Our Guide to Cruise Ships with Pickleball
It's a sport that has been gaining popularity for almost two decades.
Now, it's really exploding. I know pickleball has been called the fastest-growing sport for quite a while, but I am seeing more TV broadcasts and hearing from more and more friends who are eager to play these days.
In fact, 36.5 million people played the sport in 2022, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals. That's a massive 630 percent spike from the 5 million who played this fun sport in 2021.
Even sports superstars are veering from their main sports to get a piece of the pickleball craze. NFL quarterback Tom Brady and NBA legend LeBron James have bought teams in Major League Pickleball. Yes, there is a pro pickleball league!
Indeed, pickleball-mania is sweeping the nation, and people want access to courts when they travel. That includes playing on cruise ships, too.
Let's have a look at the cruise ships that offer this fun sport that is easy to learn and quite addictive.
First, a short explainer.
What Is Pickleball?
Well, first of all, it's sport that most closely resembles tennis, and it's no longer just for the senior communities that initially embraced it decades ago.
Pickleball is actually a mix of tennis, ping pong and badminton. The court looks like a tennis court, with the same surfaces and a net across, but it's about one-third the size of a regulation tennis court, making it the same dimensions as a badminton court, but the pickleball net is 34 inches high at the center.
Players use a large paddle (like a bigger ping-pong paddle) and hit a plastic ball that has holes. The ball is similar to a Wiffle ball, and its design makes it easy to track and hit because it can't gain too much speed after being struck.
Game play looks similar to tennis, and playing doubles is probably the most popular version of this fun and social sport. Points are scored by the serving team, and you typically play a game to 11 (win by 2 points).
Here are the cruise ships (the list is quickly growing, mind you) where you can play pickleball. Also note that some ships feature pickleball theme cruises (partial-ship charters for groups who get together for tournaments and games onboard the ships throughout their voyage).
In fact, Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas hosted a pickleball cruise on a six-night Western Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, sailing from November 27 to December 3, 2022. The theme cruise went all-out for the pickleballers, with clinics and drills from pro pickleball players (yes, there are pros in this sport) and indoor courts reserved just for the players.
Look for more Pickleball Cruises to come in the years ahead.
AmaWaterways Brings Pickleball to the Danube River
The pickleball court on AmaWaterways AmaMagna.
Ocean cruise lines have been racing to install pickleball courts on cruise ships, of course. Now, leading river cruise line AmaWaterways also has served up a fantastic new space on the top deck of its Danube River ship AmaMagna.
I have a feeling that cruisers are going to be battling for court time on this amazing amenity.
AmaWaterways has been a river cruise industry leader on fitness for years, with its fleet of bicycles onboard and the AmaWaterways' Wellness Program with daily exercises and active excursions led by a Wellness Host.
The pickleball court on AmaMagna's sun deck, located in the space right behind the wheelhouse and featuring a netted fence around the court, is a natural addition for this popular Danube River ship
Carnival Cruise Ships with Pickleball
The new dedicated pickleball court debuted on Carnival Conquest in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)
Carnival started offering pickleball on Carnival Panorama in May 2022. The line continued by putting the first dedicated pickleball court on a Carnival Cruise ship when it built at pickelball court on Carnival Conquest during the ship's refurbishment in October 2022.
Pickleball on Carnival Conquest joins several other popular activities as part of the line's Carnival SportSquare, which includes facilities for games such as minigolf, volleyball and basketball.
Carnival says it will be adding pickleball to more and more of its cruise ships. Also, avid players have often packed their paddles and used the basketball courts onboard to stay sharp with practice while hitting without the nets. As of 2024, Carnival Cruise Line offers pickleball on 18 ships.
Royal Caribbean Ships with Pickleball
Numerous Royal Caribbean ships offer pickleball sessions on the sports courts. The nicest is the setup on Odyssey of the Seas in the indoor SeaPlex sports area.
The world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s innovative Icon of the Seas, which can carry up to 7,000-plus cruisers also offers pickleball on its sports court.
You also can find the sport on the program on Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean’s new ships, such as Utopia of the Seas and Star of the Seas will most likely have pickleball on the programs, too.
Holland America Ships with Pickleball
All Holland America cruise ships have pickleball. The line features the sport on Rotterdam, Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Volendam, Westerdam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam.Also, Holland America Line has been named the official cruise line of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). This is good news for pickleballers who will be cruising with Holland America because the line will expand the pickleball offerings on its cruise ships for passengers.
All Holland America ships feature pickleball courts, and these are set to be refreshed in February 2023, including adding new PPA Tour partner logos. As part of this new program and partnership, cruisers can get complimentary beginner lessons from onboard instructors who will teach you the rules and how to hit certain shots.
