I got married on the Carnival Victory because it had a short itinerary on the only date during the year that worked for my maid of honor and the wedding package was awesome. There are some things that Carnival did very, very well, but it failed in crucial areas.

First, the good. The wedding package is fantastic for the couple that doesn't want too much fuss or planning, is budget-conscious, and isn't a stickler with the small traditions. A typical cruise wedding budget is $10k, a far cry from $35k, and that was the huge appeal of Carnival. We had 50 guests onboard, with an open bar, nice hors d'oeuvres and a tasty wedding cake all included for the "Time to Celebrate Big" package ($2,500). Who can complain about a price like that? We were extremely surprised by how good the food was.

Moreover, the boarding process was incredibly smooth. Because the wedding parties are the first to board, we didn't have to deal with long lines -- just breezed through check-in. The negative side is that everyone is sitting together for 1.5 hr as the ship is cleared by customs, so for the bride/groom that doesn't want to see each other prior to the wedding, this would be a deal-breaker. My husband and I actually preferred this arrangement because we got to spend quality time with our guests as they waited to board with us. But we're also not the type to get queasy before something like this. Read more