How does this gentleman host thing work?

[AmazedByCruising]

I've only been on one cruise so I may have missed something which is intriguing. The review of the ship said "gentleman hosts are available". How does that work?

There are actually people walking around looking for lonely women? Could you book a host in advance? Dancing capabilities seem important but I haven't seen much dancing at all during my cruise, having someone able to have a nice talk at dinner seems more important. Also, how do cruiselines keep track of the perfomance of gentleman hosts? It must be a bit awkward to ask "you have been hosted by Jim, what's your general opinion on his general performance"?

 

(I do like that cruiselines apparantly try to get the best possible experience for their guests, I'm just curious)

[paul929207]

A Gentleman Host is a man who knows how to dance to the music played on cruise ships. I am not sure which lines have them. I think it is maybe HAL, Cunard and P&O. Their job is to dance with the different single women.

[OCruisers]

Celebrity use to have gentleman hosts to dance with women single or had a DH who did not dance.

Not sure which cruise lines still do have this.

LuLu

[Sailor_Sally]

On of my friends was a Gentleman Host . He had to dance with all the single women and also go on cruise excursions . He was not allowed to date any of the women or favor any one woman . He had to have a nice wardrobe including a Tux & a dinner jacket . The Cruise line paid for his cruise & all transportation plus free excursions & all expenses on board . You need to be a good dancer ,a good conversationalist & dress nice .

[cruisead]

The gentlemen hosts are hired through a booking agency, they must pass tough requirements and they may not privately socialize with any one woman. Crystal has dance hosts on all their cruises, and during one world cruise, one was fired because he fraternized with one woman. They most certainly don't go around looking for lonely women---this program is totally on the up and up.

[Scrapnana]

Cunard has gentleman hosts but their job consists of dancing with ladies traveling solo or whose husbands can't/won't dance. You will not find them eating with the ladies.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Scrapnana

[Keith1010]

Only some cruise lines have hosts and some only on selected voyages.

 

We sail on Crystal and they have them on all voyages. The number vary based on how many solo female guests on board.

 

They are available to dance at scheduled hours with the solo female guests. They are also assigned to tables in the dining room often with solo guests and they sometime will accompany tours as escorts for everyone. They are available to chat also with others but there are rules that they must follow.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

Let me add that if you would like to learn more about them an excellent book which I read about two months ago is:

 

The Man Who Danced Around The World by James Wood

 

Mr. Wood has performed this function on various cruise lines and ships and the last several years with Crystal Cruises.

 

Keith

[Dcoy]

Cunard has gentleman hosts but their job consists of dancing with ladies traveling solo or whose husbands can't/won't dance. You will not find them eating with the ladies.

 

Two of the dance hosts sat at a table next to me during one of the segments of this year's Queen Victoria world cruise. There happened to be two solo women also sitting at that table but I'm sure they had nothing to do with the table assignments.

 

The hosts were also assigned to go on the tours as representatives of the ship. They may know how to dance but one of them could not count. We spent an extra 15 minutes at one stop because he reported to the guide that we were one short. After the guide spent several minutes looking for the "lost" passenger, he recounted and determined we were all there.

 

I also saw the hosts at other ship's events during the day encouraging passengers to get involved in different activities.

 

Don

[SuiteTraveler]

This thread reminds me of the 1997 movie, "Out to Sea" with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as two men who cruise as dance hosts.

Edited November 12, 2014 by SuiteTraveler

[AmazedByCruising]

Thanks for all replies! I do understand that given the average age on a ship there's a big surplus of women on board who would like a dance or a nice chat once in a while. Google tells me the hosts are not actually paid, but do have an almost free holiday.

 

I'm not really sure how someone would recognize a gentleman host. Also, I wonder why this seems to be such a normal thing on luxury cruise ships where it feels a bit strange on land. I cannot imagine a conversation like "Did you feel at ease at the yearly dinner with your husband serving in Iraq? Did you find people to talk to?" "Yes, no problem at all! You won't believe this hotel, it had so many stars that I got to choose from 3 different gentlemen hosts". Eyebrows would be raised at that point, wouldn't they?

[Floridiana]

Very awkward. I doubt you will make it as a gentleman host. :p

[DirtyDawg]

WOW I think I have found my new profession once I retire. Nice gig!:D

 

Of course the DW would have to let me.:( .......

 

But then again; "Honey I have a chance to cruise for a few weeks for free! The only thing is I will have to schmooze and dance with lots of single women."

