Update : Cunard Dance Hosts

[Bell Boy]

From a reliable source

It appears Cunard are set to replace Dance Hosts with effect from  August 2023  with only two ( one male & one female) 

I understand that the professional Dance Couple who are at present onboard Queen Victoria ( Alex & Liuba) will resign effective 25th July.

It appears Cunard are changing the contracts of the professional dance couples, they will now be asked to do host duty in the evenings , dancing with single guests every evening, in addition to their midday dance lessons .

It seems that there will no longer be Gentlemen/Lady dances hosts on most itineraries with the exception of World Cruises and Transatlantic voyages .   

[lissie]

That's very sad - can't believe they are cutting the hosts for the sake of a few cabins and meals in the lido 😞

[majortom10]

Just shows how penny pinching Cunard are prepared to go if it is true.

[ballroom-cruisers]

I believe these changes are indeed being brought in, and it is very sad that Alex and Liuba have felt that they have no option but to resign.  I would expect very few, if any, professional dance couples would be prepared to work for many months at a time, dancing with solo partners every evening, all evening, as well as their other duties. So I would expect we will likely no longer see professional ballroom dance couples on board Cunard voyages in the future unless Cunard abandons these new ideas.  I believe these new ideas are being driven by new staff at Cunard HQ, who were previously with another cruise line where there is a different  mindset. It looks like the nature of the atmosphere on Cunard cruises will be changing.

[carlmm]

1 hour ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

... these new ideas are being driven by new staff at Cunard HQ, who were previously with another cruise line where there is a different  mindset. It looks like the nature of the atmosphere on Cunard cruises will be changing.

Sad but also proven by many other shortcuts and downgrades.

[Bell Boy]

I believe you may be correct ballroom-cruisers, this same concept is already on Saga Cruise Lines.

Usually a husband and wife couple ( Brits).  Whilst reasonable dancers , I really wouldn't call them professional ballroom dancers ( ie in those from the Ukraine and nearby countries who have often ranked high competing  in World Competitions) 

I expect it's the end of those professional dance exhibitions that we have often enjoyed in the Queens Room on a formal evening.  

 

[safarigal]

This is really not right! Part of the allure of Cunard for my clients is spending their evenings dancing with the dance hosts. This really is penny pinching. There will be a lot of very unhappy people, for very little financial gain for Cunard. They do need to reconsider this.

[ballroom-cruisers]

I guess that Cunard has not had as much feedback from people who want to continue ballroom dancing on board, as the vociferous feedback from non-dancers about putting other events on in the Queens Room, or the clamour about wanting disco dancing that everyone can do, and so on. In the end if there are lots of people who don't want to dance and make a lot of comments about it, and the dancers keep quiet, then eventually the managers will change things.... hopefully we will still be able to do enough ballroom dancing on the cruises we have booked to keep us happy - for now - but we will of course, like others, see how things change.  We send in our feedback before and after every voyage, but perhaps we are a minority among the passengers. At least there are still other options that allow us to keep dancing ballroom, and Latin, regularly.

[ballroom-cruisers]

17 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

I believe you may be correct ballroom-cruisers, this same concept is already on Saga Cruise Lines.

Usually a husband and wife couple ( Brits).  Whilst reasonable dancers , I really wouldn't call them professional ballroom dancers ( ie in those from the Ukraine and nearby countries who have often ranked high competing  in World Competitions) 

I expect it's the end of those professional dance exhibitions that we have often enjoyed in the Queens Room on a formal evening.  

 

 

Sadly that would seem likely - they may bring in some theatre dancers, from the cast who are on board doing the theatre dancing, to put on a 'show' on Gala nights in the Queens Room - but of course they are not professional ballroom dancers, so that would be no more skilled than the dancing they do in the theatre during some shows. So we will probably not have the top level high quality show dances - they may do some dancing that looks dramatic, and full of energy, but not likely to be the real quality of movement that we love to see in the professional ballroom dancers who have been past national champions and similar skill level.

 

Oh, and Safarigal, yes on some loss, though saving by not paying the dance professionals, and there may be a loss of some loyal Cunarders too who may book on other lines, but maybe they won't mind replacing the passengers they lose with new passengers migrating in from other lines.

Edited July 14, 2023 by ballroom-cruisers

[NE John]

On our recent TA, one of the female Royal Court stage dancers helped a male professional dancer. She seemed to know her stuff, good posture too!
With the above news in mind, I do feel bad for single travelers who want to dance with another in a relaxed manner in QR. 
Yes, I was critical of what I thought was an overemphasis on Ballroom dancing onboard that created (to us) an unwelcoming vibe but I also support keeping a lion’s share of activities in QR to BR dancing. The QR is a beautiful scene. However, the timing of some dance arrangements needs to be improved and they should mix dances up a bit to include other dancing modes. No German beer hall tempo waltzes!

