Olympics onboard

[Pr0spect0r]

Last time we went on a cruise, we were the only Canucks aboard a ship in the Mediterranean. We watched the Summer games on-board. Since the ship was mostly full of Brits, all the coverage was via BBC and we cheered alongside them. It was fun.

 

This go-round, we are in the Caribbean, and it will be the winter games aboard a ship full of mostly Americans. We are hoping to watch at least a few of the hockey games and to see if our snowboarders get in their gold medal performances.

 

I know there is a lot of anit-Putin sentiment going around, and that this Olympics is becoming increasingly political. I'm not sure how that will go down on a fun vacation, and that the US may not be tuning in at all.

 

What are the chances of catching a CBC broadcast on-board that lets us see how our women's hockey team is doing? Will we even hear about the Canada-vs-"Not USA" hockey games? This kindof matters to us since we have a cousin on the women's team.

 

Of course we recognize that we will be on an American Ship sailing out of an American port, and need to respect our hosts. Just wondering if there will be a chance of watching the games.

[Branman]

There will probably be a lot of Olympics coverage, but it will be limited to what the ship receives via satellite. The Olympics are broadcast on NBC and its sister networks in the US, and Carnival only receives the standard NBC feed (pretty sure it doesn't get NBC Sports, CNBC, etc.). Hockey coverage on the ship will probably be limited because the flagship NBC traditionally does a tape-delayed broadcast of various events in primetime (skiing, figure skating, speed skating, etc) while longer events are covered on its sister networks (hockey and curling).

[Ontario_Cruiser]

Welcome to CC fellow Canadian! Go Canada!

 

I can confirm that there is no CBC on the ship at all - so that option is out. You will be able to get US network feed in your cabin, and may also be able to see some at the sports bar. But coverage of the women's hockey quite possibly will not occur.

 

Of course, you can buy an internet package (will be SLOW) and get updates on scores, etc that way or see if you can find wi-fi locations in the ports.

 

Personally, I will not vacation during the Olympics after I tried it in 2008, and missed the sports & athletes that I wanted to watch.

[Tullic]

In 2010, the last week of February, we were on the Carnival Valor headed out for a western Caribbean cruise. It was Sunday, embarcation day and we were all hoping we'd be able to find someplace to watch the men's hockey final. It was the US vs. Canada for the Gold. Sure enough, at game time it pops up on the Seaside Theater big screen.

 

Well sitting in a lounge off the Panarama deck with a bucket of XX watching the Olympic Finals in Hockey was something this Upstate New Yorker had never experienced before.

 

Start of the second period, screen goes black, horns start blaring, Yep, muster drill! You've never heard so much grumbling in your life. I'm thinking, lets go, don't hang around. let's get this over with.

 

After muster drill we race back to our our favorite lounge chairs in Seaside and the game comes back on ... end of the second period, tie. As people coming back from their cabins start streaming in, Americans are holding quickly made Go USA signs chanting USA, USA. Then some Canadians start streaming in all decked out in Maple Leaf toques and gloves (yes it was 85 degrees F in Miami), more homemade signs and a couple of them with huge Canadian flags draped over their backs. Of course all the Canadians were there in the first period too. We just didn't know it.

 

Anyway the atmosphere was raucous, cheering back and forth on ever shot and every hit. It was absolutely the most fun I've ever had watching a hockey game.

 

You may remember how that game ended. The Canadians were jubilant all week and even though the US lost, we were on a cruise. That took the sting out of it pretty quickly and we had to feel happy for all those Canadian fans. (though I'm sure I wouldn't have been happy at all if I had been watching at home.)

 

Women's Hockey; good luck, I don't know. But do enjoy your Olympics Cruise.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Tullic

[dshefter]

You will receive NBC feed. We got it out of Miami on the Valor. There is an ESPN International feed as well, but you can only view ESPN at various bars around the ship. Not available in your stateroom.

[MikeM]

24 hours of the Curling would be great.....