - PoC's- Progresso and Cozumel, Mexico

or

7Day - on Dream - PoC's- Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

I have never been on a cruise, much less out of the country and I wanted to ask you AWESOME seasoned travelers which you think is best? I wanted to have an island wedding, and not sure which beach site is the best. I do favor the Dream ship over the Elation but I would LOVE input from you guys!!

(Here are links to the cruises:

7 day-

http://www.carnival.com/itinerary/7-day-western-caribbean-cruise/new-orleans/dream/7-days/wcp/?numGuests=2&destination=all-destinations&dest=any&datFrom=04012015&embkCode=MSY&shipCode=DR,EL

5 day-

http://www.carnival.com/itinerary/5-day-western-caribbean-cruise/new-orleans/elation/5-days/wcv/?numGuests=2&destination=all-destinations&dest=any&datFrom=04012015&embkCode=MSY&shipCode=DR,EL

Either cruise will give you a wonderful experience. I am not familiar with the specifics of getting married in any of these, but that would be a question for me. Another question is your family and friends, would they be more likely to join you for the 5 or 7 day cruise. (assumes you want them. :) )

First thing to keep in mind, if you plan your wedding for a beach, there is always the risk the ship can't make it there. I would contact Carnival and see what they can do for you wedding wise.

There is a WHOLE Cruise Critic Board dedicated to cruise/weddings!!! The brides and former brides are SO HELPFUL you might want to post over there as well and they can give you all the nitty-gritty on what the ship wedding/island wedding stuff is all about.

 

I have never been on a cruise, much less out of the country and I wanted to ask you AWESOME seasoned travelers which you think is best? I wanted to have an island wedding, and not sure which beach site is the best. I do favor the Dream ship over the Elation but I would LOVE input from you guys!!

 

 

 

 

just this past week a bride MISSED her wedding entirely because the ship was unable to pull into the port at all.

do not assume the ship will get you there on time. if you want an island wedding you really need to plan it via flying in a few days before.

otherwise get married on board and start the honeymoon immediately

I was coming to say the same thing as others- there was a post where the bride missed her own wedding because they couldn't tender into port due to weather/ high seas.

If you want to do an island wedding and a cruise, what if you flew to an island for your wedding and then take a cruise from a port on the island?

I hope you find the perfect solution!

It would be best to have the wedding before you board...then have a party on the ship! Missing a port is NOT uncommon...why stress?

Beach weddings in Mexico are not legal weddings.

Beach weddings in Mexico are not legal weddings.

Do not do cayman islands,it is a tender port and probably the most missed port in the Caribbean. Current thread on Celebrity board about a missed wedding.

Check out the wedding board for specific information.

Wedding aside, I'd pick the 7 day. Simply because it's 7 days. :D

I would choose the Carnival Dream, newer ship and longer cruise.

Also, you may want to consider getting married on the ship before she leaves port at the start of the cruise. This makes it a lot simpler for people attending the wedding they don't have to pay for a cruise.

My wife and I were married aboard the Holland America Line's Noordam when she docked in New York and then we steamed away on a 17-day Transatlantic to Rome.

You book the wedding with the cruise line and they arrange for your guests to get special clearance to board the ship in New Orleans. The reception is then held in one of the nice lounges aboard ship, it's a great way to handle it.

Take a look at the wedding section here at Cruise Critic and Congrats on your baby, wedding and cruise.

Jonathan

First thing to keep in mind, if you plan your wedding for a beach, there is always the risk the ship can't make it there. I would contact Carnival and see what they can do for you wedding wise.

Eight years ago, after the captain announced we were going to have to skip that morning's port due to high waves that made tendering dangerous, I went up on deck to look at the port as we were turning around. Someone next to me mentioned that one couple on board were planning to meet their friends and family there for their wedding. That would have been our last port, too, on that cruise with some sea days following. Don't know what their Plan B was, but I'm guessing they had some rescheduling to do when they got home.

Both look nice. All things being equal like a seven day over a five day cruise.

Keith

You are basically down to 2 options.

One is to fly to an island to get married before the cruise. This could get expensive as you would have to fly back and then take your cruise for the honeymoon.

Second -- and as others have mentioned -- get married on the ship. The weddings are usually held on embarkation day. This way those who only want to be at the wedding and not cruise, can come for the ceremony and than leave afterwards. This option means that you do not have to worry about the ship missing a port and you missing your wedding.

JMO -- the Dream's 7 day cruise is better.

No one has spoken to the fact you are currently pregnant. How far along will you be in April? Be sure that first you find out what the cruise line policy is for pregnancy. They do not allow pregnant women to board after a certain point, so get that cutoff date information first.

All pregnant women must have a letter from their Dr stating due date and health for sailing.

No one has spoken to the fact you are currently pregnant. How far along will you be in April? Be sure that first you find out what the cruise line policy is for pregnancy. They do not allow pregnant women to board after a certain point, so get that cutoff date information first.

All pregnant women must have a letter from their Dr stating due date and health for sailing.

From the OP first post, it appears that she is planning over year in advance and isn't getting married until 2015.

From the OP first post, it appears that she is planning over year in advance and isn't getting married until 2015.

Thanks. Somehow that date went right over my head.

Thanks to everyone who took time to reply. I am actually thinking about just getting legally married here in the states (a JoP )and just doing a beach wedding. Yes, I do realize I may not be able to do the ceremony due to not going into the port. I am just going to try to gamble! Thanks for letting me know that Cayman Islands is the most missed port though! I'll keep away from having the ceremony there :) I don't have a lot of family/ friends so the people that we want there are actually going to cruise with us so getting married on an island isn't a big deal.

More than anything I kinda wanted to know which trip would be best for sight seeing. I am of course leaning towards the 7 days since it is longer and on a newer ship. This will be my first cruise ever and I really just want to have a lot of fun lol.

And I am not stupid enough to try to go cruising pregnant lol. I am due March of 2013 do the baby will be a year old at the time of travel.

I was married on the Dream on embarkation day. I think based on the ship & itinerary, the Dream would be my choice.

I am getting married aboard the Dream in January of 2015. We will be having a beach wedding at Smith Cove in the Cayman Islands.

I am getting married aboard the Dream in January of 2015. We will be having a beach wedding at Smith Cove in the Cayman Islands.

I hope you have a backup plan, because Grand Cayman is one of the most missed ports, because it is a tender port. If it is too windy, causing too high waves, they will not tender. EM

We do. If we happen to miss the port they will marry us on board. From the past 10 cruises my family has taken in January they have not missed Cayman. Fell completely in love with smith cove. Didn't really like Cozumel and Montego Bay.

Beach weddings in Mexico are not legal weddings.

I was married while at port in Cozumel, why wouldn't it be legal? You have me nervous now.

you need to take into account the laws in each island too

We got married in st thomas, this meant we had to get off the ship, go to the court house to pick up the pre completed paperwork that had been submitted to them to prove we were who we said we were - then go get married - then return to the courthouse to get the paperwork stamped with a paper from the minister to prove the ceremony took place

It took an hour before and an hour after the ceremony - it wasn't too much hassle but had to be built into the plans

we chose st thomas as we knew it was a docking port

The Dream is the nicer ship. Plus you get the extra days, so it would be my choice. I would stay on the boat at Montego Bay. Have a great cruise. ;)