Carnival Cruise Line to Air Super Bowl But Not Olympic Games

Sports fans can be frustrated on cruises when their favorite teams, games, and events might not be available. NFL fans don’t have to worry this weekend on Carnival cruise ships, however, as the cruise line will not only be airing the Super Bowl, but will have unique events and rearranged schedules to accommodate the big game.

Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, confirmed the Super Bowl plans during a recent video, reassuring football fans that the game will be shown on every ship.

“We will be covering it on all the ships,” he said. “The ships that have the big screens on the Lido Deck will be showing the game, [and] there will be a tailgate party. The ships that don’t have that, they’ll show it on the big screen in the main theater.”

Because of the popularity of the Super Bowl, which draws more than 100 million viewers annually, some onboard entertainment and dining scheduling will be rearranged for the game.

Heald noted that on ships that are scheduled to have an Elegant Evening on game day – Sunday, February 8 – the formal night will be swapped to a different night during the sailing so it doesn’t conflict.

After all, tuxedos, sports coats, and cocktail dresses aren’t exactly football attire, nor are jerseys and fan gear the most appropriate wardrobe for formal night!

The full game and halftime show will be shown, but interested guests should note that because of how it will be broadcast, the famed Super Bowl commercials will not be aired on Carnival ships.

“Unfortunately, you won’t get to see the commercials because we get the direct satellite feed, which doesn’t include the United States commercials,” Heald explained.

The 2026 Super Bowl will be a fight between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, hosted at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. Eastern US time.

If guests aren’t interested in the Super Bowl, the full schedule of other events will still be planned on every ship, including games, trivia contests, comedy shows, and more.

Onboard Dining to Have Special Game Hours

Because the Super Bowl will begin at dinnertime for many Carnival guests, what dining can football fans expect if they don’t want to miss the game? Sports fans can be very loyal to their favorite game day snacks.

There will be an onboard tailgate party before the game begins, though whether or not that will include game-ready snacks is not clear. What Heald has noted, however, is that various dining options will have special hours because of the game.

“Guy’s Burgers and all the food outlets will remain open throughout the game for you,” he said.

Assigned dining times are unlikely to be changed, but guests can enjoy food from the Lido Marketplace buffet, room service, pizzeria, deli, and other venues to satisfy their game day munchies.

Of course, guests who have Your Time Dining rather than an assigned time, or those who prefer specialty dining, can arrange their reservations for Sunday’s dinner around the game if they wish.

Olympics Will Not Be Shown Onboard

While football fans will be cheering the news about the Super Bowl, sports fans who want to tune in to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy will, unfortunately, be disappointed.

Heald noted that Carnival Cruise Line does not carry the network that will be broadcasting the Olympics and so the games will not be available onboard.

Guests interested in the Olympics, which are from February 6-22, could still purchase wi-fi packages to stream their favorite skiing, figure skating, speed skating, bobsled, and other events on their own devices.