October 23 - November 5th
We had been anticipating our Caribbean cruise with pickleball friends Wayne and Rhonda since before Covid. It finally became a reality on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.
We looked forward to playing pickleball on the cruise ship and came prepared with our Paddletek Tempest Pro paddles. Pickleball was on the schedule daily and it was delightful to see a number of players queued up for play the very first day at sea. Rotation was simple, wait in line for the next two or next four players depending on how full the three courts were. Pickleball was scheduled from 8:00-11:00 daily except for the first day when it was 2:00-5:00 in the afternoon.
While this trip did not check off any of our states for playing pickleball, it was just as rewarding having players from different states that came together to enjoy a few hours of pickleball each day. Players came from Florida, Washington, Missouri, Massachusetts and Indiana to name a few. It was fairly easy to identify experienced players from newbies. They were the ones that brought their paddles with them. Perhaps a future venture might be Pickleball the Cruise Ships.
What we quickly discovered was that the courts orientation to the sun was most often east/west where the sun would be in the eyes of the players on one side of the court. It was common to switch sides when one team first reached a score of 6 so that no one team had to play the entire game blinded by the sun. For our non-pickleball players, a game goes to 11 so 6 would be half way.
The ship was generous enough to provide nets, balls and paddles for those who needed them. Unfortunately, they would only begin by providing one ball for each court. Above the courts they had installed netting which was good for keeping basketballs and volleyballs in the court, but the pickleball would occasionally find its way through the netting and down eight decks to the Boardwalk, an open area where people could ride a carousel, get a donut, grab something to eat at Johnny Rockets or just relax.
Among the pickleball players we met were Harvey and Joanne who were celebrating 40 years of marriage on the cruise. They renewed their vows in a ceremony on the boat with two other couples celebrating 40 years and one couple celebrating 15 years. For the ceremony, officiated by the ship's Security Officer, they were dressed in wedding attire and the bride walked down the aisle. It's satisfying to see couples celebrating many years together. Even playing pickleball together did not hinder their wedded bliss.
Joanne hosted a TV show
Miracles & Meals on Jewish Life TV where she and Harvey would prepare kosher dishes which are found in her cookbooks. Proceeds from the sale of her cookbooks goes to the support of Jewish Charities.
The first pickleball player we met was Nicholas from Seattle. You could count on him being there every day. In addition to providing challenging play, he would often be found assisting new players on the rules and strategy of playing. Then there was Mary and Phyllis who play tournaments. Always good to be able to give them some play that hopefully was formidable. It is not unusual to find out backstories that make our friendships even more memorable. Such is the case with Gail and Bob. Playing pickleball was likely responsible for saving his life. Gail and Bob were playing on different courts back home in Massachusetts. Gail heard a commotion on one of the other courts. It was Bob having a heart attack. Due to the quick, knowledgeable action of other players and an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) Bob was able to get the medical attention necessary. Had they been home at that time, it would have been a totally different outcome. Wayne and Rhonda, our cruising partners, proved to be our nemesis when it came to pickleball, so it was good when we could partner with them.
We did do more than play pickleball while cruising. One of my favorite excursions was a visit to the Myan ruins at Chaccoben when in port at Puerto Costa Maya.
Beaches were also a great way to spend the afternoon. Favorite beaches were Puerto Plata Dominican Republic, Labadee Haiti and Coco Cay Bahamas.
Cruising is a fantastic way to vacation and see the world. Pickleball on board makes it even better.
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