Dream Weddings

Weddings at Sea: Cruise Ship Weddings

Your wedding will be one of the most exceptional days in your life so make it everything you have always imagined it would be. Saying your vows at sea is definitely worth considering. Cruise ship weddings set the scenery for romance and adventure. From cakes to tuxedos, reception facilities, and accommodations, you will not need to go off-board for anything.

Imagine your wedding on a hillside vineyard in Italy, or the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean. The possibilities are limitless!

Cruise ship weddings have a few stipulations. First, the captain of the ship, in most cases, does not marry the couple unless you are sailing with Princess Cruises. A wedding officiant is provided by the cruise line for this purpose. Second, the wedding does not usually take place at sea, it is performed when in port, or at your pre-selected location on shore. Last but not least, you and your groom must both be passengers on the cruise in order to qualify for a cruise ship wedding. Guests can board the ship for the wedding without being passengers on the cruise.

Most cruise lines provide cruise wedding packages that come equipt with coordinators to ensure your wedding runs smoothly.

Popular Cruise Lines that Offer Wedding Packages

• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Holland America Line
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Princess Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International

Crystal Cruises and Cunard Line do not allow weddings on board their ships.

Cruise Line Wedding Package Costs

Packages can rage from $900 to $2,400 and generally include the following:

• Transportation to and from the port
• Wedding facilities
• Wedding officiant
• Wedding coordinator
• Ceremony music
• Flowers
• Cake
• Champagne
• Photographer
• Wedding album
• Dinner

While every cruise line has their own wedding package options, most will include the hair and spa appointments as well as tuxedo rentals as part of the packages. Read below for information on the most popular cruise lines and their wedding options.

PLEASE NOTE: Prices provided on this page are indicators of general wedding package costs. They are meant to provide a general indication of costs for couples in the early stages of planning their weddings. Stated prices are not guaranteed and do not include applicable taxes.

Carnival offers a variety of packages for those who would like to get married at sea. Ceremonies are performed by a wedding officiant before the ship sets sail. Photography is provided during the ceremony and reception. Photos can be purchased during the cruise.

Basic Package: Eight guests (including bride and groom)
This package includes the ceremony, bridal bouquet, groom’s boutonniere, bottle of sparkling wine, wedding cake, wedding music, and photography service. Priced starting at $750, depending on the port prices vary.

Adding to the basic package with a combination of wedding luncheon, open bar, champagne, and the accommodation of up to 20 guests can run anywhere between $1,050 to $1,450. Additional services such as videographer, tuxedo rental, additional food and beverage service, or live entertainment can be added on.

Weddings
Holland America’s wedding package is called Anchors Away. The package starts at $1,295 USD and includes ceremony setup, wedding coordinator, personalized wedding ceremony, bridal bouquet, groom’s boutonniere, wedding cake, champagne, and cruise album.

Renewal of Vows
Holland America Line’s renewal of vows package is priced at $99USD and includes flowers in your stateroom, ceremony, hors d’oeuvres and beverages, along with a photograph and photo album.

Special Occasion
The basic celebration package for birthdays, anniversaries and such is priced at $79USD. It includes flowers in your stateroom, champagne, a special dessert in the dining hall, framed photograph, and special recognition.

The more elaborate package is priced at $410 USD which includes amenities such as a dozen roses, a pair of terrycloth bathrobes, a special chocolate pillow gift, couple’s massage, and a guaranteed table for two in the dining room.

Holland America has a romantic package that includes flowers, champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, a framed photograph, $25 in casino chips, and an aromatherapy massage. This package is priced at $169 USD.

Norwegian Cruise Lines offers passengers a variety of wedding options. Wedding packages range in price from $1200 USD to $2,399 USD and can accommodate anywhere from 8 to 25 guests.

Wedding Package
Norwegian’s basic package: Accomodates a maximum of eight guests (including the bride and groom). This package includes the wedding officiant, wedding music, keepsake marriage certificate, ceremony location, wedding cake, champagne, and a photograph package that includes 12 portraits, a mini-album, a pair of 8″ by 10″ selected portraits. There are additional add-ons to consider such as additional guests, a one-hour, open bar reception with hors d’oeuvres, additional champagne, additional photographs, a two-hour sit-down lunch with wine, and live music.

Anniversary and Honeymoon Package
Norwegian Cruise Line can accommodate all of your needs. With prices ranging from $79 to $329, the basic package includes champagne and strawberries, canapes in your stateroom, photograph, and romantic dinner for two in the bistro with a complimentary bottle of wine. The deluxe offer offers couples additional add-ons such as champagne and strawberries, spa wrap, massage, breakfast-in-bed, a formal portrait, and a romantic dinner for two in the bistro with a bottle of wine.

Weddings
Princess Cruises is one of the only cruise ships that offer couples a wedding ceremony conducted by the captain of the ship.

Renewal of Vows
The basic package costs $205 and includes the ceremony, bouquet, boutonniere of orchids, commemorative certificate, a bottle of champagne with engraved champagne glasses in your stateroom, and a framed portrait of the ceremony. Packages can be upgraded at a cost that will include champagne and breakfast-in-bed, two Princess terrycloth robes, a thirty-minute massage or facial per person, and a visit to the bridge while the ship is in port.

Special Occasion
If you are celebrating a birthday, promotion, or graduation, do it in style on a Princess ship. Princess Cruises offers a variety of packages for people celebrating special moments. The most basic package is priced at $135 per couple and includes a bottle of champagne, framed formal portrait, hors d’oeuvres delivered to your stateroom, and breakfast-in-bed with champagne. Passengers can add to that package with amenities like Princess terrycloth robes, spa visit, a visit to the bridge, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. These additional add-ons can range anywhere from $135 to $430 per couple, depending on the package.

Royal Caribbean offers seven wedding packages that range in price anywhere from $1,095 to $1,595.

Duet, the basic onboard package, includes coordinator, ceremony, wedding officiant, ceremony music, bride’s bouquet of roses, groom’s boutonniere of roses, wedding cake for four, photographer, one wedding photo, wedding certificate keepsake, and a bottle of champagne. Add-ons include more wedding photos, larger bridal bouquet, champagne and breakfast-in-bed for two, round-trip transportation to the port in a chauffeured limousine, and chocolate-covered strawberries in the couple’s stateroom.

Package enhancements can include live music, videography, beauty appointments, tuxedo rentals, wedding invitations/announcements, wedding reception, and marriage license processing.

Shore Weddings
Royal Caribbean includes many of the same amenities found in the Duet package, but adds indigenous wedding flowers, escorted transportation to and from the territorial court and ceremony site, local wedding cake, and secured, marriage license documents.

Renewal of Vows
Cost for renewal of vows on a cruise ship is priced at $400. Your vows can be renewed in the wedding chapel (if there is one) or in a designated spot on board. This package includes the ceremony, ceremony music, bouquet for the bride, boutonniere for the groom, keepsake certificate, wedding cake for four, photograph, and champagne.