By our count, there are only four major league baseball teams with names that form a natural connection to the sea — Marlins, Devil Rays, Mariners and Pirates. A natural connection should make for a natural association with a cruise line.
One team already has it. One is thinking about it. The other two don’t fit, despite the names.
Seattle Mariners and Holland America are now corporate business partners, an announcement made yesterday. It makes sense. Even though “Mariner of the Seas” is a ship that belongs to Royal Caribbean, Holland America is based in Seattle, so like the Mariners corporate community presence matters.
For a price (undisclosed), the cruise line will have a private suite level named the Holland America Line Suite Deck, the Mariners will participate in a theme cruise every year, and Fan Appreciation Night at the end of the season will be sponsored by HAL. Together, the Mariners and Holland America will go to bat in a big way for breast cancer, already a pet cause of the cruise line.
Diametrically across the country, near the other ocean, Florida Marlins are entertaining bids for naming rights to their new stadium, due for completion next season. Among the candidates are two of the cruise lines based in Miami, where the Marlins play: Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
So in 2012, the Marlins could be playing in Carnival Stadium, or Royal Caribbean Stadium (or Stadium of the Seas, since all 22 Royal Caribbean ships are “of the Seas”). Local pundits 
point out some glitches. Carnival’s Chairman Mickey Arison owns Miami’s basketball team, the Heat, and his moving into the baseball field is viewed as a longshot. Royal Caribbean has the wrong word (Royal) in its name, because of the Kansas City Royals, and major league baseball might from on calling the new stadium Royal anything.
In addition to our favorite, Stadium of the Seas, there is another option. Celebrity Cruises is also based in Miami, as part of the Royal Caribbean family, so Celebrity Stadium would work, too.
The other two teams?
The Devil Rays, like the Marlins, are named after a creature of the sea and, despite being on the Gulf of Mexico, are geographically undesirable. No cruise lines are in Tampa, and few cruise ships stop for a visit.
The Pirates are in Pittsburgh, close to neither the water nor a cruise line. What cruise line would be interested in hooking up with pirates anyway?