Their Royal Highesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Marry in a Spectacular Ceremony in Westminster Abbey in London, April 29, 2011

With all the pomp and glamour of a royal wedding in the house of Mountbatten-Windsor, the nation of Britain celebrated the wedding of their rising heir to the throne, Prince William, to his beautiful bride, Catherine. Watching the wedding of this young couple who are taking so much responsibility on their shoulders, I was struck by how weddings the world over are always about the same thing; the hopes and dreams of the couple for their coming life together and the love that created those dreams in the first place.

Whether the wedding takes place in the magnificent Westminster Abbey in London, a glamorous hotel ballroom, a tiny chapel, a nature park, or the back yard of a home, the emotions remain the same for every couple. That is why weddings are so wonderful; they celebrate a love and a positive belief in the promise of the future.

I join with people the world over in wishing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a wonderful life together in their private lives as Will and Kate and in their very public roles as the future King and Queen of England.

Cunard Celebrates Royal Wedding In Style

In view of Cunard's long association with the British Royal family, it is fitting that the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton should be celebrated with enthusiasm and aplomb on all three of the company's ships.

Flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria - the first two named by Prince William's grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, and the latter by his stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall - will all be at sea on the day so it is anticipated there will be heavy demand for the live big-screen showing of the wedding itself in the ships' Royal Court Theatres. And each passenger will receive an invitation to the 'wedding', delivered the night before!

In the afternoon, after the screening, a Royal afternoon tea will be served in the appropriately decorated Queens Room on each ship; this will feature a special edition menu and a commemorative blend from tea specialists, Twinings. Champagne will be available with tea.

Dinner in the evening will boast an eight-page commemorative menu offering a celebratory four-course meal devised by Cunard's renowned Chef Zimmerman. As guests enter each dining room, they will see at the door a traditional multi-tiered wedding cake decorated with cream and white icing, and featuring the flower emblems of the four parts of the United Kingdom - the English rose, the Scottish thistle, the Welsh daffodil and the shamrock of Northern Ireland.

Each guest will be given a complimentary glass of champagne, together with a piece of wedding cake - and dinner in each restaurant will be 'interrupted' by a visit from the Captain, who will propose a toast to the bride and groom.

And, as is customary at British weddings, at the conclusion of dinner each guest will be able to take away with them a piece of wedding cake in an individual commemorative box. And, again as is customary with British weddings, the celebrations will conclude with dancing at a Royal Ball to be held in each of the ships’ Queens Rooms – the largest dance floors at sea.

In fact, being at sea with Cunard on April 29 will be just like being invited to Westminster Abbey - with only the bride and groom missing!

For more info on Cunard cruises, visit www.cunard.co.uk.

Voyages of Discovery ‘Cruise Party’ to Celebrate Royal Wedding

Millions of Britons are expected to hold street parties to celebrate Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton this year – and guests on board Voyages of Discovery’s 'French and Spanish Sojourn' cruise will be joining in the royal fun, but at a street party with a twist – on a ship! Guests needn’t worry about missing the event as Voyages of Discovery will be televising the wedding onboard the MV Discovery for all to see. Revellers will be commemorating the marital union whilst cruising the picturesque borders of Spain and France from as little as £499 per person.

Price includes a 7-night cruise departing from Portsmouth and calling at Ferrol/La Coruna, Bilbao, Le Verdon, Nantes and St Peter Port, Guernsey, before eturning to Portsmouth; all meals, entertainment and gratuities on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees - no hidden extras, plus accompanied by expert guest speakers. Price is based on April 23 departure.

For more info, visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Royal Caribbean's Royal Wedding Experience!

The only ‘Royal’ cruise line - Royal Caribbean International - is celebrating the British royal wedding in its own special way by offering an exclusive Royal Wedding Experience, ideal for anyone looking for majestic treatment on their special day.

The Royal Wedding Experience offers an engaged couple the opportunity to have a truly regal wedding experience on any of Royal Caribbean’s 22 ships around the world. The experience is available for booking from now until the end of April 2011, and can be used on any itinerary through the end of 2012.

It allows the happy couple to enjoy a wide range of royal wedding treats, including a tiara for the bride, 12-rose hand-tied bouquets, special commemorative china with the couple’s chosen photos, strawberries and champagne, crown toasting flute with crown keepsake server set and, of course, dinner at the captain’s table. And all of this comes with a dedicated wedding planner, photographer, boutonniere, save-the-date announcements and wedding cake.

Additionally, the first couple to book the Royal Wedding Experience on the Independence of the Seas on the same day as William and Catherine – April 29 – will also take a celebratory walk through the ship with guests and crew waving union jacks, and receive a commemorative photo and Royal Wedding themed commemorative china featuring their own images.

The Royal Wedding Experience is priced at $2,904 to commemorate the date of William and Catherine’s wedding. For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/royalwedding.

Longer Leave with Star Clippers

The extra public holiday for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29, hard on the heels of the four-day Easter weekend break and immediately prior to the public holiday on May 2, will enable holidaymakers to take up to 11 days holiday - but only three days leave from work.

Star Clippers’ head-turning, five-masted flagship Royal Clipper sets sail from Lisbon on April 23 on a seven-night cruise of Portugal’s east coast, through the Straits of Gibraltar, calling at Portimao on the Algarve, Tangier in Morocco, Cartagena, Ibiza and Mallorca, before guests disembark in Barcelona.

The seven-night cruise costs from just £1,259 per person, including all meals and return UK flights, based on two sharing.

The 170-passenger, four-masted Star Flyer departs Lisbon on April 20 on a 10-night cruise along Portugal’s west coast, through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean sea to Monaco. During the cruise the ship calls into Portimao on the Algarve, Cadiz (with an optional tour of Seville), Tangier in Morocco, Motril (optional tour of Granada), Ibiza, Palma and St Tropez.

The 10-night cruise costs from £1,499 per person, including all meals and return UK flights, based on two sharing.

For more info, contact http://www.starclippers.co.uk/ or the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.