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Wedding Aboard Anthem of the Seas


atam91
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Hello, fellow cruisers! clear.png?emoji-smile-1742 (This is a repost from a different board, as per a suggestion from another member.)

 

I am hoping to hear from anyone who either got married, or attended a wedding, on board Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas. My fiance and I love cruising and have always enjoyed sailing on Royal Caribbean - in fact, we got engaged on our last cruise to Bermuda - so we decided to book an embarkation day wedding on board Anthem of the Seas.

 

While we are excited, we have our share of concerns working with the Royal Romance wedding department. I am fairly low key and know that having a cruise wedding means going with the flow and trusting it to all come together. I do believe that communication is important, however, and that has been quite difficult with the coordinators over at Royal Romance. Additionally, we are concerned about the layout of the venue choices available. With our guest count, we were told we would most likely have our ceremony and reception in the Music Hall. I haven't seen many pictures of Music Hall set up for weddings, but the ones I have seen depicted wedding guests scattered on bar lounge chairs and at small bar tables. I am hoping they can set up some actual tables and chairs for our reception for the convenience of our family and friends.

 

I know that no wedding goes without a hitch and we are going to make the best of whatever situation is thrown at us. After all, every situation is what you make of it. clear.png?emoji-smile-1742 That being said, I would absolutely love to hear from anyone who might be able to share a positive experience with their wedding on board this particular ship. That might help assuage some of our concerns.

 

Thanks so much!

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Hi there,

also engaged on last trip to Bermuda on the Anthem (may 6th)--had royal engagement setup on the north star, and have our wedding booked embarkation day 9-29-18 on the Anthem since we live in jersey--we anticipate 35-40ish guests sailing with us. I had the same apprehension about working with the wedding department. I DO know that they switched companies back in January/February to the same company that runs all the weddings for Princess/Carnival/Norwegian. We knew for a while now that we wanted to do the cruise wedding thing, so I wanted to get the ball rolling on it ASAP. The day we disembarked in may (5/12), I got on the phone with the royal weddings dept. I got through after being on hold for about 10 minutes, was able to reserve my date, pending signing the contract and sending the deposit within I think 72 hours. I was told that the deposit was the full cost of the ceremony (3800+1800 for embarkation day). I submitted it all on friday evening. I followed up the next monday to make sure I got the date, they said they got the paperwork and would process it and that my date was held for me. They didn't process my charge until the 19th and They ended up only taking 2000 from my card and I had to tell them to process the rest like 2 weeks later after they sent me a bill. It took about a week and a half for them to assign me to a coordinator (5/23) who was Puneet Dadiala. She was nice, and in the first email she gave the package form right away. It's 15 pages, so going through that, I had a ton of questions about the options, things that were/were not allowed, ect. she answered all of my questions for me, usually with about 2 day turnaround time. That was decent. BUT, around 7pm last night, I got an e-mail from a new woman, Megan D'Onofrio, who basically said Puneet has left the company and she's my new coordinator and to set up a call with her to go over things with me, as she's reviewing my file. I responded immediately, haven't heard anything back yet. I am already feeling nervous about the coordinator switch only a month in, given all the bad reviews i've read about RC weddings--doesn't seem to be many positive ones. I'm sure I will feel better once I arrange the call with Megan. I will say, I have been working with a really great TA for my group (if you set up a group booking you get bonuses), and just emailed her about Megan. She answered back within 10 minutes and said she spoke to both Megan and Puneet during different calls to RC and that megan was very knowledgeable and she thought she was much nicer and friendlier than Punet, and that she would trust her wholeheartedly, so there's that. Also trying to keep in mind that it's a new company (Royal Ocean Events), allegedly more reliable and reputable so I'm hoping that helps. I have other info from my communications/forms if you'd like I can email them over to you. hope that helps, it's not easy getting information on the wedding stuff!!

