Couple questions ...getting married on carnival pride on 9/6/09

[RBattle]

I'm getting married on 9/6/09 on the Pride and me and my fiance aren't having a wedding party (maid of honor, bestman,etc, etc.) Are there any brides out there that are having a wedding without the maid of honor, bestman, etc. I've been asked several times by friends who maid of honor is?...etc.etc. Is it necessary to select them...I was just going to have my parents or his parents to sign the marriage certificate. We justed wanted to have a nice and simple wedding.

 

I want to send out information with the invitation to my 55 non-sailing guests about getting there on time, making sure to have ID, not bringing gifts on ship,,etc.etc. If you have a draft or final versions of this info, please email to evon1223@comcast.net. Also, what time should I put on the invitation, time of actual wedding or time to arrive at Port???

 

I have 3 mos to go and I'm getting more nervous as the time draws closer. :(

 

Thank goodness for this message board,..it has been very helpful!!!!!!

 

Good luck to all 2009 Brides!!!!:):):):)

[Cruis3rz]

Congratulations on your to-be marriage! :)

 

I don't think it's needed to have a wedding party. Those are mostly for support, but isn't that what family and friends are for anyway? :D

 

Also, write both times - the time to arrive at the port and the wedding time. It'll help them coordinate better :p

[4evercruiser]

On my invitations, I only put the time everyone needs to be at the pier for priority boarding. I also created a letter to all my guests that explains the check-in process, what ID's to bring, no presents onboard, etc. I am including this letter with the invitations. Hope this helps.

[RBattle]

did you sent the email yet?

 

On my invitations, I only put the time everyone needs to be at the pier for priority boarding. I also created a letter to all my guests that explains the check-in process, what ID's to bring, no presents onboard, etc. I am including this letter with the invitations. Hope this helps.

[4evercruiser]

I haven't sent my invitations out yet. I am currently still working on my letter to my guests, making sure I include everything I think my guests will need to know for the wedding. I am also printing my own invitations, thus saving me a couple hundred dollars.

[Tiffknee20]

Hello! I'm getting married on the Carnival Inspiration in 18 days!!! [June 15th].

 

I tried to attach them- but their too big. Go figure! I have pasted instead. See below for SAILING Guest Info.

 

Dear Family and Friends,

We are very excited about our upcoming wedding and hope that you will be able to join us to share in this special day! The ceremony and reception will be held onboard the Carnival Inspiration before we set sail.

A unique feature of a cruise ship wedding is the special requirements that guests must follow due to government and cruise line regulations. Here are a couple of key points to keep in mind. We hope that these requirements do not inconvenience you in any way.

1. Itinerary Change- Due to the recent “swine flu pandemic,” Carnival has notified me that they have taken away our stop in Cozumel and have replaced it with 2 days in Grand Cayman instead.

2. Carnival FunPass Required- Carnival asked me to pass this on as it is very important. Your Carnival FunPass must be completed 3 days prior to sailing. Please print a copy and bring it with you for check-in at the port. The FunPasses can be completed and printed online via the Carnival website at www.carnival.com/mycruise. You will need your Carnival booking number to do this. If this is not done, you will be required to check-in with the other passengers around 2:30pm and you will subsequently miss the ceremony.

3. Cruise Documents- Your cruise documents [and/or luggage tags] can be printed at www.carnival.com/mydocuments around 4 weeks prior to the cruise.

4. Boarding- Priority boarding is provided for bridal couples, as well as their guests, who are getting married on the day of sailing. The time to board the ships is controlled by US Customs and Immigration. No one is allowed to board the ship until it is cleared through Customs.

5. Arrival at the Pier- All guests are to be completely dressed and ready for the wedding when arriving at the cruise terminal. Carnival asks for all guests to be at the Pier at 10:30am to begin the check-in process so once the ship has cleared, we will be able to priority board before all other cruising passengers. Sailing guests should have their necessary documents filled out before arriving at the pier. Guests who do not arrive at the time we board will have to make their own way on the ship. Carnival says they cannot stress this enough; although the ceremony will be held at approximately 12:30 p.m., please arrive at the Port NO LATER THAN 10:30 a.m. There will be a wedding check-in desk and our guests will be given priority boarding as soon as the ship clears customs, which can take up to an hour. There is no food or beverage options until we board the ship so please plan accordingly.

6. Sailing Guests- Time permitting, sailing guests may have an opportunity to go to their stateroom, however, the cabin may not be ready. Only the bride and groom’s cabin is guaranteed to be ready. Only one hand-carry-on bag will be permitted for sailing guests, and must fit through the security machine. All other bags must be checked with the Porters. Please ensure that you have everything you need for the wedding and reception, as you will not see your checked bags until after the reception. Sailing guests will be able to drop their bags off in the stateroom prior to attending the wedding. Please ensure that all ticket documents have been completed prior to arrival at the pier to expedite check-in and have proper boarding documents available. Once onboard, you may go to your stateroom. The wedding party will prepare for the ceremony while guests will have the chance to explore the ship. If you lose your way, any Carnival Cruise Lines staff member can direct you.

