Celebrations at Sea with Cunard

The terms and conditions apply to the Cunard Celebrations Programme (including Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Renewal of Vows, Engagements and Committal of Ashes) (the “Celebrations Programme”) in addition to the Booking Conditions or Passage Contract, as appropriate (referred to here as “Booking Conditions”) which apply to your voyage.

In the event of conflict between the two sets, these terms and conditions will prevail over the Booking Conditions to the extent of the conflict. Please ensure that you have read and understood these Terms & Conditions prior to making a booking.

1. Definitions

In this Contract and unless the context requires otherwise, defined terms are the same as in the Booking Conditions unless a different meaning is given to the defined term here: “Planning Form” means the form which must be completed by Guests after a Ceremony / Celebration Package has been booked and which records key details required to arrange the Ceremony / Celebration; “Contract” means the contract made between Cunard and the Guests relating to the provision of Ceremony / Celebration services. “Finishing Touches” means optional goods and services additional to Ceremony / Celebration as included in the relevant Cunard Celebration Package. “Guests” means the persons who book a Cunard Celebration Package and are named in a Planning Form; “Ceremony / Celebration” means the relevant event booked under the Celebrations Programme, which may include (without limitation) Weddings, Renewal of Vows, Engagements, Commitment Ceremonies and Committal of Ashes; “the Cunard Celebration Package” means the relevant package of Ceremony or Celebration goods and services as described in Cunard’s brochure and/or on our website, to be provided by Cunard for the set fee.

2. The Contract

Guests must read these terms in conjunction with the Cunard Celebrations Programme brochure for full details of the Ceremony / Celebration they wish to book. Together with our Booking Conditions, these terms and conditions form the Contract between Guests and Cunard for a Cunard Celebration Package. Guests booking a Wedding must read section 6 below on Legal Requirements before making a booking.

Guests must check whether there is availability on their preferred voyage with Cunard prior to booking a Cunard Celebration Package. A Contract for a Cunard Celebration Package will not be formed until Guests have also booked a corresponding Cunard voyage and paid any required deposits due under this Contract.

Cunard is unable to accept bookings for Weddings within three months (90 days) of departure of the relevant voyage. For all other Ceremony / Celebration Packages, Cunard may accept bookings up to 14 days before departure, subject always to availability and operational capacity.

Cunard Celebration Packages, Finishing Touches, and all Ceremony and reception venues are subject to availability. Cunard reserves the right to offer an alternative on board venue should your chosen venue be unavailable. Finishing Touches may be added or amended up to 120 days before departure (and must in any event be confirmed and paid in accordance with Clause 3). Spa appointments may be requested at the time of booking your Cunard Celebration Package.

Ceremony / Celebration dates may be reserved for up to 7 days without a deposit. To confirm a booking, Cunard will require receipt of (a) a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the price of the Wedding or Commitment Ceremony Package; or (b) full payment for Renewal of Vows, Engagement and Committal of Ashes Packages. No Contract is formed until the applicable deposit or full payment (as appropriate) is received by Cunard.

Planning Forms are usually issued approximately six months prior to the Ceremony date (or as soon as practicable if booked later) and must be returned to Cunard no later than 120 days before departure  

Both parties must speak and understand English. The Ceremony / Celebration will be conducted in English. Cunard cannot accommodate translators.

Committal of Ashes: additional terms and requirements apply. Guests should review the Committal of Ashes information available on our website (including requirements for a biodegradable container and supporting documentation, Captain’s discretion and itinerary/location restrictions). These requirements form part of this Contract.

3. Prices and Payment

Payment terms depend on the type of Ceremony / Celebration Package booked:

·       For Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies: a 25% non-refundable deposit is payable at the time of booking. The balance of the Cunard Celebration Package and (for Weddings) the marriage licence fees are due no later than 120 days prior to departure of the voyage.

·       For Renewal of Vows, Engagement and Committal of Ashes Packages: full payment is due at the time of booking.

