Three brands of Carnival Corporation - P&O, Cunard and Princess - are now taking bookings for same sex weddings at sea, after the Supreme Court of Bermuda recently ruled in favour of allowing same sex marriage in the British Overseas Territory. The ruling means that any ship registered in Bermuda may now perform legally binding same sex marriage ceremonies on board.
All P&O and Cunard ships are registered in Bermuda (with the exception of P&O's Brittania). 13 of Princess' 17 ships are also registered there, as will three ships currently on order for Princess.
P&O and Cunard are now accepting bookings for same sex weddings with P&O stating that the first ceremonies will take place on Azura in January of 2018. Princess Cruises said in a statement that they are "currently working on developing a range of services and amenities to meet the needs of same sex couple ceremonies" and that more information will be release soon.
"I am delighted that following this much-anticipated change in the legalities we are now the first British cruise line to be able to arrange same sex weddings on board," said P&O Cruises senior vice president, Paul Ludlow. "Weddings at sea are very romantic and getting married by the Captain in the middle of the ocean is an unforgettable experience."
"Cunard is proud to become among the first cruise lines to offer same-sex marriages at sea," said Josh Leibowitz, senior vice president, Cunard North America. "Cunard has brought people together through travel for over 175 years, and we're proud to mark another milestone in our company's history as we welcome our first gay marriage booking and many other marriages to come."
Both P&O and Cunard are selling similar packages which include everything from the ceremony, conducted onboard by the ship's Captain (or deputy captain if the captain is not available), venue, flowers, and music, a champagne toast, wedding invitations, and a commemorative wedding certificate from the cruise line. They'll even include the services of to an onboard wedding co-ordinator and professional photographer, and wedding outfit pressing services. The cost will also include an official copy of the marriage certificate issued by Bermuda and the cost of the marriage license fee.
None of the cruise lines' websites have been updated as yet, with P&O's website still stating in their FAQs that they are "unable to offer same sex marriages due the Bermudian law our ships are governed by." and offering up commitment ceremonies as an alternative. And Cunard's downloadable Wedding brochure still stating that "The parties must not be of the same sex".
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