Do the ships still have TCM on the tv?

[Eli_6]

I was watching Turner Classic Movies on tv and thinking about how on my last cruise (on the Pride in Europe) they didn't have it.  I was wondering if this was something specific to Europe (as when I was on land they didn't have TCM either) or if this was a budget cut. I so rarely get to lie in bed and enjoy watching TCM at home (kids and all) that I really enjoy it when we go on a cruise.  

[Theosprey247]

On my recent Panorama cruise it had TCM.

[sanmarcosman]

Some ships do. As above, Panorama does and I can add Radiance did not.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

... not pleased with the channel offerings on Carnival. Reminded of this over the long weekend on the Liberty. Compared to our Celebrity sailing last month (actual network news options).

 

Tom

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

Rotating movie channel is usually enough for me but Magic,MG both had TCM my last times onboard those. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

23 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

... not pleased with the channel offerings on Carnival. Reminded of this over the long weekend on the Liberty. Compared to our Celebrity sailing last month (actual network news options).

 

Tom

 

Comparing Carnival and Celebrity is comparing apples to oranges one is a luxury brand the other is a mainstream family brand. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

1 minute ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

 

Comparing Carnival and Celebrity is comparing apples to oranges one is a luxury brand the other is a mainstream family brand. 

 

Carnival used to offer network news options (at least 2-3 flavors).

[BlerkOne]

59 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

... not pleased with the channel offerings on Carnival. Reminded of this over the long weekend on the Liberty. Compared to our Celebrity sailing last month (actual network news options).

 

Tom

I was disappointed with the lack of CNN on Celebrity. I think Carnival's compromise is better.

[LuvCruiSun]

Radiance had TCM a couple of weeks ago and Spirit did also in November.

[Eli_6]

Thanks for the info.  I am guessing the lack of TCM was just a Europe issue...

 

And I agree that the channel selections on Carnival are not the best. 

[Mic101680]

Not that we watched it much (usually just have the TV on when getting ready in the morning or while getting ready for bed in the evening, and more for background noise), but our last cruise in October on the Ecstasy, I don't recall seeing TCM in the channel lineup. In fact, I believe there were only about 10-15 channels total. Not sure if that was normal for that ship/ship class, or if it was because the ship was due to be scrapped in the following weeks, or if there was another reason.

[Elaine5715]

I have seen TCM on all my sailings from US ports. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 hours ago, Mic101680 said:

... In fact, I believe there were only about 10-15 channels total. ...

And a vast majority are just reels of Carnival promo stuff. I get that, there's just not much else. It's obvious they don't want you hanging out in your cabin. 🙂

 

Tom

[bguppies]

20 hours ago, WhaleTailFlCruiser said:

Rotating movie channel is usually enough for me but Magic,MG both had TCM my last times onboard those. 

Used to be the same  for me also, but on our last two cruises this past September and December, the rotating movie channels were 99.9% garbage movies, like 5-10 years old.

Used to be mostly movies that were recently just released on DVD or just hitting HBO or Showtime.

 

I think the only newer and also worth watching movie on both cruises, was Ryan Reynolds- Free Guy which is only like 2-3 years old. (and Ford vs. Ferrai which was only 3-4 years old.)

 

Here's a few from our December cruise.

 

Minari, Radioactive, Summerland, Death on the Nile, the Eyes of Tammy Faye,  Ford vs. Ferrari, Jo Jo Rabbit, Love, Weddings and other Disasters, the Kid who Would Be King, Avatar, 500 Days of Summer, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Artic Dogs, the Greatest Showman, Judy, Hero Mode, Maze Runner: Death Cure, Maze Runner: Scorth Trials, The New Mutants, Alita Battle Angel, First Cow, Five Feet Apart, Free Guy, Ron's Gone Wrong, Spies in Disguise, Summer of Soul, X:men Dark Phoenix.

 

They played the two Maze Runner movies many times, but every time in the wrong order. (which was really weird watching a character die, then appear again in the next movie)

 

Back to the OP'sd question.

I'm pretty sure the Pride out of Tampa in December, did have the TCM channel.

So it might have just been a Europe thing.

Edited December 27, 2022 by bguppies

[bguppies]

5 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

And a vast majority are just reels of Carnival promo stuff. I get that, there's just not much else. It's obvious they don't want you hanging out in your cabin. 🙂

 

Tom

I doubt Carnival is smart enough to think of using crappy TV offerings to get people out of their cabins.

