Carnival Fantasy in Port of Charleston, SC

[sherribritt]

Hi, All

 

I haven't seen anyone else post that they have booked a wedding on the Fantasy in the Port of Charleston, so if you have or are planning to, please post!!

 

I just booked a wedding on Carnival Fantasy for August 8, 2011. We will be sailing to the Bahamas. I'm having my wedding in the Port of Charleston so that guests who are not interested in cruising can also attend. I was originally planning a destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico and even had my Save the Dates ordered when I finally decided to go with the cruise. I was getting so anxious about the violence going on in Mexico, especially the recent reports of things happening in/near the popular resort areas (like Cancun). I found myself googling Mexico every other day so I finally decided not to put myself through the stress of doing that every day for the next 11 months and just go with a cruise   It is actually cheaper for my guests that way, so I am happy with the decision.

 

I just got my wedding info from my personal wedding coordinator and there are so many options. I am especially curious about the ceremony and receptions sites, as I have no idea what the colors/decor are like. We won't know which option will be chosen until we have a final count for guests because the sites are chosen based partly on how many guests you have.

 

If anybody has any experience with a wedding on board the Fantasy (in recent years...I understand things were updated a couple of years ago), please comment! I am really excited and would love to see pictures

 

Thanks,

Sherri

[weddingcruiser]

Hi future Fantasy bride! I just booked my Fantasy wedding in August 2011 as well!! (20th) I'm really excited but I'm also having trouble finding pictures and such! It is kind of frustrating because I want to know exactly what I'm in for as far as decor... I'm pretty confident that it will be amazing no matter what Congrats!

[sinesbride]

I'm jealous. I haven't book our cruise/wedding yet. We hope to go out of Galveston since we are in Texas, but I'm hoping we can come to a decision within the next few weeks. LOL

[sherribritt]

I emailed my wedding coordinator yesterday and asked her if she had any pictures of the ceremony and reception sites so that I could get a feel for the decor and the color scheme. I will let you know if she sends me any.

 

[sherribritt]

I just got a reply....Here are the pictures I got as "samples of possible ceremony locations":

 

 

[sherribritt]

Hi, Ladies,

 

Just thought I'd also include the questions I sent to the wedding coordinator along with her answers. I am pretty impressed with how quickly she is replying to my emails.

 

1) Do you have any pictures of the ceremony site and also the reception site? I am trying to get an idea about what the color scheme will be like. I am hoping to choose my bridesmaids' colors so that they do not clash with the colors of the ceremony site. We have attached some photos of possible locations, the actual location will be confirmed about 3 weeks prior to your cruise.

(2) Are there any options for buying a small bouquet for each bridesmaid? I did receive the list with prices, but they were all over $100. I have 8 bridesmaids, so I don't want to spend that much on their bouquets (especially since they will probably just have to throw them away). Any ideas? Please contact our vendor A wedding for you at 1-800-929-4198 for additional flowers.

(3) I chose the pianist for the live entertainment. Will he/she play requests or is there a playlist that he/she sticks to? Are there songs we can choose from? If you would like certain songs place , please email us the sheet music. Normally they play classical music and show tunes.

(4) Do you have any sample pictures from actual weddings on the Fantasy taken by the photographer who will be working during my wedding? I would like to get an idea of where everybody will be standing/sitting. Also, do you have any sample video clips from the videographer? We are considering hiring him for a package, but we would like to see his work first to get an idea of what we are paying for. We have attached pictures of the ceremony setup and reception setup. We do not video or photos of people with the setup for the Fantasy.

(5) Will you/the pianist be announcing the wedding party and/or bride and groom or the first dance (if we have one) when we enter the reception site? Will you/the pianist be announcing the cutting of the cake/toast? Just wondering if that is included or if we need to try to designate someone to do all of that. The Pianist will announce the couple and the toast. If you have any other announcements you will need to assign someone from your party.

(6) If we have selected songs for the ceremony, in what format do you prefer to have that (cd, ipod playlist, etc.)? Will someone be available to play the songs for the ceremony? If you bring music for the ceremony your coordinator will play the music for you , you can bring 3 songs no more than 3 mins. each on a CD format.

(7) Can we bring our own cake topper? Yes

( Does the photographer come in to take pictures of the bride while I am getting ready? How long does it take him/her to take pictures between the ceremony and reception? Is there some time between the ceremony and reception so that guests who are in the wedding don't miss part of the reception while they are taking pictures? Also, does the photographer take time after the reception to take the various pictures of the bride and groom on board so that doesn't cut into the reception time as well? The photographer takes photo throughout your ceremony and reception posed and candid shots and after  your reception he takes photos of you and your fiancé around the ship.

