CruiseCrabs

Hopefully, your wedding is still on track. I'm sure COVID has been an added pressure during planning. 

The third party vendor, Royal Oceans Events, was a bit of a nightmare nightmare for us. Why Princess doesn't handle wedding planning in-house is beyond me. They would not answer questions without a signed contract. Once signed, theey didn't offer many concrete answers and the package is largely one size fits all. Several questions and requests were answered by saying it was up to the ship and they would request but could not make guarantees, much like what you are hearning. Thankfully, our travel agent was very experienced with Princess (and they with her). She served as a central point of contact for guest reservations and was our advocate who worked directly with Princes to resolve Royal Ocean issues that did not make sense. In short, find a good travel agent who does a lot of group business with Princess. That person can both help your guests with reservations and can smooth over any Royal Ocean bumps that may arise. 

Keep in mind that a Princess staffer, not a Royal Oceans Weddings rep, will be your on-board coordinator. He or she will meet with you on embarkation day and will work with you to accomplish your goals, if possible. Ours was simply amazing. 

Onboard, cise lines follow the laws of the countries they are registered in. In port, the ceremony may follow the laws of the port. You could also marry in a civil ceremony prior to boarding and have a symbolic ceremony onboard. Reach out to the lines servicing Southampton departures for more information.

On 1/21/2020 at 3:46 PM, runner2013 said:

Hi all,

I have a question for all the Destination brides out there. How did you fly your dress to your ceremony location?. (preferably either American or Delta Airlines) Did you buy it a seat-yes I would consider it if absolutely necessary-or bring it as a carry on, hoping there was a first class closet to hang it in, or last resort, put it in the overhead bin(yikes). Checking it is not even an option.. I wouldn't let it out of my sight under any circumstances.

Would it be worth it to bring a portable garment steamer in case there were wrinkles needing to be taken care of once we get to our location ?

Thanks

Hopefully, if you planned for a destination wedding fro the jump, you also planned for a dress that travels well. A dress must be carried on for your own sanity. I will not begin to tell you shipped or checked dress horror stories. If you kindly ask airline staff to hang the dress (and it is not huge), most will oblige--but it shouldn't be so large that it requires booking a separate seat otherwise the dress will be a beast to travel with every step of the way. 

I carried a fairly powerful magnetic hook and steamer onboard. The hook gave me room to steam the dress and train and shoot a pretty cool photo of the dress hanging in front of the balcony slider.

Good luck!

On 8/28/2020 at 12:58 PM, karabear15 said:

It's so good to hear of another honeymooner with a positive attitude! We are booked for a Mediterranean cruise at the end of April 2021 and our fingers are crossed for smooth sailing.  These are all great ideas and I will keep them in my back pocket for sure!

Spring in the Mediterranean is wonderful! Enjoy your honeymoon cruise and launching your voyage into marriage. 🍾🥂

12 hours ago, Travlin grrl said:

I think there are certain stores that have Princess gift cards. Maybe for your wedding you could put that on your registry to ease your expenses on the ship. You might want to do couple massages or something fun. 

Princess also has their own Honeymoon Wishes registry. It worked well for us.

A honeymoon is a great time to book a Chef's Table experience, Ultimate Balcony Dining, couples massages, and wine maker dinners. Some other experiences are great but have elements to keep in mind. The Ultimate Balcony breakfast is ok on a lazy sea day but it is an insane amount of food. The Ultimate Ship's Tour also includes some gifts (chef's jacket, robe, stationery, etc.) you will need to plan to pack to take home.

That said, you do you. Your honeymoon is a time to connect and relax however you see fit.

Cheers to the start of your life together! 🥂

What do coupon books have to do with special occasions? They are part of a promo.

Expectations sow the seeds of disappointment and upgrades and perks outside of promos and known, publicly stated benefits tend to be sweeter and more free flowing when you are not on the hunt for them. They do happen with special occasions but are kind of like Fight Club; you show gratitude but don't talk about them or others will expect and demand them.

4 minutes ago, suzyed said:

It was just my daughter and I cruising.  Her birthday was the first day of our cruise and her first Princess cruise!

 

Cheers to many cruises ahead! 🥂 I'm sure you both had a great time! 

