Bad news for college football fans

Just a word about what I was told today when I called Regent. They don't have Fox sports, CBS or ESPN--you know what that means to those of us who are college football fans and wish to watch the bowl games during this cruise. Is anyone else as upset as we are???

We were in Antarctica two years ago during this time on Seaboard and got all of the major bowl games. Any suggestions??

I am going to try to speak to someone who is "higher up" than the agents to see if Regent can buy some sort of football package for this cruise. Is anyone else with me in my request???

Mom C

Just one added point. When we boarded the Seabourn ship on the Antarctica cruise, we asked the assistant cruise director if we would get the football bowl games. She said, "I don't think it's available in Antarctica but let me see what we can do." Seabourn not only bought the package for the games, but they were available in both our cabins or in a group setting in one of the lounges. Let's hope Regent meets this challenge from a veteran Seabourn cruiser who is trying Regent.

Based on experience, it is doubtful that Regent will be able to accommodate your request. It costs thousands of dollars to carry Super Bowl (perhaps hundreds of thousands if you consider all of the ships). As much as people in the U.S. love football, this "love" isn't shared by people around the world who would feel just as strongly about showing "soccer" (aka "football" outside of the U.S.)

IMO, the best thing to do is find a local restaurant/bar that is carrying the events that you are looking for.

We have thought of that but most of the big games are at night and we would have sailed. Darn! You know with these luxury brand cruise companies, one thing like this can make the difference between experimenting with different cruise companies or being strictly loyal to one brand. If Seabourn accommodates in Asia nd Antarctica but Regent won't accommodate in the Panama Canal, then I see no reason to venture outside of Seabourn ever again. We were booked on Seabourn's holiday Panama Canal voyage, and I made the family switch to Regent to try their new 'world's most luxurious ship.'

As far as soccer fans vs football fans, both are fanatics, BUT Regent's ships are 90% American filled. Regent needs to realize that twice a year, millions of Americans watch the playoffs, bowl games, and the Super Bowl!

We were on Regent once during Super Bowl and regent was saying no, no,no. I didn't really care but at the last minute they threw a super bowl party. In theatre and also in the rooms

PS. We also dragged friends away from Seabourn to check out the new ship in January

We are gold both Seabourn and Regent but I do have a preference

Mind sharing your preference?

We have been on the Mariner twice during the Super Bowl and both times there was a party in the theater and also was shown on the TVs in the suites. Other cruise lines manage to televise these big games. Not sure they think the bowl games qualify as big. Maybe just the games for the title.

Eileen

All the networks stream the games. Regent could stream them in the theater.

All the networks stream the games. Regent could stream them in the theater.

Yes they could - at an exorbitant price!

Could you tell us what the exorbitant cost would be and how you have come to know the figure? It seems like more and more "luxury" cruisers are expressing their interest in televised sports. There is nothing wrong with that.

I'd love to know what the price would be on that - and why some lines will do it if Regent won't/can't. Just seems strange that in this day and age we're still having trouble viewing a sporting event.

I'd love to know what the price would be on that - and why some lines will do it if Regent won't/can't. Just seems strange that in this day and age we're still having trouble viewing a sporting event.

Bill, this has been discussed previously several times. I did a quick search and found a thread about why Regent wasn't showing Super Bowl in 2013. The following quote is from "WesW" from January 18, 2013 after speaking to someone at corporate:

"As this very senior leader explained to us, Regent attempted to secure rights to show the Superbowl live, but the cost came back equivalent to taking Regent pax to the game, coupled w/technical issues for making this live showing possible, Regent decided to pass on securing the rights to show the SB live. "

P.S. Regent decided to bite the bullet and show the game.

I'd love to know what the price would be on that - and why some lines will do it if Regent won't/can't. Just seems strange that in this day and age we're still having trouble viewing a sporting event.

Bill, this has been discussed previously several times. I did a quick search and found a thread about why Regent wasn't showing Super Bowl in 2013. The following quote is from "WesW" from January 18, 2013 after speaking to someone at corporate:

 

"As this very senior leader explained to us, Regent attempted to secure rights to show the Superbowl live, but the cost came back equivalent to taking Regent pax to the game, coupled w/technical issues for making this live showing possible, Regent decided to pass on securing the rights to show the SB live. "

 

P.S. Regent decided to bite the bullet and show the game.

Having read the CC Regent board for a long while I know I should just give up on trying to understand certain threads. But sometimes I foolishly plod on.

So if I can summarize: various other cruise lines show the Super Bowl. But it costs too much for Regent (thousands to maybe hundred of thousands of dollars--just a tad imprecise) to show the Super Bowl. But we don't know where these figures came from, so I guess we don't really know what it costs? Despite the so called "exorbitant" costs Regent showed the Super Bowl anyway (maybe that was 4 years ago when the quoted post was dated and maybe other years too?). So apparently the cost wasn't really exorbitant. (Or maybe they just took it out of the CEO's compensation? :) -- my best guess!)

So does anyone actually know if they are showing the game this year? If not, could someone from corporate come out of hiding long enough to answer the question?

