What Dancing Should I Learn Before My Cruise Holiday?
Basically… All of them! But we’re biased.
The ‘big 3′ as we call them are’
- Rumba
- Salsa
- Rock n roll
For Cruising i would also recommend the basis of waltz, swing and cha cha but of courae, this is dependant on how mcuh time you have before you leave.
Should I Learn To Dance Before I Go Cruising?
So you’re considering booking your next holiday, and the idea of a Cruise sounds appealing… awesome! Whilst cruise holidays are great fun, I can’t help but feel that if you don’t learn a little bit of social ballroom dancing before you go, you might be missing out on a huge part of the overall holiday experience! Let me explain why and then you can decide for yourself…
Cruise ships are known for their smorgasbords of both food and, more importantly, entertainment! This includes quiz shows, cooking classes, line dancing, world class performances in magic, singing, dancing, ice skating, acrobatics, and more!
Here are 5 reasons why Cruise holidays are more fun when you learn how to dance.
1. The Dance Shows Become More Interesting
When you have learned how to dance, watching the professionals take to the floor gets a whole other level to it:
- You understand the styles of dance and a bit of the history making it more interesting to watch
- When you have tried that dance or that step yourself you can better appreciate seeing someone do it well. It may look easy but that doesn’t mean that it is!
- You have a better appreciation for a well put together routine.
A routine that has variety in its step patterns, and in the way they have choreographed the dance steps to the music, will be even more enjoyable when you appreciate the mastery that has gone into it.
2. The Dance Classes are Easier to Follow
Most Liners will offer dance lessons on board. Often these are taught by the performers on the ship. Whilst these performers are incredible dancers they are not always natural teachers and it can be easy to get a bit confused during class. If you already have a grip on the basics you will find these classes a lot easier and therefore a lot more enjoyable.
You may even end up coming home with a few new moves to show your teacher!
These classes are normally group classes. If you are not sure about the difference between private and group classes you can find out more here.
3. Live Music to Dance To!
If there is one thing that many Cruise Ships have in spades it’s fabulous live music which provides the perfect opportunity to get up and dance. No more sitting at the bar bobbing along, get up and bust a move on the dance floor!
Pro Tip: Ask your travel agent or ask the Cruise Line about the bands that are on board and what styles of music they play so you can prepare.
We went on a ship that had an incredible reggae band on board which is generally salsa. With this in mind we all spent time fine tuning our salsa ahead of the holiday.
4. Allocated Ballroom/Latin Dance Time on the Timetable
Many ships will allocate timeslots on their timetable to ballroom and Latin dancing.
They often have multiple dance floors or spaces available and will have one each night where they will play music for partner dancing for a couple of hours before or after dinner. Perfect!
5. A Great Way to Make New Friends
Something I have noticed over the years is how much people love to watch others dancing and enjoying themselves.
When the QuickSteps Community went on our first Cruise in November 2016 we danced every night, and sometimes during the day as well! By the 3rd, or 4th, day word had gotten around and we started to get crowds piling in to watch us dance! The crowd got to know our faces and buy the end of the Cruise we were regularly being approached by other Cruisers complimenting us on our dancing and telling us how much they enjoyed our dancing.
It was a lovely way to meet people and make friends on board the Ship.
By the end of the Cruise we were famous!
If you are looking at learning to dance before cruising let your teacher know so they can help you prepare. You will need a range of ‘social’ styles such as rumba, waltz, cha cha, salsa and rock ‘n roll. If you are not sure of the different styles have a look at this blog to find out more.
Have fun and happy cruising!
