Cunard Considers Cashing In On Cruise Weddings Market

One of Britains most historic cruise lines, Cunard

, could soon enter the weddings at sea market if it chooses to register its vessels abroad in order to carry out wedding ceremonies.

This move is likely to attract a significant number of UK couples who are looking to plan weddings abroad which would result in increased revenue for the cruise line company.

At present it is illegal for British vessels to conduct wedding ceremonies while out at sea but if Cunard register its ships abroad, the law would be bypassed and couples will be able to enjoy cruise weddings without the need of a religious minister of notary.

By registering the ships overseas, it would also mean that savings could be made on wages of crew members because the vessel would not be subject to British employment laws.

Sue Bryant, Contributing Editor at www.cruisecritic.co.uk, explained: At the moment, you can still get married on a Cunard ship but it has to be in port, not at sea, with the ceremony officiated by a recognised local notary. The captain isn't authorised on a British-flagged ship to conduct weddings.

There are other reasons for Cunard to consider a move, not least the amount the line has to pay its crew. New laws that have come into force mean that crewmembers from EU countries who work on ships registered in the UK are subject to UK employment laws, so have to be paid the same as Brits.

As Cunard employs a lot of East Europeans in its restaurants, it could be facing an increased wage bill, which wouldn't be the case if it were to flag its ships in Malta or Bermuda.

The number of British travellers who took ocean cruises in 2010 totalled 1.62 million and the Passenger Shipping Association predicts this number to rise to 1.7 million in 2011.

As the number of couples choosing weddings abroad over traditional weddings at home increases, many cruise companies are cashing in on the weddings at sea market.

Cunard's US owner, Carnival Cruises, registered its 16 Princess Cruises ships in Bermuda, and the company has been conducting onboard ceremonies and Caribbean weddings on tropical islands since 1998.

Cunard President, Peter Shanks, commented: Its no secret that weddings at sea are now a very big business.

However this business is currently denied to us, as our fleet is registered in the UK, and we have for some time been examining our options.

One is to stay as we are and forgo our share of this lucrative business; a second is to designate a wedding ship and change that ships registry alone; and the third is to maximise the opportunity and re-register all our ships.

He added: I must stress that at present no decision has been made.

by: Susan Crown

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