GHCruiser7

For taping ducks together I suppose.🤔 "Duck" is a brand of duct tape, that was never , nor good, for repairing ductwork. "Duck" is an original maker of cloth, adhesive, general purpose tape now, and then, known as duct tape. Research is our friend but whatever. 😉

DUCT Tape!

Have you ever been to Antarctica? If not, then you haven't a clue what this means. Antarctica "viewing" is the number one highlight/itinerary in my 2000 days of cruising. It is 100 times more exciting than the ports in 157 countries that I've visited. Please be informed and not just speculate.

Beta testing is ALWAYS done by end users (by definition), not employees. Employees will be involved in integrated testing with scenario-based testing platforms. Also, beta testers sign NDAs so if you aren't one, you may not know about others who are.

The speed of the ship didn't make a difference. The wind makes it a challenge. If the surf is up, clearly it may pose problems. When you are playing in calm winds and seas (<3 meters, with stabilizers out), you will likely not notice that the ship is moving at 20 knots. This is my experience. Wind is a PITA. Bring OUTDOOR balls. 😉

Update to all old posts. In early 2023, the PPA named HAL as an official sponsor. HAL now has Pickleball on all of their ships. They provide medium-grade paddles and balls, i.e., bring your own if you can, including OUTDOOR balls. They also have lessons but I've not experienced them yet. I'm a 4+ level player and am concerned about how they will manage beginners along with more seasoned players. It is quite competitive and there's usually 10 - 15 more experienced players ( on the smaller ships). HAL will also sell paddles at some point, for those that want to take up the sport, but I suspect they will be entry level. Most players bring their own. In case you missed my earlier mention, BRING GOOD QUALITY OUTDOOR BALLS like Franklin X40s or Durafast 40s. Indoor balls are no fun since they sail in the always-present wind on a ship. See you on board. * Grand Africa Zuiderdam Oct. 2023 * Hawaii Koningsdam Jan 2024 * Japan 84 days Noordam Jan 2025 * 28 day Alaska Westerdam Jun 2025

Seriously? You have clearly not been playing/following Pickleball. I'm a 4+ player and if you want to move more, perhaps we'll cross paths on a HAL cruise. I'll even lend you a pro-level bat. 😉

I was on the Volendam. The port side had a striped P court, no basketball. We asked them to stripe the starboard side (with basketball) and the did, and bought a second net. Zaandam is the same size as the Volendam but I don't know what they've done. We never had to make reservations on Volendam; just went and played, any time of day.

Thanks for this! It doesn't appear that they have improved anything. I'll make the best of it. 🙂

Hi @FrankieJayIII. I don't have the patience or schedule to do such a comprehensive blog. I can probably post the Patters but the menus may be a bandwidth challenge for me... never been a journaling type but will consider your request. I have a pretty full regimen on cruises; workout every morning at 6, play Pickleball from 9 to 11, eat lunch, nap :), possibly play P'ball again at 2:30ish, then get ready for the evening. We eat at 5, dance in Wheelhouse until 8 (we're both former ballroom dance hosts), then go to bed quite early. BUT, if there isn't any decent Pickleball on Ruby, I will have more time for something like this. I know that you didn't ask for such detail. Ugh.

Forgot to "Follow" topic. Sorry.

Wonderful blog! We board 5/7 for 3 S.F. > Alaska back2backs. Excited. I noticed in the Patter that there isn't any mention of Pickleball open play or anything else. I don't think you're a Pickleball player but I'm wondering if you've heard anything at all about it on the Ruby. I'm a pretty avid player and trying to decide if it's worth it to bring my paddle and stuff. Thanks again for your "dailys." Much fun... Joel

That really stinks. I wouldn't be happy.

Does anyone know if the Pickleball court on RUBY has been updated and enlarged? Is there still only one court? Generally, how is the Pickleball experience on RUBY? I'm on 3 S.F. > Alaska back2backs in May '23 and hope to play. I am 3.5/4.0 player.

What is the status of the Pickleball court on Ruby? Have they enlarged it? Still only 1 court? Thanks!

The When&Where will list it at 9 or 930 most every day on every HAL ship. Pickleballers will show up. You can also set an afternoon play party with others that you meet. I played every day at 9 and 3, including most port days on the Volendam Grand South America this year. Bring extra OUTDOOR balls (I recommend Franklin X40s, not orange). Indoor balls don't work very well, even with the slightest wind. You can't rely on HAL to know, accomodate, or have enough of the right balls, unfortunately - they will eventually learn if they listen. They will have paddles but the quality is not great. Also, HAL should be up and running as the official Pickleball cruise line for the PPA. They were NOT ready for the South America Grand Voyage earlier this year. The Volendam did, however, stripe a second court and buy another net during the 5th or 10.5 weeks of the Grand S.A..

The When&Where will list it at 9 or 930 most every day. Pickleballers will show up. You can also set an afternoon play party with others that you meet. I played every day at 9 and 3, including most port days. Bring extra OUTDOOR balls (I recommend Franklin X40s, not orange). Indoor balls don't work very well, even with the slightest wind. You can't rely on HAL to know, accomodate, or have enough of the right balls, unfortunately - they will eventually learn if they listen. They will have paddles but the quality is not great. Also, HAL should be up and running as the official Pickleball cruise line for the PPA. They were NOT ready for the South America Grand Voyage on the Volendam earlier this year.

Not true. They did 3 Tamarind popups on my South Pacific trip on Zuiderdam in Oct/Nov '22, not a Grand voyage. Perhaps they have changed since then but...

Yes. In the case where the 36-day Collector was broken into 14 and 22 day segments, if the cruiser had 100+ shares of CCL, they would get $250 booking as the Collector and $500 if they booked it as two segments. 14+ days is $250 in OC. It's always worth looking at what benefits you might be giving up if booking B2B, but usually the CCL double credit is worth it. I booked 3 28-day segments in early 2025 rather than an 84 day voyage. It was worth $500 extra in onboard credit. 🙂

From personal experience,Tamarind on Westerdam and Zuiderdam is considered a popup restaurant, hosted in Pinnacle. Read the fine print... NO discount for Mariners. HAL marketing at its finest - scammed again.

No, you aren't worrying unnecessarily. I would NEVER get tested shoreside in Canada. We have to register with Canada and sign a form that makes us follow their VERY stringent quarantine policy if we test positive there. I would ONLY test before going into Canada. Also, when you disembark the ship, if you then test for Covid to be able to fly/return home, you will have ZERO support from Cunard and be subject to the very strict requirements of the Canadian government. We will only test on the QE before disembarking so that, if we test positive, Cunard is responsible for helping us get home, legally and financially. So no, your worry is well founded. Sorry for the downer. For anyone doubthing this, Google "ArriveCAN" and research yourself. It's a very scary registration policy that you'll be required to complete.

Still no real answer to this question. Some cruise lines DO accept "Certificate of Recovery." It'd be nice to hear from someone who tried to use it. As you are aware, after you have tested positive for Covid, you can continue testing positive for months even though you no longer have the virus; particularly if you use a PCR test that can find remnants of the RNA. I just flew from the U.K. to the U.S. using a recovery certificate, no test required. If you have a "fit to travel" letter, you are no longer infectuous as of the date stated in the letter. People who test positive are advised NOT to retest according to the CDC and every other reputable science/medical agency. Cunard should state, one way or the other, if this is a valid replacement for a pre-boarding test. I wish someone would speak up since I'm supposed to board the QE on May 30.