Wedding on a cruise??

[Sallyandtex]

Hi, asking for a family member. 

Has anyone experienced going to a wedding  or being married on a cruise?

If yes, which comlany/ship and can you please tell me about your experience. Particularly the service and communication with the  couple for planning and also how good/bad it was.

 

😊 thanks 

 

[MicCanberra]

I wasn't part of it but there was a wedding party bride and groom and a few others, on one our cruises, most of the family members were meeting at one of the ports for the wedding ashore and the reception. Our ship missed the port. They did have the honeymoon anyway.

[Sallyandtex]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

I wasn't part of it but there was a wedding party bride and groom and a few others, on one our cruises, most of the family members were meeting at one of the ports for the wedding ashore and the reception. Our ship missed the port. They did have the honeymoon anyway.

oh dear!

I think the Carnival one I looked at they do it in Sydney prior to everyone else on embarkation day.

I went to the wedding forum here but most of the chat is outdated and US based

[MicCanberra]

Here are some links that may help. 

Note the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity sites are down for maintenance today,

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=cruise+ship+weddings+australia&client=tablet-android-samsung-rev2&sca_esv=575557852&source=android-home&source=hp&ei=3dc0ZemhHO-i2roP-oqYyAk&iflsig=AO6bgOgAAAAAZTTl7a2qBAWgVE3Q8QkQwmd1Js4ZGKfY&oq=cruise+ship+weddings&gs_lp=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&sclient=gws-wiz

 

 

[MicCanberra]

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-gifts-celebrations/romance/wedding-cruises/

[MicCanberra]

https://www.pocruises.com.au/experiences/groups/wedding-vow-renewals

[MicCanberra]

https://www.carnival.com.au/wedding-cruises

[mum and son]

I may be wrong, but I don't think you can get married at sea unless your celebrant is also travelling on the cruise. I have friends who were married on the Pacific Aria some years ago and they had to get married while the ship was still docked. All guests have to be booked passengers, but I believe the celebrant will come onboard and perform the wedding and then disembark before it sails, unless they are a booked passenger.

 

There are some recent reviews of onboard weddings on fb groups for some of the ships that call Brisbane home. The happy couples were thrilled with the service from the cruiseline (P&O) from the reviews I read. 

[arxcards]

8 minutes ago, mum and son said:

I may be wrong, but I don't think you can get married at sea unless your celebrant is also travelling on the cruise. I have friends who were married on the Pacific Aria some years ago and they had to get married while the ship was still docked. All guests have to be booked passengers, but I believe the celebrant will come onboard and perform the wedding and then disembark before it sails, unless they are a booked passenger.

 

There are some recent reviews of onboard weddings on fb groups for some of the ships that call Brisbane home. The happy couples were thrilled with the service from the cruiseline (P&O) from the reviews I read. 

That is my understanding of Australian weddings. In the US, the Captain has the authority to marry at sea. Even an Australian Captain who is a qualified celebrant would not have authority to marry Australians at sea.

 

The P&O packages are mostly geared for pre-cruise. The wedding party boards and the ceremony is held by their celebrant while the ship is in port. Those that want to stay aboard to celebrate with the bride & groom will have already booked the honeymoon cruise. If done ashore, it could be done in any port of the cruise, but as far as I am aware it is only the departure port to have it on the ship. It could be different on other lines. The above links will be invaluable in finding what they will or won't do, and how much it will cost.

 

In Australia, the Captain can "remarry you" at sea, aka do a renewal of vows ceremony.

 

Another option is to get married on one of the islands, but you need to line that up with a church and/or celebrant first. Every guest will need to travel to get there, but not necessarily on the cruise. We have friends who were married in Port Vila several years ago. After the ceremony, the singer played a ukulele and sang Happy Wedding to You.

[Aus Traveller]

28 minutes ago, mum and son said:

I may be wrong, but I don't think you can get married at sea unless your celebrant is also travelling on the cruise. I have friends who were married on the Pacific Aria some years ago and they had to get married while the ship was still docked. All guests have to be booked passengers, but I believe the celebrant will come onboard and perform the wedding and then disembark before it sails, unless they are a booked passenger.

 

There are some recent reviews of onboard weddings on fb groups for some of the ships that call Brisbane home. The happy couples were thrilled with the service from the cruiseline (P&O) from the reviews I read. 

It depends on which cruise line. Princess actively 'chases' the wedding market with many of their ships having a Wedding Chapel. A few years pre-COVID Princess announced that they were changing their port of registry for the ships (or might have been some of their ships) to Hamilton in the Bahamas so their captains would be able to perform weddings.

