Who can officiate a wedding on a cruise ship?

In almost all cases, a local justice of the peace, notary, or minister must officiate; so even if you choose to hold your ceremony aboard ship, it will have to take place while the ship is in port, not at sea.



The person who can officiate a legal wedding on a cruise ship depends on the ship's country of registry and where the ceremony takes place. For legal weddings at sea, the Captain or a Staff Captain can officiate, but only on specific cruise lines like Celebrity, Princess, and Azamara, whose ships are registered in countries (like Malta or Bermuda) that grant captains this legal authority. On many other lines, such as Carnival or Royal Caribbean, the Captain can only perform "symbolic" ceremonies or vow renewals. For weddings held while the ship is in port, a local officiant, such as a Notary Public or a non-denominational minister from that specific jurisdiction, must perform the ceremony to ensure it is legally binding. Most cruise lines offer wedding packages that include a dedicated shoreside coordinator to help navigate the complex legal paperwork and licensing requirements of the specific port of call.

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The Legal Details No matter where you choose to wed, you must arrange for a marriage license from the U.S. or foreign port far in advance of your cruise. Policies vary from country to country, so you'll save a lot of headaches by having the cruise line's wedding department or consultant help you with the details.

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Set up/break down, wedding coordinating services, officiant, photographer, unity sand, and legal filing of your Florida marriage license is all included at a budget-friendly price. Cruise wedding packages can average around $4,000-$8,000.

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The ships are tolerant to innocent hanging out, as crew/passenger interaction is encouraged to ensure passengers have a great time at sea. But anything more than friendly conversation is strictly forbidden. It's unprofessional and can lead to some pretty serious legal trouble for the ship.

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As of Aug 24, 2023, the average annual pay for a Cruise Ship Worker in the United States is $49,005 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $23.56 an hour. This is the equivalent of $942/week or $4,083/month.

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Cruise ship workers are not supposed to hook up with passengers, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It is rare though – most crew follow the rules because they know they'll lose their job if they're caught. You won't be surprised to hear that cruise lines ban crew from having sex with passengers.

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If your name has changed since your document was issued (e.g., marriage or divorce), it is required that you update the document with the new name or provide an official supporting document (e.g., a state, county or province issued marriage license, divorce decree or legal name change document) of the name change.

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Female captains make up just under 3% of cruise ship captains worldwide – but this number is slowly growing.

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It's unfortunate, but it's a myth that the captain of the Maid of the Mist can marry couples. In fact, the captain cannot legally perform wedding ceremonies, since their responsibility is to ensure the safety of the passengers on board the boat.

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