Holland America cruises also offer "How to Play Pickleball" tutorial videos on your in-cabin TVs. Cruisers also will be able to purchase branded pickleball starter kits at the onboard shops starting.
Celebrity Cruise Ships with Pickleball
Celebrity Cruises' ships that feature pickleball: Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Summit.
Court locations vary by ship. On Edge Series ships Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Apex, pickleball is played at the lush and roomy Rooftop Garden. On Solstice Series ships including Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Solstice, pickleball will be offered on the Sports Deck (Deck 15). Meanwhile, on Millennium Series ships Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Summit, players can head to the Sports Court (Deck 12).
Princess Cruise Ships with Pickleball
Cruisers play pickleball in Alaska on Discovery Princess. (Photo courtesy of Kelly McDaniel)
Several Princess ships offer pickleball in the program as of this writing. Like Carnival and other cruise lines, I'm sure you'll see more cruise ships added to the list.
You can play pickleball (on a makeshift-style court) by heading to the sports courts on Coral Princess, Regal Princess, Royal Princess and Emerald Princess (during the times it's listed in the daily program). The newer ships Sun Princess, Discovery Princess, Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess, however, have pickleball courts built in as part of the Center Court areas up on Deck 18 on these cruise ships.
Cunard Ships with Pickleball
Queen Mary 2, the world's only ocean liner, offers a netted-in "paddle tennis" court where you could play pickleball if you bring your official "pickleball" balls; the ship has racquets already. You'll find the same style of enclosed courts for paddle ball on the ships Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Anne.
The court surface is grass turf instead of a hard court, so you can play the Wimbledon of pickleball competitions while onboard.
Cunard’s newest ship, Queen Anne, will offer a range of deck games, including pickleball. Cunard has a partnership with PickleballEngland to feature pickleball on the 3,000-passenger cruise ship. Cruisers can play pickleball on the ship’s state-of-the-art dedicated court.
Additionally, Cunard announced an archery program on the ship in partnership with Archery GB. The ship features an archery center so cruisers can learn the sport and how to handle a real bow and arrow.
Crystal Cruises Ships with Pickleball
The two ships in the Crystal Cruises fleet, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, feature dedicated pickle ball courts at the top of the ships. These are enclosed pickle ball; courts with good surfaces, seating areas and provided paddles for cruisers. These courts are among the best we've seen on cruise ships so far.
Norwegian Cruise Line Ships with Pickleball
The pickleball court on Norwegian Prima is the nicest we have seen yet, and it's located in Deck 18 at The Stadium. (Photo by John Roberts)
This popular major cruise line features one dedicated pickleball court on each of its new ships Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. I have sailed on Norwegian Prima a couple of times, and the caged court within the top deck activities complex called The Stadium is the nicest I've seen on a cruise ship yet.
Virgin Voyages Ships with Pickleball
The adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages features pickleball on its ship Valiant Lady.
Pickleball is offered as an activity on the ship’s sports court that is also used for games like dodgeball and basketball. Virgin Voyages has pickleball equipment available for its sailors to use, too, so you don’t have to bring your own paddle unless you want to.
Regent Seven Seas Ships with Pickleball
The fantastic pickleball court on Regent Seven Seas Grandeur.
This all-inclusive cruise line features pickleball courts on its super-luxurious ships Regent Seven Seas Splendor, Regent Seven Seas Explorer and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur. These are fully dedicated pickleball/paddle tennis courts on the top of the cruise ship, and they are enclosed in a netting and offer a pristine surface for excellent play. Paddles are provided for cruisers who don’t bring their own.
Oceania Cruises Ships with Pickleball
Pickleball is listed in the programs for cruises on both Oceania Riviera and Oceania Marina. Cruisers who have played and posted about it on the Cruise Critic message boards, however, say that it is best to play when the ships are in port because it can be far too windy to enjoy the games while at sea.
Margaritaville at Sea Ships with Pickleball
The cruise line Bahamas Paradise Cruise line operates the Margaritaville at Sea brand with offers Jimmy Buffet-inspired short cruise trips to the Bahamas from the Port of Palm Beach. The line’s Margaritaville at Sea Paradise and Margaritaville at Sea Islander ships feature courts and list “Paradise Pickleball at Sea” on its programs among other daily activities on these lively cruise ship.
We cruised on the new Margaritaville at Sea Islander and were impressed with the beautiful pickleball court on the top deck. Cruisers can borrow paddles and balls from the nearby locker to enjoy their time on the court under the sunshine. Islander offers cruises from its home port of Tampa, Florida.
OK, who's ready to get in the swing with a little pickleball on their next cruise?