Freedom’s Arrival In Galveston Marked With $100,000 Donation

Carnival Cruise Line marked the arrival of Carnival Freedom at its new year-round home port of Galveston, Texas on Saturday, Feb. 14, with a celebration honoring U.S. military personnel and their families.

In partnership with Operation Homefront service members and their families were treated to an overnight event featuring a variety of daytime activities, including a Carnival LIVE performance by music superstar Martina McBride, along with dinner and a full evening of entertainment, all compliments of Carnival.

Prior to McBride’s concert, Carnival presented a check in the amount of $100,000 to Operation Homefront.

“We’re excited to kick off Carnival Freedom’s year-round deployment from Galveston with a donation to an organization that touches so many lives and a special event for the brave men and women who serve our country,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Martina McBride put on a fantastic show and we were thrilled to honor these deserving military families and provide them with an incredible day and night to remember.”



Carnival Freedom kicked off year-round departures from Galveston yesterday with a special six-day voyage to Mexico and will launch four- to seven-day cruises calling at ports throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida beginning Feb. 21.  Carnival Freedom joins Carnival Triumph and Carnival Magic in Galveston. Together these three ships will carry more than 600,000 passengers annually from Texas — more than any other cruise line.

“Performing for these military families was an incredible honor. And everyone really enjoyed the outdoor setting on the ship’s deck,” said McBride. “I hope that everyone who was there had a special Valentine’s Day experience; I’m so glad I was asked to be part of it.”

“We’re thrilled Carnival Cruise Line honored these service members and their families by providing a truly memorable day and evening of onboard fun and exciting activities,” said Tim Farrell, chief operating officer for Operation Homefront.  “In that spirit, we're also grateful for Carnival Cruise Line’s generous gift of $100,000, which will help military families here in Texas and throughout the country.”

A sea of changes await cruise passengers this year

A sea of changes await cruise passengers this year

Quantum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean worked with O3B, a company that brings Wi-Fi to developing countries, to launch fast, cheap Internet access on Quantum of the Seas. (Jonathan Atkin / PR Newswire)

By Dave Jones

Cruises Royal Caribbean International Mamma Mia! (musical) Dining and Drinking Lifestyle and Leisure Blue Man Group

Those are just some of the improvements you'll find at sea in 2015. Along with getting bigger, ships are getting better, ushering in a new era of cruise ship as resort.

The insistence on formal attire and assigned seatings for dining has faded on some cruise lines. Today, you're more likely to pack khakis than a tux or a ball gown, and meals are often on your schedule, not the ship's.



The biggest change for the plugged-in passenger (and who isn't connected these days?) is improved Internet access. At sea, access has been slow, expensive and not always reliable. Its sluggishness has kept travelers from uploading pictures efficiently (ouch, if you're joined at the hip with, say, Instagram) and streaming videos.

Royal Caribbean worked with O3B, a company that brings Wi-Fi to developing countries, to launch faster, cheaper Internet access on Quantum of the Seas when it debuted in November, and the cruise line is rolling it out to Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. The line also worked with Harris CapRock in 2013 to improve the digital speed on the rest of the fleet as well as its Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises brands.

In the spring, Viking Cruises launches the Viking Star with complimentary Wi-Fi. Although a few lines have offered free Wi-Fi as a bonus for frequent cruisers or a benefit in certain suites, this oceangoing line will offer it to everyone. (Maybe hotels will take notice?) These developments should have a ripple effect throughout the industry.

As for a different kind of consumption, cruise lines are increasingly letting passengers enjoy outdoor dining. Most ships have long offered casual dining by the pool but, come night time, most options have been indoors, a missed opportunity for those who want to enjoy balmy evenings in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean.

In the last couple of years, Crystal Cruises has added outdoor dining venues to ships that were in dry dock, and Norwegian Cruise Line is offering open-air tables as part of the Ocean Blue restaurant. Viking also is creating open-air options.



Entertainment is changing too. On some ships, the curtain is coming down on variety shows. Stage shows on large cruise ships are more often defined by partnerships with land-based production companies. Norwegian, for instance, is working with Blue Man Group and Burn the Floor (ballroom dancing with a Broadway flair). Norwegian also has partnered with the Grammy Awards and offers performances by Grammy winners and nominees on some journeys.

You'll find abbreviated versions of Broadway musicals too: Norwegian offers "Legally Blonde" on Norwegian Getaway and "Rock of Ages" on Norwegian Breakaway; the line plans to launch "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" in October on Norwegian Epic. Royal Caribbean stages "Chicago" on Allure of the Seas, "Cats" on Oasis of the Seas and "Mamma Mia!" on Quantum of the Seas; it will launch "We Will Rock You" on Anthem of the Seas in April.

As perhaps the ultimate in improvements, you now have a greater number of cabin choices. In days past, you could specify inside, outside, balcony or a suite. Nowadays, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Cunard offer special "studio" cabins for single travelers who previously would have been assessed a single supplement for a solo spot.

If you're in a lower-category cabin where space can be snug, some cruise lines are using technology to create a more open feeling. Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have LED screens designed to look like windows that show a view from the bridge so you can see what's going on outside.

____

Cruise Tip of the Week

Check on newest amenities before you book

If you've fallen in love with a cruise line's newest features — say, the skydiving simulator or robot bartenders on Royal Caribbean or the Guy Fieri-branded burger bar on Carnival — be sure to confirm before you book that your ship has the latest and greatest. Sometimes — but not always — lines retroactively add the most popular new features to older vessels. Check before you pay your deposit.
Happy Sailing!

New cruise port at Dominican Republic's Amber Cove to open in October

An aerial view of Amber Cove.

Cruise passengers will have a new stop in the Caribbean in October when ships pull into Amber Cove port in the Dominican Republic.

