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The Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Married at sea: Why cruise weddings are surging in popularity
Forget castles or country manors, increasing numbers of couples are opting to get married on a cruise. Travel agents and cruise lines are seeing a surge in interest from people looking to tie the knot while on board their favourite ship. P&O Cruises reported a record number of bookings for weddings on the water last year, up 12 per cent. Several other cruise brands offer wedding ceremonies at sea, including Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Princess, Virgin Voyages and Holland America Line. Dave Mills, chief commercial officer at online travel agent Iglu, said weddings at sea are becoming an increasingly popular option, especially for couples aged 40-plus who are looking to combine their love of cruising with a good-value ceremony. Mills said: 'The beauty of a wedding at sea is that a single point of contact at the cruise line will take over the wedding planning and details, and everything is scalable from a small, intimate ceremony to a huge, lavish event. 'At the same time, of course, customers will have a built-in honeymoon and precious time to spend with loved ones. Each year we will be involved in many such events, increasing slowly but surely in line with overall growth in cruising and a better awareness of the opportunity to do such a romantic thing. 'Lines limit the number of weddings allowed to ensure each couple is rightly the centre of attention on the day. Cunard for example, allows one wedding per ship per day, so early booking is key.' Wedding packages typically range from £1,000 to £3,000, on top of the cruise fare. Packages differ but may include a wedding cake, music, food, drinks and spa treatments. In comparison, the average cost of a wedding in the UK is £20,822, according to Bridebook, so a cruise ceremony and party may work out cheaper – although you would have to convince your guests to pay to attend. Phil Evans, managing director at Cruise Nation, said: 'Couples have the same benefits as a normal wedding abroad, but with so much more. 'Incredible sunshine, relaxation and beautiful food across multiple destinations, and that's not to mention the incredible range of activities on board, such as bars, classes, pools, restaurants and plenty of other things to keep your guests entertained during travel days.' Here is how two couples celebrated their big day on the water... 'Sir Richard Branson officiated at our luxury cruise wedding' Ben Killeen and Emma Thomas from Hampshire were not avid cruisers when they first met on a dating app back in 2015, but soon caught the bug on a Virgin Voyages sailing in 2022. They loved the experience so much that they got married on board a Virgin ship, marking their fourth cruise with the brand. The couple got married aboard Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady during a five-night Celebration Voyage from Miami to Bimini last year, stopping off at Puerto Plata, and, to top it off, their ceremony was officiated by Sir Richard Branson. Ben, 29, a sales manager for a job board, said: 'We were looking at different options, and then this opportunity came up. 'It was surreal when we realised it was Sir Richard Branson who would be there.' The pair opted for a $4,000 (£3,000) You, Me And The Sea package, which includes intimate ceremonies for the couple and a captain or ship's officer to officiate. This is separate from the cruise fare. Other perks include priority boarding, streaming of the ceremony, music and decorations, $200 (£150) on-board credit and one beauty treatment each. Emma, 32, a cabin crew member, said: 'It was all so luxurious. You can go get your hair done, the guys can get a trim or a haircut, and we even went up to Richard Branson's rooftop! We had a few beers that morning and chilled in the Jacuzzi – where else can you do that? 'The view was incredible. I remember looking out at the scenic beauty of Puerto Plata and thinking, 'Wow, we're getting married right here.' It's such an amazing memory to look back on.' Once dressed in her halter-neck satin maxi dress, Emma was escorted by a crew member to the ceremony in the Perch – a relaxation space on the top deck - with Puerto Plata in the background. Passengers can choose the venue on board and have a song to walk down the aisle to, or just go straight into the ceremony, which is what they did. You can also select your cake fillings and bouquet. Emma said: 'Sir Richard Branson met us there, and it was a bit of a blur, but in the best way. He was so warm and welcoming. 'We didn't have any guests – it was just us – but we had Virgin Voyages crew members watching, which was lovely. We were asked if we wanted to say our own vows or if we'd prefer Richard to say something. We opted for him to say a few words and it was just perfect.' After the ceremony, they headed to The Wake, Virgin Voyages' high-end steakhouse, for dinner. Emma added, 'It felt like we were in New York. We got to cut the wedding cake there and just soak in every moment.' It was also Scarlet Night that evening, a big party around the ship, and Boy George was doing a DJ set, making the day even more special. Emma added: 'It was the most amazing experience. [Friends and family] didn't believe us until we showed them the photos. 