Breakaway Marriage at sea Questions...please help.

[takeadip]

Hello fellow critics:

We booked (DW DS and I) BA 3/6/16- 3/13/2016 RT NYC...and now my brother in law announced that he wants to get married to his life long sweetheart on our ship!!

Question: Has anyone experienced a wedding on the Breakaway either as a "bride" or a guest?

Overall how was your experience? was it expensive? we will be adding 9 more rooms to our booking to form a group..does this entitle us...the original booked guests (referral credit) or the bride and groom any additional perks? (spa treatments..OBC...etc..)

 

we are in a Mini Suite...everyone else will book at least a ocean view to get the UBP...does the bride and groom get a free room?

 

sorry for all the questions...but im just trying to help make this process smooth as possible..

 

thanks to all can chime in...

 

-Mark

[Sauer-kraut]

Hello fellow critics:

We booked (DW DS and I) BA 3/6/16- 3/13/2016 RT NYC...and now my brother in law announced that he wants to get married to his life long sweetheart on our ship!!

Question: Has anyone experienced a wedding on the Breakaway either as a "bride" or a guest?

Overall how was your experience? was it expensive? we will be adding 9 more rooms to our booking to form a group..does this entitle us...the original booked guests (referral credit) or the bride and groom any additional perks? (spa treatments..OBC...etc..)

 

we are in a Mini Suite...everyone else will book at least a ocean view to get the UBP...does the bride and groom get a free room?

 

sorry for all the questions...but im just trying to help make this process smooth as possible..

 

thanks to all can chime in...

 

-Mark

 

Yes, it is very expensive (IMO) and you really don't have much say in which venue your ceremony will be in. At least you are doing it on the ship and not in a port (that you might not go to). There is a WHOLE weddings board under speciailty cruising look for posts by LIPZ who got married on board a couple of years ago.

 

Here is her thread....a very photo intensive day by day on the Jewel

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1462186&highlight=lipz

 

Here is another wedding that was done on the Breakaway

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1816697&highlight=saltbox2013

Edited August 3, 2015 by Sauer-kraut

[takeadip]

Saur...Thank You SOOOO much....this is great...

:)

[conandrob240]

Are you using a TA? This is an example where one could be really, really helpful to make sure you are getting the best groups "deal" and navigate the wedding options.

[piper45maru]

I don't know if your BIL wants to get married on the ship or in port, but I got married at a cruise ship port (St. Thomas). It was with Carnival and it was 12 years ago, but my experience was that it was waaaaaay cheaper to go with a wedding coordinator in port than go through the ship. After booking my coordinator, I found out she also contracted with Carnival, and she would have done my wedding anyway--with a Carnival go-between and many less options.

 

By booking her directly, I saved myself Carnival's 50% markup, was able to work with her without a go-between, and could take advantage of more of her options (one was an *absolutely incredible* locally made coconut wedding cake instead of having one from the Carnival kitchen--I still dream about that cake!).

 

I don't know if Norwegian works this way or not, but it may be something for your BIL to look into if he and his bride are interested in getting married at a port. HTH.

[takeadip]

Conan...yes we are using a TA...and she was absolutely awesome booking our Mini suite...

i was just looking for some inside information so my BIL didnt fall into the trap of unnecessary add-ons..up charges..etc.. we were just thinking that if there was any place to get inside "scoop" this would be the best place to start..

 

Piper....thanks for the information...very helpful...and something i never would have considered with the direct book at the port...good stuff..

[piper45maru]

Piper....thanks for the information...very helpful...and something i never would have considered with the direct book at the port...good stuff..

 

I forgot to add...you do have to have some risk tolerance by booking directly. If Carnival had changed the itinerary, by booking the coordinator directly, I would have been out of luck, as where Carnival would have had to have refunded everything if I had gone with them directly. Something else to consider, if your BIL or his bride are risk-aversive! :) In any event, I hope the wedding is lovely and you all have a fantastic cruise!

[conandrob240]

We are trying to plan a vow renewal now and while the ship will be easy, I am not thrilled that they are offering me the conference room or card room as an option. The communication from NCL is poor- someone on land relays your questions to someone on the ship who then relays them back a few days later. And they don't seem very flexible on venues.

 

I am deciding between doing it on land in Nassau for around $700 (not through NCL) or spending the $500 on board.

[gymbomb]

Review of our wedding on Dawn is linked in my signature, although I think NCL has changed wedding companies since then? With that many cabins you should be able to get a discount equal to the average cruise fare only (not taxes and fees) for one passenger (not cabin). We were offered the option of using the discount for our room, someone else's, or splitting it up. You should also get some amenity points that you can choose a perk with (we got a cocktail party for our group).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jelajen]

I'm getting married next week on the Breakaway. The person I'm dealing with at Royal Ocean events is great. It is a process for the documentation for the marriage license because it comes from the Bahamas. Not only do you need to get the affidavit that you're single motorized you also have to get it apostlled through the Secretary of State. Not hard, just unexpected.

 

You can spend as much or as little over the base price as you want. They are kind of flexible in terms of time and location on the ship. I requested not to have it in a bar and it's not. Also after I got the original time I didn't like it so they changed it. I'm not fussy so I'm happy with everything.

 

I'll let you know after next week how it goes.

