CruiserTB

where did you see that info about it possibly cancelling? I have a friend on the sailing and she has heard nothing.

Sorry if I worried your friend needlessly. It's on the Roll call thread for this weekend's cruise. They're speculating due to the storm and the waves at the sea and someone is looking at the weather models. I'm proceeding as if nothing's changed and we're going to cruise as normal. :D

Well, if you think about it, it's only one more day off of work for 2 more full days of cruising. For us it's a no brainer. ;)

 

I've got 56 guests sailing with us. If you give people enough time to plan, and you catch the sales right, you'll be amazed as to what can happen. :D

You make a good point Mona ;) I expect by the end of this weekend I'll know which way we want to go. Well as long as the Anthem cruise this weekend still goes on. There's some concern regarding the weather so they may cancel it. :rolleyes:

We opted for the Summit for two reasons - cost and because it's a 7 day cruise instead of a 5 day. The summit was actually pricing out better for us - probably because it's an older ship. I've been on the summit before and I love the ship, so I'm pretty happy with my choice.

 

We're getting married in port the day we leave so I can have non saililng guests join. It's coming up quick! We are almost at the 2 month mark. :)

Yes I think Summit's 7 day is going to be less expensive than the Anthem 5 day for us as well. At least that's based on old data. The reason we're leaning toward the 5 day is because we wanted our guests to take the least amount of days off. But we're still on the fence, both options have their plus and minuses.:D

I wish we had Florida's prices as well! I absolutely won't hold it against anyone who can't attend, but those making comments are my friends or family who travel out of the country at min 3 times a year! So my thought is just make my wedding week one of them! Weddingmoon!!! That is a large group, but the more the merrier I say. I have never been on a "real" cruise before so I am thinking about all the possibilities for fun! We have verbally invited 78 at this point and still have a few more. My travel agent is waiting on the dates so that we can hopefully receive some sort of group rate that is tangible for my guests. Once the booking is completed, I book my package and send out the save the dates and wedding site details.

 

Do you mind sharing what you are doing as far as your ceremony, are you doing a reception, DJ etc....I am toying with the idea of a full sit down reception but keep reading and want to know if it makes sense considering cruises are all about the food. I want to be private and different and yet fun! Thoughts or suggestions!

I'm doing a full reception with DJ and buying out a specialty restaurant, most likely Chops if we go with Royal. It's a little pricey but nowhere near what I would spend if I had a regular land wedding. :D Me and FH are going to eat at this restaurant when we do the weekend cruise so we'll know for sure if it's the one we want.

That's awesome. We are very close to Baltimore and wouldn't mind the option of a port wedding, but I want the big and newer boat. So we will just have to drive up, only about a 3 hr vs having to fly guests in. I am accommodating guests by opting for the 5 night cruise so that less time from work or vacation time is used. Also I have taking in account school season etc. It amazes me how much push back I am receiving given how accommodating I have been.....Oh well I will not be deterred and am so excited. I wish there were more "real' life pictures and video's online.

Yeah even a 5 day on Anthem is going to cost a bit of money. I wish we had Florida's prices:D Try not to hold it against anyone if they can't make it. We're expecting a large group of close to 100 guests to sail with us but that's because we do a family & friends cruise every year and most of the people we're inviting are the same ones that would normally go with us. Even still if no one except for the VIPs (who we consulted, gave an estimate of prices too, and are equally excited about going) showed up I would be fine with that. Heck if it's just me, DH, and our kids that showed up I'd still be excited because hey I'm getting married and I'm cruising. :D And when we get back we go on our honeymoon. 2 vacations in 1!:D

Congratulations! Share experience if you are able too. Are you having your wedding on board the ship or at a destination?

In port. I was born and raised in bayonne and most of me & DH's family still live there so it will be easy for those not sailing to join us for the wedding. :D

It sounds like they are going in March, but hoping to book a wedding in 2017....

Yup it's either Anthem or Summit so I'll know one way or another after this cruise. I know Celebrity's dates are already out.:D Family is pushing for Celebrity so we'll see...

Oddly, me too! Hmmmm maybe we will see eachother aboard! I misunderstood and thought you were going March of 2016.

