Celebrity Cruises Now Offering Legal Same-Sex Marriages Onboard

The historic first for the brand was made possible following a monumental vote

in the fleet’s country of registry

Celebrity Cruises is proud to announce that same-sex marriages performed onboard are now legally recognized, marking a historic first for the modern luxury brand.

The motion follows a transformative vote in Malta, where a majority of the Celebrity fleet is registered, which passed the country’s parliament 66-1. The long-awaited referendum opens the door for Celebrity to legally recognize same-sex marriages performed onboard, and have the fleet’s captains officiate the ceremonies.

"Celebrity Cruises has a long history of supporting the Celebrity Cruises LGBTQ + community, and I cannot think of a more important time in our history than right now to do all we can to support inclusion. I am absolutely thrilled to announce that starting today, we welcome same-sex couples to marry on our ships while in international waters," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. "This is one for the history books!" 

“Celebrity Weddings has already hosted many same-sex weddings in the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean, where legal,” said Barbara Whitehall, Managing Director, The Wedding Experience. “We are ecstatic that this new Malta ruling opens up marriage equality for anyone and everyone sailing with Celebrity Cruises while in international waters.”

The  Celebrity Weddings program offers onboard ceremonies and destination weddings for lovebirds. The Nautical Nuptials at Sea package includes a Captain-led ceremony, an event coordinator's services, live music, one hour of photography, cake for two, bottle of Champagne, a bouquet and boutonniere, plus additional romantic turndown amenities post-ceremony.

To learn more about the Celebrity Weddings program and The Wedding Experience, visit  www.celebrityweddings.eweddingcalendar.com.

About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers’ precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 12 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible cruise tour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL). For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111, visit www.celebritycruises.com, or call your travel agent.

Cunard Welcomes Same-Sex Marriages On Its Iconic Three Ships #Cruise

The ruling means that Cunard, which has offered weddings on its ships for the past five years and has married over 250 couples, is one of the first British cruise lines to be able to conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies at sea.

“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.”

Wedding ceremonies will be performed by the ship’s Captain* and the marriage license will be issued by Bermuda.

Same-sex couples can now purchase a Cunard Wedding at Sea package, which includes:

• A romantic ceremony at sea conducted by the Captain*
• Wedding ceremony venue with floral arrangements
• Traditional wedding music
• Services of the on-board Wedding Coordinator
• Attendance of a professional photographer at the ceremony
• Commemorative wedding certificate
• An official copy of the marriage certificate
• The cost of the license fees
• A bottle of Champagne in the cabin on arrival
• Champagne for a toast after the ceremony
• Invitations and thank you notes
• Wedding outfit pressing service

For more information about Cunard, or to book a voyage, contact your Travel Consultant, call Cunard Line at 1-800-728-6273 or visit www.cunard.com.

For travel agents interested in further information, please contact your Business Development Manager, visit OneSource or call Cunard toll free at 1-800-528-6273.

*If the Captain is unable to conduct the ceremony, the Deputy Captain will be asked to conduct on their behalf.

CunardDefining true excellence at sea with over 176 years of legendary voyages, Cunard is the operator of luxury ocean liners Queen Mary 2^®, Queen Victoria^® and Queen Elizabeth^®. Renowned for impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment, all three Queens offer luxury on a grand scale in Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill and Queens Grill accommodation. Cunard is the only line to offer regularly scheduled Transatlantic service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it began in 1922.

Awarded ‘#1 Mega-Ship Ocean Cruise Line‘ by Travel + Leisure’s 2017 and 2016 World’s Best Awards and ‘Best World Cruise Itineraries’ and ‘Best Trans-Atlantic Itineraries’ by Porthole Cruise Magazine’s 2016 Readers Choice Awards, Cunard is a proud member of World’s Leading Cruise Lines, a part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the largest cruise vacation company in the world. Together Cunard, Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK) operate 102 ships visiting over 700 ports around the world and totaling 226,000 lower berths.

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