Failure to pay balance or deposit amounts due by the relevant due date shall entitle Cunard to cancel the booking for the relevant Cunard Celebration Package and retain any deposit made by way of a cancellation charge (see clause 8). Guests will be jointly liable for the cost of any booking made under this Contract.

Payment for most Finishing Touches booked in advance is due at the time of booking the Finishing Touches, and no later than 120 days before departure. Failure to pay for Finishing Touches by the due date shall entitle Cunard to cancel the Finishing Touches.

Please note that the fee for the marriage licence (where applicable) is non-refundable unless the Wedding is cancelled by Cunard due to Cunard’s fault.

All prices quoted are in US Dollars. Cunard reserves the right to change prices advertised without notice. Latest prices can be viewed on our website at www.cunard.com/celebrations or call us for details.

4. Legal Requirements (Weddings only)

The Cunard Weddings ceremony is a civil service conducted under Bermudian law. Under Bermudian law, the following general conditions must be met for a marriage to be valid:

• The parties must be of opposite sex.
• Both must be over 16 years of age. If either party is under 18, written and notarised parental or guardian consent is required.
• The parties must not be closely related by birth, marriage or adoption and neither party may be married to another person.
• Neither party can suffer from a recognised mental disorder (as defined by the Bermudian Mental Health Act 1968 for Bermudian law marriages) and both must be capable of giving free and informed consent to the marriage.
• No false names may be used and proper local notice requirements and licensing must be in place.
• The ceremony must be conducted by a recognised marriage officer and witnessed by two persons. Note: A marriage officer and witnesses (if required) are included with a Cunard Celebration Package. The Captain or Deputy Captain acts as marriage officer for a Cunard Celebration Package.

Important: For weddings conducted under Bermudian law, wedding banns and the announcement of a Bermudian marriage will be published in two local newspapers in Bermuda, including the Bermudian online newspaper, the Royal Gazette www.royalgazette.com. Guests’ name and addresses will be published online in this publication and filed subsequently with Registrar General in Hamilton, Bermuda. Guests’ names and information needed to register the marriage will also be noted in the ship’s logbook. If the Registry General of Bermuda receives an objection to a Guests’ intended marriage it may prevent a marriage licence from being issued. In such a case, it is the Guests’ sole responsibility, at their cost, to liaise with the Registry General to resolve the issue prior to the applicable ceremony date. Cunard will provide reasonable assistance to support this communication but is not responsible for delivering the legal marriage element of Cunard Celebration Package a while such unresolved objection remains in place.

The recognition of a marriage as valid in other jurisdictions depends partly also on whether or not the law of the Guest’s domicile has been satisfied. For this, Guests are strongly recommended to take legal advice on the law of the country of domicile of each of them before the booking is made to ensure that the marriage will be compliant. Cunard accepts no liability whatsoever for any failure of the marriage to be valid as a result of one or both of the Guests’ failure to ensure their compliance with the law of the country in which they are domiciled.

4.1 Validity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Marriages conducted under Bermudian law will generally be recognised as valid in the United Kingdom provided all legal formalities are met in Bermuda and both parties comply with the corresponding legal requirements for marriages in their respective countries

4.2 Validity in the United States and Canada

It is intended that residents of the United States and Canada are able to get married on board a Cunard ship and as a general statement, we understand Bermudian law marriages are recognisable in these countries. However, each Guest’s circumstances are different and the law on recognition of marriages can vary from state to state. It is therefore very important that before they commit to getting married on board, Guests take local legal advice to check whether their marriage under Bermudian law will be recognised as valid in their home state. Some states require a Bermudian law marriage certificate to apostilled. An additional charge is payable to the Bermudian Registrar for this service, if required.

4.3 Validity in Germany

German law is applied to the question of the validity of a marriage where either the bride or groom are German citizens. German law will recognise the validity of the marriage if the requirements comply with Bermudian law in terms of Guests’ capacity to marry.

