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Do I have to cancel my wedding?!

Petrieeve

By Petrieeve,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Petrieeve

Petrieeve

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I think I'm going to barf. I booked a wedding aboard the inspiration in Long Beach for Nov 17. I have already sent invitations, got dresses, tuxes, ext and I just read somewhere that carnival doesn't allow symbolic weddings on embarkation day. We had to get married early due to health insurance issues. I have 30 or so people already booked on the cruise and I can't believe I may have to cancel. Any suggestions?

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Petrieeve

Petrieeve

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Nobody knows I'm married. My brother is my officiant so I just got a license and had him sign it. We didn't have a ceremony or anything. I guess that's not the point. I assume that if carnival doesn't allow this type of symbolic wedding on embarkation day they won't allow the reception either.

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always_cruisin

always_cruisin

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Nobody knows I'm married. My brother is my officiant so I just got a license and had him sign it. We didn't have a ceremony or anything. I guess that's not the point. I assume that if carnival doesn't allow this type of symbolic wedding on embarkation day they won't allow the reception either.

 

 

 

Call Carnival wedding department tomorrow. Where did you read that they no longer do weddings on embarkation day?

 

 

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Sillyjilly

Sillyjilly

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I think I'm going to barf. I booked a wedding aboard the inspiration in Long Beach for Nov 17. I have already sent invitations, got dresses, tuxes, ext and I just read somewhere that carnival doesn't allow symbolic weddings on embarkation day. We had to get married early due to health insurance issues. I have 30 or so people already booked on the cruise and I can't believe I may have to cancel. Any suggestions?

 

How would they know unless you told them? You are either trying to get out of cruising with 30 people, OR this is a joke. Which is it?

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sanger727

sanger727

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You said 'I booked a wedding'. I am taking that to mean that you are coordinating with carnival's wedding dept and didn't simply get 30 people to book a cruise with the hope you could 'sneak' a free reception in. If you are working with carnivals wedding dept they are the ones to ask about this. They will certainly have much better info than what you read 'somewhere'.

 

Keep in mind that a symbolic ceremony is waaay different than a legal marriage. It's entirely possible that someone was unable to get legally married on their cruise for whatever reason. That would have nothing to do with you being able to have a symbolic ceremony. When you are getting legally married you are at the mercy of local laws and regulations which may include a waiting period and blood tests.

 

 

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pe4all

pe4all

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You wrote "I booked a wedding." I take it to mean that Carnival knows about it. The people to direct your questions to are at Carnival - not here on Cruise Critic! Call whoever you booked through! They should be able to provide you with when the ceremony will take place, and the venue. By the way - I have seen many weddings held on embarkation day. In fact, the wedding parties always get to board first!!

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Drazil65

Drazil65

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I agree with the other posters, you booked a wedding so call CCL and speak with the wedding coordinator/department and ask them your questions and go from there. Change it to a vow renewal if it needs to be at that point and proceed, they will help you figure it out. Good Luck!

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Retired_to_Cruise

Retired_to_Cruise

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I have seen many weddings on embarkation day. In fact, non-cruisers are allowed on the ship to attend the wedding and reception, and the wedding party and guests get early boarding. There are even announcement that it is time for the wedding party non-cruising attendees to debark shortly before it is time to sail. I have seen nothing or heard nothing that this has changed. Something sounds a tad bit fishy.

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PattBenatar

PattBenatar

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I have seen many weddings on embarkation day. In fact, non-cruisers are allowed on the ship to attend the wedding and reception, and the wedding party and guests get early boarding. There are even announcement that it is time for the wedding party non-cruising attendees to debark shortly before it is time to sail. I have seen nothing or heard nothing that this has changed. Something sounds a tad bit fishy.

 

Things have changed. The updated rules can be found on the website, not all wedding parties get priority boarding any more. Just those who are getting wed on Embarkation day:

 

 

PRIORITY CHECK-IN. Priority boarding is provided for couples getting married the day of embarkation, once the ship is cleared by U.S. Customs. Please be prompt and pay special attention to your boarding information to ensure you are at the pier on time for priority boarding. You and your guests, both sailing and non-sailing, must arrive together to board with priority boarding. Couples who have selected a wedding package later in the cruise will follow general boarding procedures.

