Overwhelming!!!!

[chicagogirl08]

I just got engaged on the 17th of Dec. and me and my fiance want to have a cruise wedding. I did not realize how many different cruise lines there are. I would like to marry on the beach. Any recommendations on which cruise line to use would be great. I don't even know where to start. I am pretty sure I want to go on an Eastern Carribean cruise. What months are the best? I would like to wed in 2008 so I can give everyone enough time to save. It's only been a week and a half and I am already stressed out!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek:

[Nauti-Lady]

Deep Breaths!!! Don't stress, take your time and enjoy your search. Avoid July - mid-November, as that's hurricane season. You should see the best pricing in early December or January and that might be a nice time to get away from Chicago cold. Mid Feb thru March rates can be very high because of spring break. April & May would be great weather.

Princess is the only line that does at-sea weddings. All lines can help you arrange a beach wedding. Call some travel agencies and ask for guidance. They should be able to get you brochures from all the major cruise lines. Also find a bridal show to attend in your area. Many cruise lines are represented at the large bridal shows. Get a friend or family member to help you research and compare.

 

Congratulations on your engagement and Best Wishes:)

[stevesgirl1111]

Don't worry, everything is going to be okay!

 

We just got married on the Nov. 11th sailing of the Carnival Glory to the Eastern Carribean. It was fantastic! The weather was beautiful and we had the best time. Mid Nov. was a great time to go because it was the tail end of hurricane season so not much to worry about there and most of the kids are in school. I love kids (I'm a teacher) but it was nice to have a more adult crowd. Also, Carnival's prices are more affordable than some of the other lines. The least expensive room was $529 for a 7 day cruise--not bad!

 

Just enjoy your planning and try not to get too uptight about it. One of the best parts of a cruise wedding is that a lot of the details are taken care of for you. If you are planning for 2008 you have more than enough time to get things in order :)

[chicagogirl08]

Thank you for the advice. I am so glad I found this site :)

[CB Bride]

Congrats on your engagement! If you are planning for 2008 you still have plenty of time. I am also from Chicago and we are getting married in February on the Caribbean Princess. We picked February because not only will it be a great time to get out of the Chicago cold but it is also far enough from the holidays that it did not interfer with anyone's holiday plans. We really wanted to get married at sea and Princess is the only cruise line which allows this so our decision was not hard. If you have any further questions about the planning feel free to ask.

[CB Bride]

Congrats on your engagement! If you are planning for 2008 you still have plenty of time. I am also from Chicago and we are getting married in February on the Carribbean Princess. We picked February because not only will it be a great time to get out of the Chicago cold but it is also far enough from the holidays that it did not interfer with anyone's holiday plans. We really wanted to get married at sea and Princess is the only cruise line which allows this so our decision was not hard. If you have any further questions about the planning feel free to ask.

[debg917]

Congratulations!!! Don't get stressed.....get excited!!! First you need to figure out where you want to get married....then see what ships can get you there. The only thing about getting married in a port is that you have to take into account that weather or some other reason may play a factor in your actually making it to that port. For instance, if its a really (and I mean really) windy day, you may not be able to tender. Obviously, this doesn't always happen (in fact, its rare) but you need to keep an open mind about it. Also, time of year will come into play....as a previous poster said...you don't want to plan for hurricane season and have your wedding blown away...

 

FYI....Disney Cruiselines does weddings on their private island, Castaway Cay. Its beautiful there!!! But then again....any tropical location is great for a wedding...isn't it???

 

Congratulations again....and good luck!!! Debbie

[cbcaper]

Congrats. We are getting married in March on our cruise on the Crown Princess. We decided after looking at the options that were offered by the cruise line to look around for wedding planners in St. Thomas and decided on using weddings the island way for our wedding. We will be getting married on Magens Bay beach while in port. St. Thomas is not usually a tender port and if you go with Princess they have a contract with the Crown Bay port and will always be dockside. We did a lot of research on weddings the island way and were pleased with the info we were able to find and the fact that they are very reasonable and accommodating to our needs. First you will have to figure out which Island you will want to get married on and then find a cruise line that goes to this island. Once you know this you can get pricing from the cruise line and then start searching online for wedding coordinators on the island and researching prices and asking for references. From here you should be able to make up your mind. You may also try and find a wedding coordinator that will take care of everything for you and not just give you contacts for arranging everything on your own. I hope this helps.

[chicagogirl08]

Thank you for the advice. I have contacted a TA so I am more at ease. I am also looking to use WTIW and get married in St. Thomas. I will give an update when I meet with the TA. :D :D :D

[dolphinkisses]

Congratulations on your engagement! Try not to get too stressed out! i really think destination weddings are thee best way to prevent one from becoming a bridezilla! :p My fiance and i have also chosen St thomas and are also working with WTIW - so far they have been awesome! we are "building" our wedding from the caribbean memories package($750) and they are wonderful about answering my daily (yes DAILY) questions and have been great about adding stuff and taking stuff off...also, i dont know if this is a big deal to you or not, but St Thomas is US...so it eliminates the legalities associated with marriage in another country and the marriage IS acknowledged in all the states. We have chosen to go with NCL, this is because we are having family cruise with us, and the "freestyle" concept seems to be the best option for everyones comfort :) We get married on March 22 of this year - and I cannot wait! we obviously are still in the midst of planning- but if there is anything i can answer for you-let me know! Also, before commiting completely to a local travel agent - be sure to do your research! Check out www.cruise.com and www.crusievacationoutlet.com and be sure to ask for any on-board credits with whomever you book with-another thing, does chicago have the entertainment book? it may vary by state - but there may be some coupons or discounts in there too!! Keep me posted on your planning!!:D and HAVE FUN WITH IT!!! YOURE GETTING MARRIED GIRL!!!!