Cunard Says ‘I Do’ to Weddings at Sea

Had they only waited, Prince William and Kate could have avoided the crowds in London on their wedding day by celebrating their nuptials at sea. The very British Cunard Line, one of the oldest names in passenger shipping, will offer its guests the opportunity to be married on board for the first time in its 171-year history. Beginning Spring 2012, a cruise aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth will offer a selection of wedding packages, commencing after the World Voyages have been completed. After the fleet has been re-flagged and the homeport name on the sterns changed from Southampton to Hamilton, Bermuda (necessary for the marriage ceremonies to be legal), the Weddings Program will go on sale in December 2011, with expanded details available soon at Cunard.com.

On a luxurious cruise vacation aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, guests revel in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination. Newlyweds on board can enjoy activities such as the only planetarium and largest library at sea, white-gloved afternoon tea service, the engaging Cunard Insights enrichment program, and West End-style productions, as well as the first Canyon Ranch SpaClub at sea. Or they can do nothing at all except relax with each other in an idyllic honeymoon setting.

Cunard Line has long been synonymous with the quest for new discoveries and the epitome of British refinement since the company's first paddle-wheeled steamer, Britannia, crossed the Atlantic in 1840. Cunard voyages bring together like-minded travelers who seek a civilised adventure and relish the Cunard hallmarks of impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining, and world-class entertainment. Today, Cunard offers the only regularly scheduled Transatlantic liner service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it began in 1922. The ships’ new registry and re-flagging won't change that any more than when ownership of the historic line passed to cruise industry giant Carnival Corporation. It’s just business.

Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line, said, “Most of our competitors have been offering increasingly popular and lucrative ‘Weddings at Sea’ programs, and these are now very big business in the cruise industry. We receive a lot of enquiries about the possibility of being married on one of our ships—particularly during our regularly scheduled Transatlantic Crossings on our flagship Queen Mary 2, which no other company can offer.”

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