Princess Cruises launches sports setting at sea

(PRESS RELEASE) -- For the first time ever, sports fans will have the opportunity to wager on sports from the comfort of their cruise ship. Princess Cruises today unveiled Ocean Sportsbook, a new, real-time sports wagering option onboard its MedallionClass ships, giving guests the opportunity to bet on major sports competitions like professional and college football, basketball, baseball and hockey as well as a wide variety of other exciting domestic and international events.

When the ship is in international waters, or wherever permitted by law, guests can use the MedallionClass app to wager on a host of major sports competitions, as well as place prop bets during live events taking place during their cruise. Guests also will have the opportunity to place bets on future competitions that occur well after their voyage.

"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 Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises. "Taking a cruise vacation no longer means being disconnected from a big game, an iconic event or friends and family."

With more than $20 billion in wagers placed with U.S. sportsbooks in the past two years, sports betting is experiencing extraordinary growth, and is expected to reach more than $155 billion by 2024.1

Built in partnership with software developer, Miomni, Ocean Sportsbook will be available on all Princess MedallionClass ships upon approval to return to service in 2021. The new sportsbook is part of Ocean Casino – a digital experience that lets wagers be placed beyond the casino – stateroom, poolside, spa, and more – on an assortment of games that include blackjack, slots, poker, roulette, bingo, keno and lottery.

Princess MedallionClass vacations are enabled by the award-winning OceanMedallion, a wearable device that elevates the guest experience and delivers a high level of service and personalized attention on a large scale, and also features elite level bandwidth with MedallionNet powered by SES, allowing for enhanced connected experiences like Ocean Sportsbook.

"A fully-connected guest experience now goes well beyond a superior Wi-Fi position, and Ocean Sportsbook reinforces the unparalleled position MedallionClass enjoys in the industry," said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer for Carnival Corporation. "Wagering is now seamlessly fused into the overall guest experience in both digital and physical interactions all powered by the OCEAN Guest Experience Platform."

In addition to anywhere wagering, Princess MedallionClass Vacations are also marked by touchless embarkation and disembarkation, frictionless commerce, and keyless stateroom entry. Additional contactless capabilities accessible using smart phones and tablets, include shipboard on-demand service delivery; way-finding; family and friends locator; first-run movies and live TV; an interactive events and activities planner; and interactive fun.