Kick up your heels and dance the night away while you sail away. Dancing during your cruise is one of the great pleasures of cruising, whether it’s a cruise themed to Big Band, Elvis or Country music. This is where you can dance at sea, perhaps even win a Mirror Ball Trophy:
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Norwegian Breakaway – I’m just back from the inaugural cruise, where I danced with the Rockettes. Yes, I lived my dream and danced with the world-famous Radio City Rockettes, who are aboard every cruise to perform, meet with guests, and teach routines from one of their famous shows. My group learned the opening part of The March of the Wooden Soldiers, part of the Christmas Spectacular. It was great fun, and quite a work-out.
Anybody who knows me knows I love to dance, especially swing dancing. One of my favorite destinations aboard ship is the Fat Cats Jazz and Blues Club, where Slam Allen, one of the most talented performers on the planet, and his band, play favorites from the 40s to the 80s. There’s a small space for dancing, and my partner and I were on it every night of the cruise.
We also got to enjoy the show Burn the Floor, a non-stop performance of a little bit of just about every kind of partner dancing, including rhumba, tango, lindy and waltz. It’s sizzling fast and sexy dancing, and afterward the dancers invite guests to join them on the dance floor. Link to Norwegian Breakaway entertainment
Norwegian Breakaway is home porting from New York City, on the Hudson River. She’s a great addition to my hometown – and a great place for dancing at sea.
Holland America Line has launched a “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” program. Through November 25, 2013, every sailing of each of the line’s 15 ships features dance lessons from professional dance instructors and a competition for the winner, who then can go on to a dance-off to represent that ship in the finals, for the chance to win a free cruise plus a Mirror Ball Trophy.
Following preliminary rounds on each cruise, finalists are paired with a Holland America Line dance professional to perform one of the show’s routines and compete against their fellow guests center stage in the ship’s main show lounge. The judging panel includes senior ship officers, shipboard professional dancers and other cruise staff, plus audience appreciation scores. Guest dancers with the highest scores from each ship win a a free ocean view stateroom on the Jan. 12, 2014, Champions Cruise to compete for Grand Champion.
That Dancing with the Stars theme cruise also will feature professional dancers and celebrities from the ABC hit show; dance lessons with the shipboard dance professionals; a chance to meet the dance pros and celebrities from the show, ask questions and take photos; a special fashion show with the glamorous show costumes, and a dance production starring the celebrities and dance pros, complete with routines from the TV series. If you love dancing, this is the cruise for you.
Rock around the clock in your blue suede shoes aboard the next Elvis Cruise. Book now for the cruise in Feburary 2014, from Ft. Lauderdale, to the Caribbean, with a full schedule of Elvis Tribute Artists and performances of his many hit songs. And dancing. Lindy, east coast swing, and my own personal favorite, west coast swing.
Get aboard the Soul Train Cruise in October 2013. Artists confirmed to perform on board include Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne, The Whispers, Freddie Jackson, Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, Jennifer Holliday, Billy Paul , ConFunkShun, Jody Watley, Regina Belle, The Bar-Kays, The Dazz Band, The Mary Jane Girls, The Original Lakeside, A Taste of Honey featuring Janice Marie, DW3, Comedian Alonzo Bodden and DJ extraordinaire Biz Markie. The seven-day cruise departs from San Diego on October 5th, traveling to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Baja Magdalena, aboard Holland America’s m/s Westerdam. Of course, there will be dancing to all that music.
Elvis Presley portrait courtesy Smithsonian Institution
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