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CRUISESAT - more TV channels

Biker19

By Biker19,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Biker19

Biker19

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New TV sports offerings have rolled out across four Royal Caribbean cruise ships offering guests and crew more choice for major sporting competitions.

 

Guests and crew members on four Royal Caribbean cruise ships can now enjoy an even greater choice of sports thanks to a new mobile maritime communications system. A new entertainment system named “CRUISESAT” has rolled out on Independence of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and currently the world’s largest cruise ship Symphony of the Seas.

 

Chuck Sackermann, chief executive officer of Digital Video Systems, said:

“Our direct-to-ship delivery of CRUISESAT to Royal Caribbean International provides an elevated linear television sports and entertainment experience for Royal’s guests and crew members.”

“We are excited and honored to have Royal Caribbean International as a CRUISESAT customer as they expand their entertainment content to include the very best linear television services available within the territory.”

The new system offers a range of channels directly to the cruise ship in high definition. It will expand the sport choices onboard with marquee U.S. and major international sports from ESPN flagship networks, as well as college athletics from SEC Network and ESPN U.

 

This means guests will be able to enjoy watching the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, NASCAR, Indy Racing League, all golf and tennis Grand Slam events, UEFA Champions League and other top soccer, cricket and more.

 

More Royal Caribbean ships will follow with the new channel offerings. Oasis of the Seas will be the next to receive CRUISESAT in November and By Spring 2020 Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas will be fitted out.

 

CRUISESAT is brought to the maritime industry by Maritime Mobile Communications which provides popular high-definition news, entertainment, sports and cultural networks to the global maritime market using a single antenna system.

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twangster "Live from...." Rare

twangster

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They are for content in Playmakers.  Not sure if cabins will get them too.  

 

I guess Global Eagle couldn't carry enough sports.  When Navigator launched post-AMP the officer would who helps to kick all PM's off was on board.  He said they were working on more sports but it was challenging being international and different satellites involved.  I guess they finally worked it out.

 

Makes me wonder if this was a factor that played into Voyager not getting a PM.

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mac_tlc "Live from...." Rare

mac_tlc

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A better lineup of channels would be welcome, but we watched the World Series in our room last year, they broadcast it over one of the ESPN channels. Have also seen NFL game on the cabin TV.

 

mac_tlc

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CH5220

CH5220

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I wonder if this will help watching the NCAA Tournament. We're always on cruises every year during the tournament since it is during our kids spring break each year, and outside the US the tournament is on ESPN instead of the CBS channels like in the US. But we've only had the main ESPN channel on cruise ships before so they'd constantly change from one tournament game to another on that one channel. Hopefully getting some of the other ESPN channels will mean we can see more tournament games.

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cruiseguy1016

cruiseguy1016

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37 minutes ago, CH5220 said:

I wonder if this will help watching the NCAA Tournament. We're always on cruises every year during the tournament since it is during our kids spring break each year, and outside the US the tournament is on ESPN instead of the CBS channels like in the US. But we've only had the main ESPN channel on cruise ships before so they'd constantly change from one tournament game to another on that one channel. Hopefully getting some of the other ESPN channels will mean we can see more tournament games.

 

We also cruise during the NCAA tournament. I've never had a problem finding the game I want to watch. If it wasn't on in a particular location, I would go to a different location. I've also asked the bartender to change the channel. Sometimes they would, other times they would not.

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KelSny1011

KelSny1011

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We couldn't watch NBA games during our cruises on Allure or Oasis in May/June.  Wonder if they changed that since we sailed them last...  Regardless we are happy to read that we now can actually watch sports in the Playmakers Sports Bar.  (that was our running joke with the bartenders every time someone would come in and ask if they could watch xyz team play on xyz sports channel; "sorry no sports to be watched in this sports bar")  

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twangster "Live from...." Rare

twangster

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5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

?? Now you must elaborate. 😁

 

For U.S. based Playmaker ships they can sign multi-year contracts to reduce the cost of additional sports content to fill all those Playmakers TVs.

 

Since Voyager splits her time between Asia and Australia dedicating space to a sports bar may have been deemed a waste of real estate.  If they added Playmakers to Voyager it would be solely for the Australia season.  The additional cost to increase sports content for the Australian market would be wasted when the ship isn't in Australia as would the venue itself.

 

On a recent Spectrum cruise it was observed that cruises in Asia don't tend to see the volume of guests at ship bars compared to other regions.  In fact the bars were described as being "empty" with only a couple of western guests using any bar.  

 

Playmakers was a great addition but filling those dozens of TVs with the same two ESPN channels was disappointing.  All those TVs beg for additional sports content and that is why this contract was executed.

 

 

 

 

Edited by twangster
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