Dancing on QM2

[karenbeanpole]

I've been talking about dancing and evening entertainment on QM2 on other threads. Would just like to know more details please if anyone out there can help:

 

1. what time dance lessons are during the day

2. are people very serious about the lessons or do they treat it as "fun"

3. what do people wear for the lessons - ie is it smart clothes and proper dance footwear, or do people wear shorts, normal shoes etc

4. in the evening dance, do people wear proper dance shoes or just whatever their formal shoes are?

[imacruizer]

I've been talking about dancing and evening entertainment on QM2 on other threads. Would just like to know more details please if anyone out there can help:

 

1. what time dance lessons are during the day

2. are people very serious about the lessons or do they treat it as "fun"

3. what do people wear for the lessons - ie is it smart clothes and proper dance footwear, or do people wear shorts, normal shoes etc

4. in the evening dance, do people wear proper dance shoes or just whatever their formal shoes are?

 

Hi Karen,

The time of the dance lessons changes from day to day. They are usually offered on days at sea and not on days in port. You have to watch the daily program to find the times. Most people who attend the lessons do so for fun. Most of the really serious dancers don't need the lessons. The lessons assume you are a beginner and are very basic. People wear whatever they are wearing for that day. Usually those attending the classes are dressed very casually. The majority of people on cruises, don't bring dance shoes. Some of the serious dancers will, but most of those dancing in the Queen's Room at night will wear their formal shoes. Dancing in the Queen's Room is a wonderful experience.

[RobertQM2]

............ Dancing in the Queen's Room is a wonderful experience.

There is nothing to add, but as we like to dance in the Quenns Room as often as possible we just can higly recommend it. We also used the opportunity to practice as long as the Queens Room was empty and a CD- player can be organized with the technical stuff easily. You'll love the largest floor on the seven seas!!!

[karenbeanpole]

Thanks a lot for your replies - makes us feel more at ease about it all! It's our first time on Cunard and we thought it might be more formal than we're used to. Good to know "casual" is normal is the day!

[Andiamo]

There is nothing to add, but as we like to dance in the Quenns Room as often as possible we just can higly recommend it. We also used the opportunity to practice as long as the Queens Room was empty and a CD- player can be organized with the technical stuff easily. You'll love the largest floor on the seven seas!!!

 

 

It is without question a dance floor that will have you singing all the way back to your cabin "I could have danced all night".

 

BTW, Happy Birthday.

 

Jeanne

 

PS: We did not get to meet because of the snow storm that caused you to miss embarking in New York.

[tangoll]

On both QM 2 and QV, the group dance lessons have been on full sea days, usually around noon time for about 45 minutes to an hour. Even though what is taught is beginner's and basic steps, I find that I can pick up a tip here or there about something I hadn't been doing right or can improve upon. I bring my ballroom dance shoes and depending on the dance being taught, I might change into them. Most other attendees don't have dance shoes, so they wear whatever they wear. Some ladies have gone barefoot, and I wouldn't partner them. The gentlemen hosts must attend the group dance classes and they tend to wear normal shoes.

 

You can also book private lessons with the dance instructor couple, and prices run about $50 per half hour and $100 per hour for either single instructor or even the couple if like me, a male, I need the male instructor to teach and the female to dance/practice with. Sometimes the instructor couple appear in the evening dance sessions, and if they have been teaching you in private lessons, they would seek you out to dance the dances you have been learning with them. Those who have dance shoes would likely wear them in the evening dance sessions in the Queen's Room.

[Lanky Lad]

I have found the serious dancers tend to go into the Queens Room when they have pre-recorded dance music playing before the live music starts are when the bank take a break. The floor is quieter so they got to "show off" their skill.

 

Also on nights when there is a themed ball, the dance instructors usually do a show dance.

