Cruise Ship Weddings

Cruise Line Rules and What They Offer

Cruise Ship Weddings are a wonderful way to tie the knot or even to renew wedding vows.

What a romantic and very low stress way to marry. My husband and I were so impressed with the value and fun of a cruise ship wedding, we may renew our vows on a cruise.

Read about the surprising Top 7 reasons why to consider Cruise Weddings.

I've laid out each cruise line's rules in the chart below. Learn what they do and don't offer you to make your wedding day a dream come true. Just scroll down to jump right to the chart.

Just like in traditional land ceremonies, there are preparations to be made ahead of time to make it legal. Plus, before booking your cruise, you should know what each particular cruise lines rules and guidelines are, as they vary.

Here are some of these important facts to know and steps you’ll need to take for a cruise ship wedding.

Cruise Ship Weddings at Sea:

At this time, only three cruise ships actually perform wedding ceremonies at sea. These are Celebrity, Princess and Azamara cruises.

But you can be married while at port at your destination and still have a very special wedding, if you choose another cruise line. This can be onshore at a beautiful beach location or even on the ship itself, once docked.

Cruise Ship Weddings in Port:

You can still have your ceremony on the ship if you choose another cruise line, but many will only do this once the ship is docked. Weddings can also take place on the ship before it disembarks for it’s final destination. The advantage is more guests will likely attend, if they can’t commit to a full 7 day cruise with you.

Ask the cruise line about any restrictions for non-sailing guests, also, if they count your non-sailing and sailing guest's equally toward the total count allowed for wedding packages.

Cruise Ships Weddings and Wedding Coordinators:

Some cruise line’s offer the help of a wedding coordinator, which makes a bride-to-be much less stressed. Be sure to get the coordinator’s contact name and number early on and try to stick with that one person. Ask them if they allow this.

Contact Me and I can get you in touch with the wedding service providers that work exclusively with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises and Holland America (in Europe), plus selected ports for Carnival Cruises.

Wedding Cruises and License Requirements:

There are licensing requirements to consider for wedding cruises, depending on the cruise line you go with and the country you marry in.

Some couples decide to marry at home before the cruise and then have a wedding ceremony that is symbolic once they’re aboard the ship with their family and friends. The benefit is not having to sift through what the particular requirements are to make it legal and just get to the business of enjoying a symbolic wedding day.

No matter which country or cruise line you choose, you should contact the cruises wedding coordinator and relevant government officials for marriage license requirements and fees. The following information should only be used as a guideline resource.

As you'll see from the chart below, some cruise lines are more cruise ship wedding friendly than others, but I suggest you confirm these facts as these can change without notice.

Cruise Line Rules and Offers:

Cruise Line Name	Weddings at Sea	Onboard Wedding-in Port	OnShore Wedding-in Port	Wedding Coordinator?
Azmara	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Carnival	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Celebrity	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Costa	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cruise West	Yes/alaska only	Yes	No	Yes
Crystal	No	No	No	No
Disney	No	Yes	Yes-Castaway Cay	Yes
Holland Am.	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Norweigen	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Princess	Yes-certain ships	Yes-certain ships	Yes-certain ships	Yes
Regent-Seven Seas	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Royal Caribbean	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voyages of Discovery	No	No	No	No
Carnival	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windstar	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

Be sure to know the Marriage License Requirements in the country you'll be sailing in. I list many wedding destinations by country, license laws and costs. Go to my Marriage License Requirement page.
(It will open in a new browser window to help you compare country marriage license laws with wedding cruises per company, services offered and locations.)