Blessing Ceremony & Anniversary Package

[OPSnorkeler]

Since we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary by taking the 7-day PG cruise, we are considering doing a pre-reservation of the Anniversary Package. It says that it includes a blessing ceremony. I would appreciate any details that you could give me about it. Where and when does it take place? Is it necessary to purchase the package in order to participate in the Blessing Ceremony? Do you feel that the package is worth the price?

[DavidTheWonderer]

When we were on the PG in September some folks we know had one and reported that it was lovely. One of the people in the celebration is a regular poster here, so I expect she will be able to give you all the details.

[micmacmissy]

I was wondering the same thing and found this on the website:

 

Anniversary Package Includes: $155

 

Invitation to a special gathering featuring a Polynesian-style Blessing Ceremony

Congratulatory letter from the Captain

In-stateroom celebratory bottle of Champagne

One 8"x10" photo portrait

Flower turn-down service

Anniversary cake

Box of chocolates

 

 

I'm not sure it's worth it. I think anyone can participate in the ceremony (at least it says this on the DVD that PG sent). The champagne, cake, and chocolates aren't needed on a ship where drinks and wonderful food and desserts are already provided, in my opinion!

 

As for the turn down with flowers, your bed is getting turned down ANYWAY (ok, not with flowers, but so what).

 

I probably wouldn't wind up saving the captain's letter, and if I wanted a photo onboard, I'd just buy it.

 

But that's me! Maybe someone who has gotten the package can comment?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

You should indeed hear from someone who has done this, I've heard it's very nice.

 

But..they do have a honeymoon/anniversary celebration that's open to everyone who is celebrating while on the ship. It's not as intimate, there were about 30 couples or more last time we did it, but it was still very nice. It's held in La Palette, the indoor/outdoor lounge at the back of the ship, just before sunset during the cruise. And there's no charge.

[Emdee]

For our 30th anniversary my DD gave us this celebration as a gift.

We had the vow renewal ceremony which was $300 last year and was $500 when my DD gave it to us.

It was very nicely done with champagne and cake. The vows by the Captain and a poem by the Cruise Director. The Gaugines sang. We chose to have it on Motu Mahana but due to the rain we had ours on the bridge.

 

In fact we liked it so much that we gave our cousins the anniversary celebration as a gift last year and they loved the experience. They took some lovely pics on the Bridge as well.

 

I would recommend it fully and would love to do it again for another anniversary!

Edited June 16, 2015 by Emdee

[ducklite]

We had the full vow renewal package, and it was very, very nicely done. It was originally supposed to be done on Motu Mahana but there was bad weather predicted (it ended up being gorgeous, but no worries) and they moved it to the Bora Bora motu which was actually a nicer place IMHO. It was a bargain at $300.

Edited June 17, 2015 by ducklite

[sita]

Regarding booking the anniversary ceremony package (which is different from renewal of vows private ceremony)

 

If you tell your agent or PG that you are celebrating your anniversary on the cruise, you will receive an invite to the ceremony along with all other celebrating couples. I have been when it was just a handful and other times when it was 20 couples or more; I think the more the merrier. On a seven day, it has ususally been held on the first overnight in Bora Bora.

 

At the celebration, they read a poem, wrap each couple up in a Ti fe fe, place flower crowns on your heads and take picks with Gauguin and provide cake/sparkling wine. The ship's photographer is on hand but most couples exchange their cameras with others and take pictures. They usually start by who has been married the longest and work their way down to the honeymooners.

 

In our cabin (If I remember correctly at the start of the cruise or the second day) we also received a congratulatory note from the captain and a lovely decorated piece of cake and a couple of flutes of sparkling wine.

 

This was all without cost. Maybe someone who has been recently can advise if anything has changed.

 

Its a lovely event.

[cruisefun27]

That is the way it's been the last two years. We did it both times. Last year it started to rain while we were doing pictures. So we had spots on our Ti de de. Not a pretty picture but had a great time.

[vjr]

My husband and I attended the honeymoon/blessing ceremony on our cruise last December. There were about 50 couples there. We all shared a cake, had champagne and our picture taken. We had just gotten married on Bora Bora prior to taking the cruise, so we didn't see the need to spend money on the other ceremony. However, we've put our deposit down for the December 2016 departure, and I'm considering booking the anniversary package after reading the posts here. I would love to know how it turns out for you!

[micmacmissy]

Regarding booking the anniversary ceremony package (which is different from renewal of vows private ceremony)

 

If you tell your agent or PG that you are celebrating your anniversary on the cruise, you will receive an invite to the ceremony along with all other celebrating couples. I have been when it was just a handful and other times when it was 20 couples or more; I think the more the merrier. On a seven day, it has ususally been held on the first overnight in Bora Bora.

 

At the celebration, they read a poem, wrap each couple up in a Ti fe fe, place flower crowns on your heads and take picks with Gauguin and provide cake/sparkling wine. The ship's photographer is on hand but most couples exchange their cameras with others and take pictures. They usually start by who has been married the longest and work their way down to the honeymooners.

 

In our cabin (If I remember correctly at the start of the cruise or the second day) we also received a congratulatory note from the captain and a lovely decorated piece of cake and a couple of flutes of sparkling wine.

 

This was all without cost. Maybe someone who has been recently can advise if anything has changed.

 

Its a lovely event.

 

That sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

[ducklite]

There must have been 30 couples doing the mass anniversary celebration on our cruise. To be honest it became kind of a long, drawn out thing and just didn't seem that special as a result.

 

We were soon glad we had booked the private vow renewal. They laid down a piece of fabric as an aisle over the sand. We were given a hei and a lei, which we took back to our cabin and it filled it with amazing aroma over the next couple of days. A gauguine played a ukulele quietly through the whole thing. The captain and cruise director read a beautiful blessing which we had the opportunity to edit and add to or take away from in advance to suit our preferences. The shops photographer captured it wonderfully and then took another 50 photos of us on the beach. We had a couple friends sailing with us and they came to see it as well. They opened a bottle of Champagne afterwards, and left another bottle in our cabin. It was just lovely, and the beach on the Bora Bora motu was secluded, quiet, and had the most incredible view. We also had a cake, but ended up sharing that with our table at dinner that night.

 

It was completely private and intimate and customized to our desires. I can't suggest it highly enough. I can't praise the PG highly enough for that part of our cruise., and can't recommend strongly enough that people book the private vow renewal.

 

For a number of reasons that were beyond our control, I was never happy with our original wedding. This made up for a lot of disappointments with a perfect setting, my love in tan linen slacks and white linen shirt and me in a white linen dress, barefoot on the beach in paradise. Wish we had gotten married that way to begin with. :)

Edited June 18, 2015 by ducklite