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'We renewed our vows at sea – and became Guinness World Record holders in the process'

Vow renewal couple on deck - Princess Cruises
Vow renewal couple on deck - Princess Cruises

There were loud cheers from the packed sundeck as we cruised to a new world record in the Caribbean. We had just taken part in the largest multi-location marriage vow renewal and we had the Guinness World Record seal of approval to boot.

On three love boats, 1,443 couples gathered together on February 11 to declare their enduring love. It might not have been the most intimate or even romantic ceremonies but it was filled with genuinely warm Caribbean joy and happiness. With young and old, straight and gay couples taking part, it was exactly the scenario that would qualify for Wet Wet Wet’s iconic ‘Love is All Around’ soundtrack.

Gavin MacLeod – Captain Stubing on the 1970s and 1980s American TV show The Love Boat – officiated on Regal Princess with co-star Jill Whelan as maid of honour. First MacLeod read out lines for the men to say, then Jill read the women’s lines to recite in union as we stood on the deck.

And it was hot! The 4pm ceremony took place simultaneously on Regal Princess, sister ships Royal Princess and Crown Princess, all at sea in the Caribbean as the sun beat down.

My husband Nick and I were on Regal Princess with couples who have been married for decades and those like us with fewer years on the clock. We weren’t the only Brits onboard but we were heavily outnumbered by the mostly American passengers – although one Australian couple had only been married an hour before, in the ship’s wedding chapel, when they took their vows again.

Decorated wedding chapel on board cruise ship - Princess Cruises
Decorated wedding chapel on board cruise ship - Princess Cruises

We pledged to stay together through thick and thin, and even though it was more of a fun event for Nick and I, a few times I had to gulp back tears, over-awed by the scale of the occasion.

And it meant the world to many of the couples, some going the whole hog and wearing wedding dresses or veils while others were more casual in shorts and T-shirts.

We signed up for the marriage vow renewal ceremony on Regal Princess last year, having been married on Crown Princess six years ago.

Demand to take part in the record-breaking day was so high that the record-breaking feat was extended across three ships. Each ship had Guinness World Record officers on board to make sure everybody stuck to the rules, which were so strict that some Regal Princess passengers who didn’t get copies of their marriage certificates to the cruise line in time couldn’t take part.

MacLeod, Whelan and other members of The Love Boat cast are godparents to Regal Princess, which they named during a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale back in 2014.

And Fort Lauderdale was where we sailed from on a week-long round trip to the western Caribbean, with our first stop in the Bahamas on St Eleuthera island’s Princess Cays private beach. The ship was also sailing to Ocho Rios in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel and back to Fort Lauderdale, giving us a cheeky second ‘honeymoon’ across Valentine's Day to go with our vow renewal.

Princess Cruises' record-breaking vow renewal ceremony
Princess Cruises' record-breaking vow renewal ceremony

On our big day we started with a champagne breakfast on our balcony – smoked salmon bagels and crispy bacon delivered to our stateroom with a half bottle of fizz, strawberries, blueberries and enough breakfast pastries to see us through until dinner time.

Even at 9am the air was warm, with a breeze to keep us fresh as we lazed around all morning then collected a barrista-made coffee and took it to the top deck for an hour’s sunbathing.

Others were cooling off in the two pools as we watched the preparations get underway. A trolley loaded with boxes of champagne went past as white-uniformed officers organised proceedings – looking like a scene from The Love Boat itself. We kept an eye out for MacLeod, 89 this month, but he must have been learning his lines for the 4pm ceremony.

As we went for lunch before the ceremony, the question we heard most was: “Are you taking part in the vow renewal?” Turned out most of us were.

So would I recommend a marriage vow renewal at sea? Well yes – although you might prefer a small private ceremony in the ship’s wedding chapel for a more romantic day.

You can book a renewal package with Princess Cruises in the same way that you can book a wedding package, although you’ll have to pay if they’re not attempting another record-breaker.

But all the arrangements are made for you and all you have to do is turn up, and say I do (or I still do).

How to do it

A seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Regal Princess departing April 12, 2020 starts from £1,162pp, based on two sharing an inside cabin, including flights. A renewal of vows package starts from $249 per couple (0344 338 8663; princess.com).