Carnival Wedding Stress

[wondercustard]

Hey folks. I am a carnival bride, getting married in 2020. Currently I am in a bit of a stressful pickle though.

 

I learned from my TA, not my carnival wedding planner, that the cruise that we booked for my wedding has been cancelled. We had over 60 people in 26 rooms already booked to go on this trip in april 2020 and now I have to scramble to HOPE that I can get a ceremony on another ship on my day...

 

We have already sent out all of our stationary with the full previous itinerary for save the dates. Invites aren't mailed until next august, but i had already paid to have them printed.

 

I absolutely need an embarkation day wedding, as FH grandmother that he adores cannot cruise but wants to go to the ceremony.

 

Halp.

 

Any suggestions? Should I ask them to compensate us with an addition to the ceremony? What is even appropriate in this scenario?

 

I feel like we should have been called asap when they decided the cancellation, as we are a wedding party booked through them. Now I have to contend with the rest of the people on that sailing that got booted for replacement rooms.

[BallFour4]

2020 is a long time to make plans. Take a look at the cruise contract you agreed upon wish you signed up. You’d be surprised at how little you have left to ask compensation for.

I’ve been married for 35 years and owned a side biz wedding DJ company for 19; things happen. Plan a marriage first, wedding second.

[sandyzag]

If you booked through a TA, it is up to your TA to notify you, not Carnival.

Good luck finding a new ship!

[Homosassa]

Aren't weddings arranged through an outside contractor? Perhaps you should reach out to your contact person for your contract. And no, Carnival does not owe you anything extra.

[SpainAlien]

Could I ask which cruise it is? We are booked on Carnival Victory on 13th April 2020 but its just vanished from their website, we haven't heard anything from Carnival

 

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[wondercustard]

Could I ask which cruise it is? We are booked on Carnival Victory on 13th April 2020 but its just vanished from their website, we haven't heard anything from Carnival

 

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It was the conquest on apr 25 2020. We have been playing phone tag trying to get another ship with an open embarkation day wedding on april 25th, i can't do any earlier than that for financial and family reasons. I think we may have found one, but now I have to wait for the TA. I just feel so bad for my bridal party because two of them had gotten vista balconies, and those room types are all sold out on our prospective new booking. Almost 60 people had already booked for my party....

[TheCruisingBrewers]

Hi there,

 

I am very sorry this happened, and I do know how stressful planning this sort of wedding will be. My daughter got married on the Breeze 2 years ago. Most to their friends came for the day and the main bridal party all took the cruise so it worked out well, but we only planned about a year in advance.

 

I agreed that someone should have told you but with the cruise being from FL it does provide you with a lot of options for changes. Your guests may need to drive to port (like Orlando or Tampa) but you should be able to arrange it and keep some guests. I would start with your TA and have them help find a ship with enough cabins and a wedding slot for you....

 

Hopefully, you can send out simple...Save this NEW date announcements, but I would suggest you talk to everyone to let them know. The invitations you should be able to change if they have not been set yet.

 

Sorry for this added stress...take a big breath and tackle the changes, you can help the TA but looking in other ports and other ships. Hopefully Carnival will allow you to change since the cruise was cancelled and it is far enough out.

 

Best wishes!

 

Nancy

[wondercustard]

Hi there,

 

I am very sorry this happened, and I do know how stressful planning this sort of wedding will be. My daughter got married on the Breeze 2 years ago. Most to their friends came for the day and the main bridal party all took the cruise so it worked out well, but we only planned about a year in advance.

 

I agreed that someone should have told you but with the cruise being from FL it does provide you with a lot of options for changes. Your guests may need to drive to port (like Orlando or Tampa) but you should be able to arrange it and keep some guests. I would start with your TA and have them help find a ship with enough cabins and a wedding slot for you....

 

Hopefully, you can send out simple...Save this NEW date announcements, but I would suggest you talk to everyone to let them know. The invitations you should be able to change if they have not been set yet.

 

Sorry for this added stress...take a big breath and tackle the changes, you can help the TA but looking in other ports and other ships. Hopefully Carnival will allow you to change since the cruise was cancelled and it is far enough out.

 

Best wishes!

 

Nancy

 

Thank you Nancy. We are all actually from baltimore, but don't care for the destinations in april from our home port, so the shift in travel that way won't impact much.

