Do you love to dance? Have you been to many dance events, maybe in your home country or in exotic locations around the world? Have you tried dancing on a cruise? Dancing on a cruise is my idea of heaven!

If you’ve never cruised before, check out the many delights of cruising on my previou
s post, “What’s so great about cruising – 6 things”
That said, you can have different experiences dancing on a cruise, so here are some ways you can try it, and my honest review.
There are three main ways to do this: book a cruise with a dance partner, book a cruise solo, or go on a dance cruise.
If you travel with a dance partner, lucky you! You can almost certainly find plenty of dance opportunities on a cruise ship! Most ships feature live music of several different kinds around the ship every evening and sometimes, during the day as well. On an MSC cruise in the fall of 2022 from Europe to Brazil, for example, there was always a band playing in the lobby before dinner and people dancing Latin and ballroom dances. In addition, there were several clubs that featured live bands or DJs in the evening. Carnival has live music in various venues around their ships and space for people to dance, even if it is not a disco or ballroom.
If you are traveling solo, do not despair! You, too, can find opportunities to dance onboard.
Carnival, for example, features a Sail Away Party on the Lido Deck for every cruise. There the cruise director will lead everyone in some fun line dances which you can learn ahead of time, if you want, by looking at some YouTube videos. It’s not really necessary, as they are pretty simple, and everybody is just having fun! Carnival features an entertainment crew of young, energetic, and enthusiastic dancers who work hard to get everyone up on the dance floor.
There may also be some dance classes available. In my experience so far, MSC was the winner at this. As we sailed around Italy, they had their own couple of instructors who provided excellent dance classes as well as stretching and aerobics classes. In Barcelona, we took on a team of four professional dancers from Brazil who taught amazing classes and hosted some great dances!

If you are traveling solo and want to dance ballroom, Latin or swing dances, the Cunard Line might be the one for you. Couples, too, would probably appreciate the wooden dance floors and actual ballrooms at sea with sometimes sizable orchestras. In general, it’s pricier than the ones I have already mentioned, but an advantage for solo female cruisers is that on some of its ships, and certain sailings, Cunard provides “gentlemen dance hosts” who are, I am told, charming and happy to dance with any lady who will ask them. For solo male cruisers, you can know that there will be plenty of ladies eager for a dance partner on those cruises, so you can find plenty of dance partners as well. I haven’t experienced a Cunard voyage yet, but it is high on my list! If anybody wants to come along at some point in the future, let me know!
In my opinion, the best way to dance on a cruise is to take a dance cruise! These cruises may or may not feature classes, where you can improve your skills and/or private dances which will be DJ’d to suit the dance styles favored by the group. Or the group may simply take advantage of the music and venues offered by the cruise ship. You can meet other people who share your love for dance and have plenty of people to dance with. You will make new friends and enjoy the camaraderie of the group. You can enjoy all the joys of cruising while enjoying all the joys of dancing as well. What could be better than that!
What about you? Have you danced on a cruise? What was your experience like? Please leave a comment.
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