Pickleball Pros on a Private Island

Holland America Line, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP) will hold what they call the first professional pickleball invitational on a private island. The “Private Island Invitational” takes place on 13 March 2027 at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, during Nieuw Statendam‘s seven-day Eastern Caribbean: San Juan & St. Thomas cruise, which departs 7 March. Professional players will compete on the island’s four new courts. The event marks the island’s 30th anniversary.

Four Countdown Cruises come first. Each will have PPA pros on board, and the program includes coffee chats, trivia, onboard lessons and a pro clinic on Half Moon Cay:

• 20 Nov 2026: 9-day Southern Caribbean, Nieuw Amsterdam
• 12 Dec 2026: 7-day Western Caribbean: Greater Antilles and Mexico, Zuiderdam
• 2 Jan 2027: 7-day Eastern Caribbean: Amber Cove and Bahamas, Eurodam
• 23 Jan 2027: 7-day Eastern Caribbean: Amber Cove and Bahamas, Eurodam

Holland America says it will name the pros for each sailing in the coming months. Every ship in the fleet already has at least one pickleball court, with equipment and beginner instruction.

If you’re travelling: If you play, these sailings let you take lessons from touring pros at sea and on the beach. The release doesn’t say whether guests can play in the invitational itself.

Takeaway: Pickleball clubs are an easy group sale, and the November to January Countdown Cruises give them more dates than the one invitational sailing. Ask Holland America about group space now, before the pros are announced.

Sources

• Holland America Line, ‘Holland America to Host First Professional Pickleball Association Invitational Held on a Private Island’ (CNW), 30 Sept 2026
• https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/holland-america-to-host-first-professional-pickleball-association-invitational-held-on-a-private-island-802142878.html
• https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2026/09/holland-america-unveils-new-beach-club-at-half-moon-cay/