Now couples can say ‘I do’ on Azura

Back in April, when P&O’s Azura made her debut, there was some surprise that the ship was registered in the UK and had the name of her home port of Southampton emblazoned on her ample stern.
The rest of the fleet is registered in Bermuda, but for what chief executive David Dingle describes as “quite complicated regulatory reasons” it was convenient to change things for the company’s newest vessel.
Just one problem . . . UK registry meant that it was not possible for Azura to offer to perform weddings at sea – a lucrative option on other ships. Renewal of vows ceremonies are not quite the same thing, and they do not usually attract as many guests.
Today, however, P&O have confirmed that Azura is to be re-flagged in Bermuda, and will be able to provide weddings in the from next February.
Mr Dingle told me in April that he had been on one of his ships on a day when seven wedding ceremonies took place, including one involving 100 guests, and he hinted that the company was not wedded (sorry) to having Azura registered in Southampton for ever.
I suspect that, having taken advantage of the tax concessions that came with a UK registry, Carnival UK has grasped the opportunity provided by the arrival of Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth – also part of the same company – to make the change. Southampton will be removed from the stern, to be replaced by Hamilton.
The first Azura cruise on which weddings can take place is a 14-night Caribbean voyage starting from Barbados on February 18 – just after Valentine’s Day. Prospective couples should form an orderly queue now for the chance to be the first to be married on board.