Any advice for wedding guests?

[Datachick1213]

Newbie here! DH and I taking first cruise in November for my BFF's wedding. We're driving to the port the morning of. Should we arrive at the port in our formal wear or will we be permitted to change in our state room once we're on board?:confused:

[nancronin]

What time is the wedding? Usually you can't get into the staterooms until 1 PM but I don't know if they have different setups for weddings. You'll love th Explorer - enjoy!:)

[jebuell]

If the wedding is in the port before the cruise leaves you will likely not have a chance to change until after the wedding, so I'd come dressed. But if it's after the ship leaves or after 1PM then you'll probably have a chance to change.

[johneeo]

Newbie here! DH and I taking first cruise in November for my BFF's wedding. We're driving to the port the morning of. Should we arrive at the port in our formal wear or will we be permitted to change in our state room once we're on board?:confused:

 

Need more info. Are you going on the Explorer?

 

What time is the wedding, and where is it taking place?

 

Sounds kind of crazy to me to have the wedding the day of embarkation. Too much other stuff to do that day, get there, check in, lug around your luggage, carry ons, get on the ship, get settled in, get the lay of the land, etc.

 

As noted, you will not get to your room until about 1 PM.

[alwayshappytocruise]

Both my sister and my daughter got married on cruise ships....one on Holland America and more recently one on Oasis. On both occasions .the cabin for the wedding couple were ready (around 11am each time) and so the wedding party got dressed there (small groups). I wouldn't wear formal clothes to the port, the huge public restrooms will be open so if the cabin isn't an option I would recommend the bathroom closes to the wedding venue.

Lynda

[4everafter]

I'm thinking that you are in the wedding party? Wedding parties are normally the first ones to board ship - EARLY!! although you won't need to be dressed, some groups prefer to come dressed. you will have a BUSY day. I am traveling with someone in DEC that is in a wedding, I teased her way back when about getting there the night before and having a 6am hair appointment, she said no way, and thats exactly what shes doing now. They will have atleast 1 cabin ready for your party and you'll be on a tight schedule that day. I would search the main boards for more information. Normally someone else has written a report of when they were married on that ship. enjoy !

[CaptData]

Hi my daughter got married in Miami on Freedom of the Seas. The Wedding parties are the first to board (including all guests). Their rooms are ready on boarding. We were allowed to change (the wedding was at 1 pm but delayed until 2 due to late boarding). If your room is not available you can change in the bathrooms easily. Also talk to the Wedding Co-ordinator she will advise on this as well. We were dressed before hand but the Wedding Co-ordinator said that our rooms would be ready so we could drop off bags/presents before hand. The place were the after party was to be held was available to us to drop bags/presents as well for those guess who were not staying on for the honeymoon party.

[Datachick1213]

Need more info. Are you going on the Explorer?

 

What time is the wedding, and where is it taking place?

 

Sounds kind of crazy to me to have the wedding the day of embarkation. Too much other stuff to do that day, get there, check in, lug around your luggage, carry ons, get on the ship, get settled in, get the lay of the land, etc.

 

As noted, you will not get to your room until about 1 PM.

 

Thanks for the replies. Add'l info: We are wedding guests, not in the wedding party. Sailing on Explorer of the Seas. The bride-to-be told me that the ceremony will be on the ship prior to it setting sail, I think around 1pm. Husband-to-be told us that we need to be at the port at 10am (or earlier).

[njoyndride]

Thanks for the replies. Add'l info: We are wedding guests, not in the wedding party. Sailing on Explorer of the Seas. The bride-to-be told me that the ceremony will be on the ship prior to it setting sail, I think around 1pm. Husband-to-be told us that we need to be at the port at 10am (or earlier).

 

The bride should have specific instructions from the cruiseline but when my daughter got married the wedding party PLUS all guests needed to be at the port (Galveston) at 10:30 and we all embarked first. I had a suite so they made sure that was ready for the girls to change and my in-laws suite was ready for the boys. All the guests were free to roam the ship and invited to lunch in the Windjammer until wedding time. Guests not sailing with us were asked to disembark 30 minutes prior to muster.

[johneeo]

Thanks for the replies. Add'l info: We are wedding guests, not in the wedding party. Sailing on Explorer of the Seas. The bride-to-be told me that the ceremony will be on the ship prior to it setting sail, I think around 1pm. Husband-to-be told us that we need to be at the port at 10am (or earlier).

 

I would not get there before 10. Usually the prior cruise will be disembarking about 8 AM and might not be done until after 10 AM.

 

I am sure RCI will be ready for your party and get you on pronto.

 

On our cruise in June, we arrived about noon and were on the ship by 12:30.

 

Be sure to report back, as many of us would like to hear about the wedding and your experiences.

 

In my sig is link of a review of our last cruise on the EOS with pictures.

 

Any questions, ask away. You should have an awesome time, great ship, great crew.

[Datachick1213]

Thank you to everyone for the replies! We are so excited for our first cruise. I'm so glad I found these boards, so much great info and advice. I'll be sure to report when we return. Thanks again.:D

[cfurby]

My wife and I were married onboard Explorer back in 2003. All wedding party and guests were instructed to be at the pier at 10 where we were greeted by our wedding coordinator. We were also allowed to be the first on board. The cabins of those sailing were ready when we boarded. We were instructed for all non sailing guests to be fully dressed when arriving at the terminal, but the wedding party and sailing guests definitely had time to get ready on the ship. That said, they always remind you that you can't board before the ship clears customs, and that's always unpredictable.

 

Enjoy your wedding and cruise.

[Rala]

Need more info. Are you going on the Explorer?

 

What time is the wedding, and where is it taking place?