 

I've made myself some lemon tea and am taking as many deep breaths as I can. :loudcry:

[bakersdozen12]

I’m sorry this is happening, but I don’t feel this entitles you to compensation. Cruises can be cancelled even just days before the actual sailing. It’s unlikely, but it does happen. Also, itineraries do change when needed. All of this is a risk that you undertook when you decided on a cruise wedding. With cruising, you always have to prepare for the unexpected. In this case, it’s best to look on the bright side: you have plenty of time to choose another cruise and start planning for that one. Anyway, enjoy your wedding no matter what happens!

 

 

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[SpainAlien]

It was the conquest on apr 25 2020. We have been playing phone tag trying to get another ship with an open embarkation day wedding on april 25th, i can't do any earlier than that for financial and family reasons. I think we may have found one, but now I have to wait for the TA. I just feel so bad for my bridal party because two of them had gotten vista balconies, and those room types are all sold out on our prospective new booking. Almost 60 people had already booked for my party....

Thank you for letting me know. I am sorry this has happened to you and I hope you have success sorting out something else

 

 

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[mikesyl27]

Call Carnival. Maybe they are moving another ship in to replace this one. Many of the ships are being rerouted at that time. Forget the TA and go straight to the source- Carnival. Many of their Associates know more than the TA.

 

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[Roz]

If someone books with a TA, most cruise lines won't talk directly with them. I would think the TA would want to keep the business on the books and should be the one negotiating with Carnival and acting as an advocate and intermediary for the bride to be.

 

To the OP, this is so stressful, I can't imagine what you're going through.

 

Roz

[Micahs Grandad]

Based on contract they have all the power.

 

I would find out why it was cancelled. If drydock you are out of luck but perhaps another ship is replacing the one you booked.

 

Best of luck

[jakesnana]

It was the conquest on apr 25 2020. We have been playing phone tag trying to get another ship with an open embarkation day wedding on april 25th, i can't do any earlier than that for financial and family reasons. I think we may have found one, but now I have to wait for the TA. I just feel so bad for my bridal party because two of them had gotten vista balconies, and those room types are all sold out on our prospective new booking. Almost 60 people had already booked for my party....

 

If you're looking for that exact date out of a FL port than you have a choice of the Breeze from Pt. Canaveral and the Magic from Ft. Lauderdale. If you can push it out one day (April 26) you have the Horizon from Miami and the Legend from Tampa. Between those 4 options, you should be able to secure an embarkation day wedding. I hope you can work it out :)

[StolidCruiser]

If you're looking for that exact date out of a FL port than you have a choice of the Breeze from Pt. Canaveral and the Magic from Ft. Lauderdale. If you can push it out one day (April 26) you have the Horizon from Miami and the Legend from Tampa. Between those 4 options, you should be able to secure an embarkation day wedding. I hope you can work it out :)

 

All wonderful suggestions that the OP's travel agent should be pursuing.

[wondercustard]

All wonderful suggestions that the OP's travel agent should be pursuing.

 

We had to switch to the breeze, because carnival wouldn't allow us to transfer our bookings to the magic. The magic was an 8 day, whereas og cruise was only 7 day. Now I just have to hope that someone else hasn't already booked the first come first use of the dj, or my reception will be very boring lol

[Roz]

You'll have to make your own music! :cool:

 

Roz

[stargate fan]

Hey folks. I am a carnival bride, getting married in 2020. Currently I am in a bit of a stressful pickle though.

 

I learned from my TA, not my carnival wedding planner, that the cruise that we booked for my wedding has been cancelled. We had over 60 people in 26 rooms already booked to go on this trip in april 2020 and now I have to scramble to HOPE that I can get a ceremony on another ship on my day...

 

We have already sent out all of our stationary with the full previous itinerary for save the dates. Invites aren't mailed until next august, but i had already paid to have them printed.

 

I absolutely need an embarkation day wedding, as FH grandmother that he adores cannot cruise but wants to go to the ceremony.

 

Halp.

 

Any suggestions? Should I ask them to compensate us with an addition to the ceremony? What is even appropriate in this scenario?

 

I feel like we should have been called asap when they decided the cancellation, as we are a wedding party booked through them. Now I have to contend with the rest of the people on that sailing that got booted for replacement rooms.

