Holland America Line is teaming up with the Professional Pickleball Association Tour and Major League Pickleball for something neither sport nor cruise has seen before: the first professional pickleball invitational held on a private island.
The inaugural Private Island Invitational lands at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay — Holland America's private Bahamian island in the Caribbean — on March 13, 2027. Pros from the PPA and MLP will play on the island's four newly built pickleball courts, and it all happens during the Nieuw Statendam's seven-day "Eastern Caribbean: San Juan & St. Thomas" sailing, which departs March 7, 2027.
The timing matters for another reason: 2027 marks the 30th anniversary of Half Moon Cay, one of the most loved private islands in the cruise business. The event also plugs neatly into Holland America's existing fleet-wide pickleball programme — every ship in the fleet already carries at least one ocean-view court, with equipment, beginner lessons and open play included.
Want to warm up first? Four "Countdown Cruises" are scheduled ahead of the invitational, each with onboard pickleball programming and chances to meet the pros. The line-up: a nine-day Southern Caribbean sailing on Nieuw Amsterdam from November 20, 2026; a seven-day Western Caribbean (Greater Antilles and Mexico) trip on Zuiderdam from December 12, 2026; and two seven-day Eastern Caribbean sailings to Amber Cove and the Bahamas on Eurodam, departing January 2 and January 23, 2027. Which pros appear on which cruise is still to be announced.
For anyone who has picked up a paddle in the last few years, this is a neat excuse to book a holiday. Pickleball has exploded globally, and cruise lines have been racing to add courts and instruction onboard. Watching pros compete on a beach-fringed island while you're mid-cruise is a different proposition entirely from a local club session — and the countdown sailings mean you can combine a proper Caribbean holiday with coaching, pro meet-and-greets and plenty of court time, whatever your level. If you've been waiting for a hook to try a Caribbean cruise, a sport you're obsessed with plus a private island day is a reasonably compelling one. Full details on the professional line-ups are expected in the coming months.
