Being the frequent cruiser that I am, on my 22nd Wedding Anniversary, I decided (oops I mean my husband decided…… well, actually it was really me) that we would have a vow renewal onboard the ship. I have heard of these previously from a fellow passenger, who had done the same.
We booked the ceremony prior to going on our cruise by emailing the cruise line, in this case P&O Cruises Australia and we were sailing on the Pacific Dawn. Most cruise lines limit the number of onboard ceremonies, usually one per cruise.
Prior to the cruise we were emailed by the Cruise Line, and had to fill in a form advising things like:
– music choices (there were lots of songs to choose from and we had to pick four – although we could have brought our own music with us)
– choose food and drinks options (some were included)
– pick flowers
Once onboard, we met with the event organiser, Jascinta who worked in reception. She sat down with us and confirmed all the arrangements. She was very pleasant and willing to accommodate us as best she could. We could choose the wording and decide if it was to be religious or non-religious.
The ceremony occurred on a Sea Day, and on the day, flowers were delivered to our cabin and we met at designated time in the foyer near the Captain’s lounge.
There were some really nice touches, which I had not fully anticipated. A beautiful flower arch was at the end of the red carpet that I walked down. The ceremony was read by the Captain and it was a beautifully moving moment. Official certificates were then signed with the Captain.
The ‘function’ after the formalities included private time with the captain whilst enjoying drinks and canapés, all included in the package.
We opted for the basic photo package, which included a few photos (one was free) but we did not go for the video part. The photographer took a lot of photos which we were able to look at later. We did end up buying more as they were beautifully done. Photo prices were standard ships price, which compared to professional photographer was cheaper and they did have photo package available.
The package also includes dinner for two at The Salt Grill. It was a perfect way to end the evening. Even this booking was taken care of for us – we just needed to say when we wanted to dine.
Below are some pictures of the day:
Entering the ceremony
The flower arch
The ceremony
Signing the certificate
Photos
The Package included a complementary bottle of sparkly
A dinner for two at an onboard speciality restaurant (in this case the Salt Grill)
And finally, we had this nice little touch back in the cabin (not certain if it was a coincidence)
Did I feel Special
I did yes. The whole event went smoothly and was very well organised. Jascinta made sure that everything was taken care of. We only had four of us there, but you can have a larger number.
Location
The location varies from ship to ship. On the Pacific Dawn, it was in the Captain’s Lounge which is a private lounge at the front of the ship, just below the bridge. Beautifully decorated and very suitable to a vow renewal.
Cost
The cost varies from Cruise line to cruise line, but is about $500.
Will my event be the same
No, I think each one is very dependent on you, the package, upon the organiser, ship, cruise line, etc.
More information – Cruise Line Website links
P&O:
https://www.pocruises.com.au/experience … w-renewals
Brochure: https://www.pocruises.com.au/-/media/b2 … .pdf?la=en
Carnival
http://www.carnival.com/wedding-cruises.aspx
Brochure: http://www.carnival.com/~/media/CCLUS/I … 12pdf.ashx
Princess Cruises
http://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-gi … g-cruises/
Royal Carribbean
http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/weddin … es&wuc=AUS
Would I recommend this?
Yes, most definitely.
We hope you found this helpful?
Have you had a Ceremony at Sea, or have we missed anything or got something wrong, if so please leave a comment below.
If you would like us to post on another interesting topic, please let us know what topics you would like.
Lynda Barry
CruiseReview.net.au