Wherever We Cruise, We Need Pickleball to Amuse!

It All Started with a Net, Some Tape, and a Basketball Court

Our pickleball cruising adventures began when Nancy and I joined four other couples on a Norwegian cruise.

We were looking forward to a wonderful vacation with good friends, interesting destinations, and plenty of relaxation.

But one of my friends had another priority.

Pickleball.

There was just one small problem. We didn't have a pickleball court.

Fortunately, my friend had come prepared. He brought his own portable net and tape to mark the lines.

Some people pack extra shoes for a cruise. Our friends packed a pickleball net.

I'm not sure what the other passengers considered essential, but apparently my friend believed a portable pickleball net belonged right alongside his passport and toothbrush.

We found a basketball court and decided to convert it into our own pickleball facility.

Our preferred playing time was around 7 a.m.

The reasoning was simple: most young basketball players aren't particularly interested in shooting hoops at that hour.

Meanwhile, most pickleball players our age have already been awake for two hours, had their coffee, and are looking for something to do.

Even wet weather couldn't discourage us. We played on the basketball court with our taped lines and portable net, enjoying the competition and each other's company.

It wasn't exactly a championship facility.

But it was great fun.

And that was the beginning of our pickleball cruising tradition.

From Ports of Call to Courts of Call

There was a time when Nancy and I selected cruises based on the itinerary, the destinations, the restaurants, and the accommodations.

Those days are apparently over.

Nowadays, my first question isn't whether the ship visits Venice, Barcelona, or the Panama Canal.

It's much more important.

“Does it have a pickleball court?”

Our friends look at ports of call. Nancy and I look at courts of call.

And if the ship doesn't have pickleball, it had better have a pretty spectacular itinerary.

Since that first Norwegian cruise, we've enjoyed pickleball aboard Crystal Symphony, Regent Seven Seas Mariner, and Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam.

Each provided a different experience, but all reinforced something I've come to appreciate about pickleball: you can take the game almost anywhere, and within a few days, you're playing with people who were complete strangers when you boarded.

Crystal Symphony: A Little Protection from Mother Nature

One of the things I particularly appreciated about Crystal Symphony was the plexiglass surrounding portions of the playing area.

Anyone who has played pickleball on the upper deck of a moving ship knows why this matters.

Wind can turn a reasonably competent pickleball player into someone who appears to have picked up a paddle for the first time.

The plexiglass helped reduce some of that problem. It didn't turn the court into an indoor pickleball facility, but it made the game considerably more manageable.

Crystal Symphony also illustrates why we enjoy smaller luxury ships. With approximately 600 passengers, there's an opportunity to recognize the same players, develop a regular group, and get to know one another.

Of course, a smaller ship with one court has its limitations. If everyone discovers pickleball, the competition for court time can become more intense than the competition on the court.

Regent Seven Seas Mariner: Pickleball and New Friendships

We also enjoyed playing during our Regent Seven Seas Mariner cruise.

For us, the attraction wasn't simply another opportunity to play. It was meeting people.

Pickleball has a remarkable ability to bring together passengers who might otherwise never have spoken to one another.

You might be from Minnesota, Florida, Canada, or halfway around the world. But once someone calls “four-four-two,” you've suddenly found something in common.

And if the score is disputed, you've found even more to talk about.

We discovered that pickleball is an excellent icebreaker.

Sometimes literally, depending on the weather.

Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam: Pickleball Versus the Wind

Our recent Panama Canal cruise aboard Nieuw Amsterdam provided perhaps the most entertaining pickleball challenge of all.

Holland America has partnered with the Professional Pickleball Association, which sounds promising.

Unfortunately, I wasn't particularly impressed with the paddles provided aboard our ship.

Let's just say that if you're accustomed to a quality paddle, you may want to bring your own.

But the equipment wasn't our greatest opponent.

The wind was.

On one occasion, the wind was so strong that even our hardest hitters struggled to drive the ball into the opposite court.

Imagine hitting a ball as hard as you can, only to watch it come back toward you.

Not because your opponent returned it.

Because Mother Nature did.