4.4 Guest Documentation

Guests are responsible for obtaining and producing any Guest Documentation needed to facilitate the marriage in the form and in the timeframes advised by Cunard. This includes arranging and paying for any certified English translations (where necessary) and liaising directly with relevant local authorities in Bermuda if additional documents are required. A full list of required Guest Documentation will be provided to Guests when booking a Cunard Celebration Package but usually includes, at a minimum:  

·       Original Passports for both Guests.

• Original, full birth certificates, showing Guests’ parents’ full names.
• Original Legal evidence of Guest’s ‘single’ status if previously married.
• If applicable, adoption and/or evidence of any name change for either Guest (i.e. deed poll certificates).

4.5 Exclusion of Liability

The recognition of a marriage as valid is a matter of domestic law and, accordingly, the formalities governing a marriage ceremony and the requirements as to capacity to marry vary from country to country (and often from state to state).Guidance provided in these terms and conditions does not constitute legal advice and Guests are strongly recommended to take advice from a specialist matrimonial lawyer in their home country as to whether their marriage under Bermudian law on a Bermudian registered ship will be recognised as valid in their home country. Cunard accepts no liability for any failure of the marriage to be recognised in any jurisdiction and the obligation to make all legal enquiries rests exclusively with Guests. Cunard cannot provide advice on this issue and does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for Guests’ inability or failure to register their marriage where necessary in their home country.

5. Changes by the Guest

Cunard will try to accommodate requested changes to a Cunard Celebration Package once booked, subject to availability and payment of any resulting costs. Other than as set out in this Clause 5, changes to a Cunard Celebration Package (including Finishing Touches) can only be requested up to 120 days prior to the departure of the voyage. All changes to a booked Cunard Celebration Package are at Cunard’s discretion.

After this time, Cunard will try to accommodate any reasonable requests for non-significant changes to booked Finishing Touches, but such changes are always at Cunard’s discretion and are subject to an administration charge of $20 plus any expenses incurred.

For Weddings, Guests may request a change to the ceremony date up to 60 days before departure of their voyage provided the new date is during the same voyage and any Bermuda marriage licence previously issued is still valid (or a new licence can be obtained in sufficient time)

Requests to move the Cunard Celebration Package to a different voyage must be made at least 120 days before departure and are subject to availability, a $100 administration fee and payment of any additional costs incurred by Cunard. Cancellation charges for the voyage as set out in our Booking Conditions may also apply.

6. Cancellation by the Guest

Guests may cancel a Cunard Celebration Package at any time by emailing ceremonies@carnivalukgroup.com. In the event of any cancellation of a Cunard Celebration Package, all Finishing Touches will also be deemed cancelled. Cunard shall be entitled to levy a cancellation charge to cover their anticipated losses as set out in the table below:

For all bookings made prior to 10 March 2026 with a scheduled departure date on or before 30 November 2026:

 
For bookings made on or after 10 March 2026 with a scheduled departure date on or after 1 December 2026:

 
 7. Changes or Cancellations by Cunard

Cunard aims to deliver the Cunard Celebration Package as booked but may occasionally need to make changes for operational or commercial reasons.   These changes will not usually be significant and may include (without limitation) substitutions of advertised package elements for other items of comparable quality, changes to the Ceremony / Celebration date, a change in location or venue for a comparable alternative, or a change in preferred supplier of any Finishing Touches. We will advise you at the earliest possible opportunity where such a change is necessary. Cunard will not be responsible for any costs or losses incurred by Guests or their travelling party because of a non-significant change.

Cunard does not recommend engraving commemorative items with the date of the Ceremony / Celebration in advance of the ceremony taking place due to possible date changes. Cunard cannot be held liable if engraved items are incorrect as a result of such changes. The ceremony may be performed by the Deputy Captain instead of the Captain, if the Deputy Captain is in command of the vessel at the time of the ceremony.

Whilst Cunard will do its best not to cancel the Ceremony / Celebration after a booking has been made, it shall nevertheless be entitled at any time to cancel the Contract where this reasonably becomes necessary on operational, commercial or other grounds. Cunard will inform the Guests of any such cancellation as quickly as possible and will make a refund of monies received under the Contract. Cunard will have no further liability to Guests or any other persons in respect of the cancellation. Please see the Booking Conditions for full details of Guests’ rights on alteration and cancellation of voyage bookings both prior to and after departure.

