Same sex marriages now permitted in Bermuda...Cunard ships to follow?

"A Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage in Bermuda has also opened the door to same-sex marriages on dozens of cruise ships operating around the world.In addition to local marriages, the ruling is expected to impact the numerous cruise lines that fly the Bermuda flag, including Cunard, Princess and P&O cruise ships..." copied from http://www.royalgazette.com/news/article/20170511/same-sex-marriage-ruling-welcomed-by-liners

With the cost of a wedding onboard a Cunard ship, I have no doubt that if I waited a few more years to marry my husband that I could shortly do it onboard a Cunarder.

I am sure the cruise lines have already started working on the advertising. A great move for equality.

Hurrah!

As quoted in the article

"Cunard senior vice-president Simon Palethorpe said: “This is very welcome news for us. Cunard is the main sponsor of Southampton (England) Pride and we look forward to being able to offer same-sex marriages at sea on our world famous ocean liners.'"

It makes me even more happy to be aboard the QM2 right now.

I am sure the cruise lines have already started working on the advertising. A great move for equality.

Couldn't agree more.

Hurrah!

As quoted in the article

"Cunard senior vice-president Simon Palethorpe said: “This is very welcome news for us. Cunard is the main sponsor of Southampton (England) Pride and we look forward to being able to offer same-sex marriages at sea on our world famous ocean liners.'"

It makes me even more happy to be aboard the QM2 right now.

If Cunard was so looking forward to being able to offer same sex marriage at sea...then why did Cunard register their 3 ships in Bermuda at a time when Bermuda did not permit same sex marriage. It's all about the revenue.

If Cunard was so looking forward to being able to offer same sex marriage at sea...then why did Cunard register their 3 ships in Bermuda at a time when Bermuda did not permit same sex marriage. It's all about the revenue.

On board weddings were never the reason the ships were registered in Bermuda. That's just the "official" reason.

Ok. I'm totally confused. On one of our TAs a couple of years ago there was DEFINITELY a same-sex wedding.

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http://attitude.co.uk/celia-imrie-came-to-my-same-sex-wedding-on-the-queen-mary/

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Perhaps it was a Commitment ceremony not a wedding, Cunard offer both as well as renewal of vows

http://www.cunard.co.uk/life-on-board/gifts-and-celebrations/

Ah maybe. The grooms definitely said it was a wedding. Interesting...

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If Cunard was so looking forward to being able to offer same sex marriage at sea...then why did Cunard register their 3 ships in Bermuda at a time when Bermuda did not permit same sex marriage. It's all about the revenue.

It's actually Carnival Corp. By moving registration out of England, they didn't have to pay prevailing wages to the staff.

It's actually Carnival Corp. By moving registration out of England, they didn't have to pay prevailing wages to the staff.

Hi Keith. Yes, I remember the spirited discussions at the time of the re-flagging. If I recall correctly, most of us agreed the re-flagging to Bermuda was to allow Cunard to circumvent Britainn's 2010 Equality Act which required ships registered in Britain to pay all staff from European Union countries wages equal to those of British citizens. (Cunard's "now we can have weddings at sea" reason was seen by many to be a red herring - and one that did not permit the same option to same sex passengers.)

Since the Brexit vote, will ships registered in Britain still be required to pay EU countries the same rates as British citizens?

http://attitude.co.uk/celia-imrie-came-to-my-same-sex-wedding-on-the-queen-mary/

 

 

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I love to see men in uniform, that really made a colourful wedding photograph.

It's actually Carnival Corp. By moving registration out of England, they didn't have to pay prevailing wages to the staff.

The validity of that argument is questionable. There is one 'Carnival Corp' ship sailing out of the UK that is registered in the UK...

And here is the P&O version...

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/wedding_ships

The validity of that argument is questionable. There is one 'Carnival Corp' ship sailing out of the UK that is registered in the UK...

 

 

And here is the P&O version...

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/wedding_ships

I believe that the reason Britannia was registered "Southampton" was protocol for HM The Queen Christening her. I am sure in the not too distant future that registration will change.

I love to see men in uniform, that really made a colourful wedding photograph.

Me too, SR. That's why I married one! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

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It's actually Carnival Corp. By moving registration out of England, they didn't have to pay prevailing wages to the staff.

It's not legally possible to get married on a UK registered ship. That's why P&O Brittania can't offer weddings unlike all the other ships of the line. So while staff wages may have had an influence, in fact if Cunard wanted to offer weddings they had to move registration out of UK.

David.

It's not legally possible to get married on a UK registered ship. That's why P&O Brittania can't offer weddings unlike all the other ships of the line. So while staff wages may have had an influence, in fact if Cunard wanted to offer weddings they had to move registration out of UK.

 

David.

Yes, as I understand it in the UK a legal marriage has to take place in a venue open to the public. Even Charles and Camilla had to go site shopping: if their civil wedding had taken place in a private chapel it would have to be opened up to the public for at least a year afterwards. But when this whole re-flagging process was announced many here believed that the Equality Act 2010 was the real motivation and the weddings at sea a convenient public excuse. They could announce it's to be able to hold weddings at sea but could not very well announce that they didn't want to pay the crew UK wage scales. Imagine the public blow back on the later. (As an aside, when tipping threads drift into living wage dissertations I wonder how many passengers would be willing to pay the fares Cunard would have to charge to pay those wages.)

While I didn't go back and search the 2011 threads, I recall that there was some disagreement on their choosing Bermuda as a flag of convenience precisely because that country didn't recognize same sex marriages. But flagging in a "Red Ensign Group" country allowed them to continue to fly the Red Ensign. Had the ships reflagged outside the Red Ensign Group it would have been perceived as a safety downgrade and loss of even a tangential British connection. FWIW the largest flag of convenience, Panama, doesn't recognize same sex marriages although there is an ongoing legal challenge.

If Cunard was so looking forward to being able to offer same sex marriage at sea...then why did Cunard register their 3 ships in Bermuda at a time when Bermuda did not permit same sex marriage. It's all about the revenue.

So they wouldn't have to pay non-EU employees the same amount they pay EU employees. They wanted to keep their two-tier pay structure in place, and pay non-EU crew less money.

Hi Keith. Yes, I remember the spirited discussions at the time of the re-flagging. If I recall correctly, most of us agreed the re-flagging to Bermuda was to allow Cunard to circumvent Britainn's 2010 Equality Act which required ships registered in Britain to pay all staff from European Union countries wages equal to those of British citizens. (Cunard's "now we can have weddings at sea" reason was seen by many to be a red herring - and one that did not permit the same option to same sex passengers.)

 

Since the Brexit vote, will ships registered in Britain still be required to pay EU countries the same rates as British citizens?

A great question! Not sure. I think the wages in Britain are still pretty close overall to the EU.