Cruise ship captains have a lot of authority at sea, but that doesn’t automatically give them the power to marry you.
Despite what you might have seen in films and TV shows, most captains can’t legally perform a wedding simply because they’re in charge of the ship. But there are some important exceptions, and several major cruise lines really can arrange for you to be married by the captain.
Surprisingly, whether that’s possible can come down to the country where your cruise ship is registered.
Being The Captain Doesn’t Automatically Mean You Can Marry People
Being in charge of a ship doesn’t automatically give a captain the legal power to perform weddings. They need the proper legal authority to do so, and the rules depend on where the ship is registered.
This is why a cruise ship’s flag can make such a difference. Countries including Malta, Bermuda and the Bahamas have maritime marriage laws that allow suitably licensed ship captains to act as marriage officers and perform legal weddings at sea.
But simply sailing on a ship registered in one of these countries doesn’t guarantee that the captain can marry you. The captain still needs to meet the relevant legal requirements, and the cruise line needs to offer captain-led wedding ceremonies.
That’s why you’ll find some cruise lines where getting married by the captain is possible, while others use a different officiant. And even on cruise lines that do offer captain-led weddings, there can be restrictions depending on the ship, itinerary and wedding package you choose.
These Cruise Lines Offer Weddings Officiated By The Captain
Several major cruise lines offer the chance to have your wedding ceremony performed by the ship’s captain, including Azamara, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
However, there’s an important difference between a legal wedding and a symbolic ceremony. Some cruise lines can arrange a legally recognised marriage at sea, while others may have the captain take part in a ceremony that isn’t legally binding.
Azamara Cruises Weddings
Azamara can offer legal weddings at sea performed by the ship’s captain. Its ships are registered in Malta, where maritime marriage laws allow the Master of a Maltese-registered passenger ship to conduct legal marriages while sailing in international waters.
Couples need the appropriate Maltese marriage licence, and the number of weddings available on each sailing can be limited depending on how much time the ship spends in international waters and the captain’s schedule.
If having the captain perform your ceremony is important to you, make that clear when arranging your wedding so you can confirm that it’s available on your chosen sailing (source).
Carnival Cruise Weddings
Carnival does offer the chance to have a ceremony involving the ship’s captain, but there’s an important catch: it won’t be your legal wedding.
Carnival’s weddings at sea are symbolic ceremonies for couples who are already legally married. The ceremony may be performed by the captain or another senior officer onboard, and you’ll need to provide proof of your legal marriage before sailing.
If you’re having a legal wedding through Carnival, the ceremony is performed by a local officiant instead (source).
Celebrity Cruises Weddings
Celebrity Cruises’ ships are registered in Malta, which offers two benefits for wedding packages – firstly, the captain is legally allowed to perform the ceremony, and this is included in all packages offered by the cruise line (source).
Secondly, Celebrity Cruises can also offer legal same-sex weddings, as they are legal in Malta (source). If you are a same-sex couple who wants to enjoy the idea of a captain performing a wedding at sea, Celebrity Cruises is the best choice.
Cunard Weddings
Cunard offers legal weddings at sea conducted by the ship’s Captain or deputy Captain.
The ceremonies take place under Bermudian law and must be held while the ship is at sea, rather than in port. Cunard currently offers weddings on most voyages of seven nights or longer, with a dedicated ceremonies specialist helping couples arrange the details.
If having the Captain perform the ceremony is particularly important to you, it’s still worth making that clear when you book, as the deputy Captain can also conduct the wedding (source).
Princess Cruises Weddings
Princess Cruises is another option if having the captain perform your wedding is high on your wish list.
Its current Princess Perfect Weddings programme offers three at-sea wedding packages, and all include an indoor or outdoor ceremony performed by the ship’s captain. Couples can choose between legal and symbolic ceremonies.
Princess also offers vow renewals and other romantic celebrations onboard (source).
Royal Caribbean Weddings
Royal Caribbean offers legal weddings at sea performed by the Captain or Staff Captain once the ship is in international waters.
The marriage is legally recognised in the Bahamas, and you’ll need a Bahamian maritime marriage licence. Royal Caribbean helps couples through the application process, but you’ll need to plan ahead as the cruise line says it requires at least 90 days.
If you’re having a symbolic ceremony at sea instead, a non-denominational officiant will normally perform it (source).
5 Steps To Getting Married By A Ship’s Captain
If you want to have a ship’s captain marry you, here’s what you need to do:
1. Research Your Cruise Line
Cruise lines offer very different experiences, not just for their wedding packages but for the rest of the onboard experience, too. It’s no good choosing a cruise line for their wedding package if you won’t enjoy the rest of the cruise you’re on.
So, start by deciding which of the cruise lines is the best fit for you in terms of the entertainment and dining offered, the typical onboard experience, and the guests that typically cruise with each line.
You can check out all my guides to each of the above cruise lines here:
- Azamara Guides
- Carnival Guides
- Celebrity Cruises Guides
- Cunard Guides
- Princess Cruises Guides
- Royal Caribbean Guides
2. Check Suitable Dates And Itineraries
Once you’ve decided which cruise line you like, you need to pick a cruise. Not every sailing will be suitable for a wedding at sea, and the rules vary between cruise lines. For a legal ceremony performed by the captain, the ship will normally need to be in international waters at the time of the wedding.
Most people treat the cruise as their wedding and honeymoon combined, so pick a dream vacation spot if you can.
3. Call The Cruise Line To Book
Once you’ve found a suitable cruise, speak to the cruise line’s wedding team or a travel agent who specialises in cruise weddings before you book.
Wedding ceremonies aren’t available on every sailing, and there may only be a limited number of slots available. You don’t want to book your cruise first and then discover that you can’t arrange the wedding you wanted.
Be very clear that you specifically want the captain to perform the ceremony, too. Depending on the cruise line and package, your wedding could otherwise be performed by a Staff Captain, senior officer or another officiant.
4. Prepare Documentation
The cruise line will tell you all of the documentation that you’ll need to provide in advance of the wedding, and bring with you on the cruise itself.
This may be a little more in-depth than having a wedding in your home country, so give yourself plenty of time to plan and prepare. No documentation will mean no wedding, unfortunately!
5. Don’t Forget Your Regular Wedding Planning!
While you’re busy arranging the cruise, ceremony and travel insurance, don’t forget about all the usual wedding planning too. You’ll still need to think about outfits, rings, speeches and anything else you want to be part of your big day.
After all, you don’t want to organise the perfect wedding at sea and then realise you’ve left the rings at home!
Final Word
Getting married at sea can be incredibly romantic, and yes, it really is possible to have a cruise ship captain marry you. You just need to choose the right cruise line, ship and wedding package.
The important thing is to plan well in advance and make sure you understand whether you’re booking a legal wedding or a symbolic ceremony. If having the captain perform the ceremony is part of the dream, make that clear from the very beginning.
Get those details right, and you could end up with a pretty unforgettable way to say “I do”.
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