Celebrity Equinox has hosted the first same-sex marriage ever to be legally conducted at sea on a major cruise line.
At 1430 EST on Monday (29 January) Francisco Vargas and Benjamin Gray, both from Florida, tied the knot in an intimate ceremony officiated by Captain Dimitrios Manetas, en route from Key West to Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico.
Francisco Vargas and Benjamin Gray celebrate their historic wedding at sea on Celebrity Equinox
The happy grooms exchanged vows against the signature backdrop of the rose wall in Blu Restaurant.
The ceremony follows a transformative vote in last October in Malta, where a majority of the Celebrity fleet is registered, when the Parliament supported the move by 66 votes to 1.
The long-awaited referendum opened the door for Celebrity to legally recognise same-sex marriages performed onboard while at sea, and have the fleet’s captains officiate the ceremonies.
Francisco Vargas, who works for one of Celebrity Cruises’ top travel partners, Cruise Planners, said: “Travelling is in my blood and when we heard Celebrity Cruises was celebrating equality and embracing our community, we wanted to be a part of it.”
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president of Celebrity Cruises, said: “Words cannot express how proud I am to congratulate Francisco and Benjamin at this truly historic moment, both for them and for Celebrity. It’s a true privilege to know that the ceremony performed on board Celebrity Equinox has made history as the first legal same-sex marriage at sea.”
“Together we are paving the way for couples around the world to know that their love and commitment is to be celebrated equally, and that everyone is welcome on board a Celebrity cruise.”
The Celebrity Wedding Cruise programme offers onboard ceremonies and destination weddings for lovebirds. The Nautical Nuptials at Sea package includes a Captain-led ceremony, an event coordinator’s services, live music, one hour of photography, cake for two, a bottle of champagne, plus additional romantic turndown amenities post-ceremony, and more.