Ballroom dancing with family cruise

[Twinkletoesandscarynose]

Hello, this is my first time posting here, so please be gentle with me! My husband has a big birthday coming up in August, and we were thinking of a Mediterranean cruise starting in Southampton, UK. Yes, I realise I have probably left it too late for booking!

 

My question is, which ships/lines are best for combining family friendly facilities (in particular group baby sitting in the evenings) with dancing? We dance salsa and are also learning ballroom, so we would love to be on a ship that has proper ballroom lessons as well as live music in the evenings to dance to.

 

We. Have a five year old daughter who would be happy to go to kids clubs.

 

Any ideas? At the moment the ships coming up in August in the Med are the RCI Independance/Navigator of the Seas, and lots of P and O ones - Ventura, Azura, Oriana, Aurora.

 

I am loathe to book something and then find the only thing available is half an hour of line dancing a day!

 

Many thanks for any help you may be able to give me.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Twinkletoesandscarynose

[SuiteTraveler]

You might try posting this question on the specific boards for each to the cruise lines you are considering. I've been on RCCL in the last year and don't recall any ballroom dancing on that line at all - although there was a nightclub with modern dancing at night. Here is the RCCL Board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

Here is the P&O Board:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

Edited January 24, 2016 by SuiteTraveler

[cb at sea]

Few ships have actual "ballroom" dancing anymore. The dance bands play a big variety of music, and probably can accommodate requests...but for an entire night of that...you're not going to find it....sorry!

 

And....you can "ballroom dance" to a big variety of music...even popular music! It's all about the beat and rhythm! Use your imagination!

Edited January 25, 2016 by cb at sea

[Aquahound]

Of the lines I've sailed, the only line I've seen ballroom dancing was Holland America and even there, it was very limited. However, it looks like their new ship, Koningsdam, will have much more because they will have a venue set aside for chamber music. Other than that, perhaps Cunard.

[Essiesmom]

Definitely Cunard, and I think P&O, too. EM

[Dancer Bob]

Oriana is the only P&O ship with a good reputation for dancing, but I think it's adults only. With your parameters, it looks like Cunard is the only viable choice. Cunard's music in the past has been at best mediocre, but recent reports say greatly improved- whether that will continue into August is a risk.

[Keith1010]

Lines that we have sailed that had ballroom dancing are Cunard and Crystal.

 

Keith

[Twinkletoesandscarynose]

Thank you for all your replies. I will post on each ship board to see what the general opinion is!

[Keith1010]

Wise to do just that.

Keith

[mygo1999]

Hello, this is my first time posting here, so please be gentle with me! My husband has a big birthday coming up in August, and we were thinking of a Mediterranean cruise starting in Southampton, UK. Yes, I realise I have probably left it too late for booking!

 

My question is, which ships/lines are best for combining family friendly facilities (in particular group baby sitting in the evenings) with dancing? We dance salsa and are also learning ballroom, so we would love to be on a ship that has proper ballroom lessons as well as live music in the evenings to dance to.

 

We. Have a five year old daughter who would be happy to go to kids clubs.

 

Any ideas? At the moment the ships coming up in August in the Med are the RCI Independance/Navigator of the Seas, and lots of P and O ones - Ventura, Azura, Oriana, Aurora.

 

I am loathe to book something and then find the only thing available is half an hour of line dancing a day!

 

Many thanks for any help you may be able to give me.

We were on P&O Ventura in October, there were dance lessons and there was ball room dancing in the atrium every evening.

[Krazy Kruizers]

None of the present HAL ships have a large Ballroom dance floor. The Ocean Bar can handle only a few dancers at a time when it comes to Ballroom dancing.

As for the new Koningsdam ship -- since she hasn't sailed yet, no one just how large a dance floor will be anywhere on the ship.