The new port facility is expected to revive interest in the north coast of the Dominican Republic, which hasn't been a regular cruise stop since the 1980s, Carnival Corp. announced Wednesday.

Amber Cove adds more cruising cachet to the Caribbean, already the world's largest cruising market. It accounts for more than a third of the cruise business globally.

The Carnival Victory will be the first ship to visit the $85-million port on Oct. 6. Other lines in the Carnival family -- Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, German line AIDA and British-based P&O Cruises -- will follow suit later this year and in 2016.

Carnival Corp. was a partner in developing the new port facility. Ships (it was built to accommodate super-sized cruise ships) are expected to bring more than 250,000 cruise passengers to Amber Cove in its first year of operation, the announcement says.

The port is near the city of Puerto Plata (it made Travel + Leisure's Best Places to Travel in 2015 list) where there's an Amber Museum that displays insects and flowers trapped in the ancient resin and a marine park called Ocean World.

The new stop allows Carnival brands to offer more than 40 new shore excursions -- including beaches, water sports, culinary and cultural tours -- as well as new itineraries in the central Caribbean.

Thirteen ships across six Carnival brands are expected to make 57 port calls between October and April 2016.

Upcoming visits include Cunard's Queen Mary 2 on Nov. 22, the Costa Deliziosa on Dec. 31 and Holland America's ms Eurodam on Jan. 19.

For cruise lines, weddings mean varying locales, regulations

A bridal couple aboard the MSC Divina.

In 1998, Princess Cruises introduced weddings at sea to the cruise industry, with the captain tying the knot aboard the Grand Princess. Since then, weddings aboard cruise ships have become an industry unto themselves, with cruise lines offering three types of legal weddings, plus symbolic ceremonies. 

And last year, Celebrity Cruises introduced civil unions at sea for same-sex couples.

Weddings at sea are actually the least common of the three cruise-related ceremonies, according to wedding expert Barbara Whitehill, managing director of Imagine Weddings and Events and the Wedding Experience. Whitehill's company runs the wedding programs for Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Crystal Cruises and Costa Cruises. She has also handled the wedding programs of Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess. 

"Everybody does weddings when the ship is in the embarkation port or in one of the destinations or shore-side in the destination," she said. 

Cruise wedding products vary by cruise line.

For example, Celebrity, Cunard, Royal Caribbean and Princess do legal weddings at sea. But Carnival, which does about 2,600 weddings annually, does weddings only in ports or destinations. Seabourn does no weddings at all. 

Some cruise lines do both symbolic ceremonies and weddings at sea, while other lines do only symbolic ceremonies at sea. 

Weddings conducted in the port of embarkation or at a port of call on a ship's itinerary are conducted under the auspices of local laws, while weddings at sea are conducted according to the laws of the country under which the ship is registered. Typically cruise ships are flagged by the Bahamas or Bermuda, but they can be flagged by other countries, as well. 

Celebrity is registered in Malta, which legalized same-sex civil unions on April 14.

All this means that couples can get married in a variety of exotic locales that, depending on the cruise line and the itinerary, can range from the beach to glaciers.

Couples can get married in European castles, on a gondola in Venice or in a white-topped villa overlooking the Aegean. But there are limits and little standardization.

"It completely varies," Whitehill said.

Couples on international itineraries can get married at sea as long as they're on a cruise line that offers weddings at sea and the ship is in international waters. 

While some countries and ports are easier than others, Whitehill said the experience varies not just from country to country but from port to port.

For example, Santorini weddings can only be on land, not on the ship. That is because the mayor of Santorini performs the wedding and he only does them on land. Some destinations require couples to spend a certain amount of time in the destination before the wedding and do paperwork on site, while others do not. 

Laws vary from island to island in the Caribbean. As islands realized the potential of destination wedding products, many changed their laws to capitalize on the trend. Some islands revamped their laws so they're the same for locals and visitors; others created laws to accommodate tourists that don't apply to locals, Whitehill said. 

Even symbolic ceremonies can vary from destination to destination. For example, in Grand Cayman, a same-sex couple can have a symbolic ceremony onboard the ship but not on shore. 

Getting married in a U.S. port of embarkation offers the advantage of including guests who are not going to go on the cruise. They can attend the ceremony, then disembark before the ship sails.

In states in which same-sex marriage is legal, same-sex couples can be legally married onboard the ship in port under the laws of that state.

Buzz versus basics

Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River 

Paul Strachan, who started taking passengers up and down Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River exactly 20 years ago, is still building ships much in the same way they were constructed back then. 

After interviewing Strachan, the founder of Pandaw River Expeditions, this week (look for the story in Monday’s Travel Weekly), it occurred to me that he is one of the few entrepreneurs in the constantly evolving river cruising segment that has opted for simplicity over swimming pools and sprawling suites.

There was a time when Viking Chairman Tor Hagen was equally skeptical about amenities. Balconies? Nope, Hagen used to say. A spa on board? Not worth the space, he would claim.

Michelle Baran

Obviously Hagen has changed his tune on balconies, having since rolled out dozens of newbuilds with a variety of balcony configurations. And he isn’t alone. The race to have more and splashier amenities onboard river cruise vessels has heated up in step with the competition within the category.

And it’s true, sexy new amenities look good in brochures. I don’t know how many times river cruise executives have told me that not that many passengers actually use their balconies, but that balconies sell cabins.

But I have to say, as a member of the media who covers river cruising, I’m often just as guilty as those amenity-loving brochure oglers. In an attempt to differentiate one river cruise ship from the next or to find a new angle to write about, I often inadvertently applaud new and innovative onboard features whether or not they are actually all that useful.

