Ballroom Dancing aboard Princess...

[curtis1313]

We are veteran cruisers but new to the Princess Line. I was hoping that someone could offer up some observations or experience with Ballroom type dancing on the ship. The availability and popularity of ballroom dancing seems to vary from line to line and even ship to ship.

 

I'm interested in hearing about this on Princess in general and if possible, more specfically aboard the Sea Princess. We're sailing the Mediterrean on July 23 and though we are relative newbies in the world of Ballroom dancing, we love it and relish all opportunities to practice. We're hoping to be able to strap on on dance shoees and Rhumba the night away. Is this going to happen ?

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Cha-Cha-Cha,

Curtis

[britsbest]

AS I remember there were afternoon lessons .........so I assume there must have been suitable dance music from time to time at night

[curtis1313]

Thanks Britsbest - That would make sense. We were on Celebrity Constellation Summer 03 and there was lot's of opportunities to dance. Earlier cruises on RCL , there weren't as much or maybe we just didn't notice cause we weren't into it as much back then.

[cruznliz]

I think the Princess policy is to have dance classes on every sea day. On the Royal Princess recently the classes were actually taught by the dancers (the young folks who dance in the shows at night). On other ships though the classes were taught by one of the cruise staff. There is dancing every night with the live band for the 30 minutes before the main show. There is also dancing at various bars during the course of the evening. Have a great time dancing! I wish we were better at it! :o

[Strawberry]

Hello Curtis - we love to ballroom dance and on all of the Princess ships we have been on we have found places where they have ballroom dance music. If they are not playing the right music for the specific type of dance you want to do, just ask them and they will play whatever you want. Also, on ships they actually have a dance host and hostess who teach the dance lessons during the day and then at night will have a time scheduled where they will be in one of the lounges. I noticed when the host/hostess are at that location the bands will definitely play ballroom dance music. Too bad there aren't more people who enjoy ballroom dancing. Sometimes we end up being the ONLY People on the dance floor and the band thanks us for dancing!

[Times Prince]

We, too, have enjoyed dancing on our Princess cruises. As mentioned by cruznliz, there is typically 1/2 hour of dancing before the lounge show (on Princess ships this is usually deck 7 aft). Dancing here is more active Cha-cha, rhumba, and swing seeing as most people come to listen rather than partaking in dancing.

 

One thing we really recommend - DANCE EVEN IF the FLOOR is EMPTY. For one thing you will enjoy yourselves (which is what the cruise is about), and for another you will meet many more people during the cruise, as you'll often hear a conversation opener of "Oh, you're the couple that loves to dance so well."

 

We even had the BAND remember us from the Pacific Princess cruise to our next Grand Princess cruise (same band, different ship). They said they really enjoy having people dance to their music. We were one of a small number of couples who regularly got out and danced before shows and were appreciated.

 

The Wheelhouse Bar on each ship will usually have a small band (trio/quartet with singer doing "standards") who will have good danceable music.

 

Also, on the Sea Princess check out the Horizon Court (Deck 14 Fwd) venue - there is a dance floor there as well. This is where they typically have dance classes including line dancing, cha cha, merengue... Then they usually have a band there in the later evening. If I recall rightly, late evening tends towards rock and/or disco.

 

We recommend sampling the various venues and bands (check out the Princess Patter) as there is usually something for everyone, with the bands that specialize in different types of music moving around in time and sometimes from venue to venue during the cruise.

 

Enjoy dancing !!! It really makes the cruise for us! :D

[Hate 2 W8t]

Thanks for this thread. I am so happy to hear there will be opportunities for ballroom. My DH and I are taking lessons in West Coast Swing currently, followed by the Rhumba & Merengue, in anticipation of being able to strut our stuff. ;) We are 2-steppers at heart, but thought we would try something new. Hopefully we won't look like really bad beginners if we end up with the spotlight. :eek:

[sunprincess]

You will have loads of opportunity to ballroom dance on Princess Ships.

ENJOY :)

[curtis1313]

I'm excited about all the positive responses. We started taking lesson a few years ago and are completely hooked. We came to the realization that the only way to keep up with it is to dance at every opportunity, so we go out dancing at least once per month. On the cruise, I hope to make that at least once per night.

 

We still consider ourselves beginners, so we might have hestitation about "DANCE EVEN IF the FLOOR is EMPTY" but maybe we'll give it a go.

 

Happy feet and happy sailings,

Curtis

[Kaye from Chicagoland]

Please feel free to join our thread on 'cruise rituals' ballroom dancing - you might find it interesting. I hope I put this link in right outerwise just go to cruise rituals and look for the thread on ballroom dancing.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=133289&page=1&pp=25

 

We would love for you to share your experiences. My husband and I are just beginners - so I don't call two years just beginning - we know what it is like to be all clumsy.

