Getting married in St. Thomas is easy.  Even more so when coming off a cruise ship. 

Want to know why?

Check out this hypothetical time line:

7:00 am – Your ship docks in St. Thomas
8:00 am – You disembark your ship
8:15 am – Depart cruise ship dock
8:30 am – Arrive at beach venue
9:00 am – Ceremony begins
9:15 am – You’re married!
10:00 am – Photos and ceremonial activities conclude and beach day commences
1:00 pm – Depart beach
1:15 pm – Arrive back at ship dock

From the moment you walk off the ship until you are married is little more than an hour.

And without breaking a sweat.

The time line above is typical for most of my cruise ship weddings.  

We would of course modify the time line based on what you’d like your day to look like, but this demonstrates how stinkin’ easy it is!

Here are my cruise ship packages that include all the essentials for a perfect day.  And of course we can add additional items and vendors as you like such as videographers, musicians, cakes, decor, etc.:

 

And now for the details…

 

1.  Your Cruise Line

There are exactly 2 cruise ship docks or terminals in St. Thomas.  Each cruise line goes to their specific dock and the dock will be listed on your ship’s itinerary.

If you want a deep dive into your ship port you can check out this St. Thomas Port Guide.

Aboard Carnival Looking down at the WICO/Havensight Dock

WICO/Havensight Dock

If you are arriving on the following cruise lines you’ll arrive at WICO/Havensight:

1. Carnival
2. Norwegian
3. Disney
4. Princess
5. MSC
6. Holland

The busiest pier is also the largest.  On a busy day 3 ships can all dock simultaneously.  WICO dock is full of shops, bars and restaurants.

When you disembark the ship the taxis will be waiting just steps from the gangway.  You’ll walk through a security fence and the dispatch will direct you to your taxi.

Yours truly at Crown Bay for a Royal Caribbean wedding.

Crown Bay Dock

If you are are arriving on the following cruise lines you’ll arrive at Crown Bay:

1. Royal Caribbean
2. Celebrity

The Crown Bay Terminal doesn’t host as many ships, but when one of the massive Royal ships comes in, the place is a rockin’.

When you walk through the security fence you’ll be directed to the taxi pickup area which is a short walk from the dock.  That is, unless you have a private taxi – I’ll explain below.

 

 2. Best Beach Wedding Locations

There are only a few beaches I recommend for cruise ship weddings.  The main considerations are the beach’s proximity to the ship and its amenities.  But if you want to explore all the options check out 9 Amazing St. Thomas Beach Venues.

Magens Bay

 

A champagne toast at Magens Bay.

Overall, Magens is usually the best option for most of my cruise ship couples.  The beach has incredibly soft, powdery sand.  On most days the water is clear and blue and crystal clear.

The beach has tons of amenities and is perfect for a reception or beach party.  There is a beach bar, concessions (the pizza is greasy and phenomenal!), watersports, chairs, umbrellas, gift shop and tons of space.

The beach is almost a mile long so there is lots of room to spread out and find a quiet spot for your wedding. 

They also have bathrooms, changing rooms and showers for before and after the ceremony.

Magens is about 15 minutes from WICO/Havensight dock and about 20 minutes from Crown Bay.

They charge a $250 site fee for weddings and vow renewals.  The site fee includes admission for 4 people.  Each additional person is $7/each.

The cost is approximately $30/person roundtrip to Magens from WICO/Havensight and $40/person roundtrip to Magens from Crown Bay.  Taxis are plentiful at Magens so you’ll never have to worry about getting a ride back to your ship.

Sapphire Beach

A ridiculously close 2nd to Magens is Sapphire.  The sand isn’t as nice as Magens, but the water is a deep blue unlike anything you’ve seen!  And the background is filled with island and cays including the British Virgin Islands.

 

Another notch in Sapphire’s belt is the jetty known as Pretty Klip Point.  It offers a private outdoor spot surrounded by water and beautiful rocks.  There is a beach bar, pizza spot and other food options along with a fun beach experience.

The convenience factor is the only reason I put Magens above Sapphire.  Being closer to the ship and having changing rooms are a big plus when planning your wedding day.

 

3. Your Wedding Day Time Line

If we were going for speed and efficiency, from the moment you leave the ship, we could get you married and back on the ship in 2-3 hours without breaking a sweat.  Occasionally I have couples with an afternoon excursion.  They disembark their ship at 8 am and they have a parasailing excursion at 10 am.   We can do that.