Which isn’t to say that all the new amenities aren’t useful. I have personally taken advantage of them plenty, whether it’s taking a dip in an onboard swimming pool or bringing my laptop out onto my stateroom balcony while I write or opting for a more casual lunch in the alternative dining venue.

A lot of these new amenities are about buzz, right? Buzz is fun. Buzz keeps things interesting, and for river cruise lines and travel sellers, it can attract the attention of new and repeat passengers. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with buzz — it actually serves an important purpose.

But perhaps in all the buzz, fun and hoopla surrounding river cruising, we kind of forgot why river cruising was so great to begin with. That is what Strachan inadvertently reminded me of when he talked about his practical approach to river cruising, about building simple ships that are meant to sail into ever-more exotic river destinations. Perhaps what’s so amazing about river cruising has very little to do with onboard cinemas and balconies and swimming pools. Maybe what’s so great about it is that original, simple concept of gliding down the river, stopping in curious cities along the way, discovering sights both known and unknown, and meeting interesting travel companions onboard in between sips of wine and bites of local cuisine.

I’m not sure how well that message sells, but it’s a good one to remember every once in awhile.

P&O Cruises takes delivery of 'step change' Britannia

By Phil Davies

P&O Cruises new vessel Britannia is  a "mega step change" for the company, according to chairman David Dingle.

Speaking as the ship was presented to the company by the Italian Fincantieri shipyard near Trieste, Dingle said the ship would propel the line forward to meet the needs of new and returning customers alike.

Before vowing that "Britannia will once again rule the waves", Dingle said: "This not just a ship for Britain, it's a ship for a new Britain. A more vibrant, more exciting Britain."

Dingle congratulated Fincantieri for their hard work and said the partnership between the shipyard and Carnival had helped to shape the cruise industry.

"Cruising has become a vibrant expanding part of the mainstream holiday business and our two businesses, Fincanteiri and Carnival, as market leaders in our different industry sectors, have played a role in this.

"Taking delivery of a ship is just the beginning for now we must attract passengers to Britannia not only this year but for the next 30 years and we will, because we know it's contemporary, groundbreaking ships which attract others into cruising."

He said he believed the new ship would help push the number of UK cruisers to the two million mark, as well as showing that the "UK was an established part of Carnival's continuing growth."

Britannia is the fifth P&O Cruises ship to be built by Fincanteiri, and the largest ship built for the brand.

Emerald Waterways to build fifth vessel

Emerald Waterways will construct a fifth river cruise ship, the 182-passenger Emerald Belle, for 2016.

The new vessel is currently under construction in the Netherlands with an expected launch in early 2016. Its debut will come on the heels of the 2015 launch of its 182-passenger Emerald Dawn and Emerald Sun.

Emerald Waterways is one of the newer lines to have come onto the river cruise scene, having been launched by Australian company Scenic Tours as a four-star, all-inclusive river cruise operator in 2014.

Like the four ships before it, the Emerald Belle will be part of Emerald’s Star Ships class of vessels and will be built in the same configuration as its four sister vessels, although the company stated that it is still deciding on possible new innovations and enhancements. 

All of the Star Ships house 72 suites and 20 staterooms, including two cabins built for solo occupancy. Staterooms will feature a floor-to-ceiling panoramic window that with a push of a button drops down to create a French balcony. 

Emerald Belle will feature a heated swimming pool with a retractable glass roof that transforms into a movie theater in the evening; and two restaurants — Reflections, the main dining room, and The Terrace for breakfast and lunch. 

Emerald ships also feature an onboard hairdresser, massage therapy room and fitness area.

Emerald Waterways has not yet said where the Emerald Belle will sail.

Undocking the Anthem of the Seas is advanced on Friday afternoon

Back to overview

Posted on 19/02/2015

Based on the latest weather forecasts, undocking the Anthem of the Seas is the February 20, 2015 brought forward to Freitagnachmitttag around 15:00 clock.

This is due, among other things, the wind sensitivity of the two floating parts of the Norwegian Escape, which lie at the time of Ausdockens the Anthem of the Seas in Werfthafen and moved.

Also, the placement of the chimney, organizing the required tests and raise the Northstar is brought forward to Saturday.

Delays and temporal changes in the undocking possible due to weather conditions.

In order to facilitate the application of the Anthem of the Seas at the pier, which is currently located at the fitting first floating part of the Norwegian Escape is hauled. The second part of swimming, which is currently in the dock II shipyard is undocked before the Anthem of the Seas and then also within the shipyard harbor. After undocking the Anthem of the Seas, the two floating parts of the Norwegian Escape, which will be completed in the fall of 2015 maneuvering for the further construction in the building dock II free.

For this purpose, it is necessary to cross the sea lock on 19 February from about 7:30 to about 16:00 clock clock and on February 20 from 12:00 clock until February 21 to about 15: back to 00 clock . Lock On Sunday, February 22, it is because of the Dockschleusung the tractor to another locking in from 12:00 clock bis 19:00 clock. All times subject to weather conditions

Royal Caribbean names partners of the year for 2014

Royal Caribbean International named five agencies as regional partners of the year for 2014.

They include Vision Travel Solutions for Canada, Cruise and Vacation Authority for the Southeast, Travel Network for the Northeast, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City for the Central region, and Cruise Specialists for the West.

Buy the Sea was named partner of the year for corporate meeting and incentive travel.

Also honored for 2014 were Nexion as home-based partner, Avoya Travel as online partner and American Express Travel as consortia partner.

Cruise Planners/American Express received the President’s Award for overall achievement, with World Travel Holdings tabbed for the Chairman’s Award for overall achievement.

Diversification and Norwegian’s bottom line

by Tom Stieghorst 

The benefits of diversification in the cruise industry will be evident this week when Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reports its results for the fourth quarter and calendar year 2014 on Tuesday.

