Your living room or your local pub might be the most obvious choice for watching the World Cup, but why not take it up a notch this year? How about watching the matches from the deck of a cruise ship, perhaps taking a dip in the pool at halftime to cool off? 

Cruise Critic® (www.cruisecritic.co.uk), the leading cruise reviews and news Web site, has created this World Cup Viewing Guide for Cruisers to offer a roundup of where you can catch the games and how you can avoid them.

WHERE TO CATCH THE MATCHES AT SEA:

Thomson Cruises: England Matches and Spa Promotions for Nonfans

Thomson Cruises and its sister brand, Island Cruises, will be showing all of England’s games. If the England games aren’t exciting enough (or if England gets knocked out early on), Brazil’s and Spain’s games will be shown, too. For partners and travelling companions who are less smitten by the game, special spa promotions will operate during the matches.

P&O Cruises, Ocean Village, Princess and Cunard: Keeping England Fans Happy

These cruse lines have confirmed they will all be showing matches. Both P&O and Ocean Village have confirmed they will be screening the England games, as well as the semifinals and final on July 11.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara: Embracing International Football Fever

Cruise Critic has been told that these cruise lines have obtained rights to air all of the games on every ship across all three fleets. Matches will be shown in staterooms and in designated lounges.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Being a Good Sport

Norway didn’t qualify for the World Cup, but in true sporting fashion, NCL will be following Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, U.S.A., Germany, Italy and England through the initial stages, followed by the whole of the rest of the tournament, up to and including the final. This applies to all ships—Norwegian Gem, Sun, Jade and the brand-new Norwegian Epic—that are in Europe this summer.

BEST PLACE TO AVOID THE WORLD CUP:

Want to get as far away from football fever as possible during the World Cup?

Look no further than Fred. Olsen. This cruise line has declared that all of its ships will be football-free zones throughout the tournament.