Best Wedding Cruise? Advice?

[nschille04]

Hello all,

 

I am brand new to the forum but have been poking around the internet looking for a wedding cruise for the past couple of weeks. While I started this project enthusiastic and exciting...after reading so many negative reviews and hearing horror stories my finance and I are beginning to question whether a wedding cruise is for us. We are looking for a 4-6 night cruise where we could have a ceremony somewhere in port (not the first day). We'd also like to have some kind of meal for our guests the ceremony. Oh! and photography is very important to us. Well, after looking into the different lines...I dont know what to do. It seems that Disney Cruise is the only line that does not go through "The Wedding Experience" and can offer us everything we'd like. Everyone here and on other boards seems to think TWE is a nightmare...Is it that bad? Disney would be pricey for our guests and may discourage attendance...but it sounds like it might be worth it for a wedding that wont leave me a wreck.

 

What does everyone think? How bad is TWE? Of their lines which would you recommend? Has anyone done a Disney wedding? Is it worth the extra money? Im just so frustrated with this whole thing.

 

Best,

Nicole

[esbie11]

Hello all,

 

I am brand new to the forum but have been poking around the internet looking for a wedding cruise for the past couple of weeks. While I started this project enthusiastic and exciting...after reading so many negative reviews and hearing horror stories my finance and I are beginning to question whether a wedding cruise is for us. We are looking for a 4-6 night cruise where we could have a ceremony somewhere in port (not the first day). We'd also like to have some kind of meal for our guests the ceremony. Oh! and photography is very important to us. Well, after looking into the different lines...I dont know what to do. It seems that Disney Cruise is the only line that does not go through "The Wedding Experience" and can offer us everything we'd like. Everyone here and on other boards seems to think TWE is a nightmare...Is it that bad? Disney would be pricey for our guests and may discourage attendance...but it sounds like it might be worth it for a wedding that wont leave me a wreck.

 

What does everyone think? How bad is TWE? Of their lines which would you recommend? Has anyone done a Disney wedding? Is it worth the extra money? Im just so frustrated with this whole thing.

 

Best,

Nicole

 

There is no reason you can't have exactly what you want without using TWE. Since you want to get married at a port, just hire a local wedding coordinator at the port where you wish to get married. Most WCs on the islands where cruiseships go are very familiar with coordinating weddings with cruisebrides, who are only docked there for several hours. They know how to coordinate transportation, etc. for everyone. I know that as far as legal requirements go, St. Thomas is a good option because it is a US territory, so there aren't any goofy requirements such as residency or blood tests. Some other countries do require things like this, which will no doubt make things more difficult. However it is completely possible to do this. I am going on a cruise and getting married while in St. Thomas using a local WC. There are several other brides who are doing the same. If you want to have something on the ship, you can have dinner at a specialty restaurant or arrange a cocktail party onboard. Or, have your reception on-site where your ceremony would be. You have a lot of options, and you do NOT have to use TWE.

[nschille04]

Sorry. When I said "in port" I misspoke...What I meant was on the ship docked "at port" since I understand that Princess is the only line that can marry people at sea. We both like the idea of being on the ship better...but if an in ship service with TWE is going to be terrible...I suppose we'll consider getting an outside WC and getting married off the ship. Thanks!

[hollidaygal]

Hello all,

 

I am brand new to the forum but have been poking around the internet looking for a wedding cruise for the past couple of weeks. While I started this project enthusiastic and exciting...after reading so many negative reviews and hearing horror stories my finance and I are beginning to question whether a wedding cruise is for us. We are looking for a 4-6 night cruise where we could have a ceremony somewhere in port (not the first day). We'd also like to have some kind of meal for our guests the ceremony. Oh! and photography is very important to us. Well, after looking into the different lines...I dont know what to do. It seems that Disney Cruise is the only line that does not go through "The Wedding Experience" and can offer us everything we'd like. Everyone here and on other boards seems to think TWE is a nightmare...Is it that bad? Disney would be pricey for our guests and may discourage attendance...but it sounds like it might be worth it for a wedding that wont leave me a wreck.

 

What does everyone think? How bad is TWE? Of their lines which would you recommend? Has anyone done a Disney wedding? Is it worth the extra money? Im just so frustrated with this whole thing.

 

Best,

Nicole

 

Don't be frustrated. That sucks! There are plenty of good reviews too and I personally have coordinated some great weddings while I worked for TWE. Some think I am bias, though I know TWE screws up sometimes, but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. It depends on what your expectations are and the kind of personality you have. Do all your research, ask lot's of questions (AFTER you've read the brochures) and you will be fine. If you're not happy at any point, ask to talk to a Supervisor and it should be handled. Oh...most importantly, have ALOT of patience. TWE/Cruise weddings are not typical weddings. You are dealing with wedding coordinators in a call center environment and not a private wedding coordinator. There is a big difference!

