Loved one

[chloe kitty]

Does anyone know what RCCL's policy is regarding ashes overboard.?  My husband loved cruising just like I do.  He wanted some of his ashes to be spread over the back of a cruise ship.  I know there must be many regulations, and I want to do it the legal approved way..  Does anyone have experience in doing this?  Can someone arrange for the Captain to say a few words?

I would appreciate all comments.  Thank you.

[Rayhorn]

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.
 

Royal and Celebrity have policies permitting what they refer to as “Burial at Sea”. You will need to arrange permission of course. They have a phone or email that you can contact to set this up. They require the death certificate and the cremation certificate. For both companies, as far as I know, they don’t allow you to “scatter” the ashes, but they do allow you to send the entire package into the sea in a biodegradable urn. There are some very beautiful and dignified options available. There is no obligation for the captain to speak but I have personally heard several accounts of the captain choosing to say a few words. There have even been instances of the captain arranging for fresh flowers to be provided to adorn the urn or to throw over on ships where flowers were available. This was just done because the captain wanted to do so from his heart.
 

In every case, you would be escorted to a relatively private area, often closer to the ocean (usually not top deck) where you could have your time. I have witnessed this a couple times from afar and it was very special. I’ll always remember one captain years ago on Splendor of the Seas. He stood a respectful distance away while the family had their time and then once they were done he came up and hugged and spoke with each of them. It looked very touching. A lot of the specifics would depend on the ship and captain. There is no cost to arrange for burial at sea. I have included a link below for the phone number and email address. 
 

Best wishes to you. 
 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-is-royal-caribbeans-burial-at-sea-policy

[melbur]

My husband was buried at sea in 2018 on the Adventure. Ashes must stay contained in a biodegradable urn. There are some lovely options, I chose one in the shape of a conch shell.

There are certain restrictions, such as distance from shore,  location on ship etc, that the officer will walk you through. You will get a certificate that shows the coordinates where you sent the remains. 

There was brief "service" per se - they will tailor it to your requests.

 

[chloe kitty]

I appreciate all the responses.  It sounds like what I expected.  I have already purchased a biodegradable urn and the funeral home has put some of his ashes in it.

Again, thank you for your help.

[Eastern flygirl]

I tried calling the 1-800-256-6649 number, but not sure what extension I need.  Has anyone used this service?  Thank you for any help that can be offered.

[Ott_CanuckSpouse]

On 2/2/2022 at 1:46 AM, chloe kitty said:

Does anyone know what RCCL's policy is regarding ashes overboard.?  My husband loved cruising just like I do.  He wanted some of his ashes to be spread over the back of a cruise ship.  I know there must be many regulations, and I want to do it the legal approved way..  Does anyone have experience in doing this?  Can someone arrange for the Captain to say a few words?

I would appreciate all comments.  Thank you.

[Ott_CanuckSpouse]

We were told prior to cruising on Celebrity that it was at the Captain's discretion.  The answer came back as a "no".  So we spread her ashes at Magen's Bay, in St-Thomas during the cruise.  We had no issues travelling with the remains (flight from Canada) or at cruise embarkation.  The key was to ensure the remains were in a cardboard canister for ease of security scanning.

[orville99]

1 hour ago, Eastern flygirl said:

I tried calling the 1-800-256-6649 number, but not sure what extension I need.  Has anyone used this service?  Thank you for any help that can be offered.

Hit 1 twice when prompted.

[Eastern flygirl]

i hit 1 twice, nothing happened.

[JuliaMS]

I have read other threads where is was planned in advance thru the same events person that would plan a wedding. I actually printed the thread and added it to the notebook with my will and trust. 

[Eastern flygirl]

I tried events and weddings.  No answer.  I think covid has hit hard.

i just need upper management email.

[karena1]

On 2/2/2022 at 4:24 AM, Rayhorn said:

I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.
 

Royal and Celebrity have policies permitting what they refer to as “Burial at Sea”. You will need to arrange permission of course. They have a phone or email that you can contact to set this up. They require the death certificate and the cremation certificate. For both companies, as far as I know, they don’t allow you to “scatter” the ashes, but they do allow you to send the entire package into the sea in a biodegradable urn. There are some very beautiful and dignified options available. There is no obligation for the captain to speak but I have personally heard several accounts of the captain choosing to say a few words. There have even been instances of the captain arranging for fresh flowers to be provided to adorn the urn or to throw over on ships where flowers were available. This was just done because the captain wanted to do so from his heart.
 

In every case, you would be escorted to a relatively private area, often closer to the ocean (usually not top deck) where you could have your time. I have witnessed this a couple times from afar and it was very special. I’ll always remember one captain years ago on Splendor of the Seas. He stood a respectful distance away while the family had their time and then once they were done he came up and hugged and spoke with each of them. It looked very touching. A lot of the specifics would depend on the ship and captain. There is no cost to arrange for burial at sea. I have included a link below for the phone number and email address. 
 

Best wishes to you. 
 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-is-royal-caribbeans-burial-at-sea-policy

My husband and I plan to do this exact same thing. We want the Burial at Sea, plan to have nothing at home at all.

[Eastern flygirl]

Karena,  good luck.  If you have any success, please let me know.  I have tried everything to get information.

[ownedbypets]

22 minutes ago, karena1 said:

My husband and I plan to do this exact same thing. We want the Burial at Sea, plan to have nothing at home at all.

 

That's our plan too. After we are both gone our kids will go on a cruise and throw our ashes out together.