Which HAL sailings (if any) have Dance Hosts?

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Does HAL still offer Dance Hosts on any of their sailings?  If so is it based on length of voyage, class of ship or sailing region?

Edited October 20, 2018 by AtlantaCruiser72

[Copper10-8]

24 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Does HAL still offer Dance Hosts on any of their sailings?  If so is it based on length of voyage, class of ship or sailing region?

 

The Grand World Voyage on Amsterdam has dance hosts every year

[Carnevale]

That’s a surprise as our impression is that HAL has moved away from ballroom dancing altogether so dance hosts on any HAL ships really is not what we expected.  

 

We were on the Noordam earlier this month and were extremely disappointed that there was no ballroom dancing until we requested it and then we got a grand total of one set on part of the floor in the Ocean Bar (1 table was removed but 2 remained on the dance floor).  We asked for dance time on day 2 and finally had this little opportunity on the last night of our 6 night sailing.

 

We don’t understand the thinking behind this.  The floor is there and while we prefer live music we aren’t picky - canned is ok or a pianist who can play in strict tempo (the musician from the band we danced to was great but the regular pianist was hopeless).  It would not take much to support dancing in the Ocean Bar...really no cost to HAL that we can see and a way of providing a different activity that many enjoy.  

 

Given this recent experience we have decided that unless things change, this was our last HAL cruise....a hard decision as we are three star so get a few perks and as we are about to retire we hope to spend a good amount of time cruising now.  It just can’t be on HAL anymore except perhaps if we do a Grand Voyage on Amsterdam but that’s not going to be a regular thing.  And a disco after 11pm does not do it for us and BB Kings is far too loud to stay in that venue for any length of time (we value our hearing) and what they play is rarely suitable for ballroom (we tried).

 

So fellow dancers, if you value dancing as part of your daily cruise activities then I cannot recommendation HAL.

[Scrapnana]

This was posted recently on the roll call.  

Click on the arrow in the top right hand corner to see the entire post.

 

Edited October 20, 2018 by Scrapnana

[Krazy Kruizers]

Seems like HAL doesn't really care if there are people who like to dance -- especially ballroom dancing.

[ontheweb]

52 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Seems like HAL doesn't really care if there are people who like to dance -- especially ballroom dancing.

 

We were on the smaller Maasdam this past summer, and there was almost no dancing although the band in the Ocean Bar did try to play some for us (and one other couple). When I asked about the lack of dancing and mentioned it on our post cruise questionnaire, I was told that there was dancing on their larger ships. It sounds from the last two posts that this is not really true. That is disappointing. I had believed them since we remembered much more dance opportunities on our one other HAL cruise, an Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the Nordam.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

There are many women who like to cruise either solo, or with other female friends and enjoy social dancing.  I was asking on behalf of a friend who has enjoyed HAL in past and likes Cunard and Crystal as well (which offer dance hosts on all sailings), but often finds they do not have sailings she is interested in or they are out of her budget.  She could not find (nor could I) any information from HAL on what if any sailings still offered this amenity.  It has nothing to do with "me too" or the calendar date, but rather an interest in a specific onboard activity, which is social (ballroom) dancing.

[Sea girl 23]

My comment wan’t meant to be mean..it seems like a(select few) are trying to hold on to “old HAL” as long as possible.

[Carnevale]

6 hours ago, Sea girl 23 said:

My comment wan’t meant to be mean..it seems like a(select few) are trying to hold on to “old HAL” as long as possible.

 

I don’t believe it is about hanging on to the “old HAL” but rather is about the fact we all have different interests.  Just because they are different does not make them “old” or dated.  In our city the university has a very active student ballroom dance club and there is now a dancing with the stars junior edition so clearly, ballroom dancing is not just a throw back to 1958.  And, even if it is, so what?  If people enjoy it that’s what should matter.

 

I don’t have an interest in afternoon tea or bingo but I would never belittle those activities as I know others enjoy them.  Does continuing them represent the “old HAL” too?

 

As I’ve noted before, it would not take much for HAL to create some opportunities for ballroom dancing without negatively impacting other activities.  I wish they would as we would like to be able to continue to enjoy their sailings, but I don’t expect this will be the case.

