22Shares

Parkland Entrepreneur Brings Mah Jongg Lovers Together on Cruises and Global Adventures

Susan Bishop and Jill Fox onboard the Celebrity Ascent ship. {courtesy}

Mah Jongg originated in 19th-century China. A century later, it sailed the Pacific and became a favorite pastime for many—particularly Jewish, middle-aged women in New York City. Thanks to Parkland resident and Mah Jongg entrepreneur Jill Fox, the increasingly popular tile-based strategy game has become a world traveler.

Fox, who has written for Parkland Talk in the past, learned to play Mah Jongg earlier than most. “Since I was a kid,” she said. “My mom taught me when I was very young.” She grew up in Central Florida, and when she later moved to South Florida, Fox began playing with her friends as an adult.

“When I turned 40, my mom told me it was time for my own game with friends,” she said. Her mother taught three of her friends, and they began playing regularly. Then, in 2019, Fox began holding Mah Jongg nights at Carmela Coffee in Parkland. Then, out of the blue, something unexpected came that threw everyone’s life for a loss: COVID-19.

Like everything else by March 2020, Mah Jongg fun and camaraderie ceased. “When we play Mah Jongg, all we do is nosh and touch our tiles – not a good combo these days,” Fox was quoted in a December 2020 Parkland Talk article.

Unwilling to accept a life without Mah Jongg, Fox donned her most creative, entrepreneurial hat and worked on finding a way to continue playing the game despite the raging pandemic. Low and behold, she found a solution: mini canisters of antibacterial wipes to clean the tiles. As an inside joke all Mah Jongg enthusiasts will understand, she created the perfect, catchy logo for her product: “Some SOAP to wipe your CRACK.” For those untutored in esoteric mah jongg lingo, soap and crack are both names of tiles. As the dreaded pandemic – thank goodness – began to abate and loosen its grip on people’s lifestyles, the Parkland mom/entrepreneur expanded her Mah Jongg-themed business creations.

Mah Jongg participants onboard a Danube River Cruise last April. {courtesy}.

She and a partner, Parkland resident Susan Bishop, founded a travel business in 2021, aptly titled “Crak Your Bags,” a word play on both the Mah Jongg tiles and “pack your bags.”

Not only are Fox and Bishop Mah Jongg mavens, but the Parkland moms are both certified travel advisors arranging cruises and other trips, many of which are specifically geared toward Mah Jongg players.

However, Fox points out they are also a full-service travel agency. The Mah Jongg trips have been a huge success. “It’s just multiplied,” said Fox. “Players go home and tell their Mah Jongg friends, and so on.”

“Our trips, like Mah Jongg, are multi-generational. Everyone loves to travel. Moms and daughters, sisters, cousins. We even have some men who Mahj.”

Bishop said their business grew out of the pandemic. “People were at home, isolated,” she said. “We felt a real need to get people back together again. I knew we could fill a void. People are now coming to us.”

They are experts in global travel, not just limited to Mah Jongg players.

“We provide travel to all destinations, from all-inclusive resorts to African safaris. Whether it’s a fun event with 150 players or a cozy family getaway, we plan it all—tailored just for you.”

Playing Mah Jongg offers its health benefits as well. Bishop said. “As you age, using your brain is great. Games like Mah Jongg and canasta are critical to brain health as you get older. It also connects people socially.”

Parkland resident Erin Regen has been on many Crak Your Bags cruises. “I met some of my closest friends on a Mah Jongg cruise,” she said. And now they’re all going to Amsterdam together on a river cruise.

“When you talk to people on a cruise, everyone knows someone you know. It’s like Jewish geography.” What she enjoys most about Mah Jongg is meeting people and learning how different people play. “It’s a very small community, but it’s great.”

Mah Jongg participants onboard a Danube River Cruise last April. {courtesy}.

Fox said most of their 2025 cruises have sold out. Their next cruise is on March 7, with 175 Mah Jongg players. In April, they will head to Amsterdam with 140 people. “We chartered the whole ship,” she said.

Send your news to Parkland’s #1 Award-Winning News Source, Parkland Talk. Don’t Miss Tamarac Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Margate Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk.

Author Profile

Martin Lenkowsky

Martin Lenkowsky moved to Coral Springs from NYC in 1982. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College. He has been both writer and editor for a number of South Florida publications since 1983. He considers features writing his specialty.