 

I think a Princess Cruise wedding would be awesome! You can be married at sea if all of your guests are sailing and that's what you want. It's a bit pricey but sounds pretty cool! Check it out. Royal Caribbean weddings are nice and I've always enjoyed weddings on Carnival, depending on the ship. Celebrity sounds amazing to me too but some people think the people that travel on Celebrity are too old or too boring. The ships are nice though!!

 

Don't let the negativity scare you off, but do think hard about it and weigh your options. There are alot of nice people on these boards that can help you. :D

 

Good luck!!

[Alabama Worley]

We got married At Sea on Princess and used TWE. Like any thing else, you just need to make sure you have your ducks in a row. You will have more limited choices but that is kind of the point of doing it onboard in my mind. I don't go on a cruise and expect to be able to request what I get for each meal...I selected from the options that were given to me and left the rest of the decorations, music, location, etc, up to them. You inform TWE of your preferences and they convey it to the on board coordinator. Once onboard, you review what was sent by TWE and add/change anything you need to. I forgot to even ask about things like cake cutting, flowers for dinner and my onboard coordinator make sure everything was elegant, organized and perfect. Exactly why I had my wedding on a cruise ship. We sailed with 30 guests and I had no worries/stresses. Just a quick 15 min meeting with the coordinator when I boarded and then show up for the ceremony, easy as pie!

[hollidaygal]

Sorry. When I said "in port" I misspoke...What I meant was on the ship docked "at port" since I understand that Princess is the only line that can marry people at sea. We both like the idea of being on the ship better...but if an in ship service with TWE is going to be terrible...I suppose we'll consider getting an outside WC and getting married off the ship. Thanks!

 

It doesn't have to be terrible to go through TWE. There are definitely a few unhappy brides on here and most with good reason. BUT there a very happy ones too. Such is life! Negative posts are more common because when something goes wrong or upsets people, the natural reaction is to tell everyone about it and not mention the postitive or not mention it until later. I think Mary Loves To Travel even admitted to doing that. She seems to be a good person to talk to about this subject.

 

We got married At Sea on Princess and used TWE. Like any thing else, you just need to make sure you have your ducks in a row. You will have more limited choices but that is kind of the point of doing it onboard in my mind. I don't go on a cruise and expect to be able to request what I get for each meal...I selected from the options that were given to me and left the rest of the decorations, music, location, etc, up to them. You inform TWE of your preferences and they convey it to the on board coordinator. Once onboard, you review what was sent by TWE and add/change anything you need to. I forgot to even ask about things like cake cutting, flowers for dinner and my onboard coordinator make sure everything was elegant, organized and perfect. Exactly why I had my wedding on a cruise ship. We sailed with 30 guests and I had no worries/stresses. Just a quick 15 min meeting with the coordinator when I boarded and then show up for the ceremony, easy as pie!

 

nschille04 - Alabama is a good example of why cruise weddings are perfect for some brides and not so much for others. If you want to be involved in every detail and updated every day or week, a cruise ship wedding is not for you. I urge you to the read the brochures, read some good reviews as well as bad, ask questions and think long and hard about it. There are many great reviews on here about private W/C's on the islands too and you should also look into that and compare.

 

Wishing you the best in your decision! :D

[sas80]

We got married At Sea on Princess and used TWE. Like any thing else, you just need to make sure you have your ducks in a row. You will have more limited choices but that is kind of the point of doing it onboard in my mind. I don't go on a cruise and expect to be able to request what I get for each meal...I selected from the options that were given to me and left the rest of the decorations, music, location, etc, up to them. You inform TWE of your preferences and they convey it to the on board coordinator. Once onboard, you review what was sent by TWE and add/change anything you need to. I forgot to even ask about things like cake cutting, flowers for dinner and my onboard coordinator make sure everything was elegant, organized and perfect. Exactly why I had my wedding on a cruise ship. We sailed with 30 guests and I had no worries/stresses. Just a quick 15 min meeting with the coordinator when I boarded and then show up for the ceremony, easy as pie!

 

Alabama - I do like that pic you have up now but boyeee, do I miss that little purple fish you used to have! :D

[flhokie]

You will definitely hear different experiences with TWE on this board. Some of them seem to be by cruiseline (ex. it seems like you don't hear as many negatives about Princess as you hear about Royal Romance/RCCL). We got married in April at sea on Grand Princess. Our planning experience was very easy. After submitting initial paperwork to TWE, the only real contact I had with them until about a month before the wedding were emails. I would send my questions and would usually have answers within 24 hours. It was really stress-free. We had a total of 50 people sailing and got married the 1st day at sea.

 

One thing that I've read on this board about Disney is that you have to have a legal ceremony in a back room at the cruise terminal before leaving on your cruise.

[MarinerBride]

I'm one of the brides that had a positive experience with TWE/Royal Romance on Royal Caribbean. Feel free to read through some of my posts (click on my name, then Find all Posts by Mariner Bride) to see my reviews. I didn't read this board until after I got married, so I had no idea what to expect. You can also see my pictures from the link in my signature to see how it all turned out.

