From Cabin Prank to Wedding Bells: A Cruise Love Story
This Valentine's Day, many couples celebrate their relationships, but for Hannah and Mitchell Still, their romance began uniquely at sea on a cruise. The couple, who are approaching their one-year wedding anniversary and have a baby, credit cruise holidays for bringing them together, starting with a playful cabin prank.
Meeting on the High Seas
Hannah, 25, from Southampton, and Mitchell, 28, met in September 2019 aboard P&O Cruises' Ventura ship during separate holidays to Amsterdam and Bruges. Hannah, a lifelong P&O Cruises enthusiast since age 11, was traveling with her family, while Mitchell was with friends. On the first night, Hannah encountered Mitchell's friends at Brodie's Bar, who dared her to wake him as a joke. She recalls, "I remember saying to him, 'hello, it's the girl of your dreams' and somehow, I was right." Initially thinking it was just a holiday romance at age 19, their connection deepened throughout the sailing across the North Sea.
Their first date was ashore in Bruges, and their first kiss occurred days later in Ventura's Cuban-themed nightclub, Havana, under the watchful eye of Hannah's dad. Hannah describes, "He was giving Mitchell the 'I have my eyes on you' look like Robert De Niro from Meet the Parents." She adds that being on a ship allowed them to escape real life, fostering genuine conversations, including an entire night at the buffet. After the cruise, Hannah cried the whole way home, and they later returned for a Canary Islands trip.
Proposal and Wedding at Sea
In 2023, Mitchell proposed while cruising through the Norwegian fjords on Britannia. They married in May 2025 aboard Azura in the Planet Bar during a Greek islands sailing. Hannah shares, "Walking around the ship afterwards with everyone clapping was surreal – I felt like a film star." The entertainment hosts even remembered them from their first cruise and gave a wedding gift, making the moment feel like "all the stars had aligned."
The couple welcomed their first child, Mae, in November 2025 and plan to introduce her to cruising with a Norwegian fjords trip booked for June with extended family. Hannah expresses, "Cruising has always been part of my life, and continuing that tradition for Mae feels so special. Watching her look out at the fjords for the first time – I can't wait." She reflects on P&O Cruises' role in their love story, now continuing as a family.
How to Plan a Cruise Wedding
Cruise weddings are gaining popularity, with travel agents and cruise lines reporting increased interest. P&O Cruises noted a record number of bookings last year, up 12 per cent. Other brands offering ceremonies at sea include:
- Celebrity Cruises
- Cunard
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean
- Princess
- Virgin Voyages
- Holland America Line
Wedding packages typically range from £1,000 to £3,000, on top of cruise fares, and may include elements like a wedding cake, music, food, drinks, and spa treatments. In comparison, the average UK wedding costs £20,822, according to Bridebook, making cruise ceremonies potentially cheaper, though guests must pay to attend.
