PICKLEBALL INJURY ON A CRUISE SHIP
So the answer to the question is: Yes we have seen and handled pickleball injuries incurred while passengers were playing pickleball on a cruise ship. How do pickleball injuries occur on a cruise ship? Mostly in the same ways you would have injury if the game was being played shoreside. The court is wet or a foreign substance is on the court. Also, players on the cruise ship can get hurt if the court area is not large enough to fully accommodate the court. This means that the ship’s structure interferes with the safe play of the game, which we know from other sporting activity injuries on cruise ships occurs with some frequency.
On a cruise ship passengers who have never played pickleball prior to getting on the cruise ship may be convinced they too can play the game despite never having played before. We have also seen this turn into injuries where the person has not exercised in a bit of time and then gives pickleball a go on the cruise ship. Of course, the moving vessel can also play a part in pickleball injuries occurring from falldowns on the court. If a first-time player gets on the court they may not realize the danger of playing on a court that has wet spots. We have seen this type of injury cases on the pickleball court cruise ships.
THESE CRUISESHIPS HAVE PICKLEBALL COURTS ON THEM
The following cruise ships have pickleball courts on them. (See https://cruiseline.com/advice/cruising-101/types-of-cruises/cruise-ships-with-pickleball.)
CARNIVAL
The first dedicated pickleball court on a Carnival ship was added to Carnival Conquest during its November 2022 drydock. The court is located on the ship’s top deck, allowing for great ocean views.
Pickleball is available on the following Carnival ships as a part of the Carnival SportsSquare areas: Carnival Breeze, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Legend, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Pride, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Vista, and Mardi Gras.
CELEBRITY
As of February 2024, ten Celebrity Cruises ships offer pickleball – Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Solstice, and Celebrity Summit.
The pickleball court locations vary by ship. Pickleball is played in the Rooftop Garden of Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Apex. Pickleball is offered on the Sports Deck (Deck 15) on Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, and Celebrity Solstice. Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Millennium, and Celebrity Summit’s pickleball areas are located on the Sports Court (Deck 12).
HOLLAND AMERICA
All ships in the Holland America fleet have been outfitted with pickleball courts featuring top-deck views and the addition of Professional Pickleball Association (“PPA”) Tour partner logos.
NORWEGIAN
Dedicated pickleball courts are located on Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Prima class vessels, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS
Two of Regent Seven Seas’ newest ships offer pickleball courts. The Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer both have a dedicated court located on Deck 12 aft that is fully screened and ready for play at any time.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN
Currently, 17 ships in the fleet offer pickleball as shared space with other activities and sports. The current list of ships are:
Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas
New ships Utopia of the Seas and Star of the Seas are also expected to have courts in shared space.
VIRGIN CRUISES
The only ship in the fleet to offer pickleball is the Valiant Lady, but the court is a shared space with basketball and dodgeball. We expect the two new ships entering the fleet in 2023 and 2024 also to be equipped with pickleball courts.
SUMMARY
According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), pickleball grew 51.8% from 2022 to 2023, and 223.5% in four years since 2020. So it is not surprising that with more players in general and more players specifically playing on cruises, this will equal more pickleball injury cases on cruise ships. This explains why we here at www.888BoatLaw.com have seen an increase in pickleball injuries occurring on courts on cruise ships. If you have suffered a pickleball related injury on a cruise ship give us a call to discuss your injury situation. As with pickleball courts on land, the cruise lines must make sure that the courts are safe for their passengers.
It is important if you have a cruise ship injury case that you choose your attorney wisely. Choose an attorney who is well versed and accomplished in maritime law. You can trust our more than 25 years representing cruise ship injury clients, and yes including for pickleball injuries on cruise ships.
We represent only cruise-ship injured passengers throughout all of Florida, and never have represented the cruise lines. For most cruise ship injury cases they must be filed in federal court in Miami and generally the statute of limitations is only one year. Other requirements to preserve and pursue your claim are required. Each case is based upon its own facts, location, contract (i.e., passenger ticket) with the cruise line, etc., and that is why you need to talk with a law firm which specializes in handling cruise ship passenger injury cases. The attorneys at www.888BoatLaw.com.
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