Could you tell us what the exorbitant cost would be and how you have come to know the figure? It seems like more and more "luxury" cruisers are expressing their interest in televised sports. There is nothing wrong with that.

surprising to hear of this manufactured controversy....the SuperBowl, NFL playoffs, and Bowl games are scheduled well in advance of reservation of a particular cruise. How about recognizing that one has chosen their time to vacation, on a pretty cool cruise line at a particular time of year, and not stress over missing a game on the week THEY chose?

surprising to hear of this manufactured controversy....the SuperBowl, NFL playoffs, and Bowl games are scheduled well in advance of reservation of a particular cruise. How about recognizing that one has chosen their time to vacation, on a pretty cool cruise line at a particular time of year, and not stress over missing a game on the week THEY chose?

Totally agree!

Talk about the epitome of first world problems . . .

Booking 12 months in advance to celebrate the holidays with family is a great reason to book over Christmas and New Years. Having sailed with Seabourn the two previous Christmases--one in Antarctica and the other in the South China Sea--and having always gotten the college football bowl games carried on the TV in our suites, I never thought twice about booking at this time of year with Regent. A luxury cruise company which advertises that no request by a guest is too much, we just assumed they would carry the games. When I called two weeks before sailing to confirm the games would be carried, I was told no. Regent didn't even carry the Olympics. I was shocked!

Guests who love sports (college and pro football, the World Series, the Olympics) need to be aware of this deficiency on the part of Regent. My daughter even asked the CEO of Regent if she could pay the cost. No reply.

Never fear, though. We huddled with two computers and used the ESPN app to "watch" the play by play feed come across the screen. I intend to make sure no other sports fan is uninformed. This thread will certainly inform other potential cruisers. This is unacceptable.

MomC,

Totally agree!

Talk about the epitome of first world expectations after paying first world prices . . .

Our first Regent cruise coincided with The Masters golf tournament...a while back and maybe before everything was so streamable (2009 or 2010).

I asked and was told it wouldn't be shown. Turns out that they did show it on one of the lounges TVs. Made my cruise much more enjoyable. Silly to some non-fans, I know, but it if one likes sports, then avoiding Regent cruising during big events (especially when other luxury lines show the games/etc) seems much more like a Regent problem than it should a customer's problem, IMO.

(CruisetheCs...lol)

surprising to hear of this manufactured controversy....the SuperBowl, NFL playoffs, and Bowl games are scheduled well in advance of reservation of a particular cruise. How about recognizing that one has chosen their time to vacation, on a pretty cool cruise line at a particular time of year, and not stress over missing a game on the week THEY chose?

Totally agree!

 

Talk about the epitome of first world problems . . .

I'm missing some concept in understanding this comment on the epitome of first world problems. Is discussion of the Super Bowl broadcast availability different in some way from the usual discussions of things such as the decor and art onboard, the availability of a particular wine or liquor onboard, the exasperations of the Regent website and onboard internet, the length of excursions, the brand of lotions in the cabins, the size of the balconies and chairs, and the way someone's steak was prepared in Compass Rose?

IMO, if discussion of first world problems on Regent was eliminated from CC, there would be no posts, mine included. Or maybe some first world problems are okay to discuss and others aren't. If so, I'd like a list of acceptable and unacceptable topics. Or maybe ranking of topics is a first world problem? Just wondering or maybe just wandering. :)

I'm missing some concept in understanding this comment on the epitome of first world problems. Is discussion of the Super Bowl broadcast availability different in some way from the usual discussions of things such as the decor and art onboard, the availability of a particular wine or liquor onboard, the exasperations of the Regent website and onboard internet, the length of excursions, the brand of lotions in the cabins, the size of the balconies and chairs, and the way someone's steak was prepared in Compass Rose?

 

IMO, if discussion of first world problems on Regent was eliminated from CC, there would be no posts, mine included. Or maybe some first world problems are okay to discuss and others aren't. If so, I'd like a list of acceptable and unacceptable topics. Or maybe ranking of topics is a first world problem? Just wondering or maybe just wandering. :)

No, you are correct. The whole board is about first world problems. It just struck me like the complaint about not being able to watch football games while on a cruise ship was a lot like Louis CK's bit about people flying through the air in a pressurized steel tube complaining about their wifi reception.

Oh well.

Perhaps I'd feel differently if my team was any good . . . 😭

No, you are correct. The whole board is about first world problems. It just struck me like the complaint about not being able to watch football games while on a cruise ship was a lot like Louis CK's bit about people flying through the air in a pressurized steel tube complaining about their wifi reception.

 

Oh well.

 

Perhaps I'd feel differently if my team was any good . . .

Could not agree with you more. I'm curious if most hotels around the world (not necessarily big cities in first world countries) carry any of the football games from the U.S. Actually, I wonder why it is called "football" when most of the world uses that this is "soccer".

IMO, those of us living in the U.S. tend to have a bit of tunnel vision when it comes to what is important and/or popular in the rest of the world. (Thinking Asia, the Middle East, Africa, New Zealand, Australia and South America specifically).

I'm missing some concept in understanding this comment on the epitome of first world problems. Is discussion of the Super Bowl broadcast availability different in some way from the usual discussions of things such as the decor and art onboard, the availability of a particular wine or liquor onboard, the exasperations of the Regent website and onboard internet, the length of excursions, the brand of lotions in the cabins, the size of the balconies and chairs, and the way someone's steak was prepared in Compass Rose?

 

IMO, if discussion of first world problems on Regent was eliminated from CC, there would be no posts, mine included. Or maybe some first world problems are okay to discuss and others aren't. If so, I'd like a list of acceptable and unacceptable topics. Or maybe ranking of topics is a first world problem? Just wondering or maybe just wandering. :)

Thank you for these very spot on observations.