I'm going on the 3 day weekend cruise March 4, 2016 but my wedding won't be until July 2017. So this gives me a chance to sort of preview Anthem and see if it's the way I want to go.:D

Take pics if you can share! My fiance and I have decided on a cruise wedding, specifically the Anthem of the Seas. We are waiting for the 2017 Cruise schedule to be released.

 

Please and thank you!

Will do! I'm waiting for that release as well. Specifically July 2017. I check everyday. :D

I'm going on a weekend cruise on Anthem of the Seas on March 4 and was informed there will be a wedding in Two70 on Saturday. I'm going to try and peak in to see how they set it up. Since there's hardly any information out there about this ship and particularly weddings on this ship, I thought I'd use this opportunity. :D If anyone has anything they want me to scope out for them while I'm there just let me know.

Everyday I check to see if today is the day Royal releases its July 2017 NJ cruise itinerary. I need to jump on that as soon as it comes out.

Hello again!

 

From what I know, they will be setting up the reception while we have our ceremony in the Reflections lounge. You do not need the DJ in there, they will set up the music for you. If you have a CD of the music, they will arrange to have it going for the ceremony. Reflections is literally a few steps from QSine, so this was actually easier than turning the entire restaurant over.

 

From what I was told, the DJ will be somewhere closer to the side of the room? (If that makes sense)...It may be a tight squeeze, but they told us they could definitely make it work.

Hmm, ok well I know you went on the tour so you would know better than what I'm seeing in the photos. I think we're going to have 70-80 guests, so just trying to visualize how that would work in Qsine with a DJ and also a dance floor. I'll probably schedule a tour after my Anthem cruise so I can compare.

Hello! I am getting married on Royal Caribbean anthem of the seas April 30th. I had my initial contact with the wedding planner and since she has been very responsive with e mail and such. If you have specific questions id be more than happy to try and answer them for you!

Hi Futuremrslonnay, would you let me know how it is going with you booking your wedding on anthem? Anthem is my only other option besides Celebrity Summit since I want to get married out of NJ but because Anthem is so new there is virtually nothing I can find about a wedding on there. Do you know where you are getting married? How many people are joining you?

I really don't think that it would be boring at all - and I think for first time cruisers it's actually a great introduction to cruising - kind of the best of both worlds. You've got the ship, and then you have a 3 day land vacation with the ship as your hotel.

 

Our wedding is looking to be so big that we are likely going to have the ceremony in Reflections. I think it might be too cool to deal with being outdoors. Realistically, I am at 54 people sailing (30 cabins), and likely at least another 50 coming on board for the ceremony... so...

 

We sent out our invites today - well, we did 60 paper invites, and the rest via paperless post. Those went out to those already sailing, and the more tech savvy of the guests. The RSVPs are actually already coming in, so that's great. I'm trying to get a head start on this, as I would like to get everything firmed up by the beginning of February if at all possible, for my own piece of mind.

 

It's only 4 months away! Holy hannah - this is the year I'm getting married in!

Upon talking with my FH, he feels the same way as you that it would be great for first timers as well as veteran cruisers. :D I have a surprise 4 day cruise in March on Anthem that I booked for us to go on so I want to do that before committing to Celebrity but as of now we're leaning heavily toward Celebrity.

Falls, you said you hired a DJ and are also buying out Qsine. How is that going to work with your ceremony in reflections? Where is the DJ going? From the pictures I was able to see of Qsine it doesn't look like a DJ would fit in there. Just trying to figure out how it works logistically, especially if you only get 2 hours before non-sailing guests have to leave.

Jumping back in this thread as a potential Summit bride (thanks again Falls for the heads up that dates for July 2017 have been released). Congrats Mona!

Quick question for you ladies, are you both doing the 7 day cruise to Bermuda and if so do you think 3 days in Bermuda will be boring? Especially for first-time cruisers of which we expect to have a few as well as veteran cruisers.

Also, Falls you mentioned they showed you the top deck as a potential ceremony location. Where exactly on the top deck would the ceremony be held? Just trying to visualize it. Thanks:D

Hello there :)

 

As a heads up, I believe they posted the Celebrity dates for next July (2017). I am getting married on the Summit out of Bayonne August 2016 :)

Hey Falls, yes you've given me some great info so far on another thread and through e-mail. Thanks, I did not know the dates came out.:D I just wish Royal's dates were out too so I could properly compare as it seems most of the people we've talked to prefer Royal because it has a younger crowd.

which cruise-line are you going with for your wedding?

