Weddings and honeymoons at sea

Getting married at sea has never been more popular, with some cruise lines offering packages that start around £1,500 in comparison with the exorbitant cost of a wedding back home in Blighty. Add to this the fact that nuptials and honeymoon can be rolled into one and the proposition (excuse the pun) starts to look increasingly attractive. It’s worth bearing in mind that some cruise lines now charge a supplement for getting married during peak ‘wedding season’ - typically between April and September, as well as on Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve.

British law dictates that for weddings to be legal the ceremony must be held in a publicly accessible space, so if you want to get married while actually sailing chose a cruise line registered in a country that permits marriages at sea. Companies such as Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Cunard, Celebrity Cruises and P&O Cruises have their ships registered in the Bahamas or Bermuda which conveniently enables them to offer this service - with the captain in full uniform overseeing proceedings.

Cruise lines make it plane sailing to plan nautical nuptials, with a variety of services such as wedding coordinators to take you through each step as well as ready-made packages which suit most tastes and budgets. Virtually all packages start with basic components and are easily customizable, with a variety of choices in food and drink, flowers, photography, video, and more to personalize your event. Whether you marry on the ship or in port, family and friends can join you for the full cruise or just the ceremony - leaving the happy couple to sail off into the sunset on a romantic honeymoon.

Not surprisingly as one of their ships was the original ‘Love Boat’, Princess Cruises offer ‘Tie the Knot’ packages which are available on all vessels, and most of their newer ships have dedicated wedding chapels. These come with state-of-the-art technology that means the ceremony can be broadcast live, via webcam, to friends and family back home. Celebrity Cruises have recently launched an interactive wedding website teeming with information and imagery about the line's wedding packages around the globe. Royal Caribbean offers an array of unusual - and legal - alternatives to the on-board chapel. You can exchange vows while scuba diving in the Caribbean or tie the knot with a tropical rainforest as a backdrop.

P&O Cruises’ ‘Ceremony at Sea’ is another great option in that it can be pretty well wherever you dream of – from the Mediterranean to the sun-drenched Caribbean – more often than not without the hassle of flying. Few settings compare to a magnificent Cunard liner for timeless romance and with the company’s comprehensive ‘Wedding Package’ the world is truly your oyster. Our team have a wealth of information on how to get hitched at sea as well as romantic honeymoon packages. So if lurve is in the air, call them on 0808 256 6742.