7. Identification Required- You must now have a current U.S. Passport in order to cruise; this is effective after June 1, 2009. Please apply for one now if necessary to avoid rush fees, etc.

8. Dress Code- I’m sure you may be wondering what you should wear…we would love for you to dress up, but when in doubt think business casual.

9. Parking- If sailing: $12.00 per day. Covered Parking Garage; full payment due upon entering the garage. Payment forms: Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express & Discover. There are no advance reservations required. Oversized vehicles will be charged per space, per day. For more information call 813.233.2504 or 813.905.5072.

10. Gift Registry- Your presence at our wedding is gift enough. However, Carnival has asked us to inform our guests that any gifts brought onboard will be subject to duty fees in accordance with U.S. Customs regulations. If you feel led to provide a gift, you may want to consider delivery to our home address. We are registered at both Target and Macy’s.

Please call us at home at ******** with any questions you may have, or you can contact us via our wedding website: ***********. The wedding site has tons of useful information about the cruise including everything listed here. Visit often!

If you are unable to attend our wedding in person, we ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as you will be in ours. See you soon!

~ Ricky & Tiffany

[Tiffknee20]

Hello! I'm getting married on the Carnival Inspiration in 18 days!!! [June 15th].

 

I tried to attach them- but their too big. Go figure! I have pasted instead. See below for NON-SAILING Guest Info.

 

Dear Family and Friends,

We are very excited about our upcoming wedding and hope that you will be able to join us to share in this special day! The ceremony and reception will be held onboard the Carnival Inspiration before we set sail.

A unique feature of a cruise ship wedding is the special requirements that guests must follow due to government and cruise line regulations. Here are a couple of key points to keep in mind. We hope that these requirements do not inconvenience you in any way.

1. Confirm RSVP- We’ve received your RSVP stating that you will be attending the ceremony on Monday, June 15, 2009. If something has come up, and you are no longer able to attend, please contact us immediately as spaces are very limited and we would like to give others the opportunity to attend. You can contact us via the headings below. If we do not hear back from you, we are assuming we will see you at the ceremony!

2. Work Arrangements- Please keep in mind this wedding ceremony will take place on a Monday, so please make arrangements with work, etc.

3. Boarding- Priority boarding is provided for bridal couples, as well as their guests, who are getting married on the day of sailing. The time to board the ships is controlled by US Customs and Immigration. No one is allowed to board the ship until it is cleared through Customs. Once we are allowed to board, the wedding party will prepare for the ceremony while guests will have the chance to explore the ship. Non-sailing guests will be asked to leave the ship after the reception.

4. Arrival at the Pier- All guests are to be completely dressed and ready for the wedding when arriving at the cruise terminal. Carnival asks for all guests to be at the Pier at 10:30am to begin the check-in process so once the ship has cleared, we will be able to priority board before all other cruising passengers. Guests who do not arrive at the time we board will have to make their own way on the ship. Carnival says they cannot stress this enough; although the ceremony will be held at approximately 12:30 p.m., please arrive at the Port NO LATER THAN 10:30 a.m. There will be a wedding check-in desk and our guests will be given priority boarding as soon as the ship clears customs, which can take up to an hour. There is no food or beverage options until we board the ship so please plan accordingly.

5. Photo Identification Required- All non-sailing guests will need to provide photo identification such as a driver’s license or passport; children under the age of 16 must bring a birth certificate, in order to obtain a visitor’s pass. Any wedding guest who fails to provide proper photo identification will be denied boarding.

6. Dress Code- I’m sure you may be wondering what to wear…we would love for you to dress up, but when in doubt think business casual.

7. Parking- There is parking available in the Channelside parking garage. Standard fees apply.

8. Gift Registry- Your presence at our wedding is gift enough. However, Carnival has asked us to inform our guests that any gifts brought onboard will be subject to duty fees in accordance with U.S. Customs regulations. If you feel led to provide a gift, you may want to consider delivery to our home address. We are registered at both Target and Macy’s.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions: by phone at *********, via email at ********** or via our wedding website at **********. The wedding site has tons of useful information about our wedding including everything listed here. Visit often!

If you are unable to attend our wedding in person, we ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as you will be in ours. We hope to see you soon!

~Ricky & Tiffany

[RBattle]

Tiffknee - thanks so much!!!

 

CONGRATULATIONS and good luck with everything. Can't wait to get your feedback when you return.

[cathyoo]

I'm very anxious for your review also. My daughter is getting married on the Pride 3/28/10. I am very nervous about how it will go. Especially since I've heard the ship doesn't pull into port until 10am. My concerns mainly are for the non-cruising guests.

 

I've been reading everything I can on these board concerning weddings but having someone who is actually going to be married on the same ship is a blessing.

 

What is your itinerary? Our's is Port Canaveral, Freeport and Nassau..

 

I apologize upfront for all the questions I will be asking. I hope I don't appear nosy.