 

I hope that on CC and onboard we can all make room for differences in our interests.   These differences make the world a more interesting place.

[deck chair]

Hello

 

I stopped sailing on HAL in 2005 after the 35 day Voyage of the Vikings when they cut back on musicians.  Cunard line has many musicians  and ballrooms on their three ships and dance hosts as well.   Cunard now has also added female dance hosts who dance with both men and female passengers.  FYI.

 

Deck Chair

[avian777]

8 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

The cruise lines that offer dance hosts have a very strictly defined code of conduct as part of the contract these men sign. If one were to behave in a way deemed in breach of contract they would be held criminally liable...

 

As an attorney with more than 52 years of experience, I can absolutely assure you that a breach of contract is never punished criminally in the US ... not even in the fine State of Georgia!!!  Suggest you get some legal advice before posting comments such as this. 

[Sea Belle]

I have appealed to HAL management many times for a return to some venue for ballroom dance music.  So far, the trend is not in this direction.  There are still many of us who enjoy it and I feel there is room for all types of music on board.  The smaller ships seem to be the only ones with anything resembling ballroom and the dance floors are always filled as well as the seating.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Sea Belle said:

I have appealed to HAL management many times for a return to some venue for ballroom dance music.  So far, the trend is not in this direction.  There are still many of us who enjoy it and I feel there is room for all types of music on board.  The smaller ships seem to be the only ones with anything resembling ballroom and the dance floors are always filled as well as the seating.

 

We were on the smaller Maasdam this past summer (Boston to Montreal). When we asked about ballroom dancing, we were told it was only on their larger ships.

[Lakesregion]

On 10/21/2018 at 10:03 AM, avian777 said:

 

As an attorney with more than 52 years of experience, I can absolutely assure you that a breach of contract is never punished criminally in the US ... not even in the fine State of Georgia!!!  Suggest you get some legal advice before posting comments such as this. 

If the host gets out of hand, they are simply off loaded at the next port of call and have to make their way back home by themselves. For lesser offenses they are not rehired for any further gigs. Cunard has been offering Gentlemen Hosts for ever and there have been numerous cases of the ladies opting to buy out the contract so to speak and have the host sail the remainder of the trip as their companion. People really need to lighten up a bit.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

So I called HAL Ship Services today and the nice agent stated that Grand Voyages would still feature Gentlemen Hosts on all segments of the Grand Voyage.  If that is accurate (and we all know how THAT goes with the cruise lines) that restricts it to just Volendam and Amsterdam for 2019/20 on only a handful of departures at this point.   

[Randyk47]

With little opportunity for dancing then gentlemen hosts seem like a waste.   With the gradual and now pretty much  complete demise of the Crow’s Nest as a potential dance venue there’s not much available on HAL other than the limited Ocean Bar.   

[the2ofus]

I have wonderful memories of ballroom dancing with my husband on various HAL ships in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  On one cruise we had the pleasure of meeting some of the dance hosts and even taught them, or learned new steps from them.  Sailing as a widowed single, I have danced with members of the cast.  I discovered that professional dancers who are not ballroom trained do not understand the concept of the "frame" or how to lead their partner, so rather than dancing as a team or couple you each dance your individual steps and the feeling is much different, stiff and not fluid in a waltz for example.

[the2ofus]

Crows Nest is always unpredictable as a dance floor.  Due to being so high on the ship, the motion of the ocean is magnified and knowing whether the floor would be where you wanted it to be when you put your foot down is a challenge.

 

[Sea Belle]

On 10/21/2018 at 12:56 PM, ontheweb said:

 

We were on the smaller Maasdam this past summer (Boston to Montreal). When we asked about ballroom dancing, we were told it was only on their larger ships.

We found ballroom music in the Veendam Ocean Bar in May  2018, none on the Eurodam in Dec. 2017, occasionally on the Amsterdam in May 2017 and the Oosterdam in Mar. 2017.  The dance floors were busy every time it occurred.  I don’t understand the theory behind omitting that style of dancing when it is obviously enjoyed by so many and the dance floors are still in the Ocean Bars.  I’m surprised the Maasdam didn’t have it.

[canadianbear]

We loved having drinks at the Ocean bar watching the passengers doing ballroom dance.   Loved the music and just was so enjoyable.  Miss it.

