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TIPS FOR TEACHING ABOARD CRUISE SHIPS

by Barbara Seagram, owner of Barbara Seagram School of Bridge
October 21, 2008

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WHO TO CONTACT

1. Sixth Star Entertainment and Marketing | www.sixthstar.com
   21 NW 5th Street
   Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
   Maria Maxwell 954-462-6760 Ext # 232
   maria@sixthstar.com
   

   Sixth Star has:
   

   • Seabourn
   • Orient Cruise Line
   • Marco Polo
   • Princess (some ships)
   • Royal Caribbean

   If you go to their web site, you will actually see that they have openings shown for bridge instructors right now or all the way through the year. You can view the itineraries in detail and put in a request right now for the cruise of your dreams.

   Note that they charge more than anyone else if they place you on Seabourn as it is top of the line ($100.00 per day for you and share person total) Chances are they will not place you on Seabourn unless you have worked for them (Sixth Star) before and received A ratings. Seabourn is an awesome experience.

2. To Sea with Z | www.toseawithz.com
   Diane Zammel 305-931-1026
   Zammel@aol.com
   

   Costa and Norwegian Cruise lines. Cost per day unknown.

3. Lectures International
   Helen Kelly 619-423-3076
   lectintl@att.net
   

   They have all Holland America ships with 10 day or longer sailings. These are good ships. You are given a "supplemental staff" inside cabin with one double bed so be sure to take a companion with whom you wish to be cozy. These cabins will be a bit ordinary. Cost: $25.00 per day total for the two of you. Pay your own air.

4. Posh Talks Inc | www.poshtalks.com
   760-323-3205
   

   They have some Princess ships, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. They do state that their assignments may be cancelled at short notice. This may not apply to Bridge Directors but should be checked out. COST: $50.00 per day total. Pay your own air.

5. Better Bridge | www.betterbridge.com
   Toll-free number 1-888-266-4447
   Audrey Grant 416-322-2123
   Jason Lindrop 514-971-8333
   

   Radisson Cruise Line and Crystal Symphony are superb cruise lines which are a cut above most others. Both cruise lines provide one person's air provided they are doing two cruises (approx. 30 days or more).

   Note that Crystal has the most demanding evaluation system of all. They list everyone on the passenger evaluation form. Whereas most cruise lines will list "Entertainment" or "Guest Lecturers" and passengers will comment briefly on this whole group; Crystal lists YOUR name and all those who have contacted you aboard ship, in any way, will feel free to give an opinion. You are required to wear your name badge at all times and not dance with the dance hosts! If you do not receive a 9 or better, you will not be invited back aboard Crystal. But it is a wonderful experience and well-worth the effort.

   Better Bridge supplies all materials for teaching and you will be advised before the trip what your topic will be. Your handouts will be provided. There is a computer aboard for your use as well. COST: $50.00 per day total.

The list cannot be complete without mentioning Gerry Fox. He is the best but has a long waiting list and is not hiring any new instructors at this time. His phone # is 707-252-1257. Gerry is absolutely fabulous.

Karp Enterprises in Florida have very high rates and I would not recommend this agency.

WHAT TO TEACH ABOARD SHIP

Beginners

Take notes with you. Most ships do not wish you to make photocopies aboard. Large ships with internet cafes will allow you to print copies there, but expect to pay a hefty per page charge. You could take your files with you (on a stick or a diskette) and print aboard ship. Or you could print in some ports but this may be a challenge.

Personally, I hand out a cheat sheet to my students (sorry, but that is what I have called them for years). Make up your own which has a summary of everything they need to know and laminate it. This will serve you well. Or buy a summary from someone. (I have suggestions if you wish.) This cuts down on notes that you have to hand out.

Sometimes your assistant can teach beginners if the ship does not allow a time slot for you to teach beginners.

Intermediates

Usually a one hour class per day (or 1/2 hr) on days at sea. I try to teach on port days also. If nothing is scheduled, and the itinerary is getting boring for clients, I tell them we will have a class at 2.30 pm that day. The cruise directors love it if you do extra. The clients are happy and you get amazing ratings. A win-win for all.

Content of Classes

I am wild about teaching defense. They love this topic. All levels love it. These hands are all Eddie Kantar's. He is my hero.

Here are some hands that I teach in the first lesson.

Hand #1

*If they play Jacoby 2 NT, then 2NT is correct bid

This hand is a huge eye-opener for students. Even though it is the most basic of all defence hands, they lead the ♣A and continue with the ♣K every time. I tell them that when they lead an ace, they must watch to see what partner's attitude is. Partner will always smile or frown. A low card is a frown, a high card is a smile. I actually tell them that a high card is a yelling card that screams that you want partner to continue. I also tell them that "low means no." On this hand, they can figure out what to switch to, since diamonds cannot be right and partner gets in and must lead back a club. I tell them that if partner does not return partner's lead, then they should get a new partner. I often teach that when they cannot work out what to do, work out what NOT to do. I also make them lead the &spades9 (top of nothing) so this hand contains a lot of info. (I teach BOSTON at that time. Bottom of something and top of nothing.) But they need to know that a sequence takes precedence over BOSTON.

Hand #2

On this hand, which must follow Hand #1, they will always go wrong. They now signal high-low in hearts (since you have just taught them high-low on hand #1.)

East then find themselves on lead at trick #3. (By the way you have to make them lead from the top when partner signals high-low or they think they can lead small at trick #2 since they know partner has the queen. Oh dear, partner could have had 92 doubleton so you have to teach them that.)

So you tell them they must put on their spectacles, the ones that are good for long distance vision, and recognize that they have to take six tricks to beat this contract. They have to turn their heads 90 degrees to the right and check out dummy at trick #1. This way they play two hearts at trick #1 and partner finds the diamond shift. You have to teach them how to work out to lead the diamond and not a club.

They also need to know that two diamonds does not say, "And by the way lead a diamond." It only says DO NOT lead any more hearts.

After the shift to diamonds, East wins and leads back small heart. West wins hearts and leads back another diamond. East cashes the third diamond, cashes the queen of hearts and now (already down one) leads the final diamond (13th). West's jack of spades scores a trick on trump promotion. Down two.

Remember you have let them play this whole hand first and they have all made it. Then lay out hands and go through every move.

MAKE SURE you check auction after allowing them a few moments to bid on their own.
MAKE SURE you check opening lead also or all is lost and a waste of time.

West leads ace diamonds. East encourages. West leads another diamond. East wins and must resist urge to lead another diamond. After all, his mission is to get six tricks for his side. SIX! So he now plays ace clubs. I tell them that their partner now plays the two clubs. (Very annoyed he is.) This is the one and only time that you ignore partner. You continue with a club. Declarer wins and draws trumps. You hop up with ace of trump and give partner a ruff (partner says under his breath, "It's about time!!" and now leads back a club.) Down one.

South leads the king of clubs. North must overtake it and lead the ace of diamonds. Club back to South and diamond ruff.

They will leave this lesson very excited. It is the hands. All Eddie Kantar's. Fun stuff. Email Eddie at ekbridge@earthlink.net for more of his hands.

Stay tuned for my follow-up article where I provide even more hands, and discuss printing while aboard a cruise ship, prizes and behavior.

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