[karenbeanpole]

It all sounds soooo exciting we can't wait to get onboard! We sailing from NY to Southampton, so everyday is a seaday! We won't bother to bring our dance shoes as luggage allowance on our flight doesn't allow us extra luxuries. We are not "serious" dances, just learning like most people. It will be the largest dance floor we would have been on at sea, all the other sailings having small odd shaped floors. :D

[Lanky Lad]

It all sounds soooo exciting we can't wait to get onboard! We sailing from NY to Southampton, so everyday is a seaday! We won't bother to bring our dance shoes as luggage allowance on our flight doesn't allow us extra luxuries. We are not "serious" dances, just learning like most people. It will be the largest dance floor we would have been on at sea, all the other sailings having small odd shaped floors. :D

 

It's the largest dance floor you can dance on at sea, there are none larger :)

[Dancer Bob]

A number of years ago on QM2, after twice encountering abysmal music and a worse management attitute, I decided not to go back. But recently on QV, while the QR Orchestra remained truly abysmal, the recorded music was excellent, probably the best I've ever heard on a ship. Please let me know about the music on your trip.

If you get Petre and Roxanne as teachers, their classes are the best organised I have ever seen. But they're only 45 minutes long- unless you have some prior knowledge you won't learn much. Some of the other teachers act like they're teaching competition routines to twenty-somethings.

It's not the size of the floor but how crowded that really counts (Lanky Lad, have you checked out Costa's Fortuna-class ships?). Avoid the first set after dinner, it's usually hopeless.

Proper footware is a safety issue for women. I often see women wearing things that if they ever lost their balance, broken ankle for sure.

[karenbeanpole]

Does it get crowded on the dance floor then? Too crowded to do a proper dance? :eek:

[Lanky Lad]

Does it get crowded on the dance floor then? Too crowded to do a proper dance? :eek:

 

Yes it can get quite busy, on QV in April on one night there were over 50 couples on the floor at once.

[Dancer Bob]

Even worse are what another poster called "navigation buoys"- people who just stand on the dance floor, making no effort whatsover to go with the flow. Some nights, especially the theme balls, the floor is packed with them. That's why recorded music between band sets is so important.

[dancer11]

We have taken lessons for 10 years, and one of the main things that made us decide to sail on QM2 was the size of the dance floor.

On last year's world cruise, we had many opportunities to dance. Some sea days, practice time was on the calendar just before the group dance lesson, with recorded music. There was lots of room on the dance floor, giving us time to practice more difficult steps. There were also some tea dances.

We enjoyed dancing to the recorded music more than the orchestra because it tended to be better dance tempo, and of course less crowded. Nights of themed balls was too crowded for us to dance, but it was also great to see so many people come to enjoy the evening and dance at whatever level. I felt everyone got a fair shot, regardless of dance experience.

I saw people arrive for dance lessons in open sandals, no foot support. Some in tennis shoes, some barefoot. Not a good idea, but the lessons aren't difficult.

[quest145]

We were on QM2 a couple of years ago.

We took our own music on an ipod and with a small battery speaker unit. We found that the ballroom was free until at least 10am and we could practice to our hearts content. As everyone is saying the bands do not play strict tempo at the correct beat. The best thing to dance most of their numbers is social foxtrot

[Slow Foxtrot]

.....As everyone is saying the bands do not play strict tempo at the correct beat. The best thing to dance most of their numbers is social foxtrot

 

Yes, that's true. But for competent dancers the social foxtrot is a poor substitute for the real thing. Dancers have been complaining about the QM2 band's lack of strict-tempo knowledge ever since the inaugural voyage back in 2004. It's a complete mystery but it doesn't seem to bother Cunard. On too many occasions the band seems blissfully unaware of the correct tempos needed for the international style waltz, quickstep and slow foxtrot. Still, as you say, there's always the social foxtrot!:)

[PCM]

Our 'dance' experience was very positive.

 

Excellent band and singer... and dancing.

 

:)

[karenbeanpole]

Been on the QM2 now and returned. We danced every night but missed out on the lunchtime lessons.

Our verdict was that the Queens Room dance floor was large, but it's relative to the number of people that were on the floor dancing each night. It got very crowded especially at the first few formals. Impossible to move in a waltz, but have to just remember to have fun and not bother too much with technicalities!We didn't particularly like the orchestra - they all looked pretty bored, and we didn't like the singer either. One night the big band joined with the QR orchestra. We don't particularly find the rhythm easy to follow with big band music - not easy to dance to. We liked the "strict tempo" taped music that was put on before the orchestra and in between. Less crowded and much more pleasant atmosphere. There was one tea dance which was also very pleasant in the afternoon.

