Princess Ships to Broadcast Historic Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Just announced, the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will be televised live on Princess Cruises ships on April 29. Passengers can follow along with full coverage of the historic wedding through BBC World’s broadcast of the event.

Some other lines made a similar announcement in December. Princess Cruises is doing it differently though.

“As this is the first British royal wedding in years we know there will be wide interest among our passengers,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “We at Princess also feel a connection with Prince William because his mother, Princess Diana, christened our original Royal Princess back in 1984.”
Princess is adding onboard viewing parties complete with British-style refreshments and royal-themed cocktails as they watch the most extensive coverage of this royal event. BBC is the official wedding broadcaster and has exclusive access inside Westminster Abbey during the ceremony.

Onboard events include a William and Kate look-alike contest and royal wedding trivia competitions.

Royal Wedding broadcasts are planned for all ships in the Princess fleet, subject to satellite availability. Shown on giant 300 sq ft “Movies Under The Stars” LED screens like they have the Super Bowl and Academy Awards in the past, there will be a good seat for everyone to watch the entire event.

Flickr photo by TossMyPancake


Daily Pampering: Trump International Hotel New York offers royal wedding package

Dying to attend the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton? Sorry, you probably can’t. But you can have the next best thing – a reservation at Trump International New York‘s private showing of the royal weding on oversized monitors while being served a special breakfast at Jean Georges the morning of Friday, April 29.

Since the royal wedding begins early (the event begins at 5 AM), you’ll also enjoy an overnight stay in a newly renovated guest room designed by Ivanka Trump. Nosh on a special tasting menu fit for a prince or princess with options like scrambled eggs with caviar, mini-French toast, and pains au chocolat. Naturally, a toast will be served as well – sparkling mimosas.

The breakfast will conclude by 9 a.m., at which time you can choose to hit the town or return to your rooms for a nap … and don’t worry about oversleeping. A 4 PM late checkout is guaranteed.

As a memento of the occasion, guests will also receive a piece of official Royal Wedding china commissioned by The Royal Collection.

How much will it cost you? Significantly less than a royal wedding. The package is $1,425 per couple and includes executive Park View suite accommodations.

Get more luxury travel ideas from daily pampering.

Royal wedding to be shown live on cruise ships

Touted as a “front-row seat” to the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton, cruise lines are jumping on board a growing world-wide obsession with the event.

To be shown live fleet-wide on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, other lines will show the event on select ships.

P&O Cruises’ managing director Carol Marlow said: “As Britain’s favourite cruise line it is only fitting that our passengers should have a front row seat from unique locations around the globe. It will certainly be a grand celebration with almost 14,000 passengers sailing with us at this time.”

Cunard Line’s will show the entire event from start to finish the ships main showroom on their three ships. Says Cunard president Peter Shanks: “If demand for seats exceeds supply we are able to use our Planetarium and lecture room, Illuminations, which seats a further 450 passengers.”

Cruise lines have been in the wedding business for quite some time, with most devoting considerable resources to on-board wedding ceremonies. The all-inclusive nature of a cruise vacation makes weddings at sea a viable alternate choice and cruise line involvement with the royal wedding a natural fit.

Make like Will and Kate: Alternate suggestions for romantic English wedding venues

Okay, okay – so your dreams of getting marred a la Prince William and Kate Middleton are probably never going to come true – after all, Westminster Abbey is a bit out of reach for the average Joe and Jane. But you can, if you wish, steal their date (April 29, 2011), her ring (find copies here) and even experience your own romantic English wedding in one of several “royalty-approved” locations.

Bride On Board
A serving RAF officer, Prince William could have married immersed in military heritage. Handily located in the heart of London, HMS Belfast can accommodate 350 guests with plenty of space on the quarterdeck for speeches and dancing and splendid views of Tower Bridge and the London skyline.

A Greener Groom
A choice certain to please the father of the groom, His Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales, the Eden Project offers eco-friendly weddings with food sourced from local suppliers. Happy couples can choose from a ceremony among the lush foliage at the very top of the Rainforest Biome or in the gallery overlooking the grounds; in the evening the Mediterranean Biome can be lit with low lights that create the illusion of thousands of stars across the biome canopy.
Brighton Bling
Nothing makes the monarchy look better than being reminded of the follies of their predecessor – and there are few grander follies than the Brighton Pavilion, built for the extravagant George IV. Weddings take place in the Red Drawing Room, while photos can be taken outside in the beautiful Regency gardens.

Back to Basics
A Royal Couple getting married in a pub? Unlikely we know (although it was good enough for Kate Winslet) but for those choosing to keep it simple, The Fleece Inn – a 15th century inn in the Cotswolds is the perfect choice. The ceremony takes place in a cosy 16th century thatched barn, with the centuries-old joys of a traditional English pub for the reception.

A Holy Enjoyable Day
The joy of seeing the paparazzi wading around as the tide comes in would no doubt have added to the general air of bliss if the royal wedding were to take place at Holy Island in Northumberland. The fairytale castle of Lindisfarne would make a dream backdrop for any ceremony, steeped in history and once owned by Sir Edward Lutyens.

A Castle of Course
For sheer grandeur, a wedding located at Highclere Castle in Kent offers the options of either a marquee in the grounds, or a ceremony inside the house – with a spectacularly dramatic staircase for the bride to sweep down.

In Vino Veritas
A celebratory glass or two is integral to a successful wedding – so what better place to hold the ceremony than at a vineyard? Denbies Vineyard, in the heart of the beautiful Surrey hills, can arrange weddings surrounded by 265 acres of vines, with pre-reception drinks held in the atmospheric candlelit cellars.

A Coastal Celebration
Steeped in royal history, Pendennis Castle was built in the 1540’s on the orders of Henry VIII, and has protected the Cornish coast from invasion for five centuries. The circular fort is a spectacular wedding location, set high on a headland with panoramic views across the sea and several different room options, holding up to 160 people.

A Light Touch
Dungeness? No we’re not crazy. Climbing a spiral staircase to a circular room with panoramic views out to sea is surely romantic enough for even the royal couple. Dungeness Lighthouse in Kent is an unusual venue for a truly unique wedding, with space for thirty people at bridge level and just ten in the Gallery.

Green-Fingered Groom
What could be more perfect for an English wedding than a flower-filled garden – and gardens don’t come much more idyllic than the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship Wisley in Surrey. Wedding guests can enjoy a private tour of the garden and an evening reception in the Conservatory.

What do you think about these English wedding location suggestions? Do you have another favorite? Leave it in the comments, below.

[Image via Flickr user Peter Rivera]