[ballroom-cruisers]

Hopefully, NE John, hopefully, it is not too late and hopefully the horse has not already bolted.

 

Yes some of the theatre dancers may have had previous ballroom dancing experience at a reasonable level - but only a fraction.

Edited July 14, 2023 by ballroom-cruisers
Added sentence

[D&N]

I can't imagine many elite dance couples accepting such conditions.

Although we didn't get round to attending their classes on our round trip crossing we did meet Alex & Liuba briefly, and watched some of their displays.

A normally more mature dance host who has signed up specifically to dance with singles knows they may be in a position of it being difficult to refuse to dance with any passenger who requests their services.

At the risk of (happily) being accused of being sexist, if we were a youngish pro dance couple, I would be concerned that my female partner had little choice but to dance with men that she didn't particularly want to be in close hold with.

We used to regularly attend events in the Glasgow area in groups of up to 14, where over the evening we would dance with all our friends. Usually those of the opposite sex (although there was one time..., but that's another story). It was social dancing where you did basic stuff and chatted to your partner as you moved round the floor. But they were all friends, most of whom we keep in contact with. Nora was always the youngest of the group, and while a couple of the gents were jokingly flirtatious she knew they were harmless.

It's a quite different thing to be contractually obliged to dance with someone who's ballroom hold is not quite as it should be or isn't aware that they suffer from halitosis.

[BigMac1953]

Can't imagine cast members wanting to act as hosts immediately after two performances.

 

When not performing, they still rehearse every day, and spend time in the gym. It's pretty much full on. Our daughter did it for two years.

[BklynBoy8]

The Professionals gave private dance lessons to individual passenger twice we saw.

 

Each time was btw 2-3 in the Qx Rm just before Bingo was being held.

 

Music was supplied by one's phone thru the sound system of the Qx Rm.

[ballroom-cruisers]

Yes the professionals offered private dance lessons, which were usually in the Queen's Room during the daytime provided no other activity was already in the room.  At the moment it looks like if the professional couple will not accept the new terms of contract and all resign, then that will no longer happen. Whether other dance teachers or dance hosts are offered and be prepared to run group dance classes, remains to be seen - but they may not offer private individual lessons the way the professional ballroom dancers have been doing for many years.

[elmsliebev]

that is such a shame. One of the things about Cunard is the use of dance hosts. I took my mum on QE some years ago and she really enjoyed dancing with the hosts a few times. They even took me out a couple of times as my OH and I had just started having lessons. They were vey kind and it's one of the things that sets Cunard apart. 

On a TA with a girlfriend for her 60th birthday, we palled up with 2 of the hosts, occasionally meeting up for a coffee and finding out more about how it all works. As Lissie says, doing this for a couple of cabins (the guys we met shared a twin cabin) and a few meals is pretty shabby. 

[ballroom-cruisers]

Yes indeed, elmsliebev, but I expect Cunard will receive a fair few comments, both in the post-voyage questionnaires, as well as passengers collaring the entertainment managers while they are still on the ship. I have seen a few 'exchanges' of that latter kind on a few occasions in the past!

[WantedOnVoyage]

"Post Voyage Questionnaires"?

 

What praytell is that again??? We have sailed Cunard three times since 2019... and not once received one, either aboard or upon return.

 

I suppose it makes it easier to ignore your customers while you nibble away at the product they bought in hope you just keep coming back anyway.  Don't ask, don't tell... and be grateful "cruising is back".  It's like shopping at GUM in Leningrad back in the day... you don't care what it is, just be grateful it's on the shelf. 

[ballroom-cruisers]

A few years ago we had our settings 'reset' by Cunard, during a web server update that must have gone wrong, for where they send out questionnaires - so I phoned Cunard and the agent set them back correctly and they have sent us questionnaires at the end of every voyage since then.  A phone call might do the trick for you also! Also make sure that they have the correct email address to send them to you, and also double check that they don't end up in your spam folder, and if so 'unspam' them.

Edited July 16, 2023 by ballroom-cruisers
Added sentence

[Lakesregion]

I don't know why this is a supriswe to so many. Cunard has been going the way of all cruise lines for years now with their slow reduction of the dress code, the adding of enhancement packages and the general down marketing of the experience. Cuanrd feels they must reach the more casual market that does not dance, enjoys "smart Jeans" and likes drinks packages etc. The new queen will have very limited if any real ballroom dancing offered. And within a couple of years afternoon tea will also be gone.

 

And the traditionalsts have no one to blame but themselves as they allowed the slow deminishment to occur instead of fighting back.The Grand Canyon was not created overnight and Cunard's lose of "Tradtion" and a very formal way was not changed over night.

[Lakesregion]

Interesting to read the deniers who fail to see what is right in front of them. Sadly they will also have to enduret the fall.