Norwegian, until recently a single-brand company, is heavily tied to the Caribbean in the fourth and first quarters. According to analyst Rachel Rothman, of Susquehanna Financial Group, Norwegian’s results will be pulled down by its high exposure to the Caribbean relative to its competitors Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Norwegian does not benefit from growth in Asia, which is also helping those two companies, Rothman notes.

In a positive light, Norwegian is aided by not having any cruise brands that do business in currencies other than the dollar. That means the relatively strong dollar affects it less than Carnival, with its Costa, Aida and P&O subsidiaries, or Royal Caribbean, which owns Spain’s Pullmantur and France’s CDF.

From that perspective, Norwegian’s recent acquisition of Prestige Cruise Holdings is ideal. The two Prestige brands, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, both do business in U.S. dollars, so their results won’t be a drag because of currency exchange.

And as destination-oriented luxury lines, Oceania and Regent do relatively less sailing in the overcrowded Caribbean and have more itineraries in Asia, although neither is set up to source business there.

Rothman expects Norwegian to earn about $76 million in the fourth quarter and about $508 million for 2014. The company is building ships just about as fast as is practicable, which should help it diversify its itineraries further away from the Caribbean to areas like Brazil in the winter.

Norwegian has come a long way in a short time. Tuesday’s results may show it has further to go.

Britannia passengers will be ale and arty as P&O adds best of Britain

Britannia passengers will be ale and arty as P&O adds best of Britain

P&O Britannia Union Jack Designed Hull.

Talk about Drool Britannia!

Craft brewers from as far afield as Speyside and Dunbartonshire, Scotland, and the Isle of Man and Dorset, have been recruited to stock the shelves of P&O’s Brodie’s bar on its new ship – named in honour of its founding partner Brodie McGhie Willcox.

Among the 70 beers and ciders P&O Cruises are lining up are Black Sheep from Masham, North Yorks and Rutland Panther from Oakham. You’ll also find Admiral Lord Collingwood from Northumberland rubbing shoulders with a Knight of the Garter from Windsor and Eton.

And that’s not all. There’s Chocolate Tom from Cheshire, Bath’s Ginger Hare, Orange Peel from Devizes, Wilts, and Aberdeen’s Brew Dog.

With a couple (or more) beers inside them, passengers might be forgiven for doing a double take when they walk past a pair of artworks that best represent Britain today.

Best of British: One of the Spirit of Modern Britain artworks which will be displayed on board P&O's record-breaking new ship

The ship, being christened in Southampton on March 10, takes a prominent position but so does Glastonbury’s Michael Eavis with his beard represented by festival revellers and London’s Shard – which might be the tallest building in Europe but would be dwarfed by Britannia if it was stood on its stern.

Mary Berry, who is expected to be giving lessons in the Cookery School and Marco Pierre White, who is devising menus for gala dinners, are also there, along with faces less likely to be seen on board such as Posh and Becks, Boris Johnson and Simon Cowell.

Fares for seven nights on the biggest ship to be built for the British market start at £699pp.

See video of Britannia undergoing her first sea trials below

Six cruise ships dock at Port Canaveral

Six cruise ships dock at Port Canaveral Craig Rubadoux/FLORIDA TODAY

Port Canaveral's first-ever six-cruise-ship day was Sunday

It was more than a little crowded at Port Canaveral on today.

An unprecedented six cruise ships were on hand — four that are based here and two that are making port-of-call stops.

"It's just a sign of things to come," Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Walsh said, as Port Canaveral battles to overtake the Port of Miami as the world's No. 1 cruise port.

The port's first six-ship day is a symbolic milestone in that quest.

There will be more six-ship days later this year at Port Canaveral and some seven-ship days as early as 2017, based on projected schedules, Walsh said.

Port Canaveral may need another cruise terminal in 2016

More cruise passengers in town translates into more businesses for hotels, restaurants, retailers and attractions.

"It's just fantastic," says Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Eric Garvey. "Our area 

just continues to elevate in profile."

Additionally, the sail-outs of the ships Sunday afternoon and evening will be a spectacle for patrons of the restaurants and bars along the port's Cove area, who will get a bonus of watching the ships head out the channel.

"We'll be slammed," predicts Michael Schwarz, general manager of Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill at the Cove. "We get a great crowd" to watch the cruise ships sailing out of the port.

Schwarz said crowds show up around 3 p.m., in anticipation of the ship departures starting around 4, and he expects his 500-seat restaurant/bar to be full.

Huge Quantum of the Seas arrives at Port Canaveral

Walsh said there will be 26,000 cruise "passenger movements" at Port Canaveral on Sunday. That is the total of passengers arriving at the end of their cruises on the four Port Canaveral-based ships, new passengers getting on those ships and passengers visiting the area on a cruise making a port-of-call stop. That's about 5,000 more than the combined population of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach.

"The growth is sort of refreshing," Walsh said.

One drawback from the day: Traffic may be heavy on State Roads A1A and 528 on Sunday, with all the cruise passengers coming to and leaving the port.

"It will be hectic," Walsh said. "I think A1A and 528 will start to see some push."

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 and dberman@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByDave Berman and on Facebook at facebook.com/dave.berman.54.

