Cruise Wedding Advice and Resources

February 20, 2018
Words by Courtney Kellar
Photos courtesy of

It’s day two of our Destination: Cruise Wedding’s week and today is all about helpful resources and tips for planning your wedding away at sea! We’re sharing past articles our team has put together reviewing various cruise lines in destinations all over the world. The wonderful folks over at Cruise Critic are also pitching-in by sharing their favorite resources and helpful tips for couples considering a destination cruise wedding! If you’re just tuning in to this Destination: X week, be sure to check out our post from yesterday, “10 Reasons to Host a Cruise Wedding.”

Cruise Wedding Resources

Our friends over at Cruise Critic are sharing their favorite resources for couples planning a wedding at sea:

A Qualified Travel Agent
You can find qualified travel agents through organizations like the Cruise Line International Association and the American Society of Travel Agents. These agents can help you through every step of the way – from helping you find the best cruise for your dream wedding, to helping to arrange your travel and the travel of your guests.
Cruise Lines
The beauty of getting married on a cruise is that the cruise lines have extensive wedding programs that take care of every wedding detail from start to finish. Get to know your wedding planner and feel free to reach out for all of your wedding needs.
Fellow Cruise Brides
While cruise lines are a great help in planning cruise weddings, there are small details that are unique to cruise weddings that only other couples who have been married on a cruise would know. Cruise Critic has a dedicated cruise weddings section on its community forums to interact with fellow cruise brides to share tips and advice.

Cruise Wedding Tips

Planning a destination wedding in itself comes with a unique set of circumstances and potential hurdles. But, planning a destination wedding at sea is an even more unique situation. Cruise Critic is also sharing their top tips for couples planning a wedding aboard a cruise line.

Plan Land-Based Weddings Around Hurricane Season
If you’re looking to have a land-based ceremony, do be aware that there is a chance that a cruise will skip a port, making your in-port wedding unable to be held. One of the biggest times of year for skipped ports is during hurricane season in the Caribbean and Mexico – June through November.
Be Aware of Surcharges
Just like on land, there are more expensive and more budget-friendly times to book a wedding at sea. Many cruise lines charge a surcharge if planning a wedding during one of their more popular wedding months – like Valentine’s Day and May/June. Familiarize yourself with these fees and plan accordingly.
Consider a Departure Port Wedding
Many couples know about weddings at sea or in ports of call, but many aren’t aware that you can actually be married on board while still in the ship’s homeport. This is often a great option for couples who are looking for a convenient way for guests to attend their cruise wedding, without needing to take the full cruise. A plus: The couple can then have a private honeymoon directly after, without the full guest list also in attendance.

Destination I Do Cruise Reviews

Here at Destination I Do, we’ve covered a number of romantic cruises in the magazine over the years. Someone from our team went on these cruises and then wrote up and reviewed them for destination wedding or honeymoon couples! So, you can rest assured that these cruises and destinations have DID’s stamp of approval! Please read on for some of our favorites!