I just returned from a two week cruise (sailed November 8) on the Celebrity Infinity from Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal to San Diego. This was my fifteenth cruise. On all of them I have enjoyed organized bridge, going to both the lectures and sanctioned games. Playing bridge and learning from the lectures is a major enjoyment for me and, judging by the large numbers attending every time, also for a large number of other cruisers. This time aboard the Infinity there was no bridge!
On my own initiative I searched out and found a group of people who sail regularly together to play bridge mornings and afternoons. About 30 strong, the Thelma and Louise group from San Diego were kind enough to allow me and a few others to join them, so my cruise was not totally spoiled. I was shocked to hear from them that Celebrity had confirmed to them prior to booking that organized bridge would be provided along with an accredited bridge director. Celebrity had simply reneged on that commitment. Worse, it was the group's understanding that Celebrity would no longer be providing organized bridge on any of their cruises. To state my feelings about this in a simple and succinct way: "Are they nuts?"
Celebrity caters to an older crowd than some cruise lines. There is a huge number of people in that age category who play and love bridge - that's why cruise lines include organized bridge in their activities. While bridge can be played casually, doing so in no way compares to the joys of organized, duplicate bridge. It makes no sense for any cruise line to ignore, even hamper, this particular pastime for cruisers. The Thelma and Louise group were initially told that it could advertise their games in the daily bulletin on the ship IF they allowed anyone to play with them. Even that didn't happen. The ship decided that advertising would result in the games being inundated with people beyond what the group could cope with. What does that tell you about demand for organized bridge!!!
7105 was nice. 7109 next door stank from a leak. Beware - there are others.