SHIP SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY (Feb. 15)

Ships based at Port Canaveral:

•Carnival Liberty: Arrives at 7 a.m., leaves at 4 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 10

•Carnival Sunshine: Arrives at 6:30 a.m., leaves at 4 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 6

•Disney Magic: Arrives at 5:30 a.m., leaves at 4:45 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 8

•Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas: Arrives at 6 a.m., leaves at 4:30 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 1

Ships making port-of-call stop at Port Canaveral:

•Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas: Arrives at 10:30 a.m., leaves at 9:30 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 5

•Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas: Arrives at 1 p.m., leaves at 11 p.m. from Cruise Terminal 3

Note: Arrival and departure times are estimates

Source: Port Canaveral

The 11 Best Cruise Lines for Weddings

The 11 Best Cruise Lines for Weddings 

We've all seen or heard how intense and frenzied planning a wedding can be. So, what can you do if you want to get married in a beautiful location but don't want to tackle the challenge of putting together a formal sit-down dinner for 300 of your closest friends? Many cruise lines offer a variety of services to help you plan a shipboard or shoreside ceremony, which, of course, will be combined with a romantic cruise honeymoon.

Planning a cruise wedding can be as easy as making one call. Just dial, and poof! In-house wedding coordinators will begin arranging the ceremony, menu, cake, flowers and music. Some will even help you to obtain wedding licenses or provide invitations and thank-you notes. And it's easy to let them handle all the extras -- from tuxedo rentals to hair and spa appointments.

An onboard wedding can be a great value, as well. Prices start around $795 (the sky's the limit) on top of the cost of the cruise. Typically, onboard weddings are held in a ship's chapel (if one exists), a lounge, the library or a boardroom. But larger ships can offer offbeat ceremony spots aboard a carousel or on a rock-climbing wall. While the wedding couple must be passengers on the cruise, most lines with full-service packages include options for wedding guests to come onboard for a few hours for the event.

Married folks can also get in on the fun with onboard vow-renewal ceremonies -- a perfect way to celebrate on an anniversary trip.

These 11 cruise lines offer a variety of ceremony options and price points for anyone looking to plan a cruise wedding. Before you sign on to a wedding at sea, make sure you've read our 9 Things to Know When Planning a Cruise Wedding.

1. Princess Cruises

Why? Princess is a prime choice because, of all the lines offering shipboard wedding options, it provides the best combination of features, services and facilities. Princess' "Tie the Knot" packages are available on all ships, and most ships have dedicated wedding chapels. (The exceptions are Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Dawn Princess, Ocean Princess, Pacific Princess, Sea Princess and Sun Princess.)

Package Details: Princess offers three wedding packages. The "Tie the Knot at Sea" package, for $1,800 plus a $466 license fee, includes use of the onboard wedding chapel, a candlelit ceremony officiated by the captain, a wedding coordinator, live music, two floral arrangements, a rose bouquet for the bride, groom's boutonniere, the services of a photographer and a selection of prints, wedding cake, Champagne and two keepsake flutes, and a keepsake wedding certificate. The "Tie the Knot Harborside" package -- ranging from $1,700 to $2,800 plus licensing fees up to $500, based on the destination -- includes priority check-in and boarding for the couple and guests, an onboard wedding ceremony performed by a nondenominational officiant, a wedding coordinator, recorded music, silk floral arrangements, a rose bouquet and boutonniere, a photographer, wedding cake, Champagne and a keepsake certificate. The "Tie the Knot Ashore" package, ranging from around $2,000 to $4,900, includes a ceremony at a beach or garden (or even at a glacier in Alaska), transportation for the couple, an officiant, a wedding coordinator, a bouquet and boutonniere, a photographer, cake for two, Champagne and a keepsake certificate. Receptions, photography packages and enhanced ceremony options are available at extra cost.

Coolest Quirk: Not only can your ceremony be conducted at sea by the captain, but the line also features state-of-the-art technology that allows you to broadcast the ceremony live, via Webcam, to friends and family on land. Some Princess captains are pretty romantic. On one particular cruise over Valentine's Day, the captain casually announced he'd conduct vow renewals for anyone who wanted them, and about a half-dozen couples showed up.

Caveat: Depending on the destination, licensing fees can add an additional $500 to a "Tie the Knot Ashore" package.

2. Celebrity Cruises

Why? Celebrity captains can perform ceremonies at sea (except on Xpedition). The line's fleet of ships offers a pleasant mix of fun and luxury, leaving the happy couple and their guests with plenty to do before and after the big day. Celebrity also offers such extras (for a fee) as a welcome reception, bridesmaid tea party, and cigar and cognac party to set the tone for the wedding cruise.

Package Details: The "Celebrity Weddings" program offers onboard ceremonies and destination weddings. The "Nautical Nuptials at Sea" package begins at $2,500 and includes a captain-led ceremony, an event coordinator's services, live music, one hour of photography (photographs sold separately), cake for two, Champagne, a bouquet and boutonniere, plus additional romantic turndown amenities post-ceremony (see Coolest Quirk). Couples can also arrange shoreside and in-port shipboard weddings, presided over by an officiant instead of the captain. Both in-port shipboard weddings (starting at $2,195) and shoreside weddings (starting at $2,895) include all of the "Nautical Nuptials" features, except for the turndown services. Shoreside ceremonies also include transportation to the ceremony site.

Coolest Quirk: Couples who book the "Nautical Nuptials at Sea" package each get some romantic extras, such as chocolate-covered strawberries, one bottle of Champagne, two Champagne flutes, his-and-hers robes, fresh in-room floral arrangements and rose petals on their bed on their wedding night.

Caveat: Licensing and regulatory fees are not included. (A wedding license is $700, for instance.) Also, the number of wedding ceremonies performed on each sailing is based on the captain's availability. A $100 surcharge is in effect for May, June, September and October weddings. Couples should book their wedding packages in advance to allow time for the processing of marriage licenses and legal documents; all legal documentation should be completed and submitted about 10 weeks prior to sailing.

3. Disney Cruise Line

Why? It's a fun and quirky choice, particularly for second-wedding folks who have young kids, and Disney offers a low-stress, low-hassle package.

