Check out our picks for the best cruise options for weddings.

Princess Cruises

Why? Princess is a prime choice because, of all the lines offering shipboard wedding options, it offers the best combination of features, services and facilities. Princess' Weddings at Sea packages are available on Grand Princess, Golden Princess, Star Princess, Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess, Coral Princess and Island Princess, all of which have dedicated wedding chapels.

Package Details: Princess offers three wedding packages. The "Diamond Package," for $2,400, is their most expensive option; you get a candlelit ceremony with flower arrangements and a string quartet, an orchid bouquet and boutonniere, a photographer (some prints are included), and a ceremony video. Before the wedding, the bride receives a facial and professional hair styling in the onboard salon; after the ceremony, the couple gets Champagne with toasting glasses, wedding cake, and a lithograph painting of the ship. The "Emerald" and "Pearl" packages are slightly less expensive and offer simpler flowers, less pricey Champagne and fewer amenities. Couples can also choose to throw a reception onboard for up to 80 people; prices begin at $70 per person.

Coolest Quirk: Not only can your ceremony be conducted at sea by the captain, but the line has also installed state-of-the-art technology that allows you to broadcast the ceremony live via Web cam to friends and family on land. Some Princess captains are pretty romantic; on a recent Regal Princess cruise over Valentine's Day, the captain casually announced he'd conduct vow renewals for anyone who wanted 'emabout half a dozen couples showed up.

Vow Renewals: Princess' "Renewal of Vows" package costs $205 per couple and includes a group ceremony, an orchid bouquet and boutonniere, a commemorative certificate signed by the captain, a bottle of Champagne, two souvenir Champagne glasses, and a framed photo of the ceremony. The "Deluxe Renewal of Vows" package, at $485, adds a few extra amenities such as breakfast in bed and a 30-minute spa visit.

Disney Cruise Line

Why? It's a fun and quirky choiceparticularly for second-wedding folks who have young kidsand Disney offers a low-stress, low-hassle package.

Package Details: Disney's "Weddings at Sea" package is available for three-, four- and seven-night cruises. Packages start at $1,900 and include a Florida marriage license, bridal bouquet and boutonnière, the services of an officiant, a solo musician, Champagne toast, two-tier wedding cake for wedding couple and 8 guests (additional guests can be added at $10 each), $100 onboard credit for the wedding couple, and dinner for two at Palo, the alternative restaurant on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. The assistance of a wedding coordinator in planning the wedding is also included.

Coolest Quirk: Dress steaming is included in the package price. We love it, too, that you can opt for a ceremony on Castaway Cay, Disney's private island (but remember our advice about hurricane season).

Caveat: Beyond the cake and Champagne, Disney's wedding package does not include a reception or other services for wedding guests, though these are available at an additional cost. The $1,000 cost of a vow renewal ceremony sounds pretty steep. Note that if the couple is married onboard, the captain performs the ceremony. If the marriage occurs on Castaway Cay it's performed by a Bahamian officiant.

Vow Renewals: A renewal of vows package is available for $1,000 per couple and includes all the amenities of the wedding package except the marriage license.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Why? NCL offers a vast array of options which can turn their basic packages into a full-blown extravaganza. And their newer, designed-for-Freestyle vessels such as Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Jewel, Pride of America and Pride of Hawaii feature a wide range of restaurants with easily available romantic dining for two.

Package Details: NCL offers two basic packages: "Onboard Aisles" for shipboard weddings and "Destination Aisles" for those held on land. Both packages are available in a wide range of portsincluding but not limited to embarkation portsin the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. "Destination Aisles" is also available in the Mediterranean.

"Onboard Aisles" ranges in price from $1,100 per couple (for shipboard weddings held in most Southern U.S., West Coast and Canadian ports) to $1,450 (for Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, and Northeast U.S. ports). The package includes priority embarkation for the couple and their guests (if the wedding is on embarkation day), snacks and refreshments in the couple's stateroom upon embarkation, a ceremony conducted by a local civil officiant, pre-recorded music, a wedding coordinator, a basic bouquet, matching boutonniere with one bloom, professional photography service for one hour, one 8 x 10 photo, a private website to view and order photographs, gifts, and favors, a wedding cake, one bottle of private-label Champagne, and a keepsake certificate.

