Renewal of Vows - Any recent experiences to note?

[Don Kehote]

We're all the way out in December, but I saw the option today while poking about in my reservation, and started looking into it.  Suffice it to say that someone started cutting onions nearby, and I seem to have booked it.

 

Have any of you folks participated in this ceremony recently?  I'd love to know more about how it's running these days!

[P&PNH]

We renewed our vows nine years ago on the Nieuw Amsterdam, and it was a  very nice ceremony.  We have friends who just did the same thing, on the same ship, heading south from Alaska.   The ceremony was very nice, preformed by the Captain in the Tamarind Lounge. They took pictures, provided a wedding cake, Champaign toast, lots of rose petals, and dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. The wife/bride was ecstatic and the husband/groom (who arranged it as a surprise) was very happy with the way it turned out.  I would recommend this to any couple who truly love each other. It is a great memory to have a time passes.

[Cruising-along]

We renewed our vows in September, 2019 for our 50th anniversary.  It was on the Nieuw Statendam, with Captain O'Driscoll officiating.  We had the same experience noted above, and we got a photo album of the ceremony.  We shared the night with one other couple who were also celebrating.  Before the ceremony we, the other couple, the CD and Captain chatted and had appetizers.  

 

I highly recommend it to anyone.

 

[Don Kehote]

Thank you for these replies!  This will be around our 10th anniversary, and I've always said that although I'm incredibly happy to be married to my wife, I want to marry her even harder. It would be somewhat of a miracle were we to make to to 50, but I'm going to try my best. 

[firsttimer1971]

14 hours ago, P&PNH said:

I would recommend this to any couple who truly love each other. 

 

I told my DW about this ceremony and she said she would file for a divorce if I arranged this 😆

[Cruising-along]

7 hours ago, firsttimer1971 said:

 

I told my DW about this ceremony and she said she would file for a divorce if I arranged this 😆

LOL!  To tell the truth, I never thought I'd want to do it -- and definitely would not have liked it if DH secretly arranged it. But he wanted to do it and we talked about it before the cruise.  I'm very glad we did it, I loved it. 🙂   

[Petronillus]

21 hours ago, P&PNH said:

We renewed our vows nine years ago on the Nieuw Amsterdam, and it was a  very nice ceremony.  We have friends who just did the same thing, on the same ship, heading south from Alaska.   The ceremony was very nice, preformed by the Captain in the Tamarind Lounge. They took pictures, provided a wedding cake, Champaign toast, lots of rose petals, and dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. The wife/bride was ecstatic and the husband/groom (who arranged it as a surprise) was very happy with the way it turned out.  I would recommend this to any couple who truly love each other. It is a great memory to have a time passes.

 That sounds beautiful and very elaborate. Oddly enough, if you want something special but with less hoop-la, ask the chaplain. Although the chaplains on HAL are invariably Catholic priests, you don't have to be Catholic or Christian (of any other denomination) or of any religious persuasion at all for the chaplain to put together a simple ceremony for you. I'd like to know if anyone tries approaching the chaplain and gets the cold shoulder; seems unlikely to me.

[firsttimer1971]

6 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

LOL!  To tell the truth, I never thought I'd want to do it -- and definitely would not have liked it if DH secretly arranged it. But he wanted to do it and we talked about it before the cruise.  I'm very glad we did it, I loved it. 🙂   

 

It all comes down to knowing your partner and what makes him/her happy. My wife is an introvert and she dislikes being the center of attention. Our wedding was small with just thirty close friends and family and that was big enough for her. 

If I planned something like this in secret, I would end up either single or dead.

 

But I can 100% understand people who do this and enjoy it very much. It guess it is also more of an American than European thing to renew your vows. 

 

 

[MTAK]

I don't know if this was a wedding or ROV, but this was on the Rotterdam in April.

 

 

[westcoastcruiser]

My husband and I renewed our vows just over 2 years ago for our 40th.  It was very nice and we were glad we did it.  Having said that, the ship's photographer did a lackluster job of photos.  He took very few and those he did take were not well done.  We had an opportunity to sit and chat with the Captain before the ceremony as well as one other crew member.  The cake was very nice and the included dinner at Pinnacle was exceptional.  I believe an assortment of appetizers and flowers were in our room upon arrival, also as part of the package.  

 

One other detail, the date for the ROV is set by the Captain or staff.  In our case, it was almost at the end of our 18 day cruise.  Since we were looking forward to this celebration, it was unfortunate we  had to wait so long for the ceremony.