Backgammon & Poker On Board XI:
Fun on the HIgh Seas

By Bill Davis

54 people including nearly 40 backgammon and poker players booked passage on the Caribbean Princess 19 Jaunary 2013 for a seven day cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Princess Cay, Curaçao and Aruba. Chicago Bar Point Club's Bill Davis directed with help from Amy Trudeau, and by all accounts, everyone had a great time. Other winners on board included Steve Hast (four-time ping pong champion and Ryder Cup golf finalist), and Mike Sutton (Pop Idol singing finalist). Additionally, Larry Liebster was appointed Rabbi of the Caribbean Princess with a sabbath service that included 70 attendees.

The results are shown below. The photographs speak for themselves.

Backgammon & Poker On Board XII is set to sail in January 2015. Watch for details later this year.

BACKGAMMON & POKER ON BOARD XI CARIBBEAN CRUISE TOURNEY
January 19-26, 2013; Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Princess Cays, Curaçao, and Aruba

OPEN (34+126 rebuys): 1-Kit Woolsey (CA), 2-Mike Sutton (IL).

CARIBBEAN JACKPOT (8): 1-Steve Hast (PA), 2-Bill Davis (IL).

CAPTAIN'S TOURNEY (34): 1-David Rockwell (IL), 2-Woody Woodworth (IN).

POKER TOURNAMENT (32): 1-Carl Dell (England), 2-Tom Stegich (IL), 3-Carole Siegel (MI).

HONORARY TROPHY: Heribert Lindner (Germany).

Cruise ship in Curacao

A view of our ship, the Caribbean Princess from an elevation point in Curaçao.

Comet, Cinda, Mike, Loretta

Comet, Cinda King, Mike Sutton, and Loretta Bowen on formal night.

 

Amy Trudeau, Jeff

Amy Trudeau and Jeff Hoelzel share a moment together between dinner courses.

 

Steve and Herb playing

Steve Hast and Heribert Lindner do battle in the Open tournament.

 

Mary and George Morse

Mary and George Morse on their third Backgammon On Board Cruise.

 

Linda, Cinda, Sue Will

Illinois State Director Linda Rockwell (L) shares a laugh with Cinda King and Cruise Consultants travel agent Sue Will.

 

Jimmy and Courtney

Courtney Bonk celebrates her birthday at dinner with her fiancé Jimmy Crawford.

 

Ross and Maria

Ross Klein and Maria Heiner enjoyed their first Backgammon On Board cruise this year.

 

Ramez and Hind

Hind and Ramez Abi-Akar of Peoria, Illinois were also Bg On Board first-timers.

 

Sue Will with Donna & Woody Woodworth

Our cruise planner Sue Will with Donna and Woody Woodworth prior to start of play.

 

Horseback riding

Janet, Caitlin, Courtney, and Jimmy went horseback riding during our stay in Aruba.

 

Cinda, Mike and Kazuko

Cinda King with Mike Sutton and Kazuko Numazawa share a hug in Curaçao.

 

Aruba sign

Lots of good things about Aruba.

 

Courtney and Bill

Cruise director Bill Davis with his cousin Courtney Bonk at the formal dinner.

 

Butch Meese and the Vault game

Butch Meese displays the $100 he won playing the addictive Casino Vault game.

 

Poker finals

Tom Siegel deals to the final three competitors in the Poker event. From left: Carl Dell, Tom Stegich, and Carole Siegel. They chopped the prize money but Carl won the trophy.

 

Janet and Caitlin

Janet Davis and Caitlin Thieroff (friends since high school) pose for a pic prior to dinner.

 

David and Linda Rockwell

David and Linda Rockwell wait for desert on one of the two formal nights.

 

Kazuko and Heribert

Kazuko Numizawa (Japan) & Heribert Lindner (Germany) traveled a long way to cruise!

 

Kit and Mike in the finals

David Rockwell records the Open finals between Kit Woolsey and Mike Sutton.

 

Courtney and Janet Disco

Cousins Courtney Bonk and Janet Davis broke hearts in the nightclub.

 

Patty and Chris

Patty Geoffroy & Chris Knapp liked the 2011 cruise so much, the came back for another!

 

Phil and Debi Loeb

Debi and Phil Loeb had fun times aboard the Princess.

 

Tom and Cathy Stegich

Tom & Cathy Stegich cruised with us over 20 years ago. It was time to return.

 

Larry Liebster and Patty Geoffroy

Larry Liebster is ready to enjoy his desert. That's Patty Geoffroy looking on.

 

Carl and Cinda at dinner

Carl Dell came from England. That's Cinda King again with the mile wide smile.

 

Mike Sutton singing

Mike Sutton sang "Pretty Woman" in this year's Pop Idol finals. Sutton won in 2011.

 

Caitlin, Janet, Courtney

Hugs at the Awards Cocktail Party: Caitlin Thieroff, Janet Davis, & Courtney Bonk.

 

Captains Tourney finals

The 1-point Captain's Tourney finals between Woody Woodworth (L) and David Rockwell was played at the Awards Cocktail Party hosted by the Cruise Consultants.

 

Carl Dell Poker Champion

Poker champion: Carl Dell

 

Tom Stegich and Carole Siegel

Poker runner's-up: Tom Stegich (2nd) and Carole Siegel (3rd).

 

Open winner Kit Woolsey

Open winner: Kit Woolsey.

 

Mike Sutton Open runner-up

Open runner-up: Mike Sutton.

 

Captains Tourney winner David Rockwell

Captain's Tourney winner: David Rockwell.

 

Caribbean Jackpot winner Steve Hast

Caribbean Jackpot winner: Steve Hast with runner-up Bill Davis.

 

Director's Trophy winner Heribert Lindner

Honorary Director's Trophy winner Heribert Lindner.

 

Sunset

As the sun sets on another BG On Board event, we look forward to the Jan. 2015 cruise.