Getting married on a cruise

[LadyAmrie]

I am a Canadian dating an American. We are still trying to figure out the best way for us to get married. His family booked a cruise in November and it was suggested that we could get married on the ship. Does anyone have experience with this? Would it be less of a hassle than getting married in Canada or the US?

 

[scylla]

It's irrelevant where you get married when it comes to the sponsorship process - as long as the marriage is legally where it was performed.

 

[PrincessCRV]

I am a Canadian dating an American. We are still trying to figure out the best way for us to get married. His family booked a cruise in November and it was suggested that we could get married on the ship. Does anyone have experience with this? Would it be less of a hassle than getting married in Canada or the US?

On some cruise lines, I know that you actually have to be married at the courthouse or in a civil ceremony before you embark on the ship. Your "wedding" on the ship is really a vow renewal since you are already legally married before the cruise. This is because the ship operates in international waters and there is no country to be married in, if that makes sense. You can be married in a city/country it docks in, but would be subject to the requirements of that country, and the captain couldn't marry you unless he were legally allowed to in that country. We looked into this option since my husband and I met on a cruise and thought it would be romantic to get married on the ship, but found that we would technically be married in a city in Florida before it left the port and decided against it. We are a US/Canadian couple also. It was very easy for us to get married in the US. He just showed his passport to get our marriage license and we were married later that same day in a civil ceremony. You can check in his state or your province for requirements, but it is fairly easy in either country. Just depends on what works for you two.