As the popularity of cruising continues to grow
in the Australian market, so too has the popularity
of cruise weddings. Couples can choose to have
their wedding at sea, in port, or in some cases
have their wedding onboard whilst in port- so
that guests can join the wedding and reception
and then disembark when it’s time for the vessel
and the newly-weds to sail away. However, as
with all wedding planning, it is important to do
research before booking to ensure you have the
big day that you have been dreaming of. Here’s
just a few tips to help you along the way.
• The first thing you need to do is decide on
the location: do you want to get married in
Australia, the Pacific Islands, Europe, Alaska,
the Mediterranean, Africa etc…
• Next up, you’ll want to have a look at the cruise
lines which offer voyages in your destination at
the time of year that you would like to get married
• Once you have a list of possible cruise lines it
is important to check which ones actually
offer wedding packages, to get you started
here’s a list: Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity
Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America
Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Cunard,
Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise
Lines, Regent Seven Seas, Azamara Club
Cruises, Pullmantur, Windstar Cruises,
Disney Cruise Lines, and P&O Cruises
• Once you have a shortlist, it’s time to decide
whether you want your wedding onboard or
in port. Not all cruise lines offer both options
• If you still have a few choices after this
process, do a bit of research on the ships that
you are looking at, i.e. what is the ship’s
demographic (does this fit with you)? What
are the entertainment options outside of the
wedding? How many guests can you bring?
How many guests can the venue hold? And
how long will you have the venue for?
• Another important factor that you will need
to consider is: what does the wedding
package actually include. Couples have been
known to be caught out paying for a whole
bunch of extras last minute, or worse yet
during the voyage, which they thought were
included in their package. To avoid this,
make sure you ask for a full list of inclusions
in writing, and check out if things like the
services of a photographer, and hair and
make-up are part of the deal. Also, make sure
you know whether guests can board in port
or if they have to join the entire cruise
• Finally, make sure you can have a chat to the
cruise’s wedding planner or the person responsible
for organising the details of your big day, before
you lay your cash down, to ensure that you are
both on the same page about arrangements,
and to avoid any difference in expectations.
