Best ships/cruise lines for bridge playing?

Hello all. My Dad is pretty new to bridge and he's interested in
taking a cruise. I understand that there are "bridge cruises" where
that is the whole purpose of the cruise, but are there ships or cruise
lines that have a better quality of bridge instruction? Where do they
play the games on the ship and how many people actually play "formal"
bridge where they keep score and everything.

Does the bridge instructor also run the games or do they have someone
else do that? Are there any particularly good bridge instructors?
Any horror stories?

Thanks for any information you can offer!

Nick

On 1/19/2009 12:26 PM Handplanes did a "happy dance", then made these
writings:
Hello all. My Dad is pretty new to bridge and he's interested in
taking a cruise. I understand that there are "bridge cruises" where
that is the whole purpose of the cruise, but are there ships or cruise
lines that have a better quality of bridge instruction? Where do they
play the games on the ship and how many people actually play "formal"
bridge where they keep score and everything.

Does the bridge instructor also run the games or do they have someone
else do that? Are there any particularly good bridge instructors?
Any horror stories?

Thanks for any information you can offer!

Nick

Yes, someone wasn't paying attention during bridge instruction on the
Exxon Valdez and we all know what happened there. Most likely the best
bridge instruction you'll get is in the Navy. As regards "bridge
cruises" it's advisable to take out additional medical insurance,
additional cruise insurance, and get an additional life insurance.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was holding bridge games during a very severe
storm. A fatal error was made and the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
was never found. If you don't believe me, go listen to Gordon Lightfoot
sing about it. ;-)

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

In article , Brian K
wrote:

Yes, someone wasn't paying attention during bridge instruction on the
Exxon Valdez and we all know what happened there. Most likely the best

Don't you have anything better to do than post twaddle? Someone comes
asking a question and you answer with crap.

--
Charles

Handplanes wrote in news:5c2d903e-16e6-42e4-8afc-
:

Hello all. My Dad is pretty new to bridge and he's interested in
taking a cruise. I understand that there are "bridge cruises" where
that is the whole purpose of the cruise, but are there ships or cruise
lines that have a better quality of bridge instruction? Where do they
play the games on the ship and how many people actually play "formal"
bridge where they keep score and everything.

Does the bridge instructor also run the games or do they have someone
else do that? Are there any particularly good bridge instructors?
Any horror stories?

Thanks for any information you can offer!

Nick

Crystal has excellent bridge programs and I have been happy with the
bridge on Regent. You might expect Cunard to have a good program and
they do. Other lines are spotty not as much instruction, certainly not
on all voyages. Bridge playing is best on ships with lots of sea time as
there are more organized games and time for instruction.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

[Default] Thus spake Joseph Coulter :

Handplanes wrote in news:5c2d903e-16e6-42e4-8afc-
:

Hello all. My Dad is pretty new to bridge and he's interested in
taking a cruise. I understand that there are "bridge cruises" where
that is the whole purpose of the cruise, but are there ships or cruise
lines that have a better quality of bridge instruction? Where do they
play the games on the ship and how many people actually play "formal"
bridge where they keep score and everything.

Does the bridge instructor also run the games or do they have someone
else do that? Are there any particularly good bridge instructors?
Any horror stories?

Thanks for any information you can offer!

Nick

Crystal has excellent bridge programs and I have been happy with the
bridge on Regent. You might expect Cunard to have a good program and
they do. Other lines are spotty not as much instruction, certainly not
on all voyages. Bridge playing is best on ships with lots of sea time as
there are more organized games and time for instruction.

I've never seen any instruction (formal) on RCI or Carnival. In fact,
when I went down to the library for "the bridge tournament", there
were only three of us. Playing three handed bridge is fun and
different, but kind of hard to have a tournament. Yeah, you can play
three around duplicate, but that's not the point of this kind of
tournament.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.

On 1/19/2009 2:26 PM Charles scrawled with a big red tube of lipstick:
In article , Brian K
wrote:


Yes, someone wasn't paying attention during bridge instruction on the
Exxon Valdez and we all know what happened there. Most likely the best


Don't you have anything better to do than post twaddle? Someone comes
asking a question and you answer with crap.


Charles,

Don't you have anything better to do than monitor my posts? Any little
misstep and there you are ready to chastise. I wouldn't say anything,
but I don't recall you ever giving me a pat on the back when I've
contributed anything positive, uplifting, and spot on. Where is your
sense of humor?

FYI After my joke, I had intended to post an answer in keeping with the
question but hit accidentally hit send too quickly. Then I was
distracted by my 91 year old mother; she needed my assistance. She had
fallen, this is always a matter requiring my immediate action. Mom has
osteoporosis. To her good fortune nothing was broken.

