Given my prior (and only) experience on a cruise ship, when I first started reading this NY Times piece about the popularity of couples getting married on the high seas, I thought I’d never in a million years be interested in something like that.
But then I kept reading.
Besides the fact that some of these couples then disembark on the cruise ship for their honeymoon WITH their family and friends still on board (not a fan of that idea), everything else seems like it could be quite the deal.
Consider this: According to the article, Norwegian Cruise Line performs more than 400 weddings annually, with prices ranging from $1,850 for an on board wedding to $2,450 for an on shore wedding by a canal in Venice, or other ports of call.
I mean, HELLO! Obviously you would need to buy the ticket to get to the departing port for the cruise line to begin with, but still, even with that expense factored in, it seems like a wedding on board a cruise ship is still WAY cheaper than what the average wedding is going for these days.
In fact, one couple in the article opted for a basic wedding package for 50 friends and family members that included the venue, an officiant from the local port of call, flowers, music, a strawberry and Champagne toast and an hour at the bar—ALL FOR $1,500! Then the couple got to stay onboard for an additional $5,000 for their honeymoon cruise. Too easy.
Now, I’m sure that planning a wedding on a cruise ship comes with its fair share of drama and issues, but what wedding doesn’t? In the end, it seems to me like having a wedding on board the very same cruise ship that is going to take you and your new spouse off to your honeymoon seems pretty romantic (assuming you don’t get seasick, of course).
Destination weddings are awesome, you basically a traveling party – an adult version of spring break – plus you get to go on an adventure. As long as you give people ample time to plan for the trip, I think they are the way to go.