 

Smiles,

Kaye

[mummsie]

Hi we were on the Sapphire in January. Every sea day they have beginner classes from 9-10am from memory. We are competitive ballroom dancers - there were 3 of us couples on our cruise including our professional dance teachers - but we all really enjoyed 'learning' a more casual type of dancing which we could do on the ship and not look like we were showing off all the time. We danced the night away every night in a few different areas and they go to know us quite well and would ask for requests. So no problem taking your dancing shoes although I did leave my good comp ones at home :)

[harfield]

Hi we were on the Sapphire in January. Every sea day they have beginner classes from 9-10am from memory. We are competitive ballroom dancers - there were 3 of us couples on our cruise including our professional dance teachers - but we all really enjoyed 'learning' a more casual type of dancing which we could do on the ship and not look like we were showing off all the time. We danced the night away every night in a few different areas and they go to know us quite well and would ask for requests. So no problem taking your dancing shoes although I did leave my good comp ones at home :)

Hi Mummsie We love to dance but we are still early begginers and have been on the Star Princess where we put our best foots forward (and sometimes our worst foot as well lol) and love it. We are on the Diamond in October so we are looking forward to once again dancing before or after dinner. Which rooms did you do most of your dancing in on the Sapphire as I know it will be the same on the Diamond. Bob

[mummsie]

Hi AussieBob - I am an aussie to - live in Brisbane. Most of the time we danced in the wheelhouse bar with the quartet but we also did a lot of jive and salsa in Club Fusion. They do a lot of music in there as well. Also thats where they have their lessons. Some people brought their own CD's along and if the room is not being used for something, you can ask to put your music on and you can dance your heart out. There were a few folk on our cruise who needed their New Vogue fix. Gayle

[harfield]

Thanks Mummsie. We are in Perth. We have done dance lessons, ballroom and Latin but are not very good at it but we enjoy the dancing anyway. Its good to be able to get up and actually dance. Yes thats where we done most of our dancing in the Explorers Lounge as well. We Look forward to our next cruise. Aussie Bob

[mummsie]

Bob, as long as you enjoy. We are booked on the Pacific Princess in December so hopefully we will have the same good quality music. Gayle

[Times Prince]

I'm excited about all the positive responses. We started taking lesson a few years ago and are completely hooked. We came to the realization that the only way to keep up with it is to dance at every opportunity, so we go out dancing at least once per month. On the cruise, I hope to make that at least once per night.

 

We still consider ourselves beginners, so we might have hestitation about "DANCE EVEN IF the FLOOR is EMPTY" but maybe we'll give it a go.

Curtis

Curtis, I never said we were professionals - "beginners" might be a much better classification. Jo says that although I am a proficient guitar player, my "sense of rhythm does not extend as far as my feet". We love dancing, and can laugh at ourselves when we make mistakes (I clown around a little too). Most of our dancing for cha-cha, meringue etc. has been learned aboard ship and it's interesting when I get the steps intermixed. Then there's the motion of the boat, that most mistakes can be blamed on ;).

 

We really enjoy dancing, even if we are no Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers - actually more like Fred and Wilma Flintstone :D. The enjoyment is what others see, and what makes the cruise special. Besides, who can resist dancing to your own private orchestra? How romantic is that?

 

- Bob (in Texas)

[curtis1313]

Bob (in Texas),

 

i was referring to our confidence level more than our ability. However, after a martini or two, I'm usually braver and more sure-footed. We, too , have a good sense of humor about the whole thing. I sometimes can't hear or keep the beat and my wife is always forgeting the steps, some between the two of us, it can be quite amusing. What's most important, though, is that we are enjoying ourselves and each other's company. And yes, the motion of the boat can be a good excuse...or the actual cause of a mishap. One Caribbean cruise in rough waters, a few drinks, new high heels and the Jitterbug all contributed to our infamous dance floor snafu. I sent her out for a turn at the exact moment of a boat rock and she never returned... I did eventually retrieve her on the other side of the dance flloor, and thankfully, no harm done except for a few frayed nerves (hers, mine and few innocent bystanders).

 

Happy Sailings,

Curtis

[abbydancer2003]

We were on the Dawn for a repositioning cruise (Panama Canal) for our honeymoon several years ago. At that time, we'd been ballroom dancing for a few months. We tried to go to the lounge before dinner whenever possible to dance.

 

At the time, they were playing a lot of latin music, and we were making our best guess as to what to dance (we knew rumba, cha cha and EC swing). We were wrong most of the time (band played bossa novas, sambas, etc). Finally, the band leader looked at us and said "if you tell us what dances you know, we'll play them". It was said in a friendly manner, so we took no offense. And we did tell them, and they played it.

 

We also liked practicing foxtrot along the promenade deck. This may not be for everyone, since dancing without being in a dance venue can make people very self conscious, but if it doesn't bother you, it can be fun.