'It was high-energy and infectious. I get emotional talking about it because I loved it so much. There's just something magical about it – the people, the places, the experiences. It was luxury from start to finish. I can't recommend it enough.' Cruise content creators and magazine publishers Jay Cannon, 32, and Dan Wailing, 29, have been on more than 70 cruises together since they met in 2020, so it made sense for them to get married on board. Jay's first sailing was as a 12-year-old with Fred Olsen, and he introduced an initially sceptical Dan to cruises in 2021. Since then, they have built one of the biggest YouTube cruise channels in the UK – Sail Away with Dan and Jay – with 41,000 subscribers, and launched Sail Away magazine in October 2023. They had enquired about a wedding ceremony with Celebrity Cruises but ended up getting an offer from Holland America Line to pay for it after reviewing its Nieuw Statendam ship. Holland America Line packages range from $1,800 (£1,350) for a symbolic non-legal ceremony to between $2,000 (£1.500 )and $2,500 (£1,900) for an official harbourside ceremony and from $3,000 (£2,250) for a wedding ashore. These prices include features such as priority boarding, a wedding coordinator, private ceremony, an officiant, music and photos. The couple were married aboard Nieuw Statendam in September 2024 during a sailing around Turkey, Greece and Egypt. They were welcomed aboard with champagne in the cabin and rose petals on the bed. The pair even got a mention on the ship's tannoy and were complimented on their suits by passengers as they headed to their intimate ceremony in the B.B. King's Blues Club on board. They walked in to Wait a Minute by Willow, and You've Got the Love by Florence and the Machine, played after they exchanged vows with their proud parents watching. Jay said: 'There wasn't anywhere else that we could have gotten married, [other] than a cruise ship. It seemed a natural fit for us. 'It was a beautiful venue, and the captain presided over the ceremony. It was like having a wedding over two weeks, as we enjoyed the whole ship during the sailing. 'Once we had the service, we got into our swimwear, which you can't usually do at a wedding. 'We then had our first dance in the evening at BB Kings Blues Club. It was a dream come true.' Jay adds that the cost of a cruise wedding can work out cheaper than doing something on land. He said: 'Everything was arranged [for us], including dinner and pictures, the only thing we didn't have was the wedding car.'
Telegraph
04-04-2025
- Telegraph
This under-visited region of Africa is easier than ever to explore
Deciding to go on a cruise is easy. Not only do you get to tick off multiple destinations in a single trip while only having to unpack once, but crucially – in these grim economic times – a cruise often works out as better value than a land-based holiday. The hard part is deciding where to go, for it's no longer just about the Mediterranean and the Caribbean – two longstanding cruise favourites. Fast forward to today, and the world really is your oyster when it comes to choosing a cruise destination, with the likes of Alaska, Antarctica, the Norwegian fjords, the Nile and the Mekong all possibilities. But there's another region now steadily staking its claim to a place on this list: step forward West Africa, where a growing number of operators are now setting sail to less-travelled shores. Historically, the region has languished as a cruise destination. However, recent troubles in the Red Sea have resulted in the 'rerouting of itineraries away from the Suez Canal, which has brought West Africa into the mix,' says Dave Mills, chief commercial officer at online cruise agency Iglu. Similarly, the backlash against cruise ships elsewhere in the world – Nice is the latest city to try to ban large vessels as it grapples with the negative effects of overtourism – has seen cruise lines forced to redraw the map and seek out destinations experiencing the opposite phenomenon. West Africa, once a feather in only the most seasoned travellers' caps, has emerged as a winner, with cruise lines including Azamara, Oceania Cruises and Crystal Cruises now offering sailings along the West African coast with stops in countries such as Senegal, Sao Tome, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana and Togo. It's music to the ears of those who have always wanted to visit West Africa – with its vibrant culture, verdant landscapes, wildlife-rich national parks and pristine beaches – but have long been unsure how to approach planning a trip, as well as seasoned cruisers looking to explore somewhere relatively undiscovered. Robert Wellman, who, with his wife Jacqui, has been sailing with Azamara for some seven years, chose to visit West Africa with the small-ship line in 2023 because 'travel should be a force for good. And unlike other parts of the world that feel overrun, West Africa is eagerly accepting visitors. 