[Sallyandtex]

19 hours ago, mum and son said:

I may be wrong, but I don't think you can get married at sea unless your celebrant is also travelling on the cruise. I have friends who were married on the Pacific Aria some years ago and they had to get married while the ship was still docked. All guests have to be booked passengers, but I believe the celebrant will come onboard and perform the wedding and then disembark before it sails, unless they are a booked passenger.

 

There are some recent reviews of onboard weddings on fb groups for some of the ships that call Brisbane home. The happy couples were thrilled with the service from the cruiseline (P&O) from the reviews I read. 

Thankyou, can you tell me key words for FB group at all there's lots...if it's allowed here

[mum and son]

7 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

Thankyou, can you tell me key words for FB group at all there's lots...if it's allowed here

I don't know if I'm allowed but if you look for people who are addicted to the P&O ship based in Brisbane and search wedding you'll find plenty of info.

[Aus Traveller]

A couple was married on board the P&O Pacific Encounter on its cruise (23rd-30th Oct) to Cairns. The wedding was on the first full sea day.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Sallyandtex]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

A couple was married on board the P&O Pacific Encounter on its cruise (23rd-30th Oct) to Cairns. The wedding was on the first full sea day.

Oh great! Do you know if they did a review/blog?

[Aus Traveller]

24 minutes ago, Sallyandtex said:

Oh great! Do you know if they did a review/blog?

I have no idea if they did a review. I heard about the wedding when the bride appeared in a talent show "The Voice of the Ocean". I thought she should have won but the audience voted for the young girl, not the mature-age woman. Both singers were excellent.

[ceeceeDee]

Friends of ours were going to be married on P&O out of Sydney and then cruise the South Pacific with us all in tow. Unfortunately, covid scuttled that idea. They ended up doing the deed at Mt Tamborine on the Gold Coast. Nice, but a cruise immediately following the ceremony would have been a bonus.

[clairebearinaus]

In Victoria at least, to be registered as 'legal' (i.e. certificate issued) a marriage has to be conducted either by a celebrant licensed in Australia or a minister of religion. 

 

I haven't done a cruise wedding myself but was married overseas and since then have never been in a situation where I needed to show a certificate or prove I am married.  Government agencies etc. just accepted that I am when I told them so.  Some people I know are more keen on having that piece of paper (comes in handy if changing surname, and also when getting divorced!) so had a simple registry office marriage either before or after their 'destination wedding'.

 

I did look into a vow renewal ceremony (on Celebrity I think?) and it was straightforward and inexpensive.  They mentioned that any of the officers could show up to do it so I very much doubt they are accredited celebrants.

 

 

[Aus Traveller]

For a marriage performed in Victoria to be legal, it has to be performed by a licensed celebrant or a minister of religion. Traditionally ship's captains could perform marriages, but currently, this is only so when the country where the ship is registered allows it. The marriage would be as legal as yours that you mention was overseas. Not all countries give ship's captains the right to perform marriages. Princess Cruises announced several years ago that they were changing the port of registry for their ships from London to Hamilton Bermuda so the captain could conduct marriages.

 

A marriage on a ship is quite different from the vow renewal ceremony that has no legal standing whatsoever and does not require the celebrant to be registered anywhere.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[MicCanberra]

I really don't understand about vow renewals, it is not like they run out or expire naturally.

BTW, I am quite happy with the vowels I was given originally so doubt I will ever renew them.

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I really don't understand about vow renewals, it is not like they run out or expire naturally.

BTW, I am quite happy with the vowels I was given originally so doubt I will ever renew them.

I was thinking about a renewal of vows, but I was worried she would leave me standing at the alter.

[lyndarra]

2 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I really don't understand about vow renewals, it is not like they run out or expire naturally.

BTW, I am quite happy with the vowels I was given originally so doubt I will ever renew them.

I never really understood vow renewal. It seems to infer that maybe they didn't really mean it the first time.

[Aus Traveller]

12 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

I never really understood vow renewal. It seems to infer that maybe they didn't really mean it the first time.

We haven't bothered to do the vow renewal when it has been offered on a ship. There didn't seem much point.

[lyndarra]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

 

BTW, I am quite happy with the vowels I was given originally so doubt I will ever renew them.

New Zealanders do. They've been doing it for years.😎

[clairebearinaus]

Apologies OP, I didn't mean to spark a derail. 

 

[Elorac123]

An acquaintance of mine once said that marriage license should be like a dog license and only renew it as needed. 😱😱

Cheers Carole