[nschille04]

It seemed like a lot of people on the board opted for RC or Princess? May I ask why you selected the line that you did? Are the weddings similar across the lines or did you notice real variation? Has anyone tried Disney or NCL?

 

Thanks

 

Nicole

[Cattie]

I've personally sailed Disney, RCL and Royal. From here on out, I'm sticking with Royal and maybe once I have children tossing a Disney one in.

 

2000 was the FI and my first cruise. We did a Land/Sea package through Disney. It was great. I loved loved loved everything about it. We had an inside cabin which was huge. The moving through the different restaurants each night was wonderful. Animator's Palate was my favorite. However like someone else said, Disney requires you to get legally married in port in a back room prior to the cruise. Then does your "fake" ceremony for your guests later on the cruise. Personally if thats something you don't mind and are a big Disney fan I don't see that being an issue. Yes, they're a little more pricey then the other lines, but you do get what you pay for IMO.

 

Fast forward to 2007. My NCL nightmare. The 2000 cruise hooked my mother on cruising. Since then she also hooked my aunt, so they've been cruising buddies since 2001. 2006 rolls around and my cousin and uncle decide they would like to try cruising. A company my mom has used for various vacations offered a NCL cruise. We left out of Manhattan, hit Port Canaveral for a stop, then proceeded to Nassau, then to NCL's private island.

 

Day 1 everything is ok, we get into out room and wow is it tiny!! And omg where do we put our stuff? There was no room under the bed or in the closet for our suit cases. We had 3 of us in a balcony room. If you woke up in the middle of the night and weren't in the bed next to the bathroom, you had to do some gymnastic moves to get there.

 

Then we notice this HORRIBLE septic smell in both our bathroom and in my uncle and cousins room. 1pm we go to the pursers desk and they apologize and tell us they will sent the plumber up right away. We come back to the room later that afternoon, get ready for dinner, still have a slight smell. Come back from dinner and notice a rag shoved in the drain in the bathroom. We think thats there temporary fix, ok what we do know we're not a plumber. We go to bed later that night, to be woken up at 2:30am to a knock on the door. It's the plumber!!!! I'm the type of person as soon as I'm awake my feet need to hit the floor and I gotta be in the bathroom. Here I am barely awake hearing my mother yell "My daughter is in there, you can't go in there!!!" What made him think 2:30am was acceptable to knock on someone's door was beyond me, but it did NOT make me happy at all. The following morning we went to the pursers desk to complain, we weren't even offered an apology. They just said, hm, not sure how that happened.

 

Also, they day we where in Nassau, we weren't informed that it was there Election day and we couldn't get any liquor or cigars. They even made sure to tell us how many liters that we could bring back on the ship with us. Large lack of communication IMO.

 

2008, We decided to add a few more to our group and have heard rave reviews from RCCL. We all discuss the itineraries, and find one we like that is the right price. We started off as a group of 8 (moving up from 5 the previous year) We managed to get all 4 rooms next to each other right near the elevator for my aunt. After a few months our group grew a little more, we added my FMIL and FFIL along with there 2 friends with there daughter. Our group ended up being 13, which 11 of us had the early dining. We had such a blast!

 

The staff was exceptional, the only thing that I could find to complain about was the time we where in St Thomas. We didn't arrive until 2pm. Which didn't give us a lot of shopping time since everything closes at 5pm. So we didn't have a lot to do once the stores closed. (Yes we like to shop) We did get great deals on our wedding bands there! Each ring was white gold, with 1/2 carat of channel set diamonds in each for $1100 for the pair. We couldn't touch them for under $1100 each here in the states!

 

We ended up booking our wedding cruise while we where online. My mother, aunt, uncle, cousin and other uncle and wife all ended up getting the same exact rooms as this past trip. The FI and I decided we wanted a bit of privacy and moved down the hall to a hump room =) We are getting married shore side in Bermuda. I'm not using TWE/RR. I've booked everything directly through RCCL. I'm using my own wedding planner and I couldn't be happier.

 

So far we're up to 17 people including ourselves for our wedding cruise. As you can see with my other post, I must have gotten the residential airhead the other day. Other then that, the planning has been great. Each of my cabins in my group are getting a $50 OBC for there room. All of our reservations are linked, so we should have a few dining tables next to each other so we're not scattered all over.

 

I really wanted to make sure my wedding site was perfect. I want to be able to see pictures and make sure THATS where I want to say I do. With TWE/RR you don't really have that option. If you aren't OCD like a lot of us, you will be fine with them. If you're anywhere close to being OCD and want to know the details and make your own decisions, you may want to get a shore side planner.

 

Wow this post was way longer then I intended, so if you made it this far, I wish you the best of luck planning, and feel free to pick our brains!!

[MarinerBride]

RCI is the only line I have sailed. I really enjoyed our first cruise, so we had booked the second cruise just as a vacation. We didn't add the wedding on until a couple of months before we sailed. At this point, I've been so happy with RCI that I haven't seen a reason to sail on any other line.