Dancing QM2

[travelcat2010]

My husband and I are booked on the QM2 for a Nov. 2014 cruise. What kind of music do they play in the ballroom in the evening? I was looking at taking some lessons before we go, but I'm not sure what to learn. I've talked to friends who dance and they say you can learn American or International style. Which should I try learning for this cruise?

 

Also what is the accepted attire in the ballroom during dancing? Do most women wear dresses, slacks, jeans, yoga pants, skirts and tops? Are special dance shoes required or will street shoes be okay?

 

Thank you for any help. This is my first cruise on the QM2.:o

[Salacia]

There are many dance experts on this forum who will offer their advice regarding dance lessons.

 

Regarding the dress code:

 

"Evenings

 

Evenings will be split into 2 different dress codes. You will be notified of the evening's dress code in your Daily Programme. As a guide, these will be:

 

Formal evening wear consists of an evening or cocktail dress or smart trouser suit for ladies, a tuxedo, dinner jacket or dark suit for men or you may wear formal national dress or military uniform. Military or Award decorations may be worn on formal nights. A range of gentleman's formal wear is available to hire on board...

 

Informal evenings would consist of a required jacket and optional tie optional for gentlemen, whilst ladies should wear cocktail dresses, stylish separates or equivalent.

 

Please note that after 6pm, shorts and blue or worn denim (for men and women); sandals and sleeveless tops (for men) are not considered appropriate within the ship. On formal nights, any guests wishing to dress more casually are welcome to dine in the Kings Court or Lido buffet restaurant and relax in the Winter Garden or Garden Lounge bar, but should not use other areas within the ship, including our Alternative Dining Restaurants, out of respect for their fellow guests." -copied from https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/life-on-board/dress_code

 

 

My personal observation is that the dress code is followed (with few exceptions).

[DWhit]

My husband and I are booked on the QM2 for a Nov. 2014 cruise. What kind of music do they play in the ballroom in the evening? I was looking at taking some lessons before we go, but I'm not sure what to learn. I've talked to friends who dance and they say you can learn American or International style. Which should I try learning for this cruise?

 

Also what is the accepted attire in the ballroom during dancing? Do most women wear dresses, slacks, jeans, yoga pants, skirts and tops? Are special dance shoes required or will street shoes be okay?

 

Thank you for any help. This is my first cruise on the QM2.:o

 

Travelcat,

 

Let me start by saying that like yourself, I have not yet sailed on Cunard or the QM2 but have a trip on the schedule for October. So I can't really answer some of your questions regarding the specifics of QM2 dancing. But in general, I would recommend you take American style dancing. Your QM2 trip will be short in duration, but you may find you really enjoy ballroom dancing. Since you live in Texas, you'd have a much better chance of dancing with people who are familiar with American style.

 

I would suggest you start with Foxtrot and Waltz, and try to get where you can move around the floor in the line of dance. Its easy to do in foxtrot, but takes a little more skill in Waltz, in my opinion. The sooner you get started the better dancer you will be on your trip.

 

I hope you and your husband have a great trip, and have a great time dancing. :)

[Artemis]

I agree with DWhit, if you learn a few traditional ballroom dances, it will give you a good start. The nice thing is, they offer classes (free), so you will have the opportunity to be exposed to many more dance steps while on board! But getting that first level of knowledge and experience under your belt will make it easier and inspire confidence.

 

We're Texans, too--there's no two stepping or schottische! but you will love the Queens experience! (I confess, there have been moments when I've imagined everyone in their finery doing the Cotton Eyed Joe and loving it!)

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

Edited August 21, 2014 by Artemis

[Dancer Bob]

If you only dance with each other, it doesn't matter what style. What music might be available depends partly whether you want Queens Room or G32.

For QR: social foxtrot, definitely. (Called Rhythm foxtrot in the UK. The UK Foxtrot is more like "continuity" or "silver" foxtrot in US- you don't need that.)

Probably Cha-Cha and East Coast swing, which are fairly similar in both styles.

I suspect Quickstep will be at a tempo you can two-step. Waltz if you want, I wouldn't bother with Viennese waltz. Keep in mind the QR floor can be crowded, make sure you learn figures that don't take up much room.

G32 is more nite-cluby, as well as CC and ECS, probably mambo, merengue and samba will be useful.

USA Dance is probably a good resource if you want to research further.

[travelcat2010]

What's the dress code for ballroom dancing? Do I need special dance shoes? I've heard leather soled shoes will work, but are they okay in the ballroom? I'm usually a casual cruiser (Royal Caribbean) and don't usually do a lot of formal wear. I'll do shopping for this cruise. But nights of dancing is still more formal on QM2? Are we talking slacks okay, but no jeans?

[Artemis]

Dressy pant outfits will work on "informal" nights (which are not informal by other cruise line standards--read the guidelines). The formal night dances are called balls and often themed--Black and White, Masquerade (some bring Venetian-style masks), Royal Ascot (hats and fascinators), etc. You will not feel out of place if you don't go the extra step of the theming, but you will feel out of place if you aren't dressed in formal wear, especially on the dance floor. Only the serious dancers are wearing proper dance shoes, by my observation. The majority of women simply dance in the shoes they chose to wear with their evening dress. Most wear long gowns; shorter cocktail dresses are less common; a smaller percentage wear evening pants.

