Taking a cruise during the NFL playoff — including the Super Bowl — and wondering about watching the game?
The good news is that you should have no issue catching the games while on your vacation. Even if you are in the middle of the ocean, you can still watch the Super Bowl and playoffs aboard the ship.
In fact, watching on a cruise may end up being more fun than you’d have watching back home. However, the experience may be a little different than you are used to on land.
January/February Means Playoffs… And a Cheap Time to Sail
You likely already know that the Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events in the world. Each year 100 million people in America — and millions more around the world — watch the NFL’s championship game. It’s become a must-see with seemingly as many people watching for the commercials or the halftime show as for the actual game itself.
That’s in addition to the weeks running up to the Super Bowl when the playoffs are in full swing and tens of millions are watching each game.
And while some people think that Super Bowl Sunday should be a national holiday, that doesn’t stop the cruise lines from sailing. In fact, the time around the playoffs, which are held in January and February each year, is usually one of the cheapest times of year to cruise. So if you take advantage of these low fares, then you’ll likely be wondering how you can watch the games while you are on your cruise.
Catching the Playoff and Super Bowl at Sea
Each year the Super Bowl and playoffs are broadcast in the United States on one of the major networks like CBS, NBC, or Fox. Now some other players are also getting in on broadcasting the playoffs, such as Amazon and Peacock.
You should know that cruise lines are notorious for having a limited number of TV stations on your cabin television. In fact, the major networks are often not available.
Still, this doesn’t mean you have to worry about watching the game. The ship receives its TV stations via satellite feeds.
The Super Bowl is a massive event streamed via broadcast partners around the world. Even if the ship doesn’t receive the specific network from the United States, it won’t matter — it will have an international stream of the game coming in via satellite that is shown for passengers.
Given the importance of the game to guests, every cruise line will have a place to watch the game live on the ship.
Playoffs can be a little different. The games on the major networks should be broadcast somewhere around the ship. Those on streaming services will be harder to watch publicly as these feeds are rarer on a cruise ship. However, if you are a subscriber and have paid for internet access, you can always login and stream them to your device.
Where You Can Watch the Super Bowl & Playoffs on the Ship
Where you can watch the game on the ship will vary, depending on the cruise line. For major games like the Super Bowl and playoffs, the ship’s sports-themed bars will always have the channel up. Cruise lines will also likely play the game on the outdoor screen in the pool area. Pull up a chair, relax, and watch in comfort.
You will likely (though not always) be able to watch the Super Bowl in your cabin. This varies by cruise line, which station the game is broadcast, and if that feed is then routed to your cabin. So if you’re the sort of person who really likes to focus on the game without the “party” atmosphere of watching with a ton of other people, then you might have to grin and bear it.
If you are the type that likes to watch the game is a social setting, however, then you’re in luck.
All the ships will make the Super Bowl an event. Many like to put on “tailgates” at sea with prizes, as well as drink and food specials to entertain guests. For example, Carnival has a big Super Bowl party for the game.
Details on what’s happening during your cruise will be featured in the daily calendar you receive on Super Bowl Sunday.
For the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl, the game will be shown and if it’s on a broadcast station then you can likely watch in your room. At the very least, it will be shown somewhere like the ship’s casino or sports bar if it has one.
Any playoff games on a streaming service will be harder to watch publicly. As mentioned above, the best way to watch your team in this case is to be a subscriber to the service. If you have wi-fi access on the ship, you can usually stream, giving you the ability to watch on your own device.
One Drawback? Be Ready to Miss Super Bowl Commercials
The experience of watching the Super Bowl on a cruise ship is fairly unique. Even in the middle of the ocean you can stay up with one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
Are you one of the millions of people that watches the Super Bowl for the commercials? On a cruise, you might be disappointed. As we said earlier, you most likely won’t be getting the traditional broadcast you are used to when viewing the game from home. Instead, it will likely be an international feed of the game. That means the same commercials shown stateside aren’t always shown on your cruise.
Don’t fear if you can’t watch the commercials. These days many companies release them early, and every commercial will be available on YouTube the following day. You can always catch up later.
The bottom line is that yes, you can watch the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl on your cruise and it will be (nearly) as big an event at sea as it is on land. You may or may not be able to watch in your cabin. You likely won’t be able to see the commercials as they air.