'We've cruised all over the world, and just when we thought we had seen it all, we spotted a cruise to an intriguing new corner.' Wellman and his wife aren't the only ones to sit up and take notice of the region. In May 2024, passengers on Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise – a nine-month round-the-globe odyssey with a price tag of £88,000 per person – criticised the line for overlooking Africa in its original itinerary. Consequently, the cruise giant added nine African ports to its voyage, including stops in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal. And they aren't the only ones – Oceania Cruises, too, has also observed increasing interest in the region and included Senegal, Gambia, and Ghana in its current itineraries. To cope with the growing demand, several ports in West Africa are planning – or have recently undergone – improvements to their infrastructure. The island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, a stunning island chain 500km west of Senegal, opened a new £22 million cruise ship terminal (Mindelo) in October 2024; while Nigeria's Lekki and Cote d'Ivoire's Abidjan ports are both investing in their infrastructure so they can accommodate more cruise ships in the future. West Africa's emergence as a cruise destination comes as little surprise to British brand Swan Hellenic, which has been visiting the continent's west coast since 2023, and Mario Bounas, the brand's general manager for UK & Ireland, believes that the region's 'significance will only grow as travellers seek deeper, more meaningful experiences'. 'From the historic streets of Freetown to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Ghana's Unesco-listed Elmina Castle, every stop offers… a profound connection to the region's history and culture,' he says. It's a sentiment shared by the CEO of family-owned Variety Cruises, Filippos Venetopoulos, whose father pioneered cruises to West Africa back in 2008. 'West Africa offers incredible travel experiences, but we must use tourism to the area to support local communities,' he stressed to Telegraph Travel. 'My late father, Lakis, recognised the region's potential early on. To this end, we built – through our philanthropic arm, Variety Cares – a school in the remote area of Lamin Koto in the Gambia. Today, it provides around 100 students not only with an English and Arabic education but also with electricity and clean water.' West Africa is certainly benefiting from the increased attention and the economic boost that comes with it – but with so many popular cruise destinations now feeling the profound pinch of overtourism, the opening up of this less-trammelled region is of equal benefit to those of us seeking a calmer corner of the globe. It's a match made in heaven – and these are five of the best ways to get in on the action. The best West Africa cruise itineraries Best for a boutique experience Swan Hellenic sails to West Africa on the elegant 192-passenger SH Diana. Multiple shore excursions are offered at every port, but don't miss the chance to delve into the area's transatlantic slave trade at the 15th-century Elmina Castle; witness colourful kingfishers, bee-eaters and Abyssinian rollers in the little-known Bijagós archipelago; and immerse yourself in Abidjan's art scene. Swan Hellenic has a 13-night West Africa: the slavery coast cruise from £10,780pp, excluding flights. Departs April 20, 2025 Best for destination immersion This 26-night Azamara itinerary on the intimate Azamara Pursuit features a call at the West African capital of Dakar in Senegal – the jumping-off point for the tiny, car-free island of Gorée, whose pretty pastel-hued houses belie the fact this was once the largest slave trading centre on the African coast. Next up is Banjul, Gambia's breezy coastal capital and the gateway to sun-baked beaches, mangrove forests, and exotic birdlife. Every sailing includes an AzAmazing Evening – a special cultural event that allows passengers to dive deeper into the local culture. Iglu offers a 26-night West Africa cruise with Azamara from £4,249pp including flights. Departs October 23, 2025 Best for uniqueness Crystal Cruises is back with a new owner and a new 12-night West Coast Africa itinerary. It takes in one of the least-visited places on the planet – the dual-island nation of Sao Tome, that's been dubbed the African Galapagos thanks to its almost 200 endemic species – as well as Cotonou, Benin's vibrant capital. Here, visitors can learn about spirits (Benin is considered the birthplace of voodoo) and the Afro-Brazilian heritage of Ouidah, Abomey and Porto Novo. Crystal Cruises has a 12-night Accra to Cape Town sailing from £4,200pp, excluding flights. Departs December 11, 2025 Best for a less traditional experience Variety Cruises' yacht cruise up the Gambia River and along the coast of West Africa encompasses four natural reserves and a sobering dose of Britain's slavery history in just eight days. Standout excursions include Kiang West National Park in Gambia – home to more than 250 species of birds – Senegal's stunning Sine-Saloum Delta where guests can glide mangroves in a pirogue (motorised canoe), and a visit to the school (Lamin Koto) that the Greek small-ship line set up in 2010. Variety Cruises offers a seven-night West Africa river cruise from £2,073.60pp, excluding flights. Departs January 10, 2026 Best for luxury Oceania Cruises is known for its in-depth excursions, and on this 24-night sailing bound for Cape Town, guests have the chance to visit a plantation to understand the importance of cocoa and coffee production in Lomé – Togo's low-key yet attractive capital. As well as unsung Togo – whose landscapes range from lakes to palm-fringed beaches – you'll call at six other West African gems: Sao Tome and Principe, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Gambia and Cape Verde. Oceania Cruise has a 24-night Cape Town to Lisbon voyage from £5,992pp, excluding flights. Departs March 31, 2026