 

If someone books with a TA, most cruise lines won't talk directly with them. I would think the TA would want to keep the business on the books and should be the one negotiating with Carnival and acting as an advocate and intermediary for the bride to be.

 

To the OP, this is so stressful, I can't imagine what you're going through.

 

Roz

Since the cruise you booked for your wedding was cancelled, why not just start fresh, using a Carnival PVP instead of a ta.

[wondercustard]

Since the cruise you booked for your wedding was cancelled, why not just start fresh, using a Carnival PVP instead of a ta.

 

Carnival was only willing to honor our booking prices and deposits if we continued with the TA, otherwise we would have to wipe everything from the system and pay the higher price for the ship we originally turned down because of said higher price

[TheCruisingBrewers]

Breeze was very nice, (so nice in fact my daughter and her husband just sailed her again! ) and while we did book early enough to get first pick at the venue and DJ the reception is so fast it really did not matter that much. It is JUST enough time to greet guests chat with people, eat and drink, cut cake, do dances and speeches and toss the garter and bouquet and garter. The photographer did most the shots before the Bride and Groom arrived. The photos were great!

 

Since you have alot of people sailing with you think of the cruise itself as the extended party and do dinners together and plan activities, it will take some of the pressure off the ceremony reception time.

 

You TA should be working to get you rerouted and booked... if not push. The CCPs will not help you much to get the wedding rebooked, IF you used a TA first.

 

My thoughts are with you... Hope all goes well and let us know how it goes?

 

Nancy

[wondercustard]

Breeze was very nice, (so nice in fact my daughter and her husband just sailed her again! ) and while we did book early enough to get first pick at the venue and DJ the reception is so fast it really did not matter that much. It is JUST enough time to greet guests chat with people, eat and drink, cut cake, do dances and speeches and toss the garter and bouquet and garter. The photographer did most the shots before the Bride and Groom arrived. The photos were great!

 

Since you have alot of people sailing with you think of the cruise itself as the extended party and do dinners together and plan activities, it will take some of the pressure off the ceremony reception time.

 

You TA should be working to get you rerouted and booked... if not push. The CCPs will not help you much to get the wedding rebooked, IF you used a TA first.

 

My thoughts are with you... Hope all goes well and let us know how it goes?

 

Nancy

 

 

Thanks, Nancy.

 

Our TA is also a guest at the wedding, as well as the best man's mother. She's doing her best to get things situated as quickly as possible. Thankfully, she's a very easy woman to work with.

[cb at sea]

Any reason you can't get married on land, prior to the cruise? That's what I'd do. Then, anyone who wants to come on the cruise could certainly do it!

 

Cruises are never 100% sure of sailing, or ports, or anything....it's clearly stated in the cruise contract. Once you book, you're at their mercy. They cover their asses with all sorts of legal gobbledygook.....and it wills stick. Get married...have a party on whatever cruise you can book.

[Sauer-kraut]

Any reason you can't get married on land, prior to the cruise? That's what I'd do. Then, anyone who wants to come on the cruise could certainly do it!

 

Cruises are never 100% sure of sailing, or ports, or anything....it's clearly stated in the cruise contract. Once you book, you're at their mercy. They cover their asses with all sorts of legal gobbledygook.....and it wills stick. Get married...have a party on whatever cruise you can book.

This! I was going to suggest the same thing, have a lovely ceremony on the beach. Skip the over priced Carni contractor and go with something special on land. At least then you know that if more stuff happens (ship delayed coming into port, etc.) you will have have your marriage take place at the time you specify.

[SadieN]

Have you looked over on the Honeymoon and Wedding Board? Could see if it’s happened before.

 

 

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[SadieN]

This! I was going to suggest the same thing, have a lovely ceremony on the beach. Skip the over priced Carni contractor and go with something special on land. At least then you know that if more stuff happens (ship delayed coming into port, etc.) you will have have your marriage take place at the time you specify.

 

 

 

This is suggested a lot on the wedding board. Small ceremony (civil, religious) before the cruise then something onboard (vow renewal) that can be done any day onboard or a port wedding.

During a cruise ports can change at a drop of a hat. One Hawaii cruise completely missed Maui.