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On-board weddings leave marriage all at sea

Someone who's achieved the distinguished post of ship's captain has usually risen through the sailor's ranks. But Dr Karl wonders if they have the authority to assist in 'tying the knot'.

Marriage has been around for thousands of years, in virtually every society, past or present. Ships have been around for a long time, too.

In the past, journeys at sea could last months or years. Maybe that is why people came to believe that a ship's captain has the power to perform marriages. But this is, apart from a few very recent examples, a myth.

Every society has some kind of marriage ceremony — authorised and/or recognised by state, religion or society.

Sometimes the religious authority acts as an agent of the state so that the religious marriage is automatically legally recognised.

But sometimes there has to be a separate state ceremony after the religious ceremony, and sometimes the act of living together as man and wife automatically "marries" the partners under common law.

In some instances, the ceremony can be held anywhere, but sometimes it can be held only in specific locations, for example, churches and registry offices.

But ships' captains have never (until very recently) performed marriages.

In fact, both the US and UK governments have specific regulations relating to marriage for the captains of military and civilian ships.

They are clearly forbidden to perform marriage ceremonies, and do not, and never have had, the authority to do so.

Let me give you a direct quote from the US Navy Code of Federal Regulations , Title 32, Subtitle A, Chapter VI, Subchapter A, Part 700, Subpart G, Rule 716, also known as 32 CFR 700.716):

The commanding officer shall not perform a marriage ceremony on board his ship or aircraft. He shall not permit a marriage ceremony to be performed on board when the ship or aircraft is outside the territory of the United States, except: (a) In accordance with local laws … and (b) In the presence of a diplomatic or consular official of the United States.

But today there are a few exceptions.

Japanese ships' captains can now perform marriage ceremonies, but only for those with Japanese passports.

Beginning in 1998, a few cruise lines have offered wedding packages — perhaps to gain extra revenue, or perhaps from a deep and profound respect for the sacrament of marriage.

The captains of Cruise West ships can get a temporary permit to perform marriages — but only in certain Alaskan waters, where arrangements have been made with the counties that abut those waters. These include Prince William Sound, Juneau, LeConte Glacier and Misty Fjords.

After the marriage, the captain then has to mail the license to the relevant courthouse, so that the marriage can be legally registered.

It is also possible to get married at sea on a few of the Princess Line ships. These ships (Gold Princess, Grand Princess and Star Princess) are registered in Bermuda, and the captains have Burmuda licenses to perform marriages, but only while the ships are in international waters.

The price ranges from $1000 to as much as you wish to pay. The Princess "Tie The Knot at Sea" wedding program can include a live string quartet, champagne, a three-tiered wedding cake, both still and movie photography, flowers, wedding-cam so that your relatives across the world can watch the ceremony on the internet as it happens, and of course, the captain in sparkling white uniform performing the ceremony.

You can also get married when the ship pulls into a port, if you have previously done all the paperwork for that particular country.

In this case, the ceremony can happen on land ("Tie The Knot Harborside"), or on the ship ("Tie The Knot Ashore").

If it's on the ship, it's very rare for the captain to perform the ceremony, as it would be highly unlikely that they would have authority to do so in that country. Instead, you would have to organise somebody recognized by that country.

In the academic land of folklore research, nobody has been able to track down exactly how this myth started.

Nobody really knows, but the captain of a ship has a huge amount of authority and power, and I guess that people just assumed that this power included the power to perform marriages.

Or maybe the people who started the myth were all at sea.

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