1 hour ago, suzyed said:

The strange thing is when I took my adult daughter on a cruise for her birthday, they delivered a voucher for a free Speicalty Restaurant dinner and a $60 spa/salon gift card!  Very nice and very unexpected!  Never have seen it before or since.

Princess takes good care of their single cruisers, especially if they are young adults traveling with family. 

12 hours ago, drsel said:

 

How are each of the special occasions (on the cruise planner) celebrated on a Princess cruise?

Are each of them celebrated in different ways?

 

1. Retirement

2. Anniversary

3. Vow renewal

4. Graduation

5. Honeymoon

6. Reunion

7. Birthday

8. Engagement

9. Wedding

10. Other

 

 

I've been present for #2. Aniversaries are much like birthdays; a cake, group singing at dinner and a message on your door.

For #3, my parents renewed their vows for their 40th, forcing me to begrudgingly go on my first cruise that I swore I would hate. I didn't. The ceremony is really dependent on staff and the captain. Everyone was amazing on this one and everyone (including staff we all had contact with who attended) had tears in their eyes. Princess Cruises is AMAZING for vow renewals, especially if you can do a candlelit one on a formal night. In short, if you have a milestone to celebrate, do it!

For #7, birthdays can be upgraded with paid packages. Decor is then deployed in the room--think mobiles and banners--which is fun. Your cake will also be upgraded. 

For #9, my husband and I got married on the Grand Princess on a formal night at sea. A third-party vendor manages the details and some pluses and minuses exist with that. Thankfully, we had a TA who is very experienced with Princess and ironed out some kinks. I will say the onboard coordinator was amazing and we had staff come by while I was staging outside of the venue to offer well-wishes (our families, save for my dad, were inside). The quality of the ceremony is very dependent on the on-board coordinator and the captain. The packages are listed online but our travel agent navigated some odd challenges for us (choose one that does a lot of business with Princess) and we did research to know what we needed to roll onboard with to ensure the experience was a good one.

Weddings in port during a cruise can be a challenge unless you are traveling with your attendees. A port change on our wedding cruise left another bride nearly in tears. Most of her non-sailing guests could not change their travel plans and had to skip the wedding. 

We have seen engagements #8 and port-side weddings. Enagagements can be awesome and, for a fee, Princess will work magic for you.

Port-side weddings onboard don't seem to be worth the expense and stress. Guests have a very limited time onboard unless they are sailing so it is a mad sprint to get everything coordinated and celebrated before sail-away.

Princess is amazing and either your travel agent can populate certain celebrations or you can enter them into your cruise personalizer. For anything else, call Princess in advance. They are surprisingly happy to help and, like most in the service industry, enjoy making special moments memorable.

For #6, my parents also attended a reunion of various personnel who served on the same aircraft carrier. They had a great time and the ship arranged some private functions.

Most importantly, let your team know about your celebrations. They love to be in on the fun and can offer suggestions.

6 hours ago, kkmiausa said:

As I posted before Princess is owned by Carnival, it also owns Seabourn, HAL and others that have smaller ships.  I would happily travel on them so the money would go back to the same corporation.

 

In all sincerity, your husband's health is a serious concern and you should discuss the risks of travel and infection with a doctor, not a cruise discussion board. Even a cold can lead to deadly complications if a weakened immune system is in play.

The wildcard in all travel is other people, their approach to hygiene, and whether they self-quarrantine or carry on with their travels when they show symptoms. How much people spend or how many passengers are aboard has nothing to do with the potential to catch something. Any public place has the potential for viruses and diseases that can be transmitted my surface contact or close proximity--regardless of the number of passengers a vessel, aircraft, bus, train, taxi, etc. can carry. Heck, even currency can help viri find new hosts.

We have managed to avoid completely noro, even when a ships reported passengers aboard had it; however, we have caught awful colds.

On 12/28/2019 at 9:38 AM, txflood33 said:

I wasn't sure where a question like this would go...but I guess it is a ritual for some.

 

I think we all know the usual stuff....stop mail/papers, timers on lights, have a neighbor keep an eye out

 

What else do you do....and what do you do for extended trips?

 

we have a cruise in March where we will be gone for just under a month. Are there bigger things I need to think of? Do I need to shut the water off at the main valve? I'm on well water and septic if that 

On addition to the previous:

Enroll your house in the local police department's vacation check program.

Ensure a local family member had copies of all essential documents.