 

Its just them getting cheaper and cheaper with what they offer customers for their money.

[havanadaydreaming]

All of my carnival sailings have had TCM channel.  

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

34 minutes ago, havanadaydreaming said:

All of my carnival sailings have had TCM channel.  

 

I'm pretty sure the Liberty did. Flipping channels (away from the navigation channel) I came across a B&W flick, and promptly surfed on by. The next day, I came across what appeared to me to be the exact same movie - if only because it was B&W, lol. 

 

There are a couple of old movies I'd watch again if I came across 'em - Sgt. York, and a few others. Young Frankenstein (just kidding here, it's not "old" - but I'd probably watch it again too)!

 

Tom

[staceyglow]

1 hour ago, bguppies said:

I doubt Carnival is smart enough to think of using crappy TV offerings to get people out of their cabins.

 

Its just them getting cheaper and cheaper with what they offer customers for their money.

Perhaps they have determined that not many people actually watch television when they are on a Carnival Cruise and decided that was something that they could cut and not affect many people.

 

Most people I know don't watch much TV when they cruise,  Nor do they choose a cruise line based on the TV channels that are available. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by staceyglow

[Eli_6]

I guess I am the odd man out in that I really enjoy laying in bed and watching classic movies. I do not think that Europe had the pay per view movies or the recent movies either.  We were so worn out by the "go-go-go" in port every day and having to get up at 5 or 6 am to get a tender ticket that the last thing I wanted to was go out and watch a show at night.  We didn't even make it to dinner a couple of nights  We ended up instead watching the travel channel which was basically nothing but that show on hauntings.  And certainly no one was downloading anything off the internet given its slow speed.  

[sanmarcosman]

43 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

Perhaps they have determined that not many people actually watch television when they are on a Carnival Cruise and decided that was something that they could cut and not affect many people.

 

Most people I know don't watch much TV when they cruise,  Nor do they choose a cruise line based on the TV channels that are available. 

I don't choose hotels in Vegas based on their TV channel line up but I want there to be one in the room should I choose to watch something on the TV.

[sanmarcosman]

2 hours ago, bguppies said:

Its just them getting cheaper and cheaper with what they offer customers for their money.

3 years ago when Carnival dropped network news from their line up they explained that it was because the new satellite contracts called for Carnival to be charged for each available cabin on its ships fleet wide. The contract they were unable to renew charged per ship. The switch to charging per cabin increased their bill astronomically. 

 

To be fair, I wouldn't want to pay that increase either. And for those who will say " and you believed Carnival?" or similar, I cut the cord on cable 8 years ago due to cost so I think Carnival's explanation is entirely credible.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

3 years ago when Carnival dropped network news from their line up they explained that it was because the new satellite contracts called for Carnival to be charged for each available cabin on its ships fleet wide. The contract they were unable to renew charged per ship. The switch to charging per cabin increased their bill astronomically. 

 

To be fair, I wouldn't want to pay that increase either. And for those who will say " and you believed Carnival?" or similar, I cut the cord on cable 8 years ago due to cost so I think Carnival's explanation is entirely credible.

 

 

I ditched cable a few years ago (and my landline followed quickly thereafter) and now stream my news/entertainment (ROKU/YouTube.TV/etc...).

 

It's in the best interest of Carnival to continue to beef up their WiFi speed/bandwidth, as they're making a lot more off of folks streaming their entertainment than what they'd be paying to deliver it to each cabin.

 

I tried using my YouTube.TV app on our sailings last month, only to get locked out (as it detected I was "out of the country). Next time I'll go through my VPN first, and establish a server in the US. We'll see how that works.

 

Tom

[asalligo]

Pride did this past week. 

 

[ctkathchick]

On 12/27/2022 at 2:43 PM, staceyglow said:

Perhaps they have determined that not many people actually watch television when they are on a Carnival Cruise and decided that was something that they could cut and not affect many people.

 

Most people I know don't watch much TV when they cruise,  Nor do they choose a cruise line based on the TV channels that are available. 

After one of last cruises they sent the survey out and I asked that they please bring back the old TV style where they had actual channels and a few movies thrown in as well not to mention some actual news. We used to watch some TV in the morning before breakfast along with our free room service which we ordered the night before with the door tags or an afternoon "Rest" and then again at night right before bed.

[EngIceDave]

Crazy I know, but we enjoy relaxing in the cabin watching tv and looking out at the ocean.