Vows get all aboard
When renowned cruise writer Fran Golden married David Molyneaux, the former travel editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, they chose to get married at sea. The wedding, which took place last November aboard the new Regal Princess, was carefully coordinated by Tonia Scurr, president of Vancouver-based Royal Ocean Events Inc. Working as a cruise wedding planner for the past 17 years, Scurr is in high demand these days, hired by Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, Carnival, and Regent Seven Seas to oversee the increasing number of weddings on cruise ships. We caught up with her in the Bahamas to ask about the popular trend.
Q. Over the years, have you seen an increase of weddings aboard cruise ships?
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A. Definitely. This year is crazy. I think we’re going to have a real bumper year. All the cruise lines are busy.
Q. What do you think is the appeal?
A. It’s about one-third the cost of a wedding on land. So you’re getting quite a bargain. Creating a private luncheon or dinner after the ceremony aboard the ship is no problem, since we already have the facilities and catering. Or you can head off to a restaurant at one of the ports. We just had someone ask for a dinner in Juneau for a party of 50.
Q. Do most people prefer to get married at sea or at a destination like a beach in the Caribbean?
A. It varies. Princess is one of the only lines that perform weddings at sea. The captain of the ship presides over the wedding.
Q. What are some of the favorite ports for getting married?
A. Nassau is very popular, Bermuda, the Grand Caymans, St. Thomas, and when the ships come up in summer for Alaska’s Inside Passage, people like Vancouver [British Columbia] and Juneau.
Q. Any locales you find particularly dreamy?
A. Both Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line have their own private island. Getting married on the beach there is perfect. In Juneau, we can helicopter the wedding party to a glacier, which is pretty spectacular. Another favorite is Glacier Gardens, absolutely beautiful. It’s only a 15-minute drive from where the ship comes in. You walk through an aisle of upside down trees where the roots are up top. They clear the dirt out and plant flowers in the roots. . . . You can walk to the top of the garden and stand on a platform to see Mendenhall Glacier and the ships at port.
Q. Do you have any advice that a bride and groom might overlook?
A. Before you book the cruise, make sure there are no restrictions that can alter your wedding plans. For example, with Fran and David’s wedding, we had to make sure the ship was in international waters to get married. People often don’t realize the restrictions and book the cruise before we can accommodate the wedding. Another problem we see is that the bride and groom are excited to do a destination wedding, but have yet to talk to their family. Make sure they’re on board with the concept. It’s a good idea to check and see how many of your family and friends will be attending the wedding.
Stephen Jermanok can be reached at steve@activetravels.com.
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