A cruise can provide the perfect setting for that dream wedding or honeymoon. DEBORAH STONE offers a few options

ROYAL WEDDINGS
Royal Caribbean International (0844 493 2061/www.royalcaribbean.co.uk) offers Explorer Weddings packages that let you say "I do" in extraordinary locations such as volcanoes, vineyards, rainforests and even hot-air balloons.

Flowers, transport, photographs, champagne and wedding cake are all provided, plus a celebratory meal on board once you return to the ship. The packages are available on all 14 vessels in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
For example, take an Independence Of The Seas cruise from Southampton to Spain and the Canary Islands.
First stop is Vigo in northern Spain, with its pristine beaches.

Then it's off to Lisbon, where you can indulge in a spot of shopping. En route to Tenerife and Gran Canaria, newly-weds can snuggle up in the on-board spa and whirlpool.

An 11-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise on Independence Of The Seas from £812pp (two sharing). Departs Southampton November 29. Explorer Weddings package from an additional £1,378 per couple.

AFFORDABLE GLAMOUR
Get hitched on a P&O Cruises (0845 678 0014/www.pocruises.com) ship and you'll receive a wedding certificate pinpointing the location where you said "I do". The operator's Weddings at Sea package is available on six of P&O Cruises' seven ships (Azura is the exception) and includes flowers and an on-board wedding co-ordinator.

For a stylish reception, the Arcadia is home to Gary Rhodes' Arcadian Rhodes, while Marco Pierre White's Café Jardin is on the Oceana.

Why not tie the knot on a cruise from Southampton that heads to Dublin and Cork then south to Brest in France and Bilbao in Spain.

A seven-night cruise on Oceana from £600pp (two sharing). Departs August 24. Weddings at Sea package from an additional £1,000 per couple.

AMERICAN DREAM
Live the American Dream and get married, renew your vows or celebrate your anniversary in New York, Boston, Miami, Seattle or Hawaii with a special package from Norwegian Cruise Lines (0845 201 8912/www.ncl.co.uk).
Civil ceremonies take place in ports with your ship's captain or, for an extra fee, tie the knot on the Caribbean islands of St Thomas or Grand Cayman.

You'll get the best of both worlds with the Norwegian Gem's New York Skyline and Bahamian Sunshine cruise.
After your Big Apple wedding you'll head south to Florida's Port Canaveral for Orlando's theme parks or the Kennedy Space Center. Relax on the white beaches of Great Stirrup Cay and visit Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, with its old colonial quarter, before your flight home from New York.

A nine-night New York Skyline and Bahamian Sunshine cruise on Norwegian Gem from £1,156pp (two sharing), including return flights from Gatwick or Heathrow and an overnight pre-cruise hotel stay. Departs New York November 12. Civil ceremonies from £1,225 per couple.

OLD ROMANTICS
Married but keen for a romantic cruise? Book a Renewal of Vows package with Holland America Line (0845 351 0557/ www.hollandamerica.com) either on board or in the traditional Bahamian garden chapel on Half Moon Cay, the line's private island. An Anniversary Package is also available. Try the aptly named Mediterranean Romance cruise from Venice through the Venetian Canal to Dubrovnik on board the new, mid-size Nieuw Amsterdam. Included are three Greek stops, including Cephalonia. Back in Italy visit romantic Rome or Florence.

A 12-night Mediterranean Romance cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam from £1,549pp (two sharing), including return flights from Heathrow. Departs Venice August 31. Renewal of Vows and Anniversary packages additional (prices available on request).

AMORE - THE ITALIAN WAY
How does a suite with a private balcony and direct access to one of the largest spas at sea sound for your honeymoon or special wedding anniversary?

Italian-based Costa Cruises (0845 351 0552/www.costacruises.co.uk) can arrange honeymoon or anniversary gift packages on all of its 14 ships.

If you are hankering after a long, relaxing voyage, why not sail from Savona in Italy to South America on the 1,500-berth Costa Serena, stopping at European hot spots such as Barcelona and Lisbon and the colourful island of Madeira. After the Atlantic crossing, enjoy Brazil's long, sandy beaches at Recife and Maceió, Salvador da Bahia's colonial architecture and the unrivalled excitement of Rio de Janeiro.

An 18-night Journey to South America cruise on Costa Serena in a spa suite from £1,199pp (two sharing), cruise only.

Honeymoon/anniversary gift packages from £92.50. Lufthansa (0871 945 9747/www.lufthansa.com) offers return flights from UK airports to Genoa from £228. Departs Savona November 26.