 

Jennifer

[sjnyc323]

I'm getting married next week on the Breakaway. The person I'm dealing with at Royal Ocean events is great. It is a process for the documentation for the marriage license because it comes from the Bahamas. Not only do you need to get the affidavit that you're single motorized you also have to get it apostlled through the Secretary of State. Not hard, just unexpected.

 

 

 

You can spend as much or as little over the base price as you want. They are kind of flexible in terms of time and location on the ship. I requested not to have it in a bar and it's not. Also after I got the original time I didn't like it so they changed it. I'm not fussy so I'm happy with everything.

 

 

 

I'll let you know after next week how it goes.

 

 

 

Jennifer

 

 

Congrats

[piper45maru]

I'm getting married next week on the Breakaway.

 

I hope you have a beautiful day! Congratulations!

[xriva]

We are trying to plan a vow renewal now and while the ship will be easy, I am not thrilled that they are offering me the conference room or card room as an option. The communication from NCL is poor- someone on land relays your questions to someone on the ship who then relays them back a few days later. And they don't seem very flexible on venues.

 

 

 

I am deciding between doing it on land in Nassau for around $700 (not through NCL) or spending the $500 on board.

 

 

We did our vow renewal in February on the Getaway, and it was a very nice service. We had the Captain perform the renewal (not sure it's an option any more.) The ceremony was in one of the conference rooms, and we had a minimal group (us and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.)

 

It was a bit strange with the two levels of communication - talking to the group desk on land, who contacted the ship and relayed replies, but it all worked.

 

We wanted the ceremony on our actual 15th anniversary so we just took everything else in stride. My wife really wanted an outdoor venue on the ship, but I think in terms of traffic (we had enough trouble getting my sister-in-law to stop talking, so we could start, imagine shooing strangers away) and control, I understand why they use the rooms they have.

 

The room was decorated, so it wasn't just a conference room. It wasn't a chapel, but I think my wife was satisfied, and she was concerned.

 

There is a board here on CC dedicated to weddings at sea, and for the OP, one thing to consider - a renewal is much cheaper than a wedding, with very little actual difference in ceremony. Some people go to their local JP and get married, then immediately renew their vows on the ship. Captains can't always do weddings, but they can do renewals.

Edited August 4, 2015 by xriva

[conandrob240]

We did our vow renewal in February on the Getaway, and it was a very nice service. We had the Captain perform the renewal (not sure it's an option any more.) The ceremony was in one of the conference rooms, and we had a minimal group (us and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.)

 

It was a bit strange with the two levels of communication - talking to the group desk on land, who contacted the ship and relayed replies, but it all worked.

 

We wanted the ceremony on our actual 15th anniversary so we just took everything else in stride. My wife really wanted an outdoor venue on the ship, but I think in terms of traffic (we had enough trouble getting my sister-in-law to stop talking, so we could start, imagine shooing strangers away) and control, I understand why they use the rooms they have.

 

The room was decorated, so it wasn't just a conference room. It wasn't a chapel, but I think my wife was satisfied, and she was concerned.

 

There is a board here on CC dedicated to weddings at sea, and for the OP, one thing to consider - a renewal is much cheaper than a wedding, with very little actual difference in ceremony. Some people go to their local JP and get married, then immediately renew their vows on the ship. Captains can't always do weddings, but they can do renewals.

 

Thanks for this. I was immediately told ( with no one even checking and before we even decided on a day/time LOL) that the Captain wasn't free to perform it. I plan to ask him personally when I board the ship so maybe it'll work out. I had heard of a vow renewal couple getting a call from the Captain the day before inviting them to do it at the bridge at sunset- maybe we'll get lucky!

 

We have been given the exact day/time that their wedding took place 50 years ago and were granted a covered outdoor venue with the card room or conf room as a back up. It's good to know it's well decorated. If you have a few pics of the decorated conf room, I'd be thrilled to see them! This is Nov 28 on the sea day returning to NY at sunset so high chance weather will be cold and/or very windy.

Edited August 4, 2015 by conandrob240

[conandrob240]

Bump. Hoping xriva will come back with pics!!! 😀

[xriva]

Some of the photos from our ceremony. Captain Rune Myre performed the ceremony, with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law as the rest of the wedding party - it was a small service!

 

Remembering our lines

 

With the Captain

 

Wedding Party

 

Champagne afterwards

Edited August 15, 2015 by xriva

[piper45maru]

Beautiful! Congratulations!

[sjnyc323]

Some of the photos from our ceremony. Captain Rune Myre performed the ceremony, with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law as the rest of the wedding party - it was a small service!

 

Remembering our lines

[ATTACH]359162[/ATTACH]

 

With the Captain

[ATTACH]359163[/ATTACH]

 

Wedding Party

[ATTACH]359164[/ATTACH]

 

Champagne afterwards

[ATTACH]359165[/ATTACH]

 

 

Congrats to you both

[hansolosmom]

Congrats, looks wonderful

[abs711]

I also got married in port (St. Thomas). Not sure which Island's you are hitting but if your going to St. Thomas your BIL may want to consider it. Since it is a US Territory it was so easy. We had a wedding planner on the Island and she was amazing. Any family that wanted to be there but couldn't cruise with us flew into the island. It was a great experience. Part of choosing St. Thomas was that it is rarely missed unlike some other ports. But the above poster was correct you do assume some risk by not booking through the cruise line.