Another instance where speed is the goal is when we’re shooting for a late afternoon beach ceremony and then back to the ship for a dinner reception.  We could do a 4 pm ceremony and have you back before 6 pm.

But assuming you want a more leisurely day, give yourself 4-5 hours from start to finish.  This will give you time to get off the ship and to the beach at a slower pace.  When getting off the ship it can get a little hectic so not feeling rushed is a huge plus.

It is nice getting to the beach 30 minutes before the ceremony start time.  You can do any touchups needed or any last-minute wardrobe adjustments.  The photographer can also capture the magical moments before you walk down the aisle.

A standard ceremony is no more than 15 minutes from start to finish.  Afterwards we will continue with group/family/friend photos and then couple’s photos.  It takes about an hour to wrap up photos and any other celebratory details – cake, champagne, etc.

After that first hour on the beach wraps up you have a few options: head back to the ship, continue with photos or enjoy a beach day!

No matter where you are on island you’ll always be less than 30 minutes from the ship.  Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back and account for bad traffic, flat tires, etc.  So I always advise leaving the beach 1 hour before your ship’s “All Aboard”.

4. Island Transportation

I will always recommend private transportation for all my wedding couples/groups.  Having a private taxi at the cruise ship to greet you and escort you to your vehicle is priceless on your wedding day.

Just for fun, I’ll humor you and describe what it’s like to take a shared taxi.

When you walk off the gangway with the other thousand or so people from your cruise, you’ll walk through a security fence.  When you step through that fence you are no longer under the care and supervision of the cruise ship.  You are now an islander.

The taxi dispatch will be one of the first people you encounter and they’ll ask you where you’re are traveling to.  You’ll be directed to one of the island “safaris”, a massive truck that can hold upwards of 25 people.  Sounds like fun.

The reality?

You will have to wait until the safari fills up which can take a little time.  And you’ll be waiting with all the other people on the safari.  It can get a little tight at times.  And finally, the safaris make multiple stops so you won’t necessarily go directly to the wedding venue.

Again, if you aren’t on a tight time line and you want to get a true island experience, maybe they aren’t the worst.  And they are a bit cheaper.

With a private taxi your driver will greet you as you walk through the security fence.  You’ll be escorted to your waiting taxi and whisked away.  The return trip is also smoother since you’ll either schedule a predetermined pickup time or you can call the driver when you’re ready to leave.

And don’t worry, I have several taxi drivers I can recommend.

Have I made a strong enough case?  🙂

 

5. Cruise Ship Planning Advice

Getting Dressed

A simple matter worth discussing.  Assuming you are wearing a wedding dress you’ll want to decide where you’ll put on your dress.  Most of my brides get ready on the ship.  There are a few reasons for this.

1. Your cabin has AC.
2. You will have your makeup and any other primping tools on hand.
3. You can take your time and won’t feel as rushed.
4. The ride from the ship to the beach is about 15 minutes and you’ll be in AC.
5. Beach bathrooms aren’t very nice.

So come to the beach ready to go and you can always do a quick freshen up if you need to in your taxi or at the beach bathroom.

Taking Care of Guests

Since your guests are coming with you on the cruise presumably because they like you and want to be at your wedding.  So there are a few basics that customarily you’ll want to provide for them.

1. Transportation is a big expense, but covering transportation to and from the venue is a given.
2. If we are doing the ceremony at Lindquist or Magens you’ll need to cover their $7 admission.
3. Chairs are a nice idea if you have older folks.
4. If you plan on being at the beach for long I would definitely recommend water.  Either ensure everyone brings some or I can arrange to have a water station.
5. Food is tricky when coming on a cruise.  Most of my couples pass on the food since there is a literal boatload of food on the ship.  And it’s already paid for.

After the Ceremony

There are a few options to consider for after the “I do’s” and photos.  The easiest option is to switch from wedding to beach party.  Most of the beaches have beach bars and concessions and changing rooms so you can slip out of your wedding cloths and into bathing suits.  Perfection.

 

My recommendation is jumping on the taxi and head into town.  By town I mean Historic Charlotte Amalie which is in direct line of site to your ship.  It puts you about 5-6 minutes from the pier.

Town is great because there are restaurants, bars, cafes and shops (local products abound, find coffees, rums, rum balls and hot sauces all made here, and only available, on St. Thomas).  Take your group out for lunch or a celebratory drink in a historic and gorgeous location.  Getting additional photos, either with your photographer or a cell phone, will add another dimension to your day contrasting nicely with the beach vibe.

You should definitely check out 13W for a drink and some reggae and calypso tunes while chilling under the shade of a tropical garden.