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sonysita: Thank you so much for replying to this thread! We are having our embarkation day wedding on July 7th, 2018 and have (had?) Puneet Dadiala as our wedding coordinator too! I actually just sent her an email asking a question a few days ago, but got a standard notice saying she is out of office - we were not informed that she left the company! They will certainly be getting a phone call from us. I wish you the best of luck working with the new coordinator!

 

Getting the information has not been easy. We put down our deposit and received the contract and wedding package selection form at this point, but communicating our questions has been a nightmare. We were also not thrilled with the wording of the contract basically stating that if something happens to delay/prevent the sailing and wedding from happening (in the case of failure on their part or an "act of god"), we would still be liable to pay for the wedding regardless. We actually ended up purchasing outside wedding insurance to cover emergency situations such as that.

 

I didn't realize that they switched companies earlier this year. Unfortunately, some of the negative things I've read seems to still be holding true. Hoping that it gets easier as time moves along!

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I didn't have a hard time having Puneet respond to my questions and e-mails. I still haven't heard back from the new one since her initial e-mail. Were you able to call in and be assigned a new coordinator? As it gets closer to my date, I am going to request the contact information of the on board coordinator. That's what my fiance did when he was planning our engagement (he did the whole thing through RC) and said it was a huge pain in the butt to communicate with them beforehand, but once he took it into his own hands pretty much and stalked the coordinator and messaged her on facebook, everything was great for him, she was super nice and it all went smoothly. I definitely want to be in touch with the on board person and make sure all my information has been fully transferred to whoever it is and there are no gaps in communication. We're paying a lot of money and I want everything as I expect! Unfortunately we talked to the coordinator from the engagement while we were there and she won't be back on Anthem, as she was transferring to Harmony in the next month or so.

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I called at the end of the day Friday and was told we had not yet been assigned to a new coordinator. Supposedly, their supervisor was supposed to be back in the office today and we should be reassigned this week. I'm sure I will have to call again this week. Definitely have to keep on top of them.

 

That's a good idea regarding getting the information of the on board coordinator. I will definitely make sure to do that when the time comes. And I absolutely agree with you - while the cruise wedding is cheaper than many of the traditional options we looked at, it's still a lot of money and I don't want to be surprised on my wedding day.

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So it's been a week since I first heard from the Megan woman. I responded to her that night, and also sent a follow up email yesterday morning. Still nothing. I'll be calling in tonight, because even though I'm over a year out, I should be able to get in contact with someone over there. This is what I was afraid of when I booked with wedding on board. Have you been assigned yet?

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It's been a week since I last heard from them, too. I called this morning and the coordinator I spoke to had no idea if I had been reassigned yet. I gently voiced my frustration again at the lack of communication and the fact that we weren't even told our coordinator left (if you didn't join this thread, I wouldn't have known). Someone is supposed to call me back, but I won't hold my breath. This is also what I was afraid of, and I am not happy. If they have received so much negative feedback about their lack of communication and other issues, I don't understand why this issue isn't being addressed in the company.

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have you been assigned? I had to call in friday of last week and ask why she wasn't answering me. I finally got an email back from megan after over a week of no response. so on july 4th she wrote back saying she was in training and, again, to set up a day/time for a phone call. I responded within seconds to set a call up for today, it's been over two days with still no response. I called at 820m PST and again just now, both times they wouldn't connect me to her, first they said she hadn't started for the day and now they said they are busy. I basically asked if they could have a supervisor evaluate if she will be able to handle my wedding or if I need to be assigned to a new coordinator. there's absolutely no reason it should take over two weeks to send one email. I am definitely frustrated. I'm over a year out, i'm not trying to set up the whole damn thing right now, all I want is to touch base with this person to be on the same page about everything and know someone is actually going to work on my wedding. I think for over $10 thousand, bringing 40 people and not even including my cruise fare, i'm at least entitled to a ten minute phone call. and they said a cruise wedding was easy!! I'd love to know if other people are having our difficulties.

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Hi all. I've been dealing with Isabella for my wedding (May 26 2018 aboard Rhapsody). She's been great and responds fairly quickly; usually within a day or two.