Have a copies of passenger contracts and insurance policies in hand.

Call your credit card companies and banks so your ATM and credit cards do not get locked down for potential fraud while making purchases or withdrawals.

If it's an international trip, your government has tips, programs, and resources. If you are fro the U.S., check out  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go.html.

On 2/4/2020 at 1:22 PM, jrbeccles said:

Just booked the Enchanted Princess for 12/20. First time back on a Princess ship since 2012 - booked because of sip and sail and pre paid tips, and brand new ship . Last two times on Princess (2011 and 2012) the DW really dressed up and I bought and wore a tux. I've read all of the posts of "formal" versus "smart casual" but since its Princess and assuming my tux still fits (and that's a BIG assumption) I am taking and wearing it on the two formal nights.  We are big NCL fans and therefore keen on smart casual, but DW has spoken saying its dress up time on this cruise. So if I stand out as the only guy wearing a tuxedo so be it - I'll be fantasizing my life as a '00 agent with a license to drink martinis! 

Bravo! My husband feels the same way and every man looks dashing in a tux. We have a blast on formal nights.

On 12/31/2019 at 2:48 PM, Daniel A said:

Heh, heh... She did something really special for us so we are gifting her and her daughter the cruise in an adjoining stateroom.  I just thought the 'Thank You' sign would be a nice touch.

 

Colo, where were you when we first booked this cruise for her?  The Magnum of Dom would have been less … 

The Plaid Kangaroo on Etsy (I cannot get the forum to take the link) does an amazing job with cruise signs. The quality is high and she will do her best to make something really special. We were surprised by the quality of the sign and speed at which it was done.

8 hours ago, tk2fast said:

Would some of the "seasoned" cruisers know what the difference between the Elemis Deep Tissue  Muscle Massage and the Swedish Massage.  

The descriptions are:

Elemis:

Using muscle-melting warmed oils and deep pressure massage movements, we massage deep into the belly of the muscle, erasing stress, tension and lactic acid build up.

 

Swedish: This classical European technique of manipulating muscles with aromatic massage oils is both relaxing and invigorating. While providing a tonic for the soul, this massage can help improve the function of the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular and nervous systems.

 

Both kind of look like they do the same thing?? 

I have had both on a few ships. Deep tissue involves a lot more pressure and focused worm to release stubborn knots. Swedish is more long strokes with light pressure for relaxation. If you want a soft touch, go Swedish. If you are looking to force tension from trouble spots, go deep tissue. The masseuses on board are really great (just watch for upsells like hot stones and the normal product pitch) so we always book a series of three to get the 10%/20%/30% discount, often as couples massages.

55 minutes ago, WISH84 said:

Did you ever get her "recap"  I see your post is from 2018 and I'm very curious to learn more about Royal Wedding Planners.  I had requested a very simple, private ceremony performed by the captain and was quoted $1600 for a full menu of things that we don't even want or need.  

I did not post a recap. Sorry! $1600 is the static charge. Period. The third-party "planners" --who are based in Canada--aren't great but the onboard staff were lovely, kind, and did a great job for us. Our travel agent was amazing and was our fixer and communicator with the ship to resolve minor issues. We are so glad we had her to rely on.

Yes, there is a ton of extraneous, outdated stuff in the package but you will not have other options. I asked... repeatedly.

Our wedding was on a formal night (the first sea day is a safe bet) so everyone in our group would be dressed up anyway. Weddings are usually late afternoon--forget about a candlelight ceremony--but it was fine and we all went to Crooners for a drink afterwards. Needless to say, the pianist makes a thing of your arrival and you soon have new friends and well wishers. 

I could not imagine being in that dress for hours so I did change into a white evening gown for dinner. That offered a chance to freshen up and be a little less conspicuous while still being a bit bridal.

We didn't use the flowers in the package--they will be delivered anyway and can be sent as a bouquet in a vase. Instead, we had a sculptor (found her on Etsy) make the bouquet and other flowers out if paper clay. They looked real, were exactly what we wanted, were relatively easy to transport, and were something we could keep forever.

Photographers shot photo and video. We didn't originally want photos of the ceremony and any other outdoor stuff but they did turn out gorgeous. One tip: negotiate the price of what you want when on the ship.

We took an ipod with our own music: no problems there at all.