8. Insurance & Liability

Cunard recommends that Guests take out suitable insurance to cover circumstances which may mean they are unable to proceed with their Ceremony / Celebration. Please note that Cunard travel insurance will not cover Guests for the costs of a cancelled Ceremony / Celebration.

Cunard is not liable for any failure to perform this Contract where this failure is caused by; actions or omissions of the Guests or any third parties that Cunard is not responsible for; any unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances and/or criminal acts committed by employees, subcontractors, or agents of our suppliers. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by Cunard’s negligence or any other liability which cannot be limited/excluded by applicable law. In any event, for claims not involving personal injury or death due to Cunard’s negligence, Cunard’s liability for improper performance of the Contract shall be limited to a maximum of twice the price which Guests affected paid for the Cunard Celebration Package and Finishing Touches.

9. Personal Data

To arrange and deliver your Cunard Celebration Package, Cunard will collect and process Guest personal data including names, contact details, dates of birth, addresses, passport information, marital status, parental names and ceremony preferences. This data is used solely for service delivery of a Cunard Celebration  Package by managing bookings, applying for a marriage licence and marriage registration in Bermuda coordinating delivery of Finishing Touches and supporting logistics and communication. If one Guest provides data about others, they confirm they have consent and that the information is accurate.

Guests’ Personal data may be shared with our third-party suppliers, registrars and local government authorities of the applicable ministries of the Bermudian government.  Publication in Bermuda is a legal requirement for maritime marriages and forms part of processing. We will only use your personal data as set out in our privacy notice which is available at www.Cunard.com. You have rights to access, correct, delete or restrict the use of your personal data, and to withdraw consent where applicable. Data may be processed in the UK, EU, and other jurisdictions where services are delivered.

10. Miscellaneous

Photographs, descriptions and other examples provided in relation to any Cunard Celebration Package are intended to offer a general representation of services and products provided under a Cunard Celebration Package. These materials are illustrative only and are not intended to be a guarantee of specific outcomes. Due to variations in venues, availability, and other factors, the final presentation or product may differ from exactly what is shown. Where the Ship’s Captain is unavailable for operational reasons, the Deputy Captain may perform a Ceremony / Celebration in his place. In these terms and conditions ‘Cunard’ means Cunard plc trading as Cunard.

11. Law and Jurisdiction

This Contract shall be governed by English law and any dispute arising out of or in connection with it, including non-contractual matters, shall be determined exclusively by the courts of England and Wales. Marriage validity is governed by the relevant local law. 

GUIDANCE ON RECOGNITION OF MARRIAGE IN GUESTS’ COUNTRY OF DOMICILE

This guidance does not form part of the Contract with Guests

United Kingdom

Marriages conducted under Bermudian law are generally recognised in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Canada provided that:

• The ceremony takes place in Bermuda (or on the high seas in a Ship registered there);
• All required formalities under Bermudian law are met; and
• Both parties meet the legal capacity requirements to be married in their own country of domicile.

 For Guests domiciled in the United Kingdom:

• Guests must be over 16 and not be closely related.
• Unless domiciled in Scotland, parental or guardian consent is required if under 18.
• Both must be capable of giving valid consent to be married.
• Neither Guest may be married or in an undissolved civil partnership.
• Prohibited degrees of ‘close relationship’ differ slightly in Scotland to that in the rest of the UK. Guests domiciled in Scotland should seek local legal advice.

Germany

For Guests domiciled in Germany, German law makes the following stipulations:

·       They must be over 18 years old (between 16 and 18 only with the special permission of the Family Court).

·       They must be mentally sane when expressing their willingness to marry.

·        They must not be too closely related.

·       They must not be already married. After the ceremony it may be advisable for practical reasons to register the Bermudian marriage in Germany, although this is not a strict requirement of German law.

For further guidance on the legal requirements to be married in Bermuda guests can visit:

Bermuda : www.gov.bm/getting-married-bermuda