 

Sounds kind of crazy to me to have the wedding the day of embarkation. Too much other stuff to do that day, get there, check in, lug around your luggage, carry ons, get on the ship, get settled in, get the lay of the land, etc.

 

As noted, you will not get to your room until about 1 PM.

 

Wedding parties are allowed to board first before almost everyone else. At least, we have seen this happen on more than one of our cruises. Don't know if it is a fleet-wide policy, though. :)

 

Ooops!.. sorry, didn't fully read the post just above this one!

[Datachick1213]

I would not get there before 10. Usually the prior cruise will be disembarking about 8 AM and might not be done until after 10 AM.

 

I am sure RCI will be ready for your party and get you on pronto.

 

On our cruise in June, we arrived about noon and were on the ship by 12:30.

 

Be sure to report back, as many of us would like to hear about the wedding and your experiences.

 

In my sig is link of a review of our last cruise on the EOS with pictures.

 

Any questions, ask away. You should have an awesome time, great ship, great crew.

 

Great review and pics. Thanks.

[jebuell]

I would not get there before 10. Usually the prior cruise will be disembarking about 8 AM and might not be done until after 10 AM.

 

I am sure RCI will be ready for your party and get you on pronto.

 

On our cruise in June, we arrived about noon and were on the ship by 12:30.

 

Be sure to report back, as many of us would like to hear about the wedding and your experiences.

 

In my sig is link of a review of our last cruise on the EOS with pictures.

 

Any questions, ask away. You should have an awesome time, great ship, great crew.

 

Actually, please get there when they tell you to get there. I've been to several embarkation day weddings and for all of them the wedding guests needed to register (both sailing and non-sailing guests) and be at a certain place at a certain time. They have a protocol for embarkation day weddings and it's important to follow them or you do risk missing the wedding.

 

For instance, the first one we ever went on the coast guard showed up to check out the ship and embarkation was delayed by several hours. But the wedding guests were allowed to board at 11AM as scheduled. After that, no one else was allowed to board until the inspection was over and the ship was cleared. Which I believe happened right around 1 because a whole flood of people started boarding the ship right when the ceremony was starting. I'm sure people who showed up at noon were stuck outside in ridiculously long lines and didn't get on the ship until 2-3.

 

I've only ever sailed with Carnival for Embarkation Day Weddings. Both times our cabins were not ready when we arrived. We were allowed to go to them and drop our stuff off, but were asked to leave right away.

[lakelorain]

There were weddings on our last 3 Explorer cruises. The wedding party arrived at the port early, fully dressed. They waited in a private area until the ship cleared customs and everyone disembarked. The wedding party was then permitted to board first.

Boarding was at 10:30 the first time but wasn't until 11:15 the last 2 times. We were sitting near the wedding parties in the waiting room and watched the whole process.

Remember you have to take a short bus ride to the ship from the boarding area.

[Cruising Erin]

We were married on the Explorer and our wedding party was able to get ready in their staterooms. The early boarding was nice and our guests who weren't sailing got to see the ship as well. (I felt kind of bad watching them get "kicked off" though.) I agree with the previous posters to be on time. You may not get on the ship right then but it will make things much smoother. Have fun!

[johneeo]

(I felt kind of bad watching them get "kicked off" though.)

 

No way I would be kicked off.

 

I would be in for the duration!;)

[jebuell]

No way I would be kicked off.

 

I would be in for the duration!;)

 

On one cruise wedding one of those guests did decide he didn't want to leave. Carnival actually let him stay! He had to pay, of course, and he didn't know where he was supposed to sleep until after dinner that evening, but somehow he managed to go on the cruise! He also had no clothes or anything and ended up buying them on Catalina. But he went on the cruise!

[jagsfan]

There were weddings on our last 3 Explorer cruises. The wedding party arrived at the port early, fully dressed. They waited in a private area until the ship cleared customs and everyone disembarked. The wedding party was then permitted to board first.

Boarding was at 10:30 the first time but wasn't until 11:15 the last 2 times. We were sitting near the wedding parties in the waiting room and watched the whole process.

Remember you have to take a short bus ride to the ship from the boarding area.

 

What bus ride to the ship? I've never seen any kind of transport (other than wheelchairs) from the terminal to the ship. I'm guessing "the boarding area" is the check in counter in the terminal, so do wedding parties get transport to the ship instead of winding their way up the gangway?

[lakelorain]

What bus ride to the ship? I've never seen any kind of transport (other than wheelchairs) from the terminal to the ship. I'm guessing "the boarding area" is the check in counter in the terminal, so do wedding parties get transport to the ship instead of winding their way up the gangway?

In Bayonne you take a short bus ride from the terminal to the ship.

[jagsfan]

Aha!

Thanks for answering......I couldn't imagine where it would be.

[magenta321]

I'm a cruise bride. Arrive dressed.

 

There is a bus ride to the ship in Bayonne.

 

One big word of advice:

 

Tell all the other guests to place their drink orders with the wait staff. They will not make it clear to anyone that it's an open bar. Your guests are left to guess. My guests assumed that it was not open bar because they didn't see a bar or bar tender.

[Happy ks]

I've been to a couple weddings onboard ships. A couple things to note: Don't be too particular about details, other than the clothing you are wearing for the wedding. You will set yourself up for disappointment if you want to micro-manage all the little details. Be prepared and tell your guests they may have to hurry up and wait.

 

Onboard weddings can be wonderful if you have patience and you are not too detail oriented. The first wedding I went to went off smoothly, we went to the ceremony, had a little luncheon and then had an hour or so to wander around. My nieces wedding the ceremony didn't happen until 1 pm, we boarded at 10:30. I hardly got to see the ship that time as I was doing hair and makeup for the bride and mom (my sis), by the time they had the ceremony and reception it was time to disembark. Ididn't stay on and cruise on either...bummer.