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Step 1
Cruise to Alaska and get married on a glacierDecide where you want the cruise to go and for how long. Always wanted to get married surrounded by the stunning glaciers of Alaska? Want to wear your bathing suit to your ceremony? Interested in treating parents or grandparents to a trip to their homelands? Cruises can go almost anywhere, so pick a destination. When planning the length of the cruise, take into consideration how many guests you'll invite and what their finances and schedules are like. Not everyone will be able to attend your wedding if you plan to sail for two weeks in the Mediterranean. Some ships offer packages in which you are married on board while in port; guests attend the wedding and an on-board reception and debark before the ship leaves port.
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Step 2
Many ships offer same-sex wedding servicesResearch the details. While the captain of the cruise ship Grand Princess can marry you at sea in the ship's on-board wedding chapel, other cruise lines, including American Hawaii, Cape Canaveral, Celebrity, Costa, Holland America, Norwegian, Premier and Regal require you to bring your own officiant to perform the service. Carnival offers the "Weddings at Sea---Just for the Bride & Groom" package, which includes an official civil ceremony, a champagne toast, flowers, a wedding cake, prerecorded wedding music and photographic services on its Alaskan cruises on the Carnival Spirit. Royal Caribbean International has chapels on its ships, but the legal ceremony has to be done in port. You can also cruise to the wedding service destination; Carnival offers a package in which you cruise to Montego Bay in Jamaica and are married there, then return to the ship for some more cruising as newlyweds. Disney offers a similar cruise in which you cruise to Disney's private island in the Bahamas and are married shoreside there, then return to Florida and receive unlimited admission to Disney parks. Bride-and-groom pairings are not the only ones eligible for marriage at sea: same-sex marriages are performed on a number of cruise lines, including the GLBT- and family-friendly Rfamily cruises, founded by Kelly O'Donnell; Disney cruises; Olivia, which caters to a lesbian market; and Atlantis, which offers cruises and resort vacations for gay men.
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Step 3
Will you pay for your attendants' cruise?Set a budget. Tally up your initial costs and decide how much more you will spend. Will you cover the costs of attendants' cruises? Parents' costs? If you will be driving to the port, factor in gas and other travel costs. Is airfare included in your cruise cost? If not, plan for tickets to the port city. Set a budget for shopping and dining out in port cities on the cruise as well. Finally, consider travel and event insurance, in case of any trouble.
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Step 4
Consult a cruise wedding planning specialist when you've made your basic decisions. Cruise wedding planners go far beyond the ordinary wedding planner: they'll help you select a cruise line and location appropriate for your ceremony, assist you with paperwork and any legal issues, work with you on your budget and help plan your transportation to and from the departure and arrival ports.