 

I hope both your experiences improve. I'm trying to stay on top of Isabella with confirmations every few weeks to make sure my requests have been fulfilled.

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Hi all. I've been dealing with Isabella for my wedding (May 26 2018 aboard Rhapsody). She's been great and responds fairly quickly; usually within a day or two.

 

I hope both your experiences improve. I'm trying to stay on top of Isabella with confirmations every few weeks to make sure my requests have been fulfilled.

 

I had puneet, she left the company and I was dumped off on a woman named Megan who has yet to respond more than a 50 word email in two and a half weeks. I called twice today to try to get in touch with her and was denied both times. I finally asked if someone could evaluate whether Megan could handle my wedding or if I need to be reassigned. Their program manager emailed me to set up a call for tomorrow within half hour of making a complaint. hopefully she will be able to find me someone like Isabella who can answer an e-mail more than once a month!

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I had puneet, she left the company and I was dumped off on a woman named Megan who has yet to respond more than a 50 word email in two and a half weeks. I called twice today to try to get in touch with her and was denied both times. I finally asked if someone could evaluate whether Megan could handle my wedding or if I need to be reassigned. Their program manager emailed me to set up a call for tomorrow within half hour of making a complaint. hopefully she will be able to find me someone like Isabella who can answer an e-mail more than once a month!

 

Yes Isabella is quick to respond with emails. I haven't spoken to her on the phone yet but I feel like I don't need to with her quick responses. Hopefully it stays this way until my wedding date.

 

We are doing a Symbolic Ceremony at sea inside the Shall We Dance lounge at 4pm. I originally asked Isabella to have it for 12pm but today she came back to me saying that time slot is unvailable. It's unforunate since I am pretty sure I booked it first before anyone else (2 months ago) but that's okay. 4pm should work better; ceremony, reception for 2 hours then off to the main dining room for dinner. I'll keep everyone updated!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hello, all! Just checking in! I hope everyone is having better luck with the wedding planning process!

 

We were re-assigned to a wedding coordinator named Julie, but we have mostly been in contact with one of the program managers named Sandy who has been extremely helpful! We had quite a few issues over the past month, one of which included our reservation accidentally being cancelled! In the midst of us freaking out, Sandy took care of everything and has been absolutely wonderful. Of course, we are still nervous about how the rest of the process will unfold, but one step at a time.

 

Has anyone here thought about what they are going to do regarding music for the reception? We are interested in the DJ option for the reception given the number of people we have attending, but the fine print on our contract states that the staff member assigned to play the music will not make any announcements or take song requests. We are trying to figure out how to get around this because it is very important for us to be able to have our first dance together as husband and wife, as well as the father/daughter and mother/son dances.

 

And yes, if anyone has already had their wedding on board and has pictures to share, would love to see them!

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Hello, all! Just checking in! I hope everyone is having better luck with the wedding planning process!

 

We were re-assigned to a wedding coordinator named Julie, but we have mostly been in contact with one of the program managers named Sandy who has been extremely helpful! We had quite a few issues over the past month, one of which included our reservation accidentally being cancelled! In the midst of us freaking out, Sandy took care of everything and has been absolutely wonderful. Of course, we are still nervous about how the rest of the process will unfold, but one step at a time.

 

Has anyone here thought about what they are going to do regarding music for the reception? We are interested in the DJ option for the reception given the number of people we have attending, but the fine print on our contract states that the staff member assigned to play the music will not make any announcements or take song requests. We are trying to figure out how to get around this because it is very important for us to be able to have our first dance together as husband and wife, as well as the father/daughter and mother/son dances.

 

And yes, if anyone has already had their wedding on board and has pictures to share, would love to see them!

 

 

I plan on making a mix cd that has specific music in order. Ceremony songs, reception songs, first dance etc.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hello, all! Just checking in! I hope everyone is having better luck with the wedding planning process!

 

We were re-assigned to a wedding coordinator named Julie, but we have mostly been in contact with one of the program managers named Sandy who has been extremely helpful! We had quite a few issues over the past month, one of which included our reservation accidentally being cancelled! In the midst of us freaking out, Sandy took care of everything and has been absolutely wonderful. Of course, we are still nervous about how the rest of the process will unfold, but one step at a time.

