- Cruise lines that have pickleball courts onboard include:
- Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, AmaWaterways, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages
- Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, making it an easy sport to play for all ages and skill levels while cruising.
- Holland America provides complimentary beginner pickleball lessons fleetwide due to their partnership with the Professional Pickleball Association.
- Having pickleball courts onboard is a benefit for cruise lines as it’s an activity that takes up little space but attracts guests specifically interested in playing the sport while traveling.
- Cruisers can bring their own paddles and balls, but most cruise lines with pickleball courts provide the necessary equipment.
- For the best pickleball cruise experience, it’s recommended to practice the sport and learn the rules before sailing.
- Booking with a travel agency like Sunset Chasers can help choose the ideal cruise ship and form a group for playing pickleball during the voyage.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball may have gotten its start in 2021. However, it has been along much longer than that. Since 1956, to be exact! Joel Pritchard, a congressman in Washington, and his friend Bill Bell invented the game with their family using ping-pong paddles and a wiffle ball.
Current state pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, where two or four players hit a plastic ball over a net.
Long story short, Pickleball is played by millions of people worldwide, including those vacationing on cruise ships. It is one of the fastest-growing sports, both locally and internationally. Little equipment is needed when traveling and playing Pickleball, making it an easy sport to travel with.
Pickleball is one of the few sports that can be played by a wide spectrum of age groups and skill levels, making it the perfect sport to play on your family vacation.
How Did Pickleball Come to Cruising?
Cruising is one of the best family-friendly travel methods, so of course, Pickleball Courted needs to appear! In 2022, the Carnival Conquest was the first Carnival Cruise line ship to have a dedicated pickleball court on its ship. This dedicated pickleball court allows people to play Pickleball on the high seas all vacation long.
Recently, Holland America Line became the official cruise line of the Professional Pickleball Association to bring the game fleetwide to all of its ships. If you forgot your paddle at home or want to get into the sport, Holland offers pickleball starter packs in the gift shops.
Should I practice Pickleball before sailing?
To have fun getting in some court time, practice at your local pickleball sports court before trying it while sailing. Even though Pickleball is not a demanding sport, it still has its own quirky rules.
Which Ocean Cruise Lines Have Pickleball Courts?
Each Cruise line and ship have different rules and regulations with their pickleball courts. If you want a brand to sail with to ensure you can get some pickleball to play in, I suggest sailing with Holland America Line.
Holland America Line has pickleball courts, and because of their partnership with the Professional Pickleball Association, they offer complimentary beginner lessons fleetwide.
Soon, you will know what a Kitchen is and if a Dink is good or bad.
Which River Ships Have Pickleball Courts?
You heard. First, Pickleball is not just for OCean Cruises but also for river cruises. AmaWaterway is leading the river cruise line with its location to wellness by adding Pickleball to its ships.
Located on the AmaMagna, the brand-new pickleball court allows guests to enjoy the Danube River while hitting the ball back and forth.
How do I know which Cruise ship has pickleball?
We will update this table each time we hear of new ships having pickleball, but we suggest you reach out to Sunset Chasers Travel Agency to book your next cruise.
| Cruise Line | Ship Name |
|---|---|
| AmaWaterways | Ama Magna |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Conquest |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Breeze |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Celebration |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Dream |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Glory |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Firenze |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Horizon |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Jubliee |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Legend |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Miracle |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Panorama |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Pride |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Sprit |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Splendor |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Venezia |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Vista |
| Carnival Cruise Line | Mardi Gras |
| Celebrity | Apex |
| Celebrity | Beyond |
| Celebrity | Eclipse |
| Celebrity | Equinox |
| Celebrity | Solstice |
| Celebrity | Constellation |
| Celebrity | Infinity |
| Celebrity | Millennium |
| Celebrity | Summit |
| Cunard | Queen Anne |
| Cunard | Queen Mary 2 |
| Cunard | Queen Elizabeth |
| Cunard | Queen Victoria |
| Holland America | Rotterdam |
| Holland America | Eurodam |
| Holland America | Koningsdam |
| Holland America | Nieuw Amsterdam |
| Holland America | Nieuw Statendam |
| Holland America | Noordam |
| Holland America | Oosterdam |
| Holland America | Volendam |
| Holland America | Westerdam |
| Holland America | Zaandam |
| Holland America | Zuiderdam |
| MSC Cruises | MSC Meraviglia |
| MSC Cruises | MSC Euribia |
| MSC Cruises | MSC World Europa |
| MSC Cruises | MSC World America |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | Prima |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | Norwegian Viva |
| Oceania Cruises | Marina |
| Oceania Cruises | Riviera |
| Oceania Cruises | Vista |
| Princess Cruise Line | Discovery |
| Princess Cruise Line | Sky |
| Princess Cruise Line | Enchanted Princess |
| Princess Cruise Line | Coral |
| Princess Cruise Line | Regal |
| Princess Cruise Line | Royal |
| Princess Cruise Line | Emerald Princess |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Seven Seas Splendor |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Seven Seas Explorer |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | Seven Seas Grandeur |
| Royal Caribbean | Adventure |
| Royal Caribbean | Allure of the seas |
| Royal Caribbean | Anthem of the seas |
| Royal Caribbean | Explorer |
| Royal Caribbean | Freedom of the seas |
| Royal Caribbean | Harmony of the seas |
| Royal Caribbean | Independence |
| Royal Caribbean | Jewel |
| Royal Caribbean | Liberty of the seas |
| Royal Caribbean | Mariner |
| Royal Caribbean | Navigator |
| Royal Caribbean | Oasis of the seas |
| Royal Caribbean | Odyssey |
| Royal Caribbean | Serenade |
| Royal Caribbean | Symphony |
| Royal Caribbean | Wonder of the Seas |
| Virgin Voyages | Valiant Lady |
Benefits of Pickleball on board
Not only is pickleball entertaining, but it is also considered a sport! Pickleball is one of those activities that a few can play at a time, but it is also fun to watch two teams battle it out on the courts.
Those cruise lines with pickleball on their ships find that people are sailing because they want to play the spot while traveling.
Pickleball courts also take up less room than other sports courts, which means that the ship could install more courts for more teams to play.
Getting Ready Before You Sail on a Cruise Ship with a Pickleball Court
Bringing paddles and balls on board is unnecessary if a cruise line offers Pickleball on its cruises. However, some pickleball enthusiasts may want to bring their equipment on board, which is quite already for the ship’s activities team!
If you already have a group of friends you would like to play Pickleball with, invite them to come on your next cruise. Of these cruises! Having at least four people play Pickleball makes the game more exciting, and you can add playing Pickleball at sea to your resume!
If you need help deciding which ship to sail or to help form a group cruise with your teammates, reach out to Sunset Chasers Travel Agency today. We can help you pick the best cruise for your pickleball fun!
Reach out to plan your pickleball cruise today!