 

In my experience on two QM2 crossings, daytime wear is surprisingly casual--I like dressing in the day and am generally "overdressed" by comparison to what the majority selects. You may comfortably wear jeans in the daytime! Nights are decidedly dressy, however, whether you participate in the dances or not, and everyone stays fully attired from pre-dinner cocktails until bedtime. It might sound rather stuffy and fussy on paper, but in practice, at least from my perspective, it's not! It's just part and parcel of shipboard custom on Cunard--when everyone's dressed for the evening, it feels quite special, and it's precisely that ambiance that causes people to choose Cunard (hence the defensive attitude you may encounter here respecting dress code--you've read the dress code threads on the Royal forum, right?! They've got nothing on what goes on here!)

 

If you wish to take a night off from dressing to the informal or formal guideline of the evening, you may do so, of course, but unlike on Royal, you will feel out of place in the MDR (and you may be turned away if you are noticeably underdressed--women can get away with a bit less compliance depending on their outfit, but men are generally not admitted without a jacket). On those occasions, you may eat in the buffet or use room service. As Cunard requests that all guests comply with dress code in all areas of the ship through the evening, you will also feel like a fish out of water at the shows, dances, casino, cocktail lounges, etc., but I can't imagine anyone raising a fuss if you slip into a movie or enjoy the outdoor decks. I'm a "loyal Royal," so I get where you are coming from--it's a "Toto, we're not in Kansas!" sort of thing. Each has its own character, time and place--I love the difference between the two and hope you do, too! Enjoy your shopping!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[fantasy51]

As a dancer, I can talk about dance shoes. I wear them for ease of dancing and for safety. I hadn't danced for about 25 years and got back into it on a cruise nearly 2 years ago. I didn't have the correct shoes. I ended up with blisters that broke and I spent the rest of the holiday covering them over so I could still dance. I had other shoes but I felt precarious walking in them, so would not try dancing.

 

You don't need to have dancing shoes but you do need shoes that are comfortable and secure. You don't want to twist your ankle as you dance. The shoes need to stay on your feet. I remember a first date as a teenager when I danced right out of my lovely shoes. Embarrassing!

 

Proper dancing shoes have a sole a bit like suede. It's designed to stop your feet skidding out from under you and depositing you on the floor. Rubber-soled shoes will stop you moving at all so they are no good. Try out your leather soles on a polished floor and see how you go.

 

I find that dancing is easier in the correct shoes. If you continue with your dancing, then you will definitely benefit from having dancing shoes. I have a plain black pair and a silver pair with a strap to keep them on securely. (I also have strappy sandals that I no longer wear, having tripped myself up in a fast Viennese Waltz while wearing them - the wrong shoes for the dance.)

 

Here in the UK the best makes are Supadance and Freed.

[fantasy51]

Now for the clothes. A picture paints a thousand words. You can watch a few videos from a couple of my cruises and see what people wear in the ballroom. I'm sorry there weren't many people on the floor at this time but the videos were taken late when the floor was as empty as could be. Go to

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGslod7o6WQqWGW3uwyfhEw

 

To see formal nights, look at:

Waltz with Martin

Diane and Rock - cha cha

Diane and Rock - Improvisation (This was the Victoriana ball.)

 

To see informal nights, look at:

Tango with Martin

Diane & Jorge rumba (This is the last night of the cruise, when clothes are very informal because everything else has been packed.)

[Dancer Bob]

I agree with fantasy51, shoes are a safety issue. I've refused to dance with some women when I see the contraptions they've put on their feet.

I think the waltz video gives you a better idea of how the shoe should allow you to place the ball of the on the floor and then lower the heel, under control. You can also see how Diane pivots on the ball of the foot if you look closely.

I think many of the dancers from the cast use Capezio, I've heard good things about comfort and durability, although many women want something prettier.

[Dancer Bob]

Just remembered, I was at a tea dance a few weeks ago, I was taken to task over heel heights- 3" heels are for women under 30, the tea dance crowd want 1".

Also I can state from my personal experience, even the best dancers can get their heel caught in a long dress, and your partner better be fast on his feet.

[sarafinadh]

I never saw you wearing 3" heels Bob! I can't imagine what you were tisked about ; -)

 

You looked very nice in your Gentleman's attire and all the ladies dancing with you seemed to enjoy your lead! My friend Amanda thought you did an excellent chacha.

 

But your shoes looked to me as if they made the one inch tea height, no problem!

[fantasy51]

Travelcat, which November cruise have you booked? I will be embarking on 30 November for 12 nights.

[gam888]

We have never sailed on Cunard and are booked on the Queen Elizabeth in October. Would the dance venue and dress code be about the same as Queen Mary as discussed here? Are there complimentary dance lessons offered on the QE cruises? How often are they offered? Would they be basic steps or more involved. We took some basic lessons on Cha Cha and Waltze but would need to learn some more steps to carry out a dance to make it look interesting.

