loriva

A question on this thread--this time from a real dance newbie.

I'm going to try to get DH to take some social dance lessons with me over the next three months before we sail. We are both complete beginners. So, I would like to focus on one or two dances that would be the most useful and, ideally, the simplest to learn. One slow style and one fast. From reading this and other threads it appears we would usefully focus on the waltz and social foxtrot (called rhythmic foxtrot here in the UK). Does this sound correct? Welcome confirmation or other suggestions.

Two protocol questions:

--We either get good enough to keep up to pace with the "line of dance" around the perimeter of the floor or head to the center of the floor--correct?

--If I fail to convince DH to attend anything beyond the first lesson, I may dance with one of the hosts--but DH is supposed to ask him to dance with me, yes?

Many thanks,

Anyone have an update on this?

Many thanks,

fancyclanc:

There is a waiting list and cancellations do happen. We just received one for a sailing in May. Send an e-mail to kennels@cunard.com or call them and hope for the best.

Do the machines on island ONLY take the tokens now? Or can you still use quarters?

Many thanks,

Anyone have any idea if they replaced the mattresses during island's dry dock earlier this year?

Anyone know who is the current contact person for the Island Princess?

Does anyone know if changing out the mattresses to the new pillow-top ones will be part of the dry dock renovations on the Island in May?

Thanks for the responses.

My question, perhaps premature given that it will not sail on this itinerary until mid-May, is that Island Princess is smaller than Regal: 964 feet according to the Princess website versus 1,083 for Regal. I did some additional searching trying to answer my question. The maximum "LOA" for cruise ships docking at Toulon City Center is 300 m (984 feet) according to some info I finally found. At Mole La Seyne, the max. LOA is 340 m (1,115 ft). The largest ship, by LOA, to dock at Toulon City Center was the Brillance of the Seas (LOA=249 m (812 ft) / draft=8 m). (I also had to look up the definition of the abbreviation: "LOA is usually measured on the hull alone. For sailing ships, this may exclude the bowsprit and other fittings added to the hull. This is how some racing boats and tall ships use the term LOA. However, other sources may include bowsprits in LOA. Confusingly, LOA has different meanings.")

So, the length listed for Island--964 feet--is less than the max. LOA for the dock but greater than the largest ship docked there so far. (Its draft is less--7.49 m (24 feet) versus 8 m for BotS.) Of course, I'm not sure if Princess's measurement is LOA. Since both docks are under the same port authority, could Princess use either? To be assigned by the port authority, presumably?

Welcome thoughts!

My research thus far into this port indicates Toulon is served by two terminals for cruise ships: one that is in central Toulon and one in La Seyne Sur Mer across the bay. The former is used for "smaller" ships and the latter for "larger" ships, which has included the Regal Princess. Since I believe this will be the first time the Island Princess will be used on this itinerary, I have been unable to find any information on which terminal it will use--nor what defines "smaller" or "larger" for the terminals in Toulon. As this will affect our planning for excursions that day, I'd appreciate any advice anyone has on which terminal will be used. (Our sailing is not until October, so I guess I'll have time to read lots of reviews and find out the answer once the Island actually starts sailing this route after its dry dock! But planning is half the fun of a cruise.)