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Havingfun2010

Havingfun2010

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I think I'm going to barf. I booked a wedding aboard the inspiration in Long Beach for Nov 17. I have already sent invitations, got dresses, tuxes, ext and I just read somewhere that carnival doesn't allow symbolic weddings on embarkation day. We had to get married early due to health insurance issues. I have 30 or so people already booked on the cruise and I can't believe I may have to cancel. Any suggestions?

 

Ok. You are married. The 30 people you invited have no idea you are married, but you want them to think, through a ceremony that you are getting married at that moment? They are going on the cruise also. So everyone is on the ship. You must be working with Carnival, because how else did you expect to get a room to hold the vowel renewal that you plan to hide as a regular wedding? So, why does it matter if it is first day, or second day of the cruise?

 

So if everyone is on the ship, the ship is sailing, the only issue I see is that the invitation has the wrong date. You might also want to come clean with everyone, because eventually, everyone will know this wasn't the actual wedding.

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maryred

maryred

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I not sure the OP understands what a symbolic wedding is. Symbolic weddings are ceremonies have no legal standing in the state they are being preformed, either because they are not recognized as a binding marriage or because they are just outright illegal. An example would be marriage by proxy, some states require both persons on the license need to be physically present for the vows recited in ceremony, or a posthumous ceremony, as all states require consent from both persons marrying. Another would be a same sex commitment ceremony on embarkation day from Barbados, where gay weddings are against the law and homosexual displays of affection can sill lead to jail time.

States issue a marriage license, this is what make it legal to hold a marriage ceremony that leads to a marriage certificate, not a wedding ceremony "permit" for the happy event. So also long as Carnival can/has obtain(ed) the license portion for the state the ship is embarking in and provides a state acceptable officiant that will satisfy state requirements to file a marriage certificate, Carnival should not be able prevent the ceremony between the 2 people affirming what is on the license.

Carnival is providing a venue and officiant for a ceremony, as long as the couple has all the required state matrimonial paperwork in order and the state has no objection to marrying again an already married (to each other) couple, the on board wedding ceremony is not a symbolic wedding.

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cruise_everywhere

cruise_everywhere

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From what I remember - if you are married on a cruise ship you still have to file when you return home and still have to legalize everything then. Carnival usually doesn't handle this but will give you information if you need it. They also perform symbolic marriages for same sex couples that aren't legally recognized in certain ports so that shouldn't matter as well. I think there is some over complicating of things happening here... If you are/have paid Carnival and you are sailing, you should be all set.

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firemanbobswife

firemanbobswife

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From what I remember - if you are married on a cruise ship you still have to file when you return home and still have to legalize everything then. Carnival usually doesn't handle this but will give you information if you need it. They also perform symbolic marriages for same sex couples that aren't legally recognized in certain ports so that shouldn't matter as well. I think there is some over complicating of things happening here... If you are/have paid Carnival and you are sailing, you should be all set.

 

We got married in Jamaica on the ship and didn’t have to do anything. Our marriage certificate was mailed to us.

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Homosassa

Homosassa

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You need to talk to Carnival.

 

Different states have different laws on the legality of marriages performed at sea.

 

Many of the marriage ceremonies are symbolic and the actual legal procedure is done on shore before the cruise ceremony.

 

In your case, where the date of the actual legal procedures occurred early (spousal health insurance coverage perhaps?), your ceremony will only be symbolic.

 

FYI, the only cruiseline where the officiant is legally recognized is Princess. All Princess captains can performed legal marriage ceremonies at sea . The marriage license will be from Bermuda.

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chengkp75

chengkp75

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You need to talk to Carnival.

 

Different states have different laws on the legality of marriages performed at sea.

 

Many of the marriage ceremonies are symbolic and the actual legal procedure is done on shore before the cruise ceremony.

 

In your case, where the date of the actual legal procedures occurred early (spousal health insurance coverage perhaps?), your ceremony will only be symbolic.

 

FYI, the only cruiseline where the officiant is legally recognized is Princess. All Princess captains can performed legal marriage ceremonies at sea . The marriage license will be from Bermuda.

 

Actually, the Bahamas has granted the ability of ship's Captains to perform marriages. RCI does this, but it is up to the individual Captain as to whether he/she wants to apply for the license to do so. And I believe it is only those Princess ships registered in Bermuda that allow the Captains to marry. Those flagged in the UK don't. It is not up to the cruise line, it is the flag state that determines.

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