People on the dance floor tended to be quite territorial. We didn't like that at all. Take 50 couples dancing - impossible to whizz round doing a quickstep or even be flamboyant about your cha cha or rhumba. But there were some who would elbow you out of their way and whack you with their arms, not caring about space or other people. If you were in their way, they would head straight for you! That's not very sociable. It is in the end a social activity and people should be polite towards one another!

Otherwise it was altogether quite a positive experience. We danced till 12 most nights.

[Dancer Bob]

Glad to hear about the recorded music. I'm considering a "Three Queens" package in January- QM2 TA from NYC, then back on QE, then hop down to Pt Everglades for Panama Canal on QV. The thought of bouncing around the North Atlantic and being stuck with abysmal music too, was a big worry.

I've also found the crowded floor problem on QV. But I'm big enough and look nasty enough most people don't crowd me too much. The big bands I've found vary with the band leader, some think if they play loud and fast it's big band; some are just upholding Cunard's reputation for off-tempo music.

[Birdie91436]

My husband and I have been dancing for 12 years. We loved the QM and are going to be on the QV for Christmas and New Years. On the QM Transatlantic the dance floor often got crowded and yes, the best dancing was often to the canned music inbetween the live band. We also we unable to get a Viennese waltz the entire week. However, the "strict tempo" people out there need to remember this is Social dancing not Competition. Dancing is the art of moving and interpreting music. A good dancer is able to dance and have fun to any music...not simply "strict" rhythm music. Perhaps my attitude is different because I primarily do American Smooth and Rhythm (although I have recently started competing with my instructor in Internation Standard and love it). We often dance to contemporary and pop music which I am sure is not always strict rhythm. Just remember...Dancing is supposed to be fun.

[3rdGenCunarder]

My husband and I have been dancing for 12 years. We loved the QM and are going to be on the QV for Christmas and New Years. On the QM Transatlantic the dance floor often got crowded and yes, the best dancing was often to the canned music inbetween the live band. We also we unable to get a Viennese waltz the entire week. However, the "strict tempo" people out there need to remember this is Social dancing not Competition. Dancing is the art of moving and interpreting music. A good dancer is able to dance and have fun to any music...not simply "strict" rhythm music. Perhaps my attitude is different because I primarily do American Smooth and Rhythm (although I have recently started competing with my instructor in Internation Standard and love it). We often dance to contemporary and pop music which I am sure is not always strict rhythm. Just remember...Dancing is supposed to be fun.

 

I agree. DH is not a dancer, so I rarely get the opportunity to dance. But over the years, I have enjoyed seeing couples just dancing in what I consider an ordinary way, not showy competition moves. Often, I could tell that these were couples who had been together for many years and could move together gracefully and happily. One of the worst couples to watch IMO was a man whose posture was stiffly perfect and his wife, who looked terrified, as if he would scold her right there on the dance floor if she made a mistake. Another passenger told me he was a dance teacher. I wouldn't have wanted to be in his class!!!

[dancinman66]

Hi all

 

I agree. DH is not a dancer, so I rarely get the opportunity to dance. But over the years, I have enjoyed seeing couples just dancing in what I consider an ordinary way, not showy competition moves. Often, I could tell that these were couples who had been together for many years and could move together gracefully and happily. One of the worst couples to watch IMO was a man whose posture was stiffly perfect and his wife, who looked terrified, as if he would scold her right there on the dance floor if she made a mistake. Another passenger told me he was a dance teacher. I wouldn't have wanted to be in his class!!!

 

Alot of dancers try to dance for competition,and I love the attitude here of those seeing that a good dancer will dance for the fun and enjoy whatever is thrown at you

I even dance in corridors, who needs a floor

 

She is a wonderful ship and I cruise alot with cunard because of the dancing I can get in as a single person and cruise at the same time

 

enjoy your cruising and dancing and whatever we get

 

hope to see you on board some time

 

Greg:)