Holland America Line’s Westerdam served as a venue for the wedding of two of its crew members who fell in love while working onboard, according to a company statement.

Crew Doctor Ammar and Hotel Executive Assistant Faye met aboard the Koningsdam in 2023.

After a first date in Tahiti, the couple’s relationship blossomed and they got engaged while sailing in the Mediterranean last fall.

Ammar and Faye were assigned to work aboard the Westerdam in the early months of 2024 and agreed to get married during one of the ship’s visits to Manilla, the Philippines, as the bride would be visiting her home country at the time, and the bride’s father, who has spent 20 years with Holland America Line, would be on vacation and able to attend. The wedding was scheduled for January 10.

Due to immigration challenges, the shoreside wedding could not take place. The team aboard Westerdam, as well as port agents in Manilla, rallied to help make the wedding possible, albeit aboard the ship and not ashore.

Friends, family, makeup artists, photographers and the Imam who officiated the wedding were able to come onboard and participate. Westerdam’s team decorated a venue in the Crow’s Nest for the couple and provided a curated dinner service in the main dining room while Westerdam’s Hotel General Manager filled in as the groom’s witness.

Ammar and Faye said that with love and patience, anything is possible.