Package Details: Disney's "Cruise Collection" wedding package is available on all cruises out of Florida. Packages start at $3,000 and include a bridal bouquet and boutonniere, the services of a wedding coordinator and officiant, a solo musician (typically a pianist), Champagne toast, two-tier wedding cake with keepsake topper, a special wedding gift and commemorative Disney wedding certificate, $100 onboard credit for the wedding couple, in-cabin Champagne and strawberries, and dinner for two at Palo, the line's adults-only alternative restaurant, found on all Disney ships. The package can accommodate eight guests, plus the couple.

Coolest Quirk: Dress-steaming is included in the package price. We also love that you can opt for a ceremony on Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. (Packages start at $4,000.)

Caveat: Beyond the cake and Champagne, Disney's wedding package does not include a reception or other services for wedding guests, though an appetizer/open bar reception is available at an additional cost. You can invite additional guests to your wedding ceremony, but events with more than 10 guests require special permission and incur an extra cost. Note that, if the couple is married onboard, the captain or a ship officer will preside over the ceremony. Disney's wedding packages do not include the marriage license, so the couple is responsible for providing any necessary legal documentation. If the wedding occurs on Castaway Cay, the ceremony will be performed by a Bahamian official, but it is not a legal marriage; the couple will need to already be legally married before the ship departs the U.S. 

4. Carnival Cruise Line

Why? Carnival appeals to younger couples with its spirited ships and more affordable wedding package prices. Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend and Carnival Miracle have onboard chapels, though you can buy Carnival's wedding packages on any of the ships in the fleet.

Package Details: Carnival offers five wedding packages. The "Just You & Me" package accommodates up to eight guests, including the bride and groom, and starts at $1,355. The package includes services of a personal wedding planner, assistance of a wedding coordinator, a private shipboard location, priority check-in, a ceremony performed by a nondenominational officiant, a bouquet for the bride and a boutonniere for the groom, a Champagne toast with keepsake flutes, a tiered wedding cake with keepsake cake topper, recorded wedding music, a decorated bridal aisle and a photographer. (Prints are extra.) The "Time to Celebrate" package accommodates up to 20 guests ($22 fee for each additional person). The cost is from $1,795 and includes all the aforementioned amenities, plus a cocktail hour with an open bar and hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. The "Time to Celebrate...Big!" package starts at $1,975 and includes all of the above, plus a 90-minute open-bar reception and an ice carving, also for 20 guests. The fee for additional guests is $30 each.

The "Let Us Serve You" package starts at $1,595 and includes all the aforementioned ceremony amenities, plus a multicourse sit-down dinner with wine and Champagne, rather than a cocktail reception. It's available for a minimum of eight guests, including the bride and groom. Additional guests incur fees of $34.50 per adult and $17.25 per child (12 and younger). From $1,395, Carnival also offers an on-island ceremony package called "Island Breeze," which is similar to the "Just You & Me" package, but it doesn't include priority check-in. Ceremonies may take place outdoors or at a local courthouse. Transportation for the bride and groom is included, but guests are extra. Prices for packages and marriage licenses, which are extra, vary based on the port in which the ceremonies are performed. Videography services, live music and tuxedo rental are also additional.

Coolest Quirk: We like the free and easy-to-use online gift registry that makes it simple for guests to contribute to a couple's destination wedding. It provides couples with a wedding website, blog, email wizard, photo album and Facebook/Twitter uploaders.

Caveat: Plan ahead, if possible; weddings are available only when in port (including embarkation ports), and there's a limit to how many weddings can take place on the same day. A maximum of 50 non-sailing guests may attend a wedding (fees apply). Surcharges apply for ceremonies during popular seasons, including Thanksgiving, winter holidays, Valentine's week, and all of May and June.

5. Norwegian Cruise Line

Why? Norwegian Cruise Line offers a vast array of options, which can turn basic packages into full-blown extravaganzas, and its ships feature a wide range of restaurants with easily available romantic dining for two.

Package Details: Norwegian offers three wedding packages. Its "Symbolic" ceremony, starting at $1,799, is performed onboard while at sea and officiated by a ship officer or staff member. This package includes a bridal bouquet, boutonniere, 6-inch cake, recorded music, bottle of sparkling wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, canapes, one 8x10 portrait and a keepsake certificate. It also offers the use of a group service coordinator, who can make dinner reservations, organize group seating at shows and otherwise assist the couple and their guests, in addition to overseeing the wedding. Because captains can't legally perform marriage ceremonies on Norwegian ships, you'll need to get married ashore and bring your official marriage certificate with you.

The "Harborside" package, starting at $1,995, allows couples to be married onboard at select ports of call. Packages are available in a wide range of ports in the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean and Bermuda. This package adds priority embarkation for the couple and their guests (if the wedding is on embarkation day).

The "Destination" weddings start at $2,595 and offer a range of exotic onshore locations to hold nuptials: a glacier in Alaska, a bay in St. Thomas, the sands of Bermuda and more. It adds roundtrip transportation for the bride and groom to the wedding location in port and Champagne instead of sparkling wine.

Marriage licenses are extra in all cases, and prices vary depending on local authorities.

In addition to the basic packages, there is a huge range of a la carte options, including spa and beauty services (not available on embarkation day), flowers (including custom orders), live music, photography and videography, transportation to and from the ship or wedding location, tuxedo rentals and a wide variety of wedding receptions -- from cold hors d'oeuvres with an open bar at $37 per adult to a full sit-down luncheon for a minimum of 25 guests at $52 per person (only on sailings 5 p.m. or later and must commence by 3 p.m.).

Coolest Quirk: Couples can add a conch shell aisle ($250 and up) or fresh rose arch ($700 and up) to shoreside ceremonies.

Caveat: An extra wedding coordinator, at $250, is required for every 25 guests above the first 25.

