Ceremonies
Every way to marry on a cruise
Choose the ceremony first. The ship, the date and the destination all follow from it.
The Cruise Bride coordinates the sailing, the cabins and the guest travel. The cruise line runs its own wedding program where one is offered.
Tell us about your celebration
A cruise wedding specialist replies personally, usually within one business day.
There are three places a cruise wedding can physically happen — on the ship at sea, on the ship while it is docked, or ashore in a port of call — and one decision that runs underneath all of them: whether the ceremony is legally binding or symbolic.
That single choice determines more than couples expect. A symbolic ceremony opens every ship, every itinerary and every venue, because nothing has to satisfy a registrar. A legally binding one narrows the field to jurisdictions whose requirements you can actually meet inside a port day.
Below is each format with its honest trade-offs: who can attend, what it costs, how the law works and what goes wrong. Read the two or three that sound like your wedding, then tell us which one you are drawn to and we will price it against real sailings.
Ceremony formats
Start with the one that matches your guest list.
- A wedding at seaMarry on the ship while it is sailing, with your guests already aboard and nowhere else to be.
- A dockside weddingMarry on the ship while it is still tied up, so friends and family who are not cruising can attend the ceremony.
- A ceremony ashore in portStep off in a port of call and marry on a beach, in a garden or at a private venue, then sail on the same evening.
- A symbolic ceremonySay the words that matter in front of the people who matter, and handle the legal signing quietly at home.
- A legally binding ceremonyMarry once, on the trip, with the paperwork valid at home — which means choosing the jurisdiction first.
- A cruise elopementTwo people, a photographer, and a ship that takes you somewhere beautiful the next morning.
- A vow renewalAn anniversary, a hard year survived, a promise worth saying out loud again — with no paperwork at all.
- The receptionPrivate venue, open dining room or a bar takeover — the reception is where cruise weddings quietly outperform hotels.
Then choose the ship
Atmosphere varies far more than price.
- Royal CaribbeanLarge modern ships, wide venue choice and departures from most major US ports — the most common starting point for a first-time cruise wedding.
- CarnivalThe most affordable route to a ship wedding with a big guest list, especially dockside in a Gulf or Florida port.
- Princess CruisesThe best-known route to a legally binding wedding at sea, on calmer ships with a more classic atmosphere.
- Celebrity CruisesContemporary, design-forward ships for couples who want the wedding to look and feel grown up.
- Norwegian Cruise LineFreestyle scheduling and flexible dining — easiest line for a group that does not want to move as one block.
- Disney Cruise LineThe strongest choice when children are central to the guest list, with a wedding programme run to Disney's standard.
- Holland America LineMid-size, understated ships — well suited to Alaska ceremonies and to guest lists that skew older.
- MSC CruisesEuropean atmosphere at competitive fares, particularly from Miami and Port Canaveral.
- Virgin VoyagesAdults-only ships with a boutique-hotel feel, for couples who do not want a traditional cruise wedding.
- VikingQuiet, adults-only, destination-led ships for a small and grown-up celebration.
- CunardBallrooms, black tie and genuine transatlantic crossings for the most formal wedding at sea.
- Regent Seven SeasAll-inclusive small-ship luxury where flights, excursions and drinks are already in the fare.
What planning with us costs
- $0.0k–$0k
- Typical cruise-line ceremony package, before the reception
- $000–$000
- Per guest, per night, inside cabin at double occupancy
- 00–00 mo
- Lead time we ask for when a group is coming with you
- $0
- What our planning costs you — the cruise lines pay us