With early voting now open in multiple states and Election Day just two weeks away for what is already a very contentious US presidential election, many cruise travelers are understandably concerned about following election results while on vacation.
Carnival Cruise Line has responded to multiple inquiries about whether or not election information or voting results would be broadcast in public areas, such as on the movie screen on many ships’ Lido Decks or in bars and lounges onboard.
“I had so many people asking about the election coverage next week on the ships,” said John Heald, the cruise line’s official Brand Ambassador. “Having spoken to our Chief Communications Officer Chris I can confirm there will be no public screening anywhere on the ship of any election coverage.”
To be clear, Carnival Cruise Line does offer a variety of news stations for viewing on individual televisions in guest staterooms. Those news stations are sure to be filled with election coverage up to and even beyond Election Day – Tuesday, November 5. There are no restrictions on travelers watching the coverage in their own staterooms.
What will not happen, however, is such coverage being broadcast in public areas on the Carnival fleet. Instead, the public screens will continue with sports events, scheduled movies, and other broadcasting.
This may be disappointing to some travelers who are following the election results closely, but many guests agree it is the right decision, particularly when opinions and party affiliations can become so heated.
“Exactly the correct decision. What you don’t need is people starting fights over politics.”
“This is the right decision. There is WAY too much derision regarding this election and having it on where people will be drinking and watching together is just a recipe for disaster.”
“Thank you for not showing anything political. I will be on vacation to get away from all of that for a few days.”
Some travelers, however, are upset that they won’t have the “freedom” to stay tuned to election coverage.
“That is ridiculous! This is America! It is our freedom to watch!” one commenter exclaimed, which encouraged further clarification from Heald.
“It has nothing to do with politics or freedom. You have the freedom to watch it in your cabin. You have the freedom to use the Internet to watch it and sit anywhere on the ship you wish to,” Heald confirmed.
“But we are not going to change out schedule of events, movies, and deck parties to broadcast politics on the big screen or any other bars or lounges where we normally have live music. Cheers.”
A number of commenters also point out that even while Carnival Cruise Line brands itself as “America’s Cruise Line,” not all passengers are Americans. Similarly, not all guests will have an interest in political news, regardless of their personal politics.
Carnival Cruise Ship Open Deck With Large Screen (Photo Credit: Emrys Thakkar)
Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise
Many cruise travelers use the opportunity to completely unplug while on vacation, enjoying their time at sea without worrying about news or problems back at home. Those issues will always be waiting when the ship returns to its homeport.
Contentious TV Broadcasts
It is not surprising that Carnival will not be offering election coverage across public areas onboard. This has been similar to other event coverage that often depends on which networks the cruise line is able to offer as well as whether or not some broadcasts may be troublesome to guests.
For example, Heald often fields questions and requests for sports coverage, such as favorite teams or competitive finals. It isn’t always possible to show every match or meetup, but Carnival Cruise Line does offer the NFL Syndication and Sunday Ticket package for the 2024-2025 season.
When a traveler’s favorite television show or network is not available, the cruise line’s Wi-Fi packages do offer fast enough speeds for individual streaming services if desired.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com