Ballroom dancing - Queen Mary 2 first cruise - 4 night cruise November 2012

[kitchens]

We have booked our very first cruise on the QM2, 4 nights in November. This is to see if we like it, as we have previously sailed with P&O. As its a short cruise, we would be grateful if anyone could let us know what ballroom dancing events should be taking place; will these take place every night and are there any day time sessions, ie. classes, what level of dancing experience are these aimed at? Thank you in anticipation. We are very excited and hope we really enjoy it.

[PvTraveler]

Hello and welcome and I hope you will enjoy your QM2 sampler cruise. There should be at least one session of ballroom dancing each night to a live band. There will also be pre-recorded dance music at other times in the ballroom. On a 4 day cruise you may have one "ball". This just means that there will be one of the cruise entertainment staff "hosting" the evening and there my be a social dancing "game" of sorts.

 

There are dance classes, very basic, on any sea day of the cruise. You might also have an afternoon Tea Dance. While the regular tea is being served in the Queens Room, the band is there and you can get up and dance while experiencing afternoon Tea. Not to be missed if they have one !

 

Good luck and enjoy the voyage.

[kitchens]

Thank you!

[Dancer Bob]

I was on all three Queens, QM2, QE (both 7-day TA's)and QE (10-day Caribbean) this January. The QM2 was regrettably the biggest dance disappointment of the three. While the dance floor is the largest, the music was the poorest. The recorded music was about 50-50, there was some nice stuff but also a lot of duds that needed to be chopped. The Queens Room Orchestra's are contract musicians who change regularly and with quality that's highly variable, but usually mediocre at best. Expect to do most of your dancing during the recorded music sets. Note that the entrance to the alternate venue, G32, is through the QR, so when there's a reception, no access and no dancing.

A 4-day cruise will definitely be a different atmosphere from a longer one for dance activities.

[cafeDB]

I was on all three Queens, QM2, QE (both 7-day TA's)and QE (10-day Caribbean) this January. The QM2 was regrettably the biggest dance disappointment of the three. While the dance floor is the largest, the music was the poorest. The recorded music was about 50-50, there was some nice stuff but also a lot of duds that needed to be chopped. The Queens Room Orchestra's are contract musicians who change regularly and with quality that's highly variable, but usually mediocre at best. Expect to do most of your dancing during the recorded music sets. Note that the entrance to the alternate venue, G32, is through the QR, so when there's a reception, no access and no dancing.

A 4-day cruise will definitely be a different atmosphere from a longer one for dance activities.

 

Just back from QM2 today and just wanted to say that your comments, as usual, are spot on.

We enjoyed the band on QV more and the dance floor there felt bigger as it was not restricted by the glass balcony at the end. The band was a joke. There was a long pause between each song as they actually discussed how they would play the song (hello?? don't they rehearse this stuff first?). The band leader would then announce something like : "Now for a nice slow waltz" and promptly play a Viennese Waltz instead!

You were right too that we got most of our dancing in the first 2 hours of recorded music and then rested when the Orchestra came on to play variable tempo music that catered to the shake your booty dancers, the "1,2,3" in little squares "waltzers" and the "hold each other with eyes closed right in the middle of the floor, while other people try to dance around them" dancers and the, "anticlockwise" dancers.

There were lots of excellent dancers onboard this segment of the QM2 World cruise HK to Singapore, mostly from HK and the floor was pretty crowded even during the recorded music segments. The CD seems to be listening to our Cruise Critic posts as they now call the segments " Strict Tempo Dance Music".

[Slow Foxtrot]

Just back from QM2 today and just wanted to say that your comments, as usual, are spot on.

We enjoyed the band on QV more and the dance floor there felt bigger as it was not restricted by the glass balcony at the end. The band was a joke. There was a long pause between each song as they actually discussed how they would play the song (hello?? don't they rehearse this stuff first?). The band leader would then announce something like : "Now for a nice slow waltz" and promptly play a Viennese Waltz instead!..........

 

It appears that nothing has changed (dance wise) on the QM2 since its inaugural season in 2004. Back then the dance band never had a clue about correct dance tempos and it seems that they still don't have a clue now. What on earth are these people doing playing on Cunard's much vaunted 'biggest ballroom at sea' ?

If they still don't know the difference between a Slow Waltz and a Viennese Waltz then dancers just might as well give up. Playing correct tempos for dancing is not rocket science. There have been so many complaints about this over the years and yet Cunard remain unconcerned. Occasionally, as band leaders change, some manage to get the tempos almost right but, as cafeDB reveals, it's still a hit and miss. It's time for Cunard to get their act together and ensure that the dance bands they employ can do justice to the Queens Ballroom.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Slow Foxtrot

[BobBranst]

I've often wondered if the people who constantly complain about bands not playing the "correct" tempo carry a metronome. While my dancing may not be up to the standard of some here, I manage to adjust my dancing to the music that is being played. After all, this is social dancing, not International Style Competitive Dancing.

