Get married at sea

Organising a wedding can put considerable financial and emotional strain on the people involved. So why not avoid all the hassle by combining a wedding with a luxury honeymoon and get married at sea.

​With basic wedding packages costing between £1200 and £2400, it’s getting more and more popular.  One cruise line now organises around 1500 a year, so they’ve had plenty of practice. 

There are dedicated staff, both ashore and on board, to organise the event for you. All you have to do is to decide what you want, then relax and enjoy days and nights of pure luxury while they make sure it all happens.
 
Performing marriages is one of the Captain’s most pleasurable duties, and if you decide to go it alone, two of his senior officers will be honoured to act as witnesses. Weddings take place on sea days when the ship is sailing in international waters and the wedding legally takes place where the ship is registered. 

So, choose your ocean. Perhaps the Caribbean, maybe the Pacific on a Hawaiian cruise; how about the Far East taking in Singapore, Hong Kong or Japan. The Med is always popular and another favourite is the iconic transatlantic voyage between Southampton and New York on Cunard’s elegant ocean liner Queen Mary 2, with five sea days to choose from.

Basic packages typically include 

​the ceremony itself, champagne, a cake, photography and a commemorative marriage certificate, as your legal certificate may take a short time to reach you.

​Each cruise line has its own version of the offering with some extras included. However, you can add items to suit yourself and the cruise lines have special brochures detailing what’s available.

​Cruise lines offering weddings at sea include P&O, Cunard, Princess,  Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, who provided these images.