6. Royal Caribbean International

Why? Royal Caribbean offers a wide range of wedding packages, including an option to get married at sea, with your ship's captain or first officer officiating a ceremony that includes special nautical vows.

Package Details: The line's "Royal Romance" program offers three avenues to tie the knot. The "Paradise Shipboard" option starts around $3,195. 

It's the most basic and includes priority check-in for you and your guests, a wedding coordinator, onboard ceremony with an officiant, a photographer and 20 prints, recorded music, a bouquet and boutonniere, chocolate-covered strawberries and sparkling wine. The "Paradise Destination" option, from $3,495, lets the couple get married onboard the ship or at a number of exotic locales -- such as on a glacier in Alaska, alongside a waterfall in Hawaii or among ancient ruins in Greece -- while the ship is in port. This package allows for a few more extras, including a wedding cake for the couple, nicer flowers in the bride's bouquet and taxi transportation to and from the ceremony. A photographer is included, but images are not. "Royal Romance at Sea" allows the couple to get married while the ship is sailing, with the captain or first mate conducting the ceremony. The package, starting at $3,995, includes upgrades like an eight-inch wedding cake for the couple, one dozen long-stemmed white roses, a bottle of Champagne, breakfast in bed and dinner for two in a specialty restaurant.

Receptions are not included in the price of the ceremonies, but several options are available. They include a formal wedding lunch at $48 per person, a buffet with bar service for $48 per person or hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and bar service for $32 per person. There's a 25-person minimum for the lunch or buffet and a minimum of 16 and maximum of 50 guests for hors d'oeuvres. Other add-ons include entertainment, cake and ice carvings.

Coolest Quirk: Shoreside ceremonies run the gamut from simply scenic (a beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico) and funky (a winery in Santorini, Greece) to exotic (a ceremony atop a glacier in Juneau, Alaska).

Caveat: Watch out for a la carte charges that can add up. For instance, couples who want to plan a Royal Romance wedding less than 45 days from sailing pay a fee that varies based on package. You'll need to pay for a wedding coordinator if you have an onboard reception, and wedding parties of more than 25 guests require an additional wedding coordinator for an additional fee. Weddings on Voyager-class, Freedom-class and Oasis-class ships (which have chapels) have become so popular that there's also a surcharge for shipboard wedding ceremonies on those vessels. Beyond that, an additional surcharge applies to weddings and vow renewals scheduled in May, June, September and October. Holidays -- such as New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve -- are also subject to higher rates.

7. P&O Cruises

Why? Not all of P&O's ships cater to the same clientele; knowing who you're sailing with comes in handy when planning an event as important as your wedding. Adonia, Arcadia and Oriana are child-free (nobody younger than 18 allowed onboard), while Aurora, Azura, Brittania, Oceana and Ventura allow children.

Package Details: Beginning at £1,200 (depending on the region), the "Weddings at Sea" package includes the ceremony venue, ceremony conducted by the ship's captain (a civil service legally recognized under Bermudian law), floral arrangements for the ceremony, music, a commemorative certificate, Champagne, an onboard wedding coordinator, invitations and thank-you notes.

Coolest Quirk: In wedding parties of 16 or more, the bridal couple will receive £200 onboard credit, each couple within the party will receive £100 onboard credit, and up to three complimentary cabins may be provided (one for every 20 booked).

Caveat: Other services -- like the cake, professional photographer, wedding album, Champagne breakfast in bed, reception parties/dinner, videography, and spa and salon services -- are not included. Pricing is available upon request.

8. Holland America

Why? Holland America offers a variety of ships and itineraries worldwide, extra amenities when a minimum number of staterooms is booked and cool in-port offerings like on-site ceremonies at a glacier in Juneau. The line caters to a mature, sophisticated clientele, making it attractive to older couples looking to wed. Almost all of Holland America's ships have dedicated chapels.

Package Details: Weddings for couples only (no guests) start at $795 for a simple onboard ceremony for two on North America and Caribbean sailings. That price includes priority check-in for the bride and groom, an on-site wedding coordinator, an officiant and a keepsake wedding certificate. The line also has three additional wedding packages with increasingly stepped-up amenities. The "Anchors Away Shipboard Wedding" package, starting at $1,395, adds a bridal bouquet and matching boutonniere, a single-tier wedding cake, an elegant table with flowers and linens, a bottle of Champagne, photography services, one 8x10 photo, a commemorative photo album and recorded music. Shipboard weddings take place on the day of sailing, prior to departure in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Key West, Halifax, New York, San Diego, Seattle and Vancouver. In Key West and Halifax, the price is $1,695; in New York, the price goes up to $2,495. The "Rembrandt Shipboard Package" ($1,895) -- available in Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, Seattle and Vancouver -- offers all the amenities of the "Anchors Away" package, but it adds 10 5x7 photos and transportation for the bridal couple via chauffeured limo to the pier the morning of the wedding (within a 10-mile radius of the port). And, the line's "Royal Dutch Deluxe Package" for $2,595 ups the offerings of the Rembrandt package with a more elaborate bridal bouquet, a bottle of premium Champagne, an additional 20 5x7 photos, an in-cabin floral arrangement, chocolate-dipped strawberries and a bottle of Champagne at turndown, and a 30-minute massage for two. The package is available in Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Vancouver.

For those who want to wed on Holland America's private island in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay, the $1,900 package includes a Bahamian wedding officiant, the marriage license fee, a copy of the marriage license, a tropical bridal bouquet and matching groom boutonniere, chocolate-dipped strawberries set up on a table with linens and fresh flowers, a bottle of Champagne, recorded ceremony music, a photographer, one 8x10 photograph, a commemorative wedding album and a keepsake wedding certificate.

