bitob

I just went back to look based on the advice I received here. No bowties anywhere.

Thanks. Very helpful

My first 2 cruises on ss I was told bowties indicate formal nights. Never saw a bowtie Now I am looking at a July cruise. No bowties. Is there any way to know which nights are formal nights so I can book restaurants accordingly? If I call SS can they tell me?

Went to Cuba with them. Sensational

One "fly in the ointment" with respect to the bridge program is what happened with the two agencies who provided the ACBL certified directors when Crystal went under. At the time there were only 2 agencies who could provide ACBL sanctioned games. I have heard a rumor that there might now only be one agency left. Were they owed money? Were they stiffed? I cannot imagine it is a fortune. Easily remedied if the NC is willng to pay that debt to get the bridge program back. YES -- I know they don't have responsibility for the debt.

I know folks in their 70's who are price sensitive. I don't think we can generalize by age group. What is probably true is that Gen X'ers are still working and really long cruises do not comport with their work life. I would also venture a guess that ports are far more important to Gen Xers than us older folk who are very well travelled. Gen Xers are still discovering the world and many places for the first time.

Yes. Ginny his wife. Maybe they’ll be back on nc

It was Jeff schuett grand life master i think it was 2 legs of the wc I was booked on

You are thinking of the berkowitz family. No. Wasn’t them. They only do the Cohen bridge cruises. I will seArch my emails. I have the name because I asked billy Miller about him

Photo please

Truth social

No one asked

I have a very reliable source in the industry your friend needs a new ta neither cruise has ever been in sold out status

Neither cruise was EVER in sold out status fact

Neither inaugural cruise is sold out still time to book either ship

It is rare to have a top ranked player as bridge director. On the last crystal cruise I had booked that was cancelled a bridge star whose name I cannot recall was scheduled to be the director. I was excited about that. Alas I always research the director. Some are well credentialed. Others are not.

I will add that the bridge instructors on crystal were generally better than on other lines I sail. They all come out of 2 agencies but somehow crystal had the cream of the crop

I am a bridge addict and I seek cruises where bridge is offered which is one of the reasons cruises with a large number of sea days appeals to me. I have never been on any cruise that had acbl sanctioned bridge if there were no sea days where games could be played (cruisers are off the ship sightseeing -- it's hard enough getting enough tables when folks cannot leave the ship) - including Crystal. Just recently I was on a b2b on regent. The first half was 12 nights with 1 sea day. No formal bridge program. The second leg was a transatlantic with 10 sea days -- full ACBL bridge program. In my experience this is standard across all cruise lines that offer ACBL sanctioned bridge on board -- and there are only a handful.

You mean this dream team of highly knowledgeable and experienced cruise people can’t figure out how to do things right in the first place?

Whom to believe? a dilemma

Not port intensive cruises.

“Some cruises” seems consistent with past practices. Only cruises with a substantial number of sea days offered acbl sanctioned bridge. Same on all lines. How is this any different?

Yum i remember it well

I thought someone just posted about what they “expect.” That’s a far cry from “hope” I do read carefully btw words matter

You have a point everyone wants at least what they had before— new cruise line or not it’s a new cruise line but give me what the old cruise line gave me. I must be the only one who sees the hypocrisy in all of this. If the new cruise line doesn’t owe a penny to those who lost money, why does it need to provide any of the amenities or features or options the old cruise line offered to new cruisers