When an itinerary change canceled a mid-cruise wedding on land in Jamaica, officers and crew on Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Freedom pulled off an impressive impromptu ceremony for the couple on the ship.
San Antonio couple Liza Garcia and Theodore Herrera planned to marry in Jamaica, but island officials were working through their coronavirus policies.
Without assurances that the ship would be able to dock, Carnival revised the itinerary to Key West instead so guests would still get a three-port vacation.
"All of us on board were heartbroken when we learned that Liza and Theodore weren't able to go ashore for their wedding. We got together as a team and promised to deliver the dream wedding that they deserve," said Nikhil Khanna, hotel director on the Carnival Freedom. "At Carnival, we want to make sure our guests are provided the vacation of a lifetime and when these types of unforeseen circumstances come up, we take great pride in creating these surprises and delightful moments that our guests will remember forever."
The crew surprised the couple with an impromptu wedding for them and their guests sailing with them, with Captain Francesco La Farina presiding over the ceremony.
To get wedding ready, the bride had her hair and makeup done at the ship's Cloud 9 spa, complimentary, of course.
Following the nuptials, the Carnival Freedom team pulled out all the stops with a reception with a buffet, a three-tiered wedding cake, an ice sculpture and a DJ who got everyone on the dance floor.
In addition to providing the shipboard wedding at no charge, Carnival even reimbursed the couple the funds for their canceled wedding in Jamaica. The couple also received a couples' massages and dinner at Farenheit 555 Steakhouse during the voyage.
Congratulations to the happy couple and a hearty well-done to Carnival!
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