A Cruise Dance Moment

People are often surprised when I tell them that with few exceptions, ballroom dancing has disappeared from cruise ships.  Except for a slow dance, baby boomers and those younger tend to dance in a free, no touch style. Three years ago, I started taking ballroom dance lessons so, for me, the availability of dance music with specific beats is a criterion for choosing a cruise ship. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find out this information beforehand as it is generally not listed on their web sites and most google searches reveal old posts with inaccurate information. I end up having to guess and hope through my internet research.

New Year’s Eve Cruise

In 1998, I booked a New Year’s Eve cruise on the Holland America Westerdam. I was not a dancer at that time so the fact that they had an enormous ballroom in the center of the ship with a live, full orchestra and dance hosts did not particularly excite me. It was fun to watch the dancers but I soon moved on to other entertainment. Today, except for Cunard Cruise Lines, such a ballroom does not exist. It may be physically there but the music has changed. Crystal Cruise Line told me they have some form of nightly ballroom dancing but I have yet to experience it.

A Change

Holland America Cruise Lines (HAL), with its older clientele, became one of the preferred ballroom dance ships. Then, around 2016, with little notice, they removed their carpets and repurposed many of these areas in an apparent attempt to appeal to a younger cruiser. 

In 2018 I was planning a 2-week cruise to Norway. By this time, I was fairly proficient in my dance skills and remembering the Westerdam, I decided to book on HAL. They had just released the Koningsdam and their website was promoting their new B.B.King Blues Club. The photos of the dance floor were impressive. It was large with a live orchestra every night.  I decided that might work.

Well, it didn’t. The music was excessively loud and mostly undanceable (for me). The room remained empty until later at night when the baby boomer crowd got to their feet and danced freestyle. Combined with a cocktail or two, they seemed to have a really good time. We watched. After learning actual steps, it is difficult to just rock and shake your booty.

Midnight DJ

After a while, we made a discovery. At midnight, the band left and the room emptied. A few minutes later, a DJ arrived, ready to spin the current favorites for the teens on board. For some unknown reason, they generally did not arrive until about 12:30 am. We were alone in the room and the DJ, noticing our advanced age, played some older tunes. We immediately got up and danced on the empty dance floor. Pleased with his success, the young DJ searched his list for anything he thought we might like. Nevertheless, he warned us that when the young crowd arrived, he could no longer play our music. At least we got 30 minutes.

Tango

We did this every night and cherished dancing in our private ballroom. One night, the DJ played a Tango. We were dancing when the teens arrived, but instead of their usual noisy chatter, they sat quietly and watched. At the end of our dance, they applauded! We are not that great but they may never have seen anyone Tango before. Afterward, I noticed when a rock and roll number played, they tried to partner dance. It was adorable as they spun each around and giggled continuously.

The Future of Ballroom Cruise Dance

Perhaps we were having an influence on these young people? Maybe someday in the future they would remember this evening and become serious about learning to dance with a partner. I hope so because even with shows such as Dancing with the Stars, ballroom dancing is becoming a lost art. Let’s hope our young people will save it.