The line also offers packages for destination-based weddings in various ports of call, including a two-hour event on Cockle Shell Beach in St. Kitts, starting at $2,150, or one atop a Juneau glacier for $2,975.

Coolest Quirk: The line offers special wedding extras when at least eight staterooms are booked for a destination wedding through its Group Advantage Program. The bride and groom get a free stateroom upgrade and a commemorative wedding cake for 16 guests. The entire group gets lunch at Pinnacle Grill (Holland America's upscale alternative restaurant), a private wine tasting and chocolate-covered strawberries, plus a bottle of in-room Champagne. We also love the destination wedding options with packages for events atop a glacier in Juneau or among lush tropical foliage on a sacred pond in Hawaii.

Caveat: If more than eight non-sailing guests attend the onboard wedding, some form of reception must be booked. Weddings in Half Moon Cay are not available from September to mid-November. The line levies a $150 surcharge on package prices for sailings from December 24 to January 4 and February 11 to February 18. There's a $100 surcharge for weddings in May and June.

9. Cunard Line

Why? Cunard can offer you a "Royal Wedding at Sea" onboard any of its ships. Now that ships are registered in Bermuda, Cunard's captains can conduct wedding ceremonies at sea. Couples are drawn to the line's historic charm, formality and British influence, which all make for a timeless experience.

Package Details: The wedding package starts at $2,800 and includes a wedding license, an onboard wedding coordinator, two floral arrangements for the ceremony, traditional wedding music (recorded, although live music such as a pianist, harpist or string quartet is available for a fee), commemorative wedding certificate, wedding invitations and thank-you cards, White Star Bellman to escort the bride to the ceremonial room and pressing service for bridal outfits.

Coolest Quirk: Cunard busts open the bubbly for the happy couple. Its package includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and a bride and groom's Champagne breakfast in bed. You can even upgrade to a Champagne and caviar breakfast in bed.

Caveat: Weddings can only take place on sea days and on cruises lasting at least seven days. Additional cake, flowers, photography and reception services are available for a fee.

10. Crystal Cruises

Why? Crystal has partnered with Imagine VIP global event planners to offer upscale, customized wedding packages both onboard the ship and in port. This luxury cruise line sails to exotic destinations throughout the world, so you can tie the knot pretty much anywhere your heart desires (and get a legal license).

Package Details: Crystal offers two base wedding ceremony packages, along with a number of add-ons and upgrades. Rates for a ceremony aboard the ship start at $3,500 and include pre-planning with an event consultant, a wedding website, a wedding registry, 25 custom save-the-date cards, services of a wedding coordinator, special cabin decor, services of a local officiant, live ceremony music, ceremony decorations (including a monogrammed aisle runner), bridal bouquet and groom's boutonniere, a specialty cake for two, keepsake Champagne flutes, a bottle of Champagne, one hour of photography services, an 8x10 print, a commemorative certificate, turn-down gift, dinner reservations at a specialty restaurant for the bride and groom, and a 20 percent discount at the ship's spa. To be married ashore, rates start at $4,295, and include pre-planning with an event consultant, a wedding website, a wedding registry, local wedding venue and officiant, commemorative certificate, on-site coordinator and your choice of amenities from a set list. These options are organized into tiers, and you can choose two items from Tier 1 (photography services, live music, flowers, etc.), three items from Tier 2 (in-port transportation, wedding cake, aisle decor, Champagne) or four items from Tier 3 (wedding invitations, and flower girl and ring bearer accessories). Rates vary accordingly.

Coolest Quirk: If you choose to get married onboard, Crystal offers four equally classy themed reception decor packages, including a sleek and modern black-and-white option, a tea party-inspired option, a beachy option and a traditional white wedding option.

Caveat: Ceremony rates do not include any reception options. However, there are many available. These are billed per person, with rates starting at $95 for a lunch buffet and topping out at $132 per person for a sit-down dinner. Plus, if you have invited any non-sailing guests, they will incur an additional $12 per-person beverage charge. Photo prints are not included in any of the in-port wedding options, but you may choose to purchase them separately. Crystal can arrange for your legal marriage license in most ports, but additional local fees do apply.

11. MSC Cruises

Why? Unlike many cruise lines, MSC allows couples to legally tie the knot onboard or ashore with its wedding packages. Couples aren't required to be married before the sailing, nor do they have to worry about bringing legal documents onboard.

Package Details: MSC offers two packages: onboard weddings and shoreside weddings. The onboard option includes a pre-cruise wedding consultant, priority check-in for the couple and guests, pier-to-cabin escort service for the couple, a wedding coordinator, a nondenominational officiant, recorded music, a bridal bouquet with matching boutonniere, cake for two, a bottle of sparkling wine and one hour of photography coverage. Prices start at $1,600 for a shipboard wedding.

Shoreside weddings allow couples to marry in destinations such as Barbados, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, San Juan, Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Couples also have the option to marry on embarkation day in Miami or New York. Similarly, the package includes a pre-cruise consultant and wedding day coordinator, a nondenominational officiant, a bridal bouquet with matching boutonniere, cake for two, a bottle of sparking wine and one hour of photography. The couple also will receive taxi transportation to and from the ceremony location. Prices start at $2,200 for a destination wedding.

Couples can customize either package by upgrading with photography and videography services, music, fresh flowers, food and beverages, specialty items such as favors and aisle runners, 

transportation for shoreside events, and personalized stationary for announcements and invitations.

Coolest Quirk: Couples who book at least 13 cabins receive a complimentary balcony cabin. Similarly, at least 30 cabins get you a complimentary suite and 50-plus a complimentary Yacht Club cabin.

Caveat: MSC Divina is the cruise line's only ship to offer wedding packages.