 

Has anyone here thought about what they are going to do regarding music for the reception? We are interested in the DJ option for the reception given the number of people we have attending, but the fine print on our contract states that the staff member assigned to play the music will not make any announcements or take song requests. We are trying to figure out how to get around this because it is very important for us to be able to have our first dance together as husband and wife, as well as the father/daughter and mother/son dances.

 

And yes, if anyone has already had their wedding on board and has pictures to share, would love to see them!

 

Someone in another thread talked about a DJ request form in which they could say songs they wanted and for what. I plan to be VERY specific about what the DJ plays so would be upset if they don't allow it. (I want 1st dances, and group line dances and stuff...yes I'm THAT person lol) I would try to ask the coordinator about that. Others have said their DJ was great. I plan to have my brother MC as he is funny, knows everyone's names, and I can tell him EXACTLY what, how, and when I want things planned. Then he can work WITH the DJ.

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  • 3 months later...

Hi, everyone. We are getting married on Anthem on April 1st (not a joke). Lol we planned our cruise wedding since 2016. We started with Puneet then I think Megan who got pregnant and is on maternity leave. I learned all this from our current planner, Laura Goodrick. She's pretty great so far. I decided to call the # one day last week just to see if I could talk to anyone about the wedding since I kind of ignored them from when they sent me paper work to fill out (apostille, etc). Laura emailed me the wedding papers and we went through the whole thing. I asked my questions (from my list I had prepared) and she also explained things I didn't even know to ask about. She said I can email her any other questions I have so I'm not really too worried about the planning part. I gotta say I don't like the fact that the whole thing has to be only 3 hours and has to end at 7 pm. Also I'm not too keen on the venue. In the photos back in 2016, it showed that the venue was the Solarium which is my favorite spot so to have it changed was def a disappointment. The Music hall just seems too big and open for our ~50 guests. Going to stay positive tho. Lol I'm not really even a picky bride so I'll just go with the flow.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm also getting married on the Anthem! August 4th, 2018 to be exact. I have between 100 and 150 guests and have also been assigned the Music Hall. (I actually heard they only use two places for Weddings on the Anthem now - the Music Hall and Boleros.) Laura is my coordinator as well, she has been good to work with so far. I can't wait to hear all about your wedding. If you ever want to chat/exchange ideas, let me know!

 

Hi, everyone. We are getting married on Anthem on April 1st (not a joke). Lol we planned our cruise wedding since 2016. We started with Puneet then I think Megan who got pregnant and is on maternity leave. I learned all this from our current planner, Laura Goodrick. She's pretty great so far. I decided to call the # one day last week just to see if I could talk to anyone about the wedding since I kind of ignored them from when they sent me paper work to fill out (apostille, etc). Laura emailed me the wedding papers and we went through the whole thing. I asked my questions (from my list I had prepared) and she also explained things I didn't even know to ask about. She said I can email her any other questions I have so I'm not really too worried about the planning part. I gotta say I don't like the fact that the whole thing has to be only 3 hours and has to end at 7 pm. Also I'm not too keen on the venue. In the photos back in 2016, it showed that the venue was the Solarium which is my favorite spot so to have it changed was def a disappointment. The Music hall just seems too big and open for our ~50 guests. Going to stay positive tho. Lol I'm not really even a picky bride so I'll just go with the flow.
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  • 2 weeks later...
I'm also getting married on the Anthem! August 4th, 2018 to be exact. I have between 100 and 150 guests and have also been assigned the Music Hall. (I actually heard they only use two places for Weddings on the Anthem now - the Music Hall and Boleros.) Laura is my coordinator as well, she has been good to work with so far. I can't wait to hear all about your wedding. If you ever want to chat/exchange ideas, let me know!