(9) Is it okay for our friends to take pictures/video during the wedding and reception, too? Yes

(10) Instead of a poem, I would like for one of my family members to say a prayer during the ceremony. Is it okay to do that instead of having someone read a poem? Yes

(11) We would like to host a private cocktail party for our last day at sea for our guests to thank them for coming. You sent me the price lists already. I am wondering if you can tell me ahead of time which room we will have the party in so I can add an invite to my sailing guests' welcome aboard bag I am planning to give them when we board.  This party setup on the last night will be handled through our group event planning team you may reach them at 1-800-438-6744 x70006, they can give you lounge information at the time of booking your party.

(12) Is the Disco open the first night on the ship? I am also thinking of adding a note to my guests' welcome aboard bags letting them know we want everyone to meet in the Disco to celebrate (especially since there won't be much time for dancing and partying during the one hour reception). The Disco will be open to the public on the 1^st night of the cruise.

(13) Also, when will you be able to let me know the actual site of the ceremony and reception? I would like to add those to the invitations if I am able to get the information early enough. Also, can you give me approximate start times for the wedding ceremony and also the reception so that I can provide that information on my invitations I send out? The actual times and locations of your ceremony and reception will be confirmed about 2-3 weeks prior to your cruise. Weddings normally start around 1pm.

(14) Will at least 2 cabins be available before the ceremony so my fiance and I can get ready in separate rooms? Yes, when we finalize your details you can provide the second cabin number.

  

[sherribritt]

We are arriving in Charleston a couple of nights before the cruise since the ship leaves on a Monday. I got this link from a local in Charleston which shows which hotels provide a free shuttle to the cruise port and free parking at the hotel for the duration of your cruise. Great deal when you compare to what they will charge you for parking at the cruise port!

 

http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitor...ages_stay.html

[trixiebaby]

I am so glad to find you ladies! I am getting married on the Fantasy in Charleston on 28 Jan 2011. I am just now getting to the freak out point because the wedding is getting closer but I still feel like I don't know what I will walk into on that day.

I know that they choose your room based on the size of your wedding. I am expecting 65 to 70 people so I am thinking I will have one of the larger rooms. We selected to have the social coordinator and to bring out own music to be played onboard. I am kind of wondering about that now though because I am afraid they will stick us in a room that isn't appropriate for dancing. Sigh.

On your posts above...I made bouquets using silk flowers from Michaels. They are always having sales and it was really easy (even for me and I am not artsy). Plus everyone that has seen them has said they were gorgeous.

Also, we paid an extra 30 bucks and we are supposed to have the photographer for an extra hour (maybe a half hour?) before the wedding to get pictures. That option should be available.

One thing I didn't realize when I first booked is that your coordinator at carnival is completely separate from the coordinator that does your ceremony. Carnival is responsible for photog, video, and the reception. The coordinator from the wedding service is the one that will meet you at the port, get you on board and manage your ceremony.

I hope we can all work together to lessen our anxiety!

[sherribritt]

Trixiebaby!! Am I glad to meet you!!! Even though my wedding is several months off, I am already nervous about the unknowns! I will probably have about 50 guests, but my bridal party is large (8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen) so I am a little nervous about how everybody will know where to walk/stand, etc. It will be helpful to hear how much detail is shared with you as your wedding date gets closer. I would also love to see "real" pictures of the wedding and ceremony sites once they are all set up. I'm also curious about the videographer's work...

 

I am going with the pianist for the reception since we will only have an hour, and I am thinking we can all meet up later that night in the disco and dance the night away without worrying about a time limit. I think the hour will fly by. Have you heard of any picturesque places in the Bahamas? I would love to get some great pictures of my "new" husband and me in the Bahamas for our wedding album. If you hear of any good spots for pictures nearby the port, please let me know!!

 

I'll be sure to keep posting information as I get it, too. Congratulations and best of luck to you!!

[cmhoward]

I just booked our wedding on the Fantasy for August 13, 2011 and a 7 day cruise to the Carribean. From what we understand, anything you choose other than the regular stuff they provide is at least an additional $100 charge. I still think it is totally worth it because we don't have to deal with set up, clean up, or vendors. We are super excited and can't wait until the big day. I have heard nothing but great things about a cruise wedding. I'm also glad to have crafty friends that can make the bridesmaids bouquets and anything else the cruise doesn't provide! I wish everyone the best of luck and congratulations!!! Please pass along any information you have or questions I may forget to ask! Thank you!!!!