[LittleFish1976]

What an awful shame it is that Cunard are doing away with dance hosts under most circumstances. It totally changes the product and the experience for many of us. Hopefully it will prove to be an ill-advised change and they'll be forced to walk it back (so to speak).

 

Post-Cruise Questionnaire; I emailed Cunard after my most recent cruise a few months ago requesting I be sent a questionnaire to make sure I received one. Request was in vain; no questionnaire ever sent.

 

@Lakesregion what sort of 'fighting back' would you have us do? The customer only has the power to speak to her friends about her experience and to take her cruise funds elsewhere. Neither of these choices will have any effect on Cunard's plans for their ships. They have their own ideas about what product they wish to offer and who they wish their customers to be. If we ain't it, it seems it's too bad. Cunard do not listen to any feedback that doesn't align with their preconceptions, it seems to me. They've chosen the market they wish to attract and are shaping it thus.

 

 

[exlondoner]

10 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

What an awful shame it is that Cunard are doing away with dance hosts under most circumstances. It totally changes the product and the experience for many of us. Hopefully it will prove to be an ill-advised change and they'll be forced to walk it back (so to speak).

 

Post-Cruise Questionnaire; I emailed Cunard after my most recent cruise a few months ago requesting I be sent a questionnaire to make sure I received one. Request was in vain; no questionnaire ever sent.

 

@Lakesregion what sort of 'fighting back' would you have us do? The customer only has the power to speak to her friends about her experience and to take her cruise funds elsewhere. Neither of these choices will have any effect on Cunard's plans for their ships. They have their own ideas about what product they wish to offer and who they wish their customers to be. If we ain't it, it seems it's too bad. Cunard do not listen to any feedback that doesn't align with their preconceptions, it seems to me. They've chosen the market they wish to attract and are shaping it thus.

 

 

What market is that?

[ballroom-cruisers]

58 minutes ago, LittleFish1976 said:

What an awful shame it is that Cunard are doing away with dance hosts under most circumstances. It totally changes the product and the experience for many of us. Hopefully it will prove to be an ill-advised change and they'll be forced to walk it back (so to speak).

 

Post-Cruise Questionnaire; I emailed Cunard after my most recent cruise a few months ago requesting I be sent a questionnaire to make sure I received one. Request was in vain; no questionnaire ever sent.

 

@Lakesregion what sort of 'fighting back' would you have us do? The customer only has the power to speak to her friends about her experience and to take her cruise funds elsewhere. Neither of these choices will have any effect on Cunard's plans for their ships. They have their own ideas about what product they wish to offer and who they wish their customers to be. If we ain't it, it seems it's too bad. Cunard do not listen to any feedback that doesn't align with their preconceptions, it seems to me. They've chosen the market they wish to attract and are shaping it thus.

 

 

 

From my own experience I think talking to a live human being on the phone is way better than emailing customer services.  The real human can log in directly on their computer and change the settings there and then if you ask them to do so.  Whether or not some random agent responding to email would do the same seems less likely.  Also in principle I believe that it should be possible to change your own 'promotion/contact' settings if you log in to your Cunard account. If the settings are indeed changed, then you will still not get a questionnaire retrospectively, but should do at the end of your next voyage.

 

One other point of information.  It is believed that dance hosts (as opposed to a professional dance couple), will be on most of the QV voyages for the rest of this year, and they will be required to dance with solo dancers in the evenings, as well as run the group beginner dance classes in the middle of the day on sea days.  Others may get trickles of information about whether the same will be happening on the other ships for the rest of this year, assuming the professional ballroom couples all resign.  One other interesting observation was that recently on QM2, a gaggle of theatre girls were at the beginner ballroom classes trying to learn how to dance basic waltz, tango and some Latin dances.

Edited July 17, 2023 by ballroom-cruisers
Added sentence

[Lakesregion]

4 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

What an awful shame it is that Cunard are doing away with dance hosts under most circumstances. It totally changes the product and the experience for many of us. Hopefully it will prove to be an ill-advised change and they'll be forced to walk it back (so to speak).

 

Post-Cruise Questionnaire; I emailed Cunard after my most recent cruise a few months ago requesting I be sent a questionnaire to make sure I received one. Request was in vain; no questionnaire ever sent.

 

@Lakesregion what sort of 'fighting back' would you have us do? The customer only has the power to speak to her friends about her experience and to take her cruise funds elsewhere. Neither of these choices will have any effect on Cunard's plans for their ships. They have their own ideas about what product they wish to offer and who they wish their customers to be. If we ain't it, it seems it's too bad. Cunard do not listen to any feedback that doesn't align with their preconceptions, it seems to me. They've chosen the market they wish to attract and are shaping it thus.

 

 

Cancelling a full world cruise because Cunard was still charging full fare but deliving a half package was my way. And as far as I can see the only way. And yes I agree, the die has already been set and Cunard is only trying to slow walk it because they do not yet have the market to fill all four ships with the new passenger demographic they are seeking.