Love it or hate it the Fifa World Cup is here, I personally love it! The good news is that cruise lines do a pretty good job televising major sporting events on board.  If you’re planning a holiday at sea and don’t want to miss the action there are plenty of cruise lines paying homage to the beautiful game right up until July 13.  And for those football widows like my wife ,take heart – there’s always the spa!

If it’s atmosphere you’re after you may be best plumping for a British ship.  Live, round-the-clock coverage will be available to all P&O Cruises and Cunard passengers on big screens via sport24 . Cunard will screen the action in the popular Golden Lion pub and possibly in larger venues if interest builds. My two favourite things are cruising and football so I can’t think of a better way to watch the World Cup!

Among those lines going all out this summer are Costa Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines. The former is pulling out the stops with Brazilian-dance flash mobs (to the tune of the official World Cup anthem) to fuel the party spirit. Depending on timings and the nations involved, matches on board Costa’s ships will be broadcast across a number of venues including the macrodome pool deck and in the main theatre. The line has also devised a range of themed activities to animate the festivities.  Norwegian Cruise Lines is screening the biggest matches fleet-wide and across multiple venues in partnership with sport24. And again for those non-football fanatics will find plenty of ways to escape in the spa, gym, pools, restaurants or alternative bars and lounges throughout the ship.

Royal Caribbean International will broadcast the World Cup on board all of its 23 ships so there’s no chance of missing any of the 64 matches between the 32 competing teams. Listen for announcements about games in the ship’s designated public areas or watch in the privacy of your cabin.

Celebrity Cruises will broadcast all 64 matches at on-board bars (and in cabins) on its Alaska, Bermuda and Europe sailings and promises viewing parties and activities including football video game tournaments.  MSC Cruises will show every single game live on each of its 12 ships. Matches will be shown on big screens in the Sports Bar of MSC’s Fantasia-class ships and MSC Magnifica, and in selected bars on other ships.   Princess Cruises will screen the World Cup on Movies Under the Stars, its 300 sq ft poolside movie theatre, and in other public spaces.

And for those among you who would rather escape world cup fever and all things Brazilian the cruise lines not succumbing to Fifa fever this summer are Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Regent Seven Seas ships will also be a World Cup free zone.  There will however be a daily, printed special-edition bulletin for those who want to keep informed of results.

Let me know your thoughts, are you happy you wont miss it or desperate to escape it? Let me know who you think is going to win! Email me on [email protected] or call me on 0800 408 6107.