Couple weds atop soaring cruise ship ride
Talk about a cruise ship high: A British couple has become the first to be married atop the soaring North Star ride on Royal Caribbean's new Quantum of the Seas.
Mark Burden, 45, and Sharron Bowman, 41, of West Yorkshire, England tied the knot in the ride's glass-enclosed capsule as it rose hundreds of feet above the sea off the coast of Haiti. The ship was on a voyage from its New York-area home that included a stop at Labadee, Haiti.
Quantum of the Seas Captain Felix Srecko served as the officiant during the ceremony. Royal Caribbean captains are authorized by the Bahamian government to perform official weddings at sea.
Also in the capsule was the ship's hotel director, a wedding coordinator, four still and video photographers, and the capsule's operator. Royal Caribbean says a large crowd watched from the pool deck below.
Modeled on the London Eye, the North Star takes passengers more than 300 feet above sea level. It's just one of several groundbreaking attractions on the 4,180-passenger vessel. Royal Caribbean's first new ship since the 2010 debut of the record-size Allure of the Seas also boasts the first skydiving simulator at sea and the first bumper cars at sea.
Paste BN Cruise reported live from Quantum's maiden voyage in November from Southampton to New York. Click on the carousel below for our "first look" tour of the ship. For more of our coverage of Quantum's debut, including nearly a dozen videos, follow the links at the bottom of this page.
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