"Destination Aisles" ranges in price from $1,450 in a Colonial Chapel in New Orleans to $2,450 in various locations in Florence, Rome or Venice. It includes the same amenities as "Onboard Aisles" except for the priority boarding and in-cabin snacks, but adds private taxi transport for the Bride and Groom to the wedding location in port.

Marriage licenses are extra in all cases, and prices vary depending on the local authority.

In addition to the basic packages, there is a huge range of a la carte options including spa and beauty services (not available on embarkation day), flowers (including custom orders), live music, photography and videography, transportation to and from the ship or wedding location, tuxedo rentals, and a wide variety of wedding receptions ranging from cold hors d'oeuvres with open bar at $24 per adult to a full sit-down luncheon at $45.

Caveat: An extra wedding coordinator, at $150, is required for every 25 guests above the first 25.

Vow Renewals: Vow renewal packages are offered at the same prices as the wedding packages, and include the same amenities.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Why? Carnival Spirit, Pride, Legend and Miracle have onboard chapels, though you can buy Carnival's "Deluxe Romance" package on any of the ships in their fleet.

Package Details: The package price begins at $1,500, though it depends on what port the ceremony is performed in. It includes an official civil ceremony with a bouquet for the bride and a boutonniere for the groom. There's a decorated aisle, a photographer (prints are extra), and pre-recorded wedding music. The package also includes a 90-minute reception in a lounge for up to 20 people, including an ice carving centerpiece, a cocktail hour with open bar and hot-and-cold hors d'oeuvres, a Champagne toast with keepsake flutes, a traditional two-tiered wedding cake with a bell cake topper, and coffee service. Marriage license fees are additional and depend on the jurisdiction in which the ceremony is performed. Shore-side packages are also available in certain ports such as Key West, San Juan, Grand Cayman and Barbados.

Caveats: Plan ahead if possible; weddings are available only when in port (including embarkation ports) and there's a maximum of three per day. Additional surcharges apply for certain monthsMay and June in particularas well as holidays.

Vow Renewals: Carnival offers vow renewals starting from $385 including a shipboard ceremony performed by the captain, a Champagne toast, flowers, wedding cake, photography services, and recorded music; up to eight guests are permitted. A deluxe package, starting at $785, adds a one-hour reception with open bar and hot and cold canapes, and allows up to 20 guests.

Royal Caribbean International

Why? Royal Caribbean's Royal Romance program rivals NCL's in terms of variety, with one extra plus: its coordinators will also arrange shore-side ceremonies at various ports of call.

Package Details: There are three levels of Royal Romance, which is available in selected ports of call in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Europe. The "Duet Package," starting at about $1,095 (we're using Florida ports as a guide) is the most basic and includes the ceremony, photography, a photo in silver frame, cake and Champagne. The "Harmony Package," from $1,295, allows for a few more extras, including additional photos and breakfast in bed. And the "Symphony Package," from $1,495 has yet a more frills, such as a limo ride to the ship. All prices vary depending on the port where the wedding is performed, and not all packages are available in all ports.

Receptions are not included in the price of the ceremony, but several options are available. They include a formal wedding lunch at $45 per person, a buffet for $25, or hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and bar service for $26. In most cases there's a 25-person minimum.

Coolest Quirk: The aforementioned shoreside ceremonies, which run the gamut from the simply scenic (a beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico) to the funky (a winery in Santorini, Greece) to the exotic (a ceremony atop a glacier in Juneau, Alaska).

Caveats: Watch out for a la carte charges that can add up. For instance, couples who want to plan a Royal Romance wedding less than 30 days from sailing pay an extra $150 late fee. You'll pay $150 for a wedding coordinator if you have an onboard reception, and wedding parties of more than 25 guests require an additional wedding coordinatorand another $150. Weddings on Voyager-class ships (which have chapels) have become so popular that there is also a $100 surcharge for shipboard wedding ceremonies on those vessels (Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas), and beyond that an additional $100 surcharge applies to weddings scheduled in May, June, September or October.

Vow Renewals: The Royal Encore Vow Renewal package, $400, includes a shipboard ceremony performed by the captain, two-tier wedding cake, Champagne, a photo in a silver-plated frame and flowers.