Cunard Line is to allow its passengers to marry on board for the first time in its 171-year history.

The line will introduce a ‘Weddings at Sea’ program from Spring next year on board all three of its ships, the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.

Cunard has traditionally held out from the profitable trend of offering weddings at sea, something which isn’t allowed under British law.

If you’re planning a wedding on the high seas, some options are better than others, according to one cruise specialist.

Miami-based cruise company Landry & Kling released its top ten ships for group events and business meetings this week, naming vessels from a variety of lines for the suitability of hosting a special event.

The travel agency, which specializes in organizing large events at sea ranging from business meetings to theme cruises and reunions, picked ships with between 56 and 2,700 cabins, including the enormous Allure of the Seas.

Princess Cruises gave fans a sneak preview of its new ship March 15, revealing some interesting new features which will debut when it sets sail in 2013.

The Royal Princess weighs in at 141,000 tons and can carry 3,600 passengers, making her slightly bigger than this year’s major debuts, the Disney Dream, Carnival Magic and Celebrity Silhouette.

Among the highlights for passengers is likely to be the SeaWalk, an over-water enclosed walkway on the ship’s starboard side which extends more than 28 feet (8.5 meters) beyond the edge of the vessel.

A US cruise line is to allow friends and family of passengers on board its ships ahead of departure, reincarnating an old tradition.

Before the tightening of security regulations, passengers on board grand cruise liners were normally allowed to bring families and friends on board to show off the ship before setting sail.