Cruise weddings - all aboard a Princess ship
Share
The cruise wedding craze began in 1998 when Captain Giuseppe Romano married a couple aboard the Grand Princess, which featured the first ocean-going wedding chapel.
Until then it had been a common misconception that any ship captain was empowered to join couples in matrimony, but in truth no such ceremony had ever been conducted aboard a major cruise ship.
Ten years later Captain Giuseppe is now a Commodore, the most senior captain in the Princess cruise fleet. He is now Master of the Emerald Princess, a massive vessel with more than 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew.
Princess expect to hold at least 1,000 weddings on their ships this year in exotic waters around the globe including the Mediterranean, Caribbean, South Pacific and Alaska.
Guiseppe relishes this matrimonial role. “I started this programme and have married thousands of couples since then. It’s still very special for me… and for them,” he says. “I always enjoy it and have never had a bad experience.
“I give them a letter congratulating them including a record of the longitude and latitude at the time they were married and a nice signed photograph of the ship.”
On one cruise, he even married his brother-in-law who had joined a cruise to be married at sea by his sister’s husband. “Cruise weddings are growing, especially in the UK market,” says Guiseppe.
In the last decade most other cruise lines have started offering on-board betrothals but lack Princess’s link to Bermuda, where its ships are registered. Princess persuaded the Bermudan government to pass a law empowering captains of their registered vessels to conduct weddings in international waters.
For example Princess Cruises offers a 12-night Greek Isles and Mediterranean cruise in summer 2009 onboard their brand new Ruby Princess. The cruise departs from Venice and ends in Rome. It costs from £1,239 per person, including flights and meals. For more information call 0845 3 555 800 or visit www.princess.com.
On top of the price of the cruise, a ‘tie the knot at sea’ package costs from $1,800 plus marriage license fees of $450 and includes music, flowers, photographer, cake, champagne and the help of a professional wedding coordinator. Ceremonies can be conducted on board by Captain, or in harbours or ashore by a local official.
Useful links
Princess Cruises are the best bet for weddings at sea. Get more information here
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
Email
Add to your Pocket Guide
Why Register?
