The NFL playoffs are kicking into high gear ahead of Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.
Naturally, football fans who are sailing on upcoming cruises want to make sure they’ll be able to watch the playoff games somewhere on board their cruise ships. Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean show NFL games in bars on board their ships and even have a dedicated sports bar on many of them.
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But what if your family is sailing on a Disney cruise ship? Are there any spaces on board Disney cruise ships that swap Disney entertainment for live sports?
The Walt Disney Company does own ESPN and ABC so if a game is televised by one of those networks, you can bet you’ll have a higher chance of finding it playing somewhere on board your Disney cruise ship.
For a championship game like the Super Bowl, Disney Cruise Line will typically show the big game on Funnel Vision, its jumbo screen on the pool deck. The Funnel Vision screen usually plays poolside Disney movies, but the cruise line will change up its schedule on Super Bowl Sunday.
But what about other football games and live sporting events?
Here’s what sports fans should know before sailing on a Disney cruise ship.
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Disney Cruise Line ships have big screens that usually show movies.
Image source: Daniel Kline/ComeCruiseWith.com
Yes, Disney cruise ship bars show live sports broadcasts
Luckily for football fans, Disney cruise ships do have pubs that show live sporting events.
Disney Cruise Line calls its Pub 687 on the Disney Dream a “sports-fan’s paradise.” Pub 687 and other Disney cruise ship pubs have TVs for passengers to view live sports broadcasts via satellite.
On the cruise line’s newest ship, the Disney Treasure, passengers can watch live sports in the Periscope Pub, a submarine-themed bar inspired by the classic Walt Disney World Resort attraction 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage.
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Passengers sailing on the Disney Wish cruise ship can visit the Keg & Compass pub to watch live sports and major broadcast events. On the Disney Magic and the Disney Fantasy, passengers can grab a pint and watch sports at O’Gills Pub, an Irish pub and sports bar. The hours of operation for Disney cruise ship sports bars are listed in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.
“I suggest getting there early for a good seat!” planDisney panelist JoVonn said about watching sports at the Keg & Compass pub on the Disney Wish. “While there, you can enjoy craft brews available exclusively to the Disney Wish. There is also a selection of non-alcoholic options.”
Passengers need an Internet + Streaming package to stream sports
If you want to stream live sports from your own device during a Disney cruise, it’s important to know that you’ll need to purchase a premium Internet + Streaming package for that. The cruise line’s standard Internet package doesn’t support streaming.
The Internet + Streaming package includes internet access for social media, web surfing, texting, and Wi-Fi calling, as well as for streaming YouTube content and TV and movies from platforms like ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu. According to planDisney, the package currently costs $35 per day.
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To purchase the package, you’ll need to open the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app once on board your Disney cruise ship and select “Connect to Internet.” This will open a separate browser to view and purchase an onboard internet plan.
Disney Cruise Line also shows ESPN, ABC and other popular TV networks on stateroom TVs. Passengers should note that although most channels are typically available throughout your cruise, some satellite channels may be temporarily unavailable at certain times due to your ship’s location.
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