Burial At Sea
A burial at sea usually involves two to three day sail away from land. It is then towed to the site of the burial where a memorial service takes place. This is a private event with close family and friends in attendance. A traditional funeral service at a local chapel may not be adequate for this type of Burial At Sea ceremony since those attending may not be able to attend a religious service due to their busy work schedules. There are times when a more personal and intimate gathering may be more appropriate. Burial at Sea is a viable option if traditional burial or cremation isn’t desired, and if you or a loved one would like a different, more permanent, burial alternative for disposition.
With burial at sea, an open casket can be provided at the gravesite prior to the actual burial. Some services do not require a funeral service, but instead a simple memorial service held aboard the ship. This allows for those on dry land to scatter ashes as they wish and attend the ceremony when they arrive.
Other burial services do require a funeral service with a formal memorial. At these services the casket is placed in the ground and opened as the remains are brought out to the audience for viewing. The headstone will be displayed at this time as well. Shipboard burial services will sometimes include a viewing of the casket before the actual burial at sea.
Burial At Sea Cost
In many cases an individual will choose not to scatter ashes at sea but to place them at a memorial service after the burial. This can take the form of an actual funeral memorial service or a service at a church or other location. When ashes are placed in a ground burial, a memorial stone can also be laid above the ashes. This is done with the ashes kept separate from the body. This allows the family to keep the memories of the departed alive in their hearts and minds rather than scattering the ashes. In some cases, the ship may have a permanent headstone built as well to honor the deceased.
The cost of the burial at sea ceremony is greatly reduced when compared with the cost of a ground burial. This is due to the fact that the remains are taken from a more distant location. However, the grave site may need to be transported to a far away location for the final memorial service if funds are available.
It is important to remember that even though a burial at sea facility will cost less, the decision should still be based on what is best for the deceased. If the decision is made to have a traditional funeral at a chapel or church following burial at sea, then the surviving family members will need to make plans for the service as well as funeral materials to give at the burial. Often times it is preferable to have a funeral at a nearby cemetery. This allows the family to spend time remembering their loved one while focusing on the life ahead. With this type of service planning, the funeral home will not only take care of the transportation of the remains to the beach burial site but will also work with the funeral home to provide other funeral services including a wake, viewing, cremation and burial.