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Getting married on board.

iowacruiser

By iowacruiser,
in Holland America Line

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auntmeg

auntmeg

Posted
Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, Langoustine said:

It's NOT possible. They have to get married either before or after the cruise.

They absolutely can have a symbolic wedding ceremony on board ship. They can have the license included as part of the package except for Malta.

Edited by auntmeg
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Mary229 "Live from...." Rare

Mary229

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, auntmeg said:

They absolutely can have a symbolic wedding ceremony on board ship. They can have the license included as part of the package except for Malta.

Thanks for that correction. I guess it depends on where one wants to be licensed as some regions do not recognize all marriages 

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The-Inside-Cabin Great Review Rare

The-Inside-Cabin

Posted
Posted

I would only schedule an event of that significance if it would not be a big deal if the cruise was canceled or if the event didn't work out for a variety of possible reasons 

 

 Chances are slim but possible.    If this is a symbolic wedding for a cruise that will take place regardless- then fine.  Planning major life events around cruise ship schedules often leads to disappointment.  

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FOPMan

FOPMan

Posted
Posted

A friend also got married on HMC, and just got off a five year anniversary cruise. We surprised them at the wedding- we didn't know they were getting married, let alone were aboard the same ship as us. I looked over and realized I knew the wedding party- the Mother off the Bride was one of our neighbors growing up- she was among my first babysitters, and I had looked after the bride when she was a toddler.

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Mary229 "Live from...." Rare

Mary229

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, SumoCitrus said:

 

What's the difference?

Exactly.  Most wedding ceremonies are symbolic.  A license must be purchased to make it a “marriage” .  They don’t sell those onboard😂 nor do they sell those at the church at home.

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RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted

From what I have read, you can have a wedding on the ship in advance of the sailing. You can even have guests from ashore who will not be sailing! 

Many (maybe 20?) years ago I visited a friend arriving at a nearby port to find there was going to be a wedding aboard that day. As my friend arrived on his tender, many of the guests boarded that tender to board the ship for the wedding. 
Most festive tender docking I have ever seen! 

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Nickelpenny Holiday Sharing Rare

Nickelpenny

Posted
Posted

I just asked the priest onboard right now and said he couldn’t do one. He was not authorized to. He said technically the ship’s captain used to be able to but he doubted that is still the case as the marriage had to be performed in the jurisdiction of the marriage license. He said he has performed several ceremonial “marriages” onboard but the official marriage took place on land. 

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BruceMuzz

BruceMuzz

Posted
Posted

I am aware of 2 Cruise Line Companies that can legally perform marriages (by the Captain) onboard their ships; Princess and Cunard.

This may have changed since I last worked on those ships.

Legally and Technically, marriages CAN be performed on any cruise ship - but the legal requirements are difficult - and the cruise line and the local government both have the option of saying “no”. The Ship’s Flag State may also have something to say about this.

Depending on the laws of the country where the ship is parked, a local marriage license must be applied for and purchased (if possible), and a local Priest, Reverend, Rabbi must agree to perform the ceremony onboard (if the cruise line and local government agree).

In most countries, the logistics of setting all this up are prohibitive or impossible.

 

You may also like to be aware that onboard marriage ceremonies rarely go as well as expected. The logistics of getting the wedding participants through port and ship security to board the ship on time, as well as lack of space, security clearance of wedding gifts, taking over public areas that other passengers want to use, late deliveries of flowers, cakes, etc, very high expectations, and the already existing high emotions of some of the families can create difficult situations.

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Quartzsite Cruiser

Quartzsite Cruiser

Posted
Posted

In 2004, our daughter was married to on Golden Princess  while the ship was at sea.  It was a legal marriage performed by the Captain.  In order for the marriage to take place on a  Princess ship, the ship must be registered on Bermuda, and the couple gets a Bermuda civil marriage certificate, which is recognized in the US.

 

It turned out to be an easy way to have a wedding.  Our daughter worked with a wedding coordinator in Florida.  As part of the wedding package, the ship provided the flowers, cake, photographer, and a venue for the reception.  We hosted an open bar.  The rehearsal dinner was in one specialty restaurant and the wedding dinner was in another restaurant.

 

All Princess ships registered in Bermuda have a wedding  chapel.

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Heidi13

Heidi13

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, BruceMuzz said:

I am aware of 2 Cruise Line Companies that can legally perform marriages (by the Captain) onboard their ships; Princess and Cunard.

This may have changed since I last worked on those ships.

Legally and Technically, marriages CAN be performed on any cruise ship - but the legal requirements are difficult - and the cruise line and the local government both have the option of saying “no”. The Ship’s Flag State may also have something to say about this.

Depending on the laws of the country where the ship is parked, a local marriage license must be applied for and purchased (if possible), and a local Priest, Reverend, Rabbi must agree to perform the ceremony onboard (if the cruise line and local government agree).

In most countries, the logistics of setting all this up are prohibitive or impossible.

 

You may also like to be aware that onboard marriage ceremonies rarely go as well as expected. The logistics of getting the wedding participants through port and ship security to board the ship on time, as well as lack of space, security clearance of wedding gifts, taking over public areas that other passengers want to use, late deliveries of flowers, cakes, etc, very high expectations, and the already existing high emotions of some of the families can create difficult situations.

 

Since Princess & Cunard changed Flag State from UK to Bermuda, the Master on those ships can now conduct a legal wedding ceremony. The UK Shipping Act does not permit the Master to conduct weddings, whereas Bermuda does. Similar to yourself, I do not know of other cruise lines and Flag States that permit the Master to conduct weddings.

 

I don't believe the Netherlands Shipping Act provides the Master with the authority to conduct a legal wedding, so any weddings onboard would be symbolic, or have no legal standing off the ship. Unfortunately, I have zero knowledge of the Netherland Shipping Act & pursuant Regulations, so I don't know if it would be legal if the couple provided a licenced official, to conduct the ceremony. 

 

On Canadian tonnage, the Master does not have the authority to conduct weddings, so any interested couples had to bring licenced Marriage Commissioner onboard with them. The Commissioner conducted the ceremony and signed the certificate, and I provided a Electronic Chartlet showing the ship's position when they were proclaimed husband & wife. While they normally requested the Captain be present, I had no official standing. 

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Heidi13

Heidi13

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, SumoCitrus said:

 

What's the difference?

 

If the Flag State's Shipping Act and pursuant Regulations do not permit the Master to conduct onboard weddings, any wedding held onboard is not a legal marriage. There may be others, but Bermuda is the only Flag State I know that permits the Master to conduct a legal wedding.

 

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CruisingAndDiving Great Review Rare

CruisingAndDiving

Posted
Posted

DW and I were married on RCCL ship in 2007.  Part of the package was getting the license from the State of Florida.  They then arranged for a Justice of the Peace to come on board the day of embarkation and do our ceremony.  We had priority embarkation and were escorted onto the ship early to get ready.  The ceremony was held, pictures taken etc.  The coordinator and JP disembarked and we set sail.  the best advice I can give is to contact the appropriate department and ask how they operate their wedding package.

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