The Amsterdam 2014 World Cruise - wonderful! - but 1 disappointment

[harrodsfan]

This is not just a world cruise issue.. We were on the American Queen almost 20 years ago and the music then was all Dixieland/big band. We stopped in Memphis and they didn't even offer a tour to Elvis Graceland. Fast forward and now they have Elvis themed cruises.

I agree that the dancers seem to be "showing off." Very serious and not having fun. I rarely dance on cruises and I love to dance.

 

 

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[Tampa Girl]

Perhaps those forced to the sidelines could hold up rating cards for the floor hogs. A few 3's and 4's might give them the idea.

 

 

What a great idea! Remind me to bring some Sharpies on my next cruise.

OP: I sympathize with you and discovered the same situation on our recent TA cruise. Perhaps HAL could issue a gentle reminder that the dance floor is meant for "socializers" not competitors.

[1160451]

Maybe a post here from an inbetweener...we dance most weekends at home.

We waltz, quickstep, cha cha, rumba, jive etc. We love to dance and do move around the floor.

So on a cruise, what are we supposed to do? Sit on our hands for hours whilst the floor is empty and the band plays to no one, until the social dancers get up.

We always dance as early as possible and the band are always appreciative.

Only been on HAL once by the way. Ryndam. Small floor so when social dancers got up we danced round them or if it got full, social danced ourselves or sat down.

We consider ourselves dancers but not the sort that many posters on here are talking about. We see those sort every week and they are frowned upon as well.

Sorry but we are not feeling guilty about wanting to dance as we do at home.

Ps sounds like the dancers are the new smokers

Edited May 31, 2014 by 1160451

[wander]

I do know what you mean about a couple, or a few, who love to sweep around the whole dance floor, making it hard for others. However, on one long cruise there were several such couples, with one in particular who loved to show off (they were good I must say). Well, the other dancers of the sort OP seemed to be allowed the "show off" dancers one or two such dances and then just went out onto the floor and did their own thing. Yes there were some collisions and near crashes, but the "show-off dancers", as I called them, soon took the hint and left the floor, mumbling as they left I must say. They were outnumbered. However, this did require folks who were willing to act on their displeasure and not just sit on the sidelines or stick to the corners or mumble to themselves. This was a bit of an "in your face" approach, but it really worked, although it needed to be repeated, perhaps nightly I would guess. (I was not there every night to see it, only about 1/4 of the cruise nights.) It was fun to watch and very, very effective. So, if this is an issue for you - give them a chance and then take back the dance floor!!!!

 

I do believe these folks deserve some dance floor time, but so do you!

Edited June 1, 2014 by wander

[Harry1954]

We enjoyed this year's full world cruise and had a wonderful 4 months. Our fellow CC reviewers and bloggers have already done a super job of covering the great ship, crew, and ports. We would like to be on record as expressing our enthusiastic pleasure with our choice of this voyage and the experiences we enjoyed travelling around the world on the Amsterdam. Would we do it again? Definitely!

At the same time, there was one continual disappointment during our 4 months aboard: the lack of any satisfactory place to enjoy dancing. Yes, there are 2 locales with live music and small dance floors. However, the big problem is what I will refer to, for lack of any better idea, as the great dance divide. This divide involves the type of music played, the types of dances a small minority believe have universal appeal, and the space those dancers assume is appropriate for them to monopolize. Basically, ballroom dancing vs social dancing.

My husband and I are part of the huge generation of baby boomers who should be the prime focus for the future growth of Holland America. We are exactly the perfect population for them to reel in for big trips and years of brand loyalty: retired, plenty of free time, in control of our financial situation, and active and healthy enough to pursue exotic destinations. However, Holland America continues to solely focus on our parents' generation in this area of dancing.

