Princess Cruises Introduces Sports Betting at Sea

(3:45 p.m. EST) -- Passengers sailing on Princess Cruises now will be able to place real-time sports bets while sailing, the company announced Monday.

Princess Cruises' Ocean Sportsbook, available on the cruise line's MedallionClass ships, will give bettors the opportunity to wager on a variety of sports, including professional and college football, basketball, baseball and hockey. Passengers can log into the MedallionClass app and wager on games while ships are in international waters, or wherever else gambling is legally permitted. They can bet on live events or future games as well. Princess says it's first cruise line to offer this option to passengers.

"On Princess MedallionClass cruises our guests can stay connected with their friends and family around the world, and now with Ocean Sportsbook, they can also stay connected to their favorite teams and wager on a host of events whenever they sail with us," said Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz. "Taking a cruise vacation no longer means being disconnected from a big game, an iconic event or friends and family."

Ocean Sportsbook will be available on all Princess MedallionClass-enabled ships when they return to service. The app can be used from anywhere onboard -- not just from the casino. Ocean Sportsbook fits in with the line's existing Ocean Casino app, which allows passengers to play games such as slots, poker, blackjack and bingo digitally.

Because of parent company Carnival Corporation's affiliation with the Miami Heat, passengers can't bet on NBA games involving the team.

Princess introduced its MedallionClass technology in 2017 and has been rolling it out onboard ships fleetwide ever since. The technology is designed to create frictionless cruise vacations, helping passengers embark and disembark seamlessly, order food and drinks from anywhere on the ship and deliver lightning-fast Wi-Fi. It also enables more contactless interactions, with keyless stateroom entry, family and friends locators and contact-free purchasing.

Late in 2020, the cruise line announced all its ships would return to service in 2021 featuring the line's MedallionClass experience.