# Cruise Wedding Packages

Cruise wedding packages compared: embarkation-day ceremonies, at-sea captain weddings and port weddings, with real 2026 pricing and the guest-count math.

Canonical: https://www.bookcruises.us/cruise-wedding-packages/


Cruise wedding packages run $1,500 to $6,000 plus the cruise fares, covering ceremony, officiant, flowers, cake and photography in three formats: embarkation-day ceremonies guests can attend without sailing, at-sea weddings performed by the captain on select lines, and shoreside ceremonies in ports like Bermuda or Cozumel.

## The three formats, honestly compared

| Format | Typical package cost | The catch | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Embarkation day, in port | $1,500 to $3,500 | Ceremony before sailaway; non-sailing guests leave by all-aboard | Big guest lists on small budgets |
| At sea, captain officiates | $2,500 to $6,000 | Only select lines and ships; legal registry varies | The romance of the real thing |
| Shoreside in a port | $3,000 to $6,000 plus vendors | Local marriage law homework | Beach ceremony with a cruise honeymoon attached |

## The guest math nobody explains

The package is the small number; the guests are the big one. An embarkation-day wedding lets fifty people attend for the cost of terminal passes and canapes, then wave you off on your honeymoon, which is why it is the format most couples actually book. Sailing guests, by contrast, each buy a cruise, which either caps the list at people who love you fiercely or turns the wedding into a group booking, and group bookings are negotiable: one cabin in eight sails free on most lines, plus amenities. If your list tops six cabins, that negotiation is our desk's favorite kind of phone call.

The paperwork note: at-sea weddings are typically registered where the ship is flagged (Bermuda and Malta registries are common and clean), and port weddings follow local law. Lines' wedding departments handle it competently, but build in the document lead time they ask for.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a cruise ship captain legally marry you?

On lines whose ships' registries permit it, yes, Princess and Cunard being the established examples, with the marriage registered under the flag state. It is fully legal and recognized in the US.

### How far ahead do you book a cruise wedding?

Nine to twelve months for choice of dates and venues; wedding slots per sailing are capped and popular sailaways go first.

### Is a cruise wedding cheaper than a traditional one?

Dramatically, in most comparisons: package plus fares plus a group discount lands well under the average US wedding cost, honeymoon included. The trade is menu control and a guest list shaped by who can travel. Prices checked: August 2026.

## Related pages

- [Honeymoon cruises](https://www.bookcruises.us/honeymoon-cruises/)
- [Adults-only cruises](https://www.bookcruises.us/adults-only-cruises/)
- [Best time to book a cruise](https://www.bookcruises.us/best-time-to-book-a-cruise/)

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BookCruises.us is operated by Stellar Commerce Solutions LLC. Cruise experts: (844) 764-1842, 7 days, 8am to 11pm ET. Prices checked: August 2026; fares are per person, double occupancy, excluding taxes and fees unless stated.