This Cruise Line Is Going All-In On Pickleball

Everyone is playing pickleball, it seems, so it’s unsurprising that pickleball courts are popping up anywhere and everywhere. Travelers can already play at parks, gyms and resorts around the country, and there are even Airbnbs with their own pickleball courts.

Now the addictive sport is coming to the high seas. Holland America Line has just been christened the Official Cruise Line of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).

Played on a court about a third the size of a tennis court, the paddle sport combines elements of badminton and ping-pong using a plastic ball with holes that’s similar to a wiffleball.

With 4.8 million players in the United States, up about 40% since 2020, a 2022 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association called pickleball the fastest growing sport in America. Its popularity can be chalked up to affordability and cross-generational appeal.

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There’s a burgeoning pro game, too. The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tour has a growing roster of celebrity investors, from LeBron James, Tom Brady and Kevin Durant to Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Mark Cuban.

While select ships on various other cruise lines — including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Princess Cruises — have sports courts that can sometimes be adapted for pickleball, Holland America Line is going all-in with dedicated pickleball courts on every ship.

By February 2023, every ship in the Holland America Line fleet will feature pickleball courts with top-deck views. By April 2023, every ship will offer complimentary beginner lessons from instructors who will teach the rules and basics of playing pickleball, including where the “kitchen” is and what it means to hit a “dink” shot.

In addition to live instruction, “How to Play Pickleball” tutorial videos will be featured on in-stateroom TV programming.

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On the flip side, the Holland America Line brand name will be boosted to pickleball enthusiasts. The cruise line will soon be featured on branded signage at PPA tournaments across the U.S., as well as on PPA merchandise and tour promotional materials.

Pickleball enthusiasts say it was just a matter of time before a cruise line jumped into the craze. “Pickleball has become immensely popular among travel and leisure business categories because it is uniquely accessible, compatible with a variety of brands, and transcends a wide spectrum of age groups and lifestyles,” said Connor Pardoe, commissioner and CEO of the PPA Tour.