There is another dance venue on the top deck, I believe, on Queen Elizabeth, they said there is a DJ and play other music than ballroom, could someone please tell me what music they play in the other dance place other than the main ballroom? Thank you in advance.

[fantasy51]

The dress code is the same on all three Queens. For information about dance lessons, see my reply on the thread you started. I can't help you with the Yacht Club.

[RobertQM2]

What's the dress code for ballroom dancing? Do I need special dance shoes? I've heard leather soled shoes will work, but are they okay in the ballroom? I'm usually a casual cruiser (Royal Caribbean) and don't usually do a lot of formal wear. I'll do shopping for this cruise. But nights of dancing is still more formal on QM2? Are we talking slacks okay, but no jeans?

One of the reasons we are on QM2 is the huge dancing floor, of course with dancing shoes and some (but not lots of) formal wear. On a few WC segments we danced in the morning to a CD player somebody set up in the QR until the Bingo crowd arrived, then around noon there were dancing lessons, and of cours the night had to be danced away. Although we are by no means good dancers it is great fun to practice every day in and out. So you'll enjoy it very much, I'm sure!

[Dancer Bob]

Fantasy51's videos were taken in the Queens Room on the Queen Victoria, QE is almost identical except that the entrance is positioned a bit further forward. Hemispheres (QV) is very similar to Yacht Club (QE) but considerably different from G32 on QM2. Quality of music varies considerably but I found QM2 to be consistently inferior. Dance lessons have unfortunately gone badly downhill in the last few years. Flashy performers, which is what Southampton seems to want these days, are rarely good teachers for beginners. And they only do 45 minutes, at most, on each dance.

Uh-oh, it looks like sarafinadh has spotted me, I can't shelter in anonymity any more. I wouldn't have regarded Cha-cha as one of my better dances, I tend to get sloppy with the footwork. The conventional wisdom is tall people do better in ballroom.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Dancer Bob

[BobBranst]

. Quality of music varies considerably but I found QM2 to be consistently inferior.

 

Once again, IMO, most social dancers find the music played by the live 7 piece dance orchestra in the QM2 Queens Room to be more than adequate in both selection and tempos. I cannot comment on the QV, but we also have found the live dance music in the QE Queens room to be quite good for social dancing.

 

Bob

[jac1976]

To prepare for our trip on the QV last month, my ballroom loving dad had me take a dance lesson so I could dance with him on the boat. I only had one lesson, so my dad and his instructor decided to teach me the foxtrot (the American version as that is what his instructor teaches.) I would say that just knowing that one dance, I was out on the dance floor once every 2-3 songs.

 

The other dances that seemed popular were the rumba, cha cha, and waltz.

 

As for shoes, I just wore a pair of comfortable heels and danced in those without a problem.

[BobBranst]

As for shoes, I just wore a pair of comfortable heels and danced in those without a problem.

If you plan to continue learning ballroom dance, you would be wise to follow Dancer Bob's advice on shoes. Good dance shoes make dancing easier and safer as you learn to do more advanced dance steps. You really don't know what you are missing until you've done your first dance in a pair of good ballroom dance shoes.

 

Bob

[sarafinadh]

Don't get me wrong, I know the joy of the correct shoe. But on the ship, walking around in the evening, dining before the dancing and then strolling back to the cabin after, I would much rather have on a pair of heels that are comfortable, stable for walking, and fair for dancing, than dancing shoes, which never suit me style wise, and are not good for any of the activities off the dance floor. Perhaps mens' dance shoes are more forgiving when called upon to multi task, but ladies dance shoes are NOT ; -)

 

I would need to be a much better dancer than I am to take dancing shoes to change in and out of, and that's what I wold have to do. Dance shoes are tricky to walk in, oddly enough...

 

And the floor was so crowded and the boat rolling a bit made it so that any tempo irregularities by the band seemed far overshadowed by the irregularities by those of us on the dance floor. The good news was we figured out that everyone lurches with the roll of the ship at the SAME time. So it sorta works it n the end. I only got stepped on a few times. And once it was by my own partner ; -)

[BobBranst]

Don't get me wrong, I know the joy of the correct shoe. But on the ship, walking around in the evening, dining before the dancing and then strolling back to the cabin after, I would much rather have on a pair of heels that are comfortable, stable for walking, and fair for dancing, than dancing shoes, which never suit me style wise, and are not good for any of the activities off the dance floor. Perhaps mens' dance shoes are more forgiving when called upon to multi task, but ladies dance shoes are NOT ; -)

I was not referring to the height of heels, but rather the sole of the shoe. For ballroom dancing, a suede sole is much better on a varnished wood dance floor than a plain leather or (heaven forbid) a rubber sole. Proper dance shoes for women come in high heels just like any other women's shoes. Since the carpets on Cunard ships are usually very clean, my DW and I wear our dance shoe to dinner in the dinning room prior to going dancing in the Queens Room and then on to see a show. However, suede soled dance shoes do require more care since the suede sole must be kept clean and "brushed" to maintain proper grip on the floor.

 

Bob