NFL and MLB on the Ships

[tarzanman]

I want to know if the NFL and NCAA football along MLB are going to be available for my viewing pleasure on the cruise ships.

 

[BeanoC]

I guess nobody knows, Tim. Even though the NFL has been underway for 2 weeks now, the Magic hasn't gone into dry dock yet. Actaully, we are on only the 2nd cruise after dry dock. I guess we better bring our own satellite dish after all.



'Beano'

 

[Regina]

Ah, someone with the same priorities as my DH.

Depending on where the ship is, there's no guarantee if they'll be able to get the transmission for all of the major games.

 

[AnnMorin]

(my husband is a die hard addicted Dolphins fan)
we have had monday night football the past two years (one eastern one western) in which the dolphins played and they are scheduled to play 12/15/03 on our Eastern monday night. If they don't have it available anymore God knows I better tape it!!!

 

[BeanoC]

Hi Regina! I remember having a drink with you and your DH last year on the Magic, in ESPN. I guess those are days gone by, huh?

I think what Tim is referring to , more so than satellite reception, etc., is what venue we will have for the games, what with ESPN being turned into the teens club. (Right Timmy?? )

So assuming they have satellite reception, WHERE will we watch now??



'Beano'

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I think that whatever Off Beat becomes (I've heard it will be called "Diversions"), will be a sports bar of sorts. The question of reception is key. They can pull the satellite feed for ABC and the ESPN networks, but not for FOX or CBS (they don't have, or won't pay for, the rights). If they can get these signals via broadcast, then they can show them. So on Sundays at Key West, they pretty much have whatever is airing in south Florida. On the eastern, you can get Sunday night ESPN and Monday night ABC games. If there's a special Thursday ABC or ESPN game, you'll get that, too. As with the NFL, you can only see the ESPN or ABC college games, too.

ESPN is showing the Division series this year for baseball, so you can probably get that. We've been able to watch the Puerto Rican FOX broadcast of MLB playoffs on the eastern when we were near St. Thomas (and as such, near PR). The broadcast is in English, the commercials in Spanish. Apparently Budweiser is "la cerveza offical de las Grandas Ligas."

 

[BeanoC]

Apparently Budweiser is "la cerveza offical de las Grandas Ligas."

LOL, Lloyd!

Thanks for all the info. We'll be on board during the World Series, as well as many important NFL and NCAA games. If they're being broadcast on board, we'll find them. If sports are a crime, Tim and I are CSI.



'Beano'

 

[Regina]

Hey Beano! I wish we were cruizin' with you again. Alas, we're going on the Wonder on 9/28.

Rumor does have it that there will be plasma screens in what was OffBeat.

Don't forget that the Promenade Lounge bar has a TV screen. I'll bet that a bunch of sports addicts will be able to persuade the bartender to turn the game on.

Meanwhile, I'm sure that DH will still be channel surfing in the stateroom in hopes of finding games. Old habits are hard to break.

 

[tarzanman]

What I really want is to know what we can see. I was on the New Years Cruise in 2001-2002. We got every bowl game on the planet including Fox and CBS stuff. I don't know if that makes a difference. I just want to watch some US sports and not a bunch of European stuff, like sludge.

 

[lancerguys]

Like repeated earlier, the ship will get whatever ABC or ESPN is showing. Common grounds is being moved to ESPN and being renamed Stacks because it's in the smoke stack. And then there will be a Cheers-type sports bar rumored to be called Diversions, which I'm sure will show plenty of sports.

Tarzanman, living in michigan, are you a Michigan State fan or a Michigan fan???

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Common grounds is being moved to ESPN and being renamed Stacks because it's in the smoke stack.

Good thing they didn't put it where Off Beat used to be. There would always be the possibility of Beat Offs...

 

[kamgen]

Speaking for Tarzanman, my dh, he is a MICHIGAN fan.......totally, completely, hard core....GO BLUE!

 

[tarzanman]

I am a University of Michigan fan through and through. My basement has maze walls with blue trim and even the school seal so neatly painted on one side. Beano has seen it. It is pretty cool.

Why do they only carry ESPN and ABC games on the ship now, if that is the case?

(Hoping someone from Disney is reading this)
It would seem that enough people in the fall would want to see the NFL games and MLB playoffs that you could get some network service to provide those. Just because you are a Disney Cruise Line doesn't mean that you can't have other channels. My room at WDW has all of those other channels.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Originally posted by tarzanman
Why do they only carry ESPN and ABC games on the ship now, if that is the case?

It would seem that enough people in the fall would want to see the NFL games and MLB playoffs that you could get some network service to provide those. Just because you are a Disney Cruise Line doesn't mean that you can't have other channels.

The story I've heard from the ESPN Sky Box bartenders is that CBS and FOX "won't" sell the rights to Disney, except for the Super Bowl, and I guess from what's written above, the Bowl games. When we sailed in the fall of 2000, there was actually a note in the staterooms explaining that DCL was unable to purchase the rights to show the Olympics (in Sydney) from NBC, and that they apologize and blah, blah blah.

Anyway, that's the story the crew members tell. We usually meet our friends in the ESPN bar on the first Saturday, so I've heard the spiel several times while waiting when everyone comes in to see if their team's game will be shown.

 

[BeanoC]

Tim - We'll just have to find a nice sports bar in Nassau, or St. Maarten, or St. Thomas and catch up on things.

"Excuse me, can we get a couple of beers over here?"



'Beano'

 

[tarzanman]

That seems kind of dumb that they wouldn't sell service to a business regardless of who the owner is. If Viacom or GE or News Corp owned a cruise line than maybe you wouldn't do it but to just spite Disney customers is kind of stupid. Like I said, the rooms at WDW have the channels but that is probably through some cable network instead.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I agree, and I wonder how much is "we won't pay for it" vs. "they won't sell it to us." At any rate, the latter seems to be the company line.

 

[tarzanman]

I agree with you. Not selling something doesn't sound right. It must be a not buying scenario. If I am in the business of selling, I sell if I can. It wouldn't hurt Viacom or News Corp or GE to sell more product to Disney.

 

[BamaCruiser]

The ESPN skybox was almost the thing that ended my marriage. When DH was too interested in the Alabama and other college games to come to dinner the first night, that was just the beginning of a long cruise for me...NOTE TO SELF:::: never schedule another vacation during football season!

Now, I enjoy watching the games too, but that wasn't the purpose of the trip. Every single night, DH could be found watching whatever was on in the skybox, while I was stuck in the stateroom with our almost 3 yo DS. And he wonders why my attitude towards him wasn't that pleasant.

Like the others have answered, if it is on ESPN or ABC, it can be seen. <sigh>

 

[tarzanman]

Can any CM's tell me if the World Series will be shown?