 

DW; "Gone for a few weeks!!!!! Let me pack your bags!"

Edited November 13, 2014 by DirtyDawg

[sail7seas]

This thread reminds me of the 1997 movie, "Out to Sea" with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as two men who cruise as dance hosts.

 

The movie was filmed on the former Westerdam. :) It is fun viewing.

 

[Keith1010]

Thanks for all replies! I do understand that given the average age on a ship there's a big surplus of women on board who would like a dance or a nice chat once in a while. Google tells me the hosts are not actually paid, but do have an almost free holiday.

 

I'm not really sure how someone would recognize a gentleman host. Also, I wonder why this seems to be such a normal thing on luxury cruise ships where it feels a bit strange on land. I cannot imagine a conversation like "Did you feel at ease at the yearly dinner with your husband serving in Iraq? Did you find people to talk to?" "Yes, no problem at all! You won't believe this hotel, it had so many stars that I got to choose from 3 different gentlemen hosts". Eyebrows would be raised at that point, wouldn't they?

 

They will wear something to identify themselves.

 

On Crystal Cruises they wear a name badge and they are referred to as Ambassador Hosts.

 

It's really nice that they do this.

 

I know that there are many solo women who look forward to dancing with them at night often will go to the dancing not only before their dinner but before the other traditional seating dinner. It's very nice.

 

Keith

[Dancer Bob]

If you want hosts who can dance, you're better off looking at one of the specialist dance cruise companies (some provide both male and female hosts, others male only). When I was on Crystal, one of the hosts could actually dance, the rest had varying degrees of competence down to one who was useful mostly as a bad example. Over on the Cunard board, the topic comes up sometimes- fantasy51 is a regular poster who has mentioned some of her experiences.

It's a long way from a free cruise- last I heard it was $30/day for a shared cabin, plus you buy your own costumes, plus you attend whenever and wherever the cruise line tells you.

Edited November 13, 2014 by Dancer Bob

[AmazedByCruising]

It's a long way from a free cruise- last I heard it was $30/day for a shared cabin, plus you buy your own costumes, plus you attend whenever and wherever the cruise line tells you.

 

If I weren't bolding, wasn't overweight and actually had followed some dancing lessons like my parents told me I should.. (and had the possibility of taking a year off, quod non) I'd be cruising all year for $10k. My rent alone is more than that.

[xo-cruzar]

My friend and I returned recently on a TA onboard QM2. We are both seasoned cruisers but first time on a Cunard; it was my first experience with gentlemen hosts onboard. We enjoyed the dance classes, but most especially enjoyed the dancing at night because of the gentlemen hosts. There were 6 of them and it was fairly easy to spot them on the dance floor. They approached the ladies and politely asked if they would like to dance. They were all fine gentlemen, good conversationalists, and good dancers.

[jocap]

Fred Olsen cruise line has gentlemen hosts on their ships.

[Dancer Bob]

Paying $10,000/yr to share a room with somebody who drinks or snores, being at the beck and call of a cruise line 12 hours a day, wearing ridiculous costumes (which do NOT include dance shoes!)? Most hosts are from North America, don't pay rent like that. And we haven't even mentioned dancers of fantasy51's calibre are rare these days.

Xo-cruzar, tell me about your dance qualifications- do you dance at Westway? 30-Up? Harmony? Madison? Lago?

I've heard stories about Fred Olsen's hosts but have only met a couple.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Dancer Bob

[AmazedByCruising]

Paying $10,000/yr to share a room with somebody who drinks or snores, being at the beck and call of a cruise line 12 hours a day, wearing ridiculous costumes (which do NOT include dance shoes!)? Most hosts are from North America, don't pay rent like that.

 

I'd be with the other host who also drinks and snores. No worry about that. Maybe I should buy the book but that does sound like the semi-student kind of life i've prolonged succesfully till now :)

$10k/yr is not a weird price students would pay for a 50ft, although "private" room, shared bathroom, shared kitchen in any university city in The Netherlands. Dutch housing regulations could well be more strict than rules about hospital cleaning, I think we hold a record for that in Europe. So if a lot of Dutch know start to know about this career opportunity, do expect a lot of bad English spoken by gentlemen hosts soon :)

[celle]

I encountered one of these gentlemen on my first cruise. I was dancing quite happily by myself - it was the sort of dance where you could do that - when this man cut in and started dancing with me, making me dance his way.

 

I didn't appreciate it at all and, frankly, I though it was creepy.