Choose your captain carefully. Some captains are amazing. Ours wasn't super social and just rolled in for the ceremony (quite late, btw) and quickly bailed and we never saw him again.

The cake was larger and far more attractive than we thought. We brought a basic, inexpensive topper that was great and we didn't fret when it disappeared after our dinner with family in the Crown Grill. For our small group, the grill was a much better choice than any of the "reception" packages offered.

Bottom line... if it is just the two of you and just want something simple, do a courthouse legal wedding and do a renewal of vows and perhaps request some additional photos on deck (seriously, the wake photo is amazing). If you have family and such attending, the wedding package may be a better choice. The onboard coordinators herd everyone for you, escort family where they need to go, and do a million other things to make the day go well.

Weddings are money drains... it is what it is.

4 hours ago, Lindaru said:

Whether hotel or ship room bed, we take each individual layer down to the mattress, as well as pillow cases, to check for bodily fluid stains with one of these:

https://www.sirchie.com/forensics/alternate-light-sources/shortwave-uv-lights/shortwave-uv-mini-light-source.html

Towels are put down outside of the bath tub and shower before using.  Footwear is placed near that towel so that we can avoid walking barefoot on the bathroom floors.  Toilet seats are wiped down before first use.

If we find anything on pillows or bedding, we remove that and let management know.
 

We have stayed at too many hotels where crimes were committed like Portland, Oregon, area and Tacoma/Seattle area.

 

You will drive yourself insane with that UV light. Lots of non-nasty things floresce under the light. Here's just one basic article explaining such: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-glows-under-a-black-light-607615. 

We had a party of 11 at one table on the Grand last fall. Your TA can request the set up or you can call Princess. Yes, conversations may not be heard end-to-end in a busy dining room. We all moved seats every night to have an opportunity to connect with each other.

Christmas cruises are epic! Santa only visits on Christmas day but it will be complete with wonderful surprises. While holiday backdrops are available in November and December, Santa only visits when he is able (after presents have been delivered).

A perfect wedding isn't possible to planning for things that may come up is key and ensuring that someone else--not you-- can herd cats on the day of is critically important if the details are important go you. For us, we were happy to get married; the rest was a bonus. We controlled some elements but some things will go awry--no matter where a wedding is held--and you have to be prepared to roll with it.

If you are looking at an onboard wedding, the lines have set packages and things you can add on or bring onboard. Some elements may not turn out as imagined (some better, some worse) so you simply focus on what is most important to you both. Your relationship and planning for your marriage is more important than planning the impossible perfect wedding.

Ummm, so...anyone else nervous about the sea conditions during our week down the coast? Totally mentally prepared for the ride out of SF (which I know is bad on a good day) but how will the rest be as we get closer to Hurricane Rosa?

 

Also, we have a tour booked in Los Angeles on the 3rd day...will we be able to cancel and get a refund once we get onboard? It's calling for scattered thunderstorms...not super fun to go to 3rd St. Promenade and Santa Monica Pier with 2 kids in lightning and thunder! (Too late to cancel online).

I'm on the same cruise and am not cancelling shore excursions; however, I did adjust the wardrobe a little and packed some meclizine, ginger candy, and an umbrella. ;) Mother nature has a mind of her own and some forecasts call for partly cloudy skies for Los Angeles, not lightning and thunder, so you may not need to cancel.

To board, we usually have a small hardside spinner case, this gem that separates spare shoes from other contents (https://www.solesociety.com/mason.html?color=oxblood&size=one-size) and a case of wine on a compact, foldable trolley. :wine-glass::cool::cool::wine-glass:

Congrats! We chose to do ours on Princess because the package was great and we knew out guests would be most comfortable on the line. Also, Princess was the first to do weddings on board so they kind of have this thing dialed in.

We chose a wedding at sea as we could relax an not be rushed. We saw an embarkation wedding on our last cruise and I had no interest in arriving to the port largely dressed (you do not have much time to change into a gown once you board for the event), your reception is strictly limited to the time alotted to clear non-sailing guests in your party, and the bride and groom had to deal with newly embarked passengers getting in the way of their photos. They didn't look happy and that wasn't the vibe I was looking for. We also didn't want to do a wedding in port as we prefer to enjoy the cruise ports and the coordination fees were crazy.