At that point, traditional pickleball strategy becomes almost irrelevant.

Forget your third-shot drop. Forget your carefully disguised dink. Forget your sophisticated kitchen game.

You're just trying to get the darn ball over the net.

And occasionally, the wind has other ideas.

I actually enjoy this challenge. Living and playing in Naples, Florida, we're accustomed to windy conditions. Playing in the wind forces you to adapt your shots, your positioning, and sometimes your expectations.

Still, there's a difference between a breezy afternoon in Naples and playing on the top deck of a ship moving across the ocean.

In Naples, you can blame the wind.

At sea, you can blame the wind, the ship, the ocean currents, and possibly the captain.

That's a lot of excuses for one missed shot.

Despite the conditions, we developed a wonderful group of pickleball players aboard Nieuw Amsterdam. We had plenty of laughs, some surprisingly competitive games, and new friendships that made the voyage even more enjoyable.

My Panama Canal Pickleball Ambition

I had one particular goal for our Nieuw Amsterdam cruise.

I wanted to play pickleball while we were passing through the Panama Canal.

Think about it. One of the world's great engineering achievements, enormous ships navigating through a remarkable system of locks, and there I would be, trying to execute a third-shot drop.

Unfortunately, rain intervened.

The Panama Canal was impressive. My pickleball performance there remains undefeated, largely because I never got onto the court.

Perhaps next time.

Four Courts in Paradise — With One Catch

During our Holland America cruise, we also stopped at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, where the cruise line had four pickleball courts.

Four courts on a private island sounded wonderful.

The setting certainly was.

But I found the modular Sport Court-style playing surface less satisfactory than a conventional pickleball court. The ball response and overall playing experience didn't feel quite right to me.

I suspect there's a practical reason for choosing an open-grid modular surface: drainage.

In a tropical environment where rain can arrive suddenly, water can pass through the surface rather than remain on top of it.

That makes sense from a maintenance standpoint.

But it raises an interesting question: Could a removable, roll-out pickleball surface be installed over an existing modular sports court to provide a more familiar playing experience?

It's an idea worth exploring, although it would require testing for traction, stability, drainage, and ball bounce.

The last thing we need is a court improvement that turns into an orthopedic injury.

And I say that as someone who knows a little about orthopedic injuries.

Pickleball Is Becoming Part of Cruising

Fortunately, cruise companies are recognizing that some of us consider pickleball nearly as essential as the lifeboats.

Holland America has made a substantial commitment to the sport, including courts throughout its fleet and its partnership with professional pickleball organizations.

Crystal offers pickleball aboard Symphony, and other cruise lines, including Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and MSC, advertise pickleball on selected ships.

Availability varies by ship, and a basketball court that doubles as a pickleball court isn't necessarily the same as a dedicated pickleball facility.

More ships are incorporating pickleball into their recreational offerings, but I'd still recommend checking the specific ship before booking.

A cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers with only one pickleball court could create some interesting scheduling challenges.

Bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to pickleball.

For us, the sweet spot has often been a smaller ship carrying approximately 600 passengers, where a regular group of players can form over the course of the voyage.

The ideal cruise doesn't necessarily need six pickleball courts.

It needs a good court, reasonable access, a few enthusiastic players, and preferably winds below hurricane strength.

The Best Souvenir Isn't Something You Buy

Looking back, what I remember most about playing pickleball on cruises isn't the score.

It's the people.

From our first Norwegian cruise, when we needed tape and a portable net just to create a court, to our more recent adventures on Crystal, Regent, and Holland America, we've met wonderful fellow passengers, shared laughs, struggled against the wind, and made friends along the way.

And that's one of the reasons I continue to enjoy the sport as I get older.

Pickleball gives us a reason to get moving, something to look forward to, and an easy way to connect with people wherever we happen to be.

So yes, Nancy and I will continue looking at cruise itineraries.

We'll consider the destinations, the restaurants, the entertainment, and the accommodations.

But somewhere near the top of our checklist will remain one very important question:

“Where's the pickleball court?”

And if it's on the top deck, I'll be checking the wind forecast, too.