It's either going to be Celebrity or Royal Caribbean since those are the only two that leave from NJ. :D

July 2017 Bride here! :D

Not sure exactly when because the cruiseline hasn't released the dates yet, ugh.:mad: But as soon as they do I'm on it. I check periodically as does my wedding planner. In the meantime I just look at the 2015 and 2016 threads for insight.

Well, the tour was, for a lack of better phrases, not as informative as I would have hoped. It was a fantastic day of exploring the ship with my family and my fiancé's family; however, I was very dissatisfied with the lack of answers I received from the coordinator, Stacey. As you may know, Celebrity's tours are not free (in fact I spent nearly $500) and I think I probably knew more than Stacey.

 

But, I would still book the tour again in a heartbeat. It was especially beneficial for me as someone who has never sailed Celebrity. We met Stacey around 10:30 (we were told to be there by 11, but I am always, always punctual). She brought us on the ship. She didn't really know her way around or know where most locations were. I really loved that we were greeted with cold towels and mimosas. I am excited for my guests to experience this.

 

We first looked at Qsine. She knew nothing about the menu, arrangements of the rooms, etc. Limba, the maitre d of the restaurant, sat down with us and told us how we could arrange it, where to put the bar, and even discussed with us a signature sangria. She did not know the pricing. Here is where I started to get some anxiety, however. With the lunch restaurant buy out, the classic alcohol package is included. This is the contract I signed. For the price I gave to Limba, she thought I was mistaken and Stacey could neither confirm or deny. Obviously, I spoke with Denise from TWE as soon as I could and cross-referenced my paperwork and I was correct.

 

Limba said that I email Denise with whatever and want and she will set up the venue to my liking. Limba was truly fantastic and went above and beyond to answer my questions. Stacey kept trying to get us to have our ceremony in Qsine as well. Limba pretty much told her she was crazy because they would have to arrange the restaurant twice for 70 guests and that another ceremony venue would be ideal.

 

I asked several questions and I honestly received this response 90% of the time: "I'm not sure. Ask Denise." She couldn't tell me price of guest parking. She could not confirm how to do table numbers, knew nothing about photography. Seriously. She did answer one question- what time do guests need to arrive? She told me 10:00. It is actually 10:30.

 

We then looked at Reflections for the ceremony and the top deck. My 92-year-old grandfather (he will be 93) cannot make it to the deck...plus it may be windy...and it is August, so we have chosen Reflections. Stacey was supposed to send a report confirming our choice and I had to talk to Denise and book it anyway, since she never received this.

 

We also looked at Normandy and explored the ship a bit. We did have to insist on seeing the rest of the ship and then my dad kind of took over (haha). We proceeded to lunch around 12:30 and the entire ship must have been in the buffet area. We spent about 25 minutes looking for a table. Again, being that this was a pricey tour, a table should have been placed aside for us as to not waste any of our time. Additionally, lunch is included so if the buffet cannot accommodate us, they should have arranged for the main dining room (which was open I believe for lunch).

 

My mom also really wanted to see a stateroom. I'm pretty sure the tour doesn't include this. My dad, being the character he is, commandeered the tour and brought us to the location of our rooms next year. A very, very lovely couple invited us to see the room and encouraged me to take pictures as the bride.

 

Overall, I strongly suggest booking this so you can get a feel for your ship; if you are bringing a party and are spending a nice chunk of change, maybe confirm your tour guide before showing up the day of. Make sure you are getting the value of the tour!

 

Sorry for being wordy!

 

~J

Thank you! And no you were not too wordy, this is exactly what I wanted to know. :D We will have a big group as well since in addition to myself & FI and our parents, I will also be bringing my wedding planner and her assistant.

Fallsgracefully how was the tour?:)

Hello again!

 

So, obviously I have not cruised yet, but I can provide a few updates on the option were a taking. We are booked with the groups department of Celebrity (we have been for a while) for the actual cruise. We decided to do the Concierge Class, which at the time included our classic drinks package, gratuities, and a $300 onboard credit. We will be using a portion of the OBC to upgrade to the premium package since we both enjoy craft beers. Here is what we currently booked:

• Test the Waters Package- We are touring the ship on August 2nd. While we have yet to see the ship, we did place a hold on the ceremony and Qsine, due to limited space. To tour the ship with both sets of parents, it was just under $500. It does include lunch at the buffet. While pricey, I am a person who needs to see before total committment.
  
