Bridge at Sea · Our Story
Born from a love of bridge — and the sea
Bridge at Sea makes free and premium apps and downloads so you can play bridge wherever you are — at sea, at home, on the train, or challenging a friend from opposite sides of the world.
The story behind Bridge at Sea
A frustration familiar to every cruise bridge player
On most cruises, bridge sessions attract just enough players for a single table. One table means no movement, no competition — just four people playing hand after hand with nothing truly at stake.
And when there is only one table, traditional scoring makes it worse: only the declaring side can ever score. A brilliant defensive play that defeats an unbeatable slam goes completely unrecognised.
“A defender produced a brilliant piece of card reading to defeat what looked like an unbeatable slam — and received absolutely no recognition for it. Only the declarer’s side scores. Only the lucky hand wins.”
That didn’t seem right. So Mike Smith — a bridge player with over 40 years’ experience — set about changing it. The result is Bonus Bridge, a scoring system designed for one-table social play that recognises skill on both sides of the table, and Bridge at Sea, which has since grown into a home for apps and downloads for bridge players well beyond cruise ships.
What we make
Apps and downloads for bridge players everywhere
Bridge at Sea builds tools for bridge players everywhere — on a cruise ship without proper facilities, at the kitchen table for a social evening, on the train with five minutes to kill, or at a club still running paper travellers. Solve a declarer or defence problem solo, score a home rubber, run a full duplicate session, or challenge a friend to beat your score — everything works fully offline once installed, so it’s just as happy at 30,000 feet as it is at sea.
Bridge Modes Calculator
Five scoring modes in one app — Kitchen, Chicago, Rubber, Bonus Bridge and full Duplicate tournament scoring.
Bonus Bridge Pro
The scoring system that started it all — rewards good defensive play, not just the declaring side.
Bridge Scorer V3
Full duplicate club scoring for clubs still running paper travellers — no Bridgepads needed.
Declarer & Defence ChallengeMembers: 1 year free
Real bridge problems as declarer or defender, timed and scored against computer opponents who play perfectly, with a monthly Top Ten — and you can challenge a friend to beat your score, wherever you both are.
DigiBid
A free digital bidding box for any device — no more passing a physical box round the table.
Bridge Calculator
Free scoring, a standard calculator and a currency converter in one — handy for cruise ports too.
Free Downloads
Movement cards, traveller sheets and DIY bridge-board guides — 43 movements, print and play.
Bridge Scorer V4Coming Soon
The next generation of club scoring — no separate host laptop needed. Runs entirely from your phone.
Conventions PracticeComing Soon
Practice bidding conventions hand by hand — Cappelletti, D.O.N.T., Astro, Landy and more, with instant feedback.
Looking for a bridge-friendly cruise?
Not every cruise line supports bridge, and not every itinerary has enough sea days for it. See our recommended lines for UK bridge players — Ambassador and Fred Olsen — and what to look for before you book.
About Mike Smith
Mike Smith has been playing bridge for over 40 years, first learning at the Javea School of Bridge on the Costa Blanca. Now retired and living in Spain, he plays regularly at the Valleys Bridge Club in Orba and frequently on cruise ships.
The frustrations and joys of cruise ship bridge — the single-table sessions, the unrecognised brilliance of good defence, the lack of proper facilities on most ships — directly inspired the development of Bridge at Sea and the Bonus Bridge scoring system.
Since then, Mike has kept building — apps and downloads for bridge players wherever they play, whether that’s a cruise ship, a kitchen table, or a club still running paper travellers.
A hobby project, built for love of the game
Bridge at Sea is something Mike builds and runs himself, alongside retirement — not a company, just one bridge player trying to make the game a bit better for everyone else who loves it.
Most of it is free, and the premium apps cost very little. If you find any of it useful, a small tip helps cover hosting and running costs — genuinely appreciated, never expected.