I supposed that has never happened to you. Additionally I guess you have
never made a quip when someone said something that has double meaning.
You are way too serious lighten up. It's bad for ya' to be so serious.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

Most of the longer cruises have organized ACBL certified bridge. I've
several taken two week cruises and there has always been an instructor
who gave a lecture in the morning and there was a game in the
afternoon. On a one-week HAL and NCL cruise they had a bridge
director that I remember and possibly there have been others that I
have forgotten or did not avail myself of. Those are free with the
cruise.

There are dedicated bridge cruises run by bridge directors but they
can get pricey. They have more games and lectures. I priced one out
(subtracting what I could get the cruise for on my own vs. what they
were charging) and it came to $27 a game (with no charge factored in
for the lectures) if you played every time they opened the doors--
three times a day. On those cruises, you have to buy through the
sponsor to participate. I know one just left out of Galveston last
week that several of my friends went on. It was a one-week cruise.

On most of my cruises, they have had a time set aside on sea days to
"meet and greet" bridge players and games are informal. No director
or ACBL points awarded; just an activities crew member who throws out
some cards.

Tucker in Texas

wrote:
Most of the longer cruises have organized ACBL certified bridge. I've
several taken two week cruises and there has always been an instructor
who gave a lecture in the morning and there was a game in the
afternoon. On a one-week HAL and NCL cruise they had a bridge
director that I remember and possibly there have been others that I
have forgotten or did not avail myself of. Those are free with the
cruise.

There are dedicated bridge cruises run by bridge directors but they
can get pricey. They have more games and lectures. I priced one out
(subtracting what I could get the cruise for on my own vs. what they
were charging) and it came to $27 a game (with no charge factored in
for the lectures) if you played every time they opened the doors--
three times a day. On those cruises, you have to buy through the
sponsor to participate. I know one just left out of Galveston last
week that several of my friends went on. It was a one-week cruise.

On most of my cruises, they have had a time set aside on sea days to
"meet and greet" bridge players and games are informal. No director
or ACBL points awarded; just an activities crew member who throws out
some cards.

Tucker in Texas

Thanks for the information, Tucker. A $100/day premium for bridge
cruises? Seems kind of pricey, but then again I don't play bridge!

From your post it sounds like the bridge directors don't add that much
if you don't really remember them. Are most cruises like that?

R

On Jan 23, 10:25*pm, Handplanes wrote:
wrote:
Most of the longer cruises have organized ACBL certified bridge. *I've
several taken two week cruises and there has always been an instructor
who gave a lecture in the morning and there was a game in the
afternoon. *On a one-week HAL and NCL cruise they had a bridge
director that I remember and possibly there have been others that I
have forgotten or did not avail myself of. *Those are free with the
cruise.

There are dedicated bridge cruises run by bridge directors but they
can get pricey. *They have more games and lectures. *I priced one out
(subtracting what I could get the cruise for on my own vs. what they
were charging) and it came to $27 a game (with no charge factored in
for the lectures) if you played every time they opened the doors--
three times a day. On those cruises, you have to buy through the
sponsor to participate. * I know one just left out of Galveston last
week that several of my friends went on. *It was a one-week cruise.

On most of my cruises, they have had a time set aside on sea days to
"meet and greet" bridge players and games are informal. *No director
or ACBL points awarded; just an activities crew member who throws out
some cards.

Tucker in Texas

Thanks for the information, Tucker. *A $100/day premium for bridge
cruises? *Seems kind of pricey, but then again I don't play bridge!

From your post it sounds like the bridge directors don't add that much
if you don't really remember them. *Are most cruises like that?

R

Only the ones where they do not have sanctioned ACBL games just a
deal and play at a certain time. On a couple of our cruises they have
had a lecturer that came back in the afternoon to set up the games
that may not have been sanctioned ACBL. I usually attend the lectures
if convenient but don't play in the games because I have other things
to do so I don't know for sure. The directors get free or heavily
discounted passage to be on the ships so it is a job to them and they
want to please everyone so they will be invited back again. On all
our longer cruises that have ACBL the directors have been really good.
Their lectures have been good and they have been very patient
answering questions either in the conference room or out of it when
you nail them in the public rooms or passageways. They show a lot
more patience than I would sometimes answering questions when they are
"off duty." There is no such thing as a "short" bridge questions
(lol). It is the shorter cruises where there is no ACBL or a "hired"
director where they just have "informal" bridge--they set up a time
to meet that can be dicey. Not much participation.

There are people that go on cruises and play every time the doors are
opened because checking the scores on the bulletin board I see the
same names over and over who have won points (not many points are
awarded, though, usually less than a full point for top). I played
almost every day on an NCL trans-Atlantic because I lucked into a
great partner. Ironically, the directors turned out to be cruising
buddies. We invited them on our trivia team prior to knowing their
"official" position on the ship. I can tell you they worked hard on
their off time setting things up and doing the other things needed for
an official game. They were also pressed into duty shepherding some of
the shore excursions. They got a "free" tour but, believe me, they
earned it making sure people were back on the bus, settling petty seat
arguments, helping those that needed help. Another time on a Panama
Canal crossing I found another nice partner and played several times.

Tucker in Texas