SEATTLE — A pacesetter in cruising is teaming up with the chief of the quickest rising sport within the U.S., due to an thrilling new partnership. Holland America Line has been solely named because the Official Cruise Line of the Skilled Pickleball Affiliation (PPA) and is dedicated to increasing its pickleball expertise at sea for visitors.
All ships within the Holland America Line fleet function pickleball courts with superb top-deck views that might be refreshed by February 2023, together with including new PPA Tour accomplice logos. Starting in February and rolling out fleet-wide by April 2023, complimentary newbie classes might be provided by shipboard instructors who will train visitors the foundations and fundamentals of taking part in pickleball, together with the place the “kitchen” is and what it means to hit a “dink” shot.
“We wish to say that journey unites us, however sports activities try this as effectively, and Holland America Line is proud to be the primary and unique cruise line accomplice of the PPA. We’re excited to supply our visitors an elevated pickleball expertise as they journey to spectacular and scenic cruise locations,” mentioned Kacy Cole, vice chairman of promoting for Holland America Line. “Mirroring its speedy development because the quickest rising sport within the U.S., pickleball is the preferred sport on our ships. It’s great to see visitors bond over their shared love of the sport — and the ever-changing surroundings makes the right pickleball backdrop.”
Together with shipboard activations, “Find out how to Play Pickleball” tutorial movies might be featured on in-stateroom TV programming. Visitors will be capable of buy branded pickleball starter kits within the shipboard retail retailers beginning in 2023.
“Pickleball has change into immensely common amongst journey and leisure enterprise classes, as a result of it’s uniquely accessible, appropriate with a wide range of manufacturers, and transcends a large spectrum of age teams and existence,” mentioned Connor Pardoe, commissioner and CEO of the PPA Tour. “Holland America Line has embraced and dedicated to pickleball in a really thrilling manner and can carry participating, 360-degree collaborations between its cruise line and the game all of us love.”
Along with shipboard activations, Holland America Line might be featured on branded signage at land-based PPA tournaments throughout the U.S., PPA merchandise and tour promotional supplies.
Holland America Line shares a deeper reference to PPA past the sport — pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island in Washington state, a brief ferry journey from Seattle the place Holland America Line is headquartered.
“To play pickleball is to make new associates, from across the neighborhood or world wide. This ageless sport welcomes gamers younger and outdated, quick or gradual,” mentioned Theresa Haynie, a founding board member of Seattle Metro Pickleball Affiliation and an Worldwide Pickleball Educating Skilled Affiliation teacher. “It’s a enjoyable sport to show and much more enjoyable to be taught. Now with pickleball on board ships with this glorious partnership, cruisers and gamers have yet one more journey to expertise and take residence with them.”
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