Oriana dancing after refit. Is this correct?

[Slow Foxtrot]

In the latest P & O e-mail brochure (post refit) it states words to the effect that ...

 

"Harlequins is great for Ballroom Dancing during the day but in the evenings the floor area is reduced for disco dancing" !!!

 

Does this mean that there is no Ballroom Dancing in the evenings in Harlequins? Surely not. For countless years the disco dancing has not started until very late in the evening. If, as P & O infer, Ballroom Dancing is only during the day then it's goodbye to P & O from the many dancers who have supported Oriana since its inaugural voyages.

 

Can anyone please clarify the latest dancing format in Harlequins?

Many thanks.

[daiB]

In the latest P & O e-mail brochure (post refit) it states words to the effect that ...

 

"Harlequins is great for Ballroom Dancing during the day but in the evenings the floor area is reduced for disco dancing" !!!

 

Does this mean that there is no Ballroom Dancing in the evenings in Harlequins? Surely not. For countless years the disco dancing has not started until very late in the evening. If, as P & O infer, Ballroom Dancing is only during the day then it's goodbye to P & O from the many dancers who have supported Oriana since its inaugural voyages.

 

Can anyone please clarify the latest dancing format in Harlequins?

Many thanks.

 

 

From what I know it is as it always was with the Disco late. E.g. Midnight +

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[TangoYork]

We were on Oriana over Christmas. We were 2nd sitting and there was pre-dinner dancing most nights followed by dancing after dinner most nights in Harlequins. The disco started at about 11.30pm in Harlequins most nights. Hope this helps.

[Slow Foxtrot]

We were on Oriana over Christmas. We were 2nd sitting and there was pre-dinner dancing most nights followed by dancing after dinner most nights in Harlequins. The disco started at about 11.30pm in Harlequins most nights. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for that reassuring information. Perhaps P & O need to amend the wording as regards Harlequins as it gives the impression that Ballroom Dancing is just for the daytime. We have done many Cunard cruises on the 'Queens' and although their dance-floors are bigger we still enjoy the strict-tempo dance music in Harlequins. Pity, though, that Johnny Baxter and Natural High are no longer in evidence. In past years, many cruise critics rated that band as the best at sea!

[joeholiday2]

What TangoYork says is correct, some nights the "proper" dancing finished at 11.15pm, other nights it was midnight. At Christmas the DJ played music you can jive/freestyle to for 20 mins or so, before he starts with the disco stuff. We got bumped to the Pacific lounge for a couple of nights.

 

Also, on the sea days they put on dance music CD's between the 2 dance classes, so you can get some practice in. That's between noon and 3pm.

 

Don't worry, Oriana is still a dancers ship :)

[Slow Foxtrot]

Nice to know that Oriana is maintaining one of its main attractions for Ballroom & Latin dancers. Not always the case on other ships. Thanks for the info.

[yesididit]

Almost 2 years on, I too read somewhere the dance floor is reduced in size for disco dancers. Please can someone confirm ballroom still reigns for most of the evening? Will probably be on late sitting and would hate it if the dancing has finished,when I just want to start . On her 9 Dec

[P-L-B]

Let's hope the proposed lack of Ballroom Dancing on Iona is not going to spread throughout the fleet. 😱

We will be onboard Aurora next month where we hope to be able to enjoy our Dancing as usual.

[TangoYork]

We were on Oriana during Sept/Oct . There was ballroom and sequence dancing every night until 11.15pm except on formal nights when it finished at midnight. Hope this helps. Enjoy.

[yesididit]

Thank you very much for your replies. Didn't know you could dance on Aurora, the info on P&O's website is a tad vague, unless it's me just reading it wrong. Thanks again really appreciate it. Have been on Oriana before but was sure the dancing finished very early. Looking forward to it now.

[Britboys]

Where Harlequins is on Oriana, you will find Masquerade on Aurora.  It is a more contemporary space and I am not sure if the floor is as large as on Oriana but there is at least some sort of dance floor.  There is also Carmen's, which is the equivalent of The Pacific Lounge on Oriana.

[P-L-B]

1 hour ago, yesididit said:

Thank you very much for your replies. Didn't know you could dance on Aurora, the info on P&O's website is a tad vague, unless it's me just reading it wrong. Thanks again really appreciate it. Have been on Oriana before but was sure the dancing finished very early. Looking forward to it now.

Yes, Dancing on Aurora is usually in Carmens where we hope to be next month.

 

As you can see the dance floor space could be made even bigger if some of the chairs were removed but that may be asking a bit too much.

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by P-L-B

[P-L-B]

1 hour ago, TangoYork said:

We were on Oriana during Sept/Oct . There was ballroom and sequence dancing every night until 11.15pm except on formal nights when it finished at midnight. Hope this helps. Enjoy.

Thank's, That's good to hear. 

[Denarius]

I first sailed on Oriana in 1997. She was my first P&O ship. In those days Harlequins was described as a nightclub and featured modern disco type dancing, sometimes to live bands. Such ballroom dancing as there was took place in the Pacific Lounge. I recall that it was only after the sucess of Strictly Come Dancing that Harlequins was switched to ballroom dancing and redesignated as a showlounge, a move which did not go down well with many of the younger passengers.

[yesididit]

On 11/5/2018 at 10:03 PM, P-L-B said:

Yes, Dancing on Aurora is usually in Carmens where we hope to be next month.

So is there ballroom dancing every night on Aurora? Is it taken seriously or is it like Oceana where it's tolerated rather than an occasion? I do wish P&O would be more specific in their information rather than merely listing the size of the floors which doesn't really inform. One ship has a huge floor in the crows nest but never has dancers on it,just a piano. We're it not for the dancing I would not cruise. 

[P-L-B]

1 hour ago, yesididit said:

So is there ballroom dancing every night on Aurora? Is it taken seriously or is it like Oceana where it's tolerated rather than an occasion? I do wish P&O would be more specific in their information rather than merely listing the size of the floors which doesn't really inform. One ship has a huge floor in the crows nest but never has dancers on it,just a piano. We're it not for the dancing I would not cruise. 

This has been our experience regarding dancing with P&O.

We have sailed on all of P&O’ ships and yes at the moment you do get the opportunity to dance most evenings and during sea days, let’s hope that continues.

Just to clarify dancing on P&O is usually a mix of Ballroom, Latin and Sequence.

The music is usually a mix of live and CD music and the dances are normally hosted by the on board dance teachers with occasional help from a member of the entertainment team.

Not sure what you mean about not taken seriously on Oceana? The only criticism is that they use the atrium as the dance floor which is not ideal, but this happens on some of the other P&O ships.

Basically, we have always had ample opportunity to dance when we have cruised with P&O and it is an important part of our cruising experience.