Amadeus River Cruises will launch a series of pickleball itineraries later this year that will feature shore excursions and pre- and post-cruise extension packages centered around the popular racket sport.
The new itineraries will be available on Danube River cruises that visit Budapest and will be curated and hosted by Hungarian pickleball champion Zoltan Boehm.
Guests will have the option to add a two-night pre-cruise extension in Lake Balaton on cruises that sail between Passau and Budapest, as well as half-day shore excursions to play pickleball when visiting Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna.
Guests will visit pickleball clubs and courts in each destination where they can play with locals.
The company has installed a second pickleball court on the deck of the Amadeus Silver III where guests can practice.
"We see that there are a lot of groups that are interested in it and that people want to play pickleball," said Marcus Leskovar, executive vice president of Amadeus River Cruises. "Sometimes on the ship, it's difficult to play because maybe you only have one court, maybe it's raining or windy, so a whole group can't play active pickleball. So that's why we created these shore experiences."