 

We're going on the Sapphire in October with about 20 other dancers. I'm bringing my IPOD and speaker for improptu practice.

 

abby

who will dance anytime, anywhere

[critterchick]

We love to dance, too! We took lessons about 10 years ago and started up again to refresh our steps. We found a great band in the Wheelhouse Bar on Diamond who could play just about anything for us, especially after we bought them a round during their break. DH is a musician, and always tries to treat the bands well.

 

We were usually the only people dancing, which I thought was sad, although it kept the potential for accidents down:eek: . On the Sun, the band played for 1/2 an hour before the 8 and 10:30 shows, and we were the only people taking advantage of it. Our thinking is that we don't know our fellow cruisers and will probably never see them again, so if we have a misstep or two, who cares?:D

 

Enjoy!

[curtis1313]

Ok, I'm convinced. I will not let an empty dance floor intimidate me !! Fellow passengers beware. And if I mix up my steps a little and end up doing the Foxtrot Swing, the RhumChaCha, the Chamba, or the Sambamumbo, then so be it.

[dbmiller1956]

I have been wondering if dh and I would have an opportunity to show off our new dancing skills somewhere on the ship, was glad to see this thread. We will be on the CB in October.

 

Being from SC, we just finished Shag classes and while it was hard to get dh to go to begin with, he really got into the classes after awhile. My main reason for the lessons was that, while we can dance the waltz and foxtrot..we never could quite master the Shag. And being that it is the official dance of "South Carolina"...I figured we needed to get to the classes. Now knowing that we can find a place to dance makes me even more excited about going on the cruise.

 

So, I will make sure I pack those dancing shoes and a CD.:D

 

"I love Beach music...cuz' I was born with it in my blood...."

 

"Ooooooohhh, Miss Grace, satin and perfume and lace".

 

Deena

[Mactarheel]

I have been wondering if dh and I would have an opportunity to show off our new dancing skills somewhere on the ship, was glad to see this thread. We will be on the CB in October.

 

Being from SC, we just finished Shag classes and while it was hard to get dh to go to begin with, he really got into the classes after awhile. My main reason for the lessons was that, while we can dance the waltz and foxtrot..we never could quite master the Shag. And being that it is the official dance of "South Carolina"...I figured we needed to get to the classes. Now knowing that we can find a place to dance makes me even more excited about going on the cruise.

 

So, I will make sure I pack those dancing shoes and a CD.:D

 

"I love Beach music...cuz' I was born with it in my blood...."

 

"Ooooooohhh, Miss Grace, satin and perfume and lace".

 

Deena

 

Hi Deena... I'm so happy to find another "shagger" in the group. My wife and I started renewing our shagging skills several years ago with lessons. We have really enjoyed dancing on the Golden Princess, Caribbean Princess and Star Princess the past three years. We have gotten past the intimidation of the "empty dance floor" and jump right in there. We figure... what the heck, we don't know any of these people and they have no idea what we're doing anyway.:D I have been amazed at the number of inquiries and nice compliments we've gotten from total strangers that have seen us shaggin'.

 

For those not familiar with the "shag" dance... I describe it as kinda like a "swing dance on *****"... slower and smoother with very little movement above the waist and lots of intricate footwork, turns and spins.

 

We enjoy dancing in all the venues but especially like the intimate setting and the dance floor of the Wheelhouse Lounge. You will find the bands that play on the ship are quite receptive to taking request... and you will;) have to ask to get that slower rhythm necessary for shaggin'.

 

"I love beach music... that old beer drinking music... shaggin' kinda music like you hear at O.D. ... I'm talking 'bout music by The Tams, The Clovers, The Catalinas, The Embers"

[MouseMan]

I make a point of dancing with my wife in the Wheelhouse Bar every night. Since we are not able to get out and dance much at home( 2 young children make for an expensive night out) we take full advantage of dancing onboard whenever we can. Usually we are the youngest and least experienced on the dance floor and many times the only ones out there. We have never let an empty dance floor stop us from enjoying the pleasure of dancing together. In fact, many times it has sparked many to get up and dance. I have even taught my DW new dance steps (I have dance experience) right there in front of all those people. We usually get comments from fellow cruisers about how nice it is to see a young couple dance together. GUYS.....dancing on a cruise scores big in the making magical moments in a marriage category;)

[fraubritta]

My husband and I also love to dance and we will be on the Sea Princess on Sat. June 4 for the same itinerary that you are taking in July. There should be plenty of dancing onboard. We have found that the Wheelhouse Lounge on each boat is the one that best meets our needs. Dance floor is okay in size and the people in the Wheelhouse are there to dance. They usually rotate two bands through the evening; on early and one late and then the opposite the next night. I think that you will find that they will play enough ballroom for you. You can also request. Good Luck, Sue

[curtis1313]

Fraubritta - have a wonderful time. Enjoy all the dancing and be sure to post when you return and let us know how wonderful it was.