How to choose a cruiseline?

[dmbfanliz]

I'm newly engaged and my fiance & I REALLY want to go the cruise wedding route. We aren't sure about which cruise line to choose...I have a brochure from NCL but its just their general cruise brochure and doesn't have much wedding info. How did you cruise ladies choose lines? We really want to do the 3-day cruise from Miami-Nassau but not sure which line to choose. I also really like the idea of a beach location, but not sure about the logistics of it all. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks ladies

[shortnsweet7675]

Are you planning to get married at the embarkation port or at one of the ports of call? I am getting married out of the port of Miami and this is what I did… First, I figured out which month I wanted to get married. Then, I looked at the cruise lines itineraries for that month and found some that I was interested in. I also reviewed the various cruise lines wedding packages. After I narrowed down my list to 4-5 itineraries that I was interested in, I made calls to the cruise lines wedding departments to see if the dates and packages that I was interested in were available. For example, Carnival only allows three weddings on the day of embarkation and only 2 (I believe) at the ports of call (unless you go with a planner at the port of call). Some of the dates I was interested in were booked up, so that narrowed down the list. In the end, I made my final decision based on which offered the most for my money and the cruise itinerary. People getting married out of the ports of call may have done things a little differently than I did, since a lot of them choose to go with planners at the port of call vs. the cruise line’s planner. Here are links to the some of the cruise line wedding brochures:

 

http://www.theweddingexperience.com/...e_brochure.pdf

http://www.theweddingexperience.com/...s_brochure.pdf

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/wedd...dings08-09.pdf

[dmbfanliz]

Thanks so much shortnsweet!! I'm really thinking about going with an on-site planner, but this gives me lots of stuff to read & research. I didn't even see this NCL wedding guide, so thanks SO much!! I tried to call them today & of course they're closed b/c of the weekend. So, this gives me a ton of stuff to look over! I heart this site. :0)

[JenniferSS]

Definately contact TA Dina- she works closely with the company that does cruise weddings! She is a cruise specailists and has done tons of cruise weddings- makes it all easy & stress free!

[AllieC]

Also, another important thing to research is the deposit schedule for each cruiseline. I originally wanted to do RC, but was told they require a much larger initial deposit within the first 30 days. Also, Norwegian required more up front also (I was told most of the money was due within the first 30 days, but not sure since my TA was partial to Carnival). Just plan as much as you can up front because once you decide on which cruise line, the clock starts ticking in terms of your guests booking with their initial deposit. Carnival requires $25 within the first 30 days, so it was easier for the amount of guests we had.

Another thing I learned about was different requirements for a marriage license depending on where you want to get married off the boat. Bahamas requires you to be in their waters for 24 hours before getting the license, so make sure you ask about that. We're doing the legal stuff before the cruise to eliminate that stress.

[dmbfanliz]

Thanks, Allie! We're taking care of the legal stuff beforehand as well, as that seemed to be a way to eliminate at least some of the stress.

[tlogan00]

Congrats on your engagement & happy planning!

[classadiva]

Check out the forums at Cruise Reviews, Cruise Deals and Cruises - Cruise Critic. Simply the best forum when it comes to cruising...Here's a link to their forum on wedding cruises:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31

[dmbfanliz]

Ooo thanks for that link, I'll definitely check it out!! We are SO indecisive right now...not sure if we should do the cruise thing or an all-inclusive in Mexico. Decisions!!!

[*Linds*]

I have been on RC and Carnival...they were both great!! If you are looking between the two of those I think it would come down to which one has a cruise that is going to the destinations you want to visit on the dates you want to go, and who has the best rates! You can't go wrong with either of those IMO, but I have never doen a cruise wedding nor am I planning one, I was just a vacationer. Just my 2 cents!