Sports courts are not an after-thought on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
The cruise line took the cruise ship basketball court to a whole new level with SeaPlex, an indoor, air-conditioned sports complex on its Quantum class ships. SeaPlex transforms throughout sailings from a basketball court to a bumper car floor, roller skating rink, and more.
Inside SeaPlex or on outdoor sports courts on other Royal Caribbean ships, passengers can also play pick-up games of other popular sports — including one that has exploded in popularity over the last few years.
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The fastest-growing sport in the U.S., pickleball, is popping up on Royal Caribbean cruise ship activity schedules more often these days. On some sailings, passengers can sign up for intro clinics to learn the basics of the paddle sport, which combines a bit of tennis, badminton and ping-pong into one game.
Royal Caribbean provides pickleball paddles and balls for players to use, but passengers are free to bring their own equipment on board too.
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Pickleball has been gaining in populairy on land and at sea.
Image source: Raychel Brightman/Newsday RM via Getty Images
Pickleball cruises come to Royal Caribbean ships
Passionate players can even sail with other pickleball enthusiasts on pickleball-themed cruises organized by pro instructors and their travel agent partners that are hosted on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
In November, “The Pickleball Cruise” will offer private, small group pickleball sessions and group instruction on board Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. Pickleball players at all levels are invited to enjoy a group happy hour, clinics, drills and play.
Another “Pickleball At Sea Group Cruise” offers daily pickleball play and lessons with pickleball sessions both onboard Royal Caribbean ships and ashore. To ensure each of their cruisers has an ample amount of time to play pickleball, organizers limit each cruise group to approximately 24-40 guests, depending on the ship and sail date.
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Although Royal Caribbean may be the popular cruise line for group pickleball cruises, it’s not the only cruise line to recognize pickleball’s popularity among its passengers.
Holland America Line is the exclusive cruise line partner of the Professional Pickleball Association and all its cruise ships are equipped with pickleball courts that feature top-deck views. The cruise line offers open pickleball play as well as pickleball tournaments for avid players and complimentary lessons for beginners.
Cruisers can also play pickleball at sea on dedicated courts on 10 of Celebrity Cruises’ ships. Passengers can enjoy pickleball at their leisure pending court availability, or as part of organized events and tournaments led by the ship’s activities team.
Cruisers report pickleball experience is better on some ships than others
In the cruise community on Reddit, cruisers have shared their experiences playing pickleball on both Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line ships.
Pickleball player LakeByrd shared a tip on which class of Royal Caribbean ships is best for pickleball.
“On Royal Caribbean the Quantum class has indoor pickleball. This was great – most other ships have them outdoor and the wind is amazing,” wrote LakeByrd. “Some ships “say” they have pickleball but courts are so small and windy they essentially not usable.”
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In the same thread, cruisers also discussed pickleball’s presence on Holland America Line ships.
“We recently were on the HAL Volendam, and loved how much pickleball was part of the schedule and how often the court was available for guests to use,” shared user WUCT. “It turned sea days into a major highlight for us.”
But on some Holland America Line sailings, pickleball may be too popular. Some passengers say it can be hard to get court time.
“Last day on Konigsdam…pickleball tournament almost every day. HAL is really pushing it,” noted user TheReaperSovereign.
“Problem with HAL is you get 30ppl showing up for a single court,” replied user MisoBeast. “I mean its better than no court…but don’t expect to play much.”
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