[ew101]

11 hours ago, canadianbear said:

We loved having drinks at the Ocean bar watching the passengers doing ballroom dance.   Loved the music and just was so enjoyable.  Miss it.

We danced on the Veendam in the Ocean Bar a few years back it was lovely.  In defense of the mass market cruise lines, I think supply and demand play a role here.  We danced by ourselves to be honest.  It might be nice to keep a tally someplace of what people are seeing ship by ship.  I can say with 100% certainty Cunard is still in the ballroom dance business.  I personally thanked the Hotel Director on the QM2 recently for the dancing and not getting rid of it (7 piece orchestra + dance couple, 3 hosts and hostess) - he said "don't worry -this is who we are."   BTW the dance floor was packed.   Maybe HAL can designate a ship to hang on to ballroom- it might drive business to that vessel.   There is otherwise such pressure for fleet wide conformity.  Hint- such a ship could possibly charge a bit more.  For one of the older smaller ships this is good news for the accountants.  

[Randyk47]

On 10/26/2018 at 10:32 AM, the2ofus said:

Crows Nest is always unpredictable as a dance floor.  Due to being so high on the ship, the motion of the ocean is magnified and knowing whether the floor would be where you wanted it to be when you put your foot down is a challenge.

 

 

In as much as they’ve pretty well done away with the Crow’s Nest as any kind of nightly entertainment the opportunity to dance is pretty much zero.   

[AmazedByCruising]

On 11/3/2018 at 12:49 PM, ew101 said:

Maybe HAL can designate a ship to hang on to ballroom- it might drive business to that vessel.   There is otherwise such pressure for fleet wide conformity.  Hint- such a ship could possibly charge a bit more.  For one of the older smaller ships this is good news for the accountants.  

 

Proper dancing on a ship, I'd pay extra for it and I can't even dance 🙂  That adds much, much more value to a cruise than art or a deserted venue with two people playing billboard music from 1850 at the piano and a violin. If the accountants are reading this, please alter the excel sheet and move the latter to the Ocean Bar and let them play waltzes and "Let's twist again".

 

Edited November 4, 2018 by AmazedByCruising

[Dogstar]

18 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

If the accountants are reading this, please alter the excel sheet and move the latter to the Ocean Bar and let them play waltzes and "Let's twist again

 

Agreed. In our early days of marriage, as cruisers we were very much below the average age of clientele aboard. We thoroughly enjoyed the various dancing but couldn’t keep up with the ‘oldies’ doing their thing. It was, & still is, magical to watch them dance!

 

So so we made it a point to take “beginner ballroom dancing” lessons before a subsequent cruise many moons ago. Despite my having the proverbial “two left feet syndrome” to this day Mrs. Dogstar & I still laugh, giggle, trip & stumble our way together across the cruise ship dance floors whenever the opportunity presents itself.   It’s not the quality of dancing, it’s the opportunity to dance together,  particularly on vacation, we enjoy. 💕 

 

For us, ballroom dancing is part of the charm of cruising.  Are we looking forward to the new Rock Room venue?  You bet!  Surely there’s still room for both, old & new? I hope so.  💃🏼 🕺🏼 

[avian777]

1 hour ago, Dogstar said:

 

Agreed. In our early days of marriage, as cruisers we were very much below the average age of clientele aboard. We thoroughly enjoyed the various dancing but couldn’t keep up with the ‘oldies’ doing their thing. It was, & still is, magical to watch them dance!

 

So so we made it a point to take “beginner ballroom dancing” lessons before a subsequent cruise many moons ago. Despite my having the proverbial “two left feet syndrome” to this day Mrs. Dogstar & I still laugh, giggle, trip & stumble our way together across the cruise ship dance floors whenever the opportunity presents itself.   It’s not the quality of dancing, it’s the opportunity to dance together,  particularly on vacation, we enjoy.  

 

For us, ballroom dancing is part of the charm of cruising.  Are we looking forward to the new Rock Room venue?  You bet!  Surely there’s still room for both, old & new? I hope so.    

 

👍👍👍  Thanks, Dogstar, for this very uplifting Post.  I hope you and Mrs Dogstar have many, many more years of dancing on HAL cruises.