 

Contrary to some, I find that the caliber of musicianship of the QR band members to be very high and IMO far better than most of the bands playing in land based ballrooms. If you need to have continuous, non-stop, "strict" tempo music, the recordings are there for you. Personally, I'll take a live danceband every time. How many other lines have a seven piece band playing nightly just for ballroom dancing?

[debjo]

I've a question...or actually DH does...

Since we live in the United States and are accustomed to the dance "line of direction" being COUNTER-CLOCKWISE...we're wondering what the "line of direction" is when dancing in the Queens Room on the QM2 is going to be? Even though Cunard is now owned by the American based Carnival Corporation, their ships still retain a very British feel. We know that in England (& Ireland) everyone drives on the "opposite" side of the road from those of us here in the USA. When it comes to horse racing the directions are also different between the UK and the USA. So, naturally, we're wondering if the different directions will apply to the "line of direction" on the dance floor of the QM2?

 

Debjo

Edited April 11, 2014 by debjo

[BobBranst]

I've a question...or actually DH does...

Since we live in the United States and are accustomed to the dance "line of direction" being COUNTER-CLOCKWISE...we're wondering what the "line of direction" is when dancing in the Queens Room on the QM2 is going to be? Even though Cunard is now owned by the American based Carnival Corporation, their ships still retain a very British feel. We know that in England (& Ireland) everyone drives on the "opposite" side of the road from those of us here in the USA. When it comes to horse racing the directions are also different between the UK and the USA. So, naturally, we're wondering if the different directions will apply to the "line of direction" on the dance floor of the QM2?

 

Debjo

 

(I didn't understand the earlier "anti-clockwise" remark either.) I'm pretty sure that "Line of Dance" is Counter-Clockwise around the world. That has certainly been true on all of our previous QM2 & QE voyages.

Edited April 11, 2014 by BobBranst

[debjo]

To BobBranst...

Many thanks for your reply...we'll rest assured that we won't have to be dancing on the "opposite site of the street" when we're on the QM2! :-)

Debjo

[cafeDB]

OOps, typed that real late.

I 'm sorry I meant to say clockwise / anti-line of dance. The line of dance is the same but some people don't seem to know that onboard.

What I meant about the tempo is that the tempo was either hard to hear or that it was variable during the same song. Speeding up and slowing down at will!

[Blueacre]

I've often wondered if the people who constantly complain about bands not playing the "correct" tempo carry a metronome. While my dancing may not be up to the standard of some here, I manage to adjust my dancing to the music that is being played. After all, this is social dancing, not International Style Competitive Dancing.

 

Contrary to some, I find that the caliber of musicianship of the QR band members to be very high and IMO far better than most of the bands playing in land based ballrooms. If you need to have continuous, non-stop, "strict" tempo music, the recordings are there for you. Personally, I'll take a live danceband every time. How many other lines have a seven piece band playing nightly just for ballroom dancing?

 

Amateur dancers with computers know best!

[BobBranst]

What I meant about the tempo is that the tempo was either hard to hear or that it was variable during the same song. Speeding up and slowing down at will!

 

I'll have 17 days on the QM2 to judge this for myself beginning in about a month. FWIW, I played music professionally for nearly 50 years prior to my retirement and still have a pretty good internal sense of "time".

 

There is always a small amount of tempo variation in any "live" music performance. With good professional players the amount of variation is usually so small that it is undetectable by 99% of listeners. OTOH, studio recordings are sometimes made with the aid a "click track" (metronome). I have a metronome app on my iPhone, and I'll check out a few tunes just for grins.

 

Bob

[Dancer Bob]

Yes, Cunard has a problem- to answer complaints about dull and dreary music, they've been having horn players jump up and start some horrendous cacophony, which just makes it dull, dreary and horrendous.

USA Dance and NDCA both publish recommended social tempos, none of which should present any big problem for International style dancers socially.

Look at the question from the other way- why did the band choose to pay off-tempo music?

[BobBranst]

Yes, Cunard has a problem- to answer complaints about dull and dreary music, they've been having horn players jump up and start some horrendous cacophony, which just makes it dull, dreary and horrendous.

USA Dance and NDCA both publish recommended social tempos, none of which should present any big problem for International style dancers socially.

Look at the question from the other way- why did the band choose to pay off-tempo music?

I appears that it is just you and a few others, rather than Cunard, that is having a problem with the music. What is dull and dreary to one person may be just about perfect to another. Believe it or not, some people come to the Queens Room to listen as well as to dance to the band's music.

 

I woud hate to see the band's leader looking at some printed "recommended" dance tempos and then check with his metronome before kicking off the tempo for each and every tune. Talk about dull music! No doubt, some would then complain that the band is taking too much time between songs.

 

I was perfectly satisfied with both the band and their selection of music on my last QM2 voyage in 2012. Unless the quality of the music in the QR has changed dramatically, I'm sure that I will be satisfied with it once again, both for listening as well as dancing.

 

Bob