• QSine Lunch Buyout/ Embarkation- For 70 guests, it is $45 a person. I have the buyout breakdown of prices if you would like it. I can email it your way.
  
• Embarkation Ceremony- This I feel is pricey. For about $2.800 we booked a full ceremony on the ship. It includes officiant, music, location, etc. We will obtain our our license.
  
• DJ- We paid $600. This covers the 3 hour reception time.
  
• Photography- I already prepaid $150 for an extra hour of photography.
  
• Cake- Our cake is $6 a person. They are allowing us to send in a design and I am waiting to see if we have flavor options beyond chocolate and vanilla.
  
• The bouquet is included...I think I may be making making flowers out of book pages, but not sure yet.
  
• Additional Coordinators- I had to pay for two. It was $300.
  

 

Overall, it is turning out to be not as cost-efficient as originally intended. We will end up spending about $10,000 for everything wedding related, not including the cruise. Keep in mind, we do have 70 guests. I found, mathematically, it was cheaper to invite 70 guests if you check the pricing guidelines.

 

Hope this helps! Will keep you posted!

 

~J

Yes this helps a lot. Would you please send me the price list? tdwedding2017@yahoo.com. Also, do you have to be booked before doing a test the waters tour? I'm interested in doing one but not sure if I need to book the cruise first.

Hey everyone,

 

Just your average lurker here...I have been trying to no avail to find information on Celebrity cruise weddings. My fiance and I just booked our wedding yesterday (Summit out of Cape Liberty, NJ) and were looking for some general information. Coincidentally (and perhaps a nice stroke of luck), we booked our wedding yesterday for August 2016, yesterday being my parent's 30th anniversary :)

 

We are doing a restaurant buy out of Qsine for an embarkation wedding (we have a lot of older folks, my 92-year-old grandpa specifically, so we want to get married in port). Does anyone have any pictures of similar weddings on this ship or another ship from Celebrity? Has anyone done the buyout? We are taking a tour of the ship this August, but were afraid that the venue would book quickly and booked prior to the tour.

 

Additionally, we are buying a cake (which was pricey). Does anyone know if you are really able to customize with Celebrity?

 

Sorry that this was wordy. Thanks in advance!

 

~J

I'm sorry I don't have any advice but I just wanted to say please come back and update this thread as your plans continue. I'm from NJ and will be doing an embarkation day wedding in 2017 at this port as well as a buy out of the restaurant. My only cruise options are Royal and Celebrity which as I'm sure you've seen, there's not much out there on either.

Hi!

 

I'm getting married May 8, 2016 on board the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda! It's round trip out of NJ, and we are getting married in port to allow for non sailing guests to come on board. We also plan on having a secondary reception when we get back from the cruise for those friends and family members who cannot make it.

 

I've put the $ down on the date. Just started talking it up with my friends and family in the last week and a half, and I've already got 28 cabins on deposit! So very exciting, and looking forward to planning along with all of you over the course of the next year. :)

 

I'm going to work on doing save the dates so that I can get them ordered and sent out. I already know that my hairdresser is going to do my hair and makeup. I've just contracted a friend who is a photographer to do photos above and beyond the ships photography in exchange for me paying for part of her cruise.

 

This is really happening!

Please please please stay active on this thread and provide updates as to how your planning is going. I'm not getting married til 2017 but since I'll be cruising out of NJ my only choices are Summit & whatever ship Royal has at the time (perhaps Anthem). :D

Sent to both of you - there are several attachments in the email so you may find other things useful too!

would you please send it to me as well tdwedding2017@yahoo.com :D

I haven't been back in awhile! I hope all of you guys are doing well!

 

As for the dress on the plane my only piece of advice:

Carry the darn thing and look exhausted. LOL I carried it on (and through the airport...bleh....) and when I got on the plane the flight attendant said, "ahh let me take that for you and I'll put it in the closet, and why didn't you board with the people that needed extra time silly!"

I'm guessing she meant because it was heavy, so take full advantage of getting on the plane early to make sure that dress gets on safely.

Awe congrats.:D