Some input:

1. Is it proper etiquette to foot the bill for the guestrooms? Or is it expected of them to pay their portion?

If you have the money to do this, great, but it is not necessary and not expected but you may want to privately financially any guests that you cannot bear to leave behind who cannot afford the cruise. Some guests will have other commitments, challenges, or financial struggles but this is the case with any wedding.

2. Everyone will be flying or traveling to the port from out of state. Are we responsible for their travel costs? Like is that good etiquette..I don't want to be rude.

Absolutely not. Again, if you can financially manage this and/or want to help--especially if you want most of your guest list to attend-- go for it.

3. What do you include in their welcome bags?

We included corsages and flowers custom sculpted from paper clay as a permanent memento, a favor, a "wedding wand" since confetti, bubbles, etc. are not permitted, some fun items we like to board with (what you may take will vary by itinerary), a welcome newsletter that gave details about the wedding, what areas of the ship we are partial to and why, and what we have scheduled and--for those who are not attending our welcome home party (oh yea, your family and friends who cannot go will lobby for an after party)--the favor from that, too.

4. If you had a small wedding did you do the whole reception thing or did you just have a nice dinner at the restaurant on the ship?

We are doing a dinner in the Crown Grill. We felt a "reception" was overkill.

5. How was the planning process with Carnival?

Carnival may use the same company and it was a bit frustrating at first. Always feel free to call the cruise line directly to confirm details. Most items not in the package (a larger cake, flowers beyond what is exactly stated, etc.) are custom and subject to additional fees. The one huge plus is the fact that the whole wedding was locked and loaded weeks in advance.

6. Our families would not have met prior to our wedding, would this be weird/awkward?

Yes and no. They love you and will find they at least have their love for you both in common. We anticipate our families will have great memories of getting to know each other on the seven day cruise. We also had everyone choose the same dining time and our travel agent ensured we will all sit in the same area to encourage mixing and mingling.

7. What is your best advice on planning this?

Compare cruise packages across lines since you have time to really research and use a travel agent. We liked what princess had to offer overall and that the line would appeal to most we were inviting. Our travel agent was able to package transport to the pier and knew which rooms would be best for us and our guests. She was also able to avert a near-disaster with dinner seating. Choose a cruise that is affordable and call your guests to let them know what you are planning to do and to watch for sales with you. We also opted to have a sculptor make our florals for us. They are wholly predictable, they look jaw-dropping real, are lasting, and can make it through the cruise and welcome home party. No matter how the bouquet in the package looks, we're covered, and nothing will wilt. The sculptor also made the cake flowers, which can cover up a blah cake. And, as others have said, print every form, every request, and every document.

How is the honeymoon package with the couples massage?

 

 

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You can book a couples massage without the package. We have enjoyed the couples massages but it isn’t a luxe experience in a special suite per se. Two massage tables as side by side and a LED candle flickers away as it does during most of the Princess treatments. If you like everything in the package, great, but the honeymoon package but keep in mind that you have options.

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Pros: having more money to spend on fun, near total darkness for sleeping, you will never know the struggle of trying to open a cabin door if you or your roommate/spouse has left the balcony slider open

Cons: You may have more crew noise, dependent on location; you can't get a fresh air in your room

I have done both inside cabins and balconies. If you plan to be out and about on deck most of the day, you should be perfectly fine and it's actually fun to be on deck for each port sail-away. Don't worry about cabin snobs... some of them end up occupying valuable real-estate in the bars and lounges snoozing in their chairs rather than enjoying their balconies.

When booking an inside cabin, take a small flashlight! My roommate and I had a hilarious first evening on a Hawaiian cruise when I nearly took out a wall whilst trying to locate the restroom in the middle of the night. The bridge cam actually is great for seeing the weather and experiencing the sunrise if you leave the TV on overnight.

I have fine hair that is straight but not that wonderfully perfectly stright hair so every day is a battle and climates with humidity can be frustrating.

Step one: send DH to collect beverages and a plate of nibbles. Do not skip this step. :)

Aveda has a dry shampoo powder that is compact, non-aerosol, and amazing. When on a Hawaiian cruise, I put that in my hair after a shower (hair up in a shower cap) and worked it through with my fingers and a brush before setting it all in large hot rollers (Conair travel). By the time I had my face on, the ends were smooth, I had some volume, and my hair smelled great. The Aveda dry shampoo is the ultimate quick change weapon!