Hello. We are looking at a 2020 wedding but I have so many questions & can't seem to get the exact answer. Do you have any info you could share other than the brochure? It shows calla lilies but I was told they only offered roses. Hair & make up sessions were "ranges" and I couldn't figure out the photography packages. I am also curious about the photograph themselves as DF HATES having his picture taken and I like the idea of photojournalism more than portraits. Help...:-)

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Hello. We are looking at a 2020 wedding but I have so many questions & can't seem to get the exact answer. Do you have any info you could share other than the brochure? It shows calla lilies but I was told they only offered roses. Hair & make up sessions were "ranges" and I couldn't figure out the photography packages. I am also curious about the photograph themselves as DF HATES having his picture taken and I like the idea of photojournalism more than portraits. Help...:-)

 

I'm happy to share what I have! The brochure on their site is quite different than the actual offerings. They only give you the official option book once you put a deposit down, but I can send it to you and share my experience and learnings. Shoot me an email. My address is my full name (First name is on my user name) Erin Miller at GMail, no spaces between my first middle and last name.

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I'm happy to share what I have! The brochure on their site is quite different than the actual offerings. They only give you the official option book once you put a deposit down, but I can send it to you and share my experience and learnings. Shoot me an email. My address is my full name (First name is on my user name) Erin Miller at GMail, no spaces between my first middle and last name.

Would you mind if I emailed you as well?! My fiance and I are looking at a 2020 wedding but online it doesn't say much on their brochure. It would be a great if you could hep us out as well a little bit. I would truly appreciate it. :*

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This is so helpful- thank you for posting! My fiance and I are booked aboard the Liberty of the Seas departing 2/17/19 and hoping for a wedding at sea on the 18th. I've sent my forms to Royal Events and am currently waiting for them to assign me a coordinator, take the deposit, and send the full book of options that was mentioned in this thread. Fingers crossed for me- planning with them sounds like a nightmare!

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Would you mind if I emailed you as well?! My fiance and I are looking at a 2020 wedding but online it doesn't say much on their brochure. It would be a great if you could hep us out as well a little bit. I would truly appreciate it. :*

 

Of course!

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This is so helpful- thank you for posting! My fiance and I are booked aboard the Liberty of the Seas departing 2/17/19 and hoping for a wedding at sea on the 18th. I've sent my forms to Royal Events and am currently waiting for them to assign me a coordinator, take the deposit, and send the full book of options that was mentioned in this thread. Fingers crossed for me- planning with them sounds like a nightmare!

 

Honestly, I have NOT had big issues! I have heard they changes the company they did wedding with. I am currently planning my August 2018 wedding and really haven't run into major challenges.

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I'm also getting married on the Anthem! August 4th, 2018 to be exact. I have between 100 and 150 guests and have also been assigned the Music Hall. (I actually heard they only use two places for Weddings on the Anthem now - the Music Hall and Boleros.) Laura is my coordinator as well, she has been good to work with so far. I can't wait to hear all about your wedding. If you ever want to chat/exchange ideas, let me know!

 

Congratulations! We are a group of 56 so much less than yours. I was opting for Boleros (can hold up to 75 people only) at first because I wanted it to be intimate but Laura suggested not to do that becuase we might feel tight in there. So, Music Hall it is. We don't really mind. We are go with the flow kind of people. We tried to do the restaurant buy out of Chops but was not approved by RC. Probably my fault tho for trying to book it so late. Lol I'm a big procrastinator. Since we are getting married on a Sea Day, I had to notarize some papers then have them certiied by the county clerk of which the notary was qualified then went to NYC to get apostille by the NY dept of state. Then scanned them & emailed to Laura. Once she got the approval from the Bahamas, I sent her the paperwork via FedEx.

I just sent in my wedding documents for the actual wedding yesterday. I still have to finish the DJ form. We just put our guest welcome bags into 2 big suitcase and a small one to be brought on board (by groomsmen) to be given to our steward. The steward will then put them in the designated rooms during turn down service. I guess that's all for now. Will update when I get more info.

Are you getting married on a sea day or embarkation? Are you doing welcome bags?

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