We and our fellow recent retirees are not the World War II generation. Yes, we also have grey hair, but we were born in the mid to late 40's, so the music we relate to is from the 60's, not the 50's. We never did the fox trot or the jitterbug. We never did Latin dances. We have no interest in ever doing those. Fast dancing for us was always unattached and basically rhythmic self expression, usually allowing us to socialize with our friends while dancing. Slow dancing was not a formalized routine; it never had a name other than slow dancing. But it was always in close body contact, romantic, and in a relatively small, squarish portion of the dance floor. Never, ever, would a couple travel around the dance floor on a mission. We frankly didn't care what anybody but our partners thought of our dance moves! Nobody was performing. Sociologists have said that people relate to the music popular when they were dating and first married. The music of the 1960's brought with it this type of relaxed, unstructured dancing.

Twice in 4 months aboard the Amsterdam we were blissfully able to enjoy dancing together: both times were out on deck as Debbie Bacon performed under the stars. The few times we tried to dance before or after dinner in either lounge, the dance floors were monopolized by a handful of very skilled dancers who were very determined to perform their repertoire of dances. This created problems on so many levels. Obviously, the band started catering the music to these ballroom dancers. Further, on these small dance floors, their requirements for dance floor space was not limited to the approx. 3 ft x 3 ft that most social dancers can live with. Often, the dance floor resembled a roller derby of a few circulating couples. Any casual, unpolished social dancing couples who just wanted a relaxed few minutes together dancing were either repeatedly bumped into or made to feel like they were interfering with the flow.

Night after night, the same couples would be on the dance floor, and all the rest of the passengers who might like to dance were sitting around glassy eyed.

Yes, the first time anybody watched a serious dancing couple, they would commend them on their accomplishment and grace. From then on, frankly, it was not of interest to the rest of us. No more than any of the tv shows like Dancing with the Stars, etc. I have never seen anyone who does those dances in country clubs, cocktail lounges, etc. There is a place for that if you are a serious ballroom dancer, just not on a ship's small dance floor.

I love to swim laps, and I have become very good at it, but I don't expect others to be an audience for me. And I would never think of trying to swim laps in the afternoon when most of the pool is being enjoyed by non-swimmers just standing around in the water socializing. I respect the skill the ballroom dancers have also achieved and am happy they enjoy their hobby. I just do not believe the ship's small dance floors are appropriate for that type of dancing.

 

DW and I have been fortunate enough to have experienced the WC in 2011 and 2013 ... and I must say, we share your frustration. We were both born in the 40s and have always enjoyed dancing together over our 45 years of marriage. However, the music that is played is nothing that whets our appetite, so we merely sit and watch the 'skilled dancers' perform. If the band played normal 'slow music' or some 60s songs periodically, we would have gotten out and exercised our limbs a bit.

 

This observation transcends our other HAL cruises as well.

 

Granted, I could have gone up and requested a song from the band, but that is reminiscent of work for me (trying to solve a problem) ... and I am on vacation.

harry

[Cinder Again]

Maybe a post here from an inbetweener...we dance most weekends at home.

We waltz, quickstep, cha cha, rumba, jive etc. We love to dance and do move around the floor.

So on a cruise, what are we supposed to do? Sit on our hands for hours whilst the floor is empty and the band plays to no one, until the social dancers get up.

We always dance as early as possible and the band are always appreciative.

Only been on HAL once by the way. Ryndam. Small floor so when social dancers got up we danced round them or if it got full, social danced ourselves or sat down.

We consider ourselves dancers but not the sort that many posters on here are talking about. We see those sort every week and they are frowned upon as well.

Sorry but we are not feeling guilty about wanting to dance as we do at home.

Ps sounds like the dancers are the new smokers

 

To me, the complaints are more about HAL's inability to read the crowd and adjust. If people are up and dancing in one area, say, the ocean bar, couldn't a sign be put up that 70's music is now playing in the crows nest? I like to see the dancers using the floor, and I am just suggesting they may have "trimmed"bar and music staff and even CD STAFF to the point that everything seems too scripted. Does anyone remember ordering after dinner drinks at the evening shows? I haven't done that in years, there simply is never a staff person available to take an order, unless you arrive early ( which I never do, because of the as you wish dining times available)...Cruise Directors should have the flexibility to move staff to new venues, as crowds gather but staff is now so tight, the bartenders move but a little extra staff to float certainly would make their job easier! AND sell more product!;)