Best Cruise Lines for Dancing in 2022

Inspired by The new season of Strictly Come Dancing

Updated September 2021

Are there Strictly Dance cruises? Can you still dance on a cruise? From Cunard, renown for ballroom dancing, to dancing on a river cruise you can find the perfect dance cruise.

In this post I will look at which ships are offering Strictly Come Dancing Cruises and have news of new dance cruises planned for 2022.

Until recently dancing on cruise ships had always been a popular activity, especially in the wake of Strictly with more and more of us taking to the dance floor as a fun way to keep fit, or just to let loose.

Sadly, post-pandemic restrictions and precautions means that this popular activity enjoyed by many has been temporarily curtailed by some cruise lines. It’s pretty difficult to do a socially distanced tango after-all! You may find that dancing is not permitted on your cruise unless with your travel partner - on our recent Princess cruise the atrium which traditionally hosted tea dances had been turned into a seating/cafe area. Sadly, you may even find some ballrooms and night clubs closed on some ships, so if this is an important aspect of your cruise please check the current rules. However things are improving with reports of more dance venues opening on certain cruise ships.

However, let’s look back at past dance opportunities on board ship, and look at what we can look forward to next year. .

Ballroom/Latin dancing

Ballroom and Latin dancing has enjoyed a resurgence lately following the phenomenal success of TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and The Greatest Dancer in the U.K. and Dancing with the Stars state-side. Many cruise lines still offer the chance to learn a few ballroom steps but some are more dance-centric than others. Read on to find out what you can expect if you want to shake your booty, trip the light fantastic or throw some shapes.

Line dancing

Admittedly, line dancing evokes the “marmite” effect - you either love it or hate it. I’m in the first camp personally - there’s something therapeutic about a group of people all stepping in time and I like to imagine I’m channelling my best Coyote Ugly (if you are too young to know what that is I can recommend you check out the movie!)

Many cruises used to host taught line dancing lessons. Some ships may still offer these out on deck - it’s easier to socially distance with this type of dancing. Look to the USA for Line Dancing themed cruises.

Ballet

Whilst not usually a participatory activity onboard, ballet is available to enjoy with performances at sea, movies-under-the-stars showing recordings and port excursions to watch in the greatest venues of the world.

Best for Dance-Themed Cruises

Strictly Ballroom

P&O Cruises

Strictly Come DanCing Themed Cruises

Part of Carnival UK group, UK-based P&O have always been Strictly fans, and in the past have regularly hosted several Strictly Come Dancing cruises.

Pre-lockdown there were plans to offer a Strictly Come Dancing experience on P&Os newest ship, Iona, in the summer of 2020. The Limelight Club was to host an intimate evening of dinner and dance, Q&As, music from a live band, enviable photo ops and a three-course meal – all compèred by a Strictly guest of honour.

Sadly these cruises had to be postponed as Iona’s inaugural season was delayed due to the pandemic. There is as yet no information if these will happen in the future, but watch this space!

Emerald Cruises (New for 2022)

Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag to perform on Emerald Danube Cruise in 2022. Image: Emerald Cruises

Now this IS exciting! Emerald Cruises have announced an 8-Day Strictly cruise for 2022 - ‘Dance down the Danube with Anton and Erin’. The much-loved professional dance duo will join the cruise in Vienna where they will perform a one-off show at the Vienna Arsenal exclusively for Emerald guests, followed by an intimate Q&A session. The next day Anton and Erin will host an interactive dance masterclass in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.

Find out more on Emerald Cruises website.

Best For Serious Ballroom Dancers

Cunard - Dancing queens

Cruising for Ballroom Enthusiasts

Cunard are renown for their fabulous ballrooms and their commitment to ballroom dancing. Even non-dancers can feast their eyes on professional dance extravaganzas, and amateur dancers may still get to enjoy a twirl around the dance floor as long as it’s with their travel companion.

On Queen Mary 2, the 1,225-square-foot wooden sprung dance floor spans the entire width of the ship, has a resident orchestra and a series of crystal chandeliers lighting up your perfect pasodobles.

Each Cunard ship features a similar Queens Room ballroom, which traditionally host tea dances from a bygone era (if you can move after eating the delicious and plentiful White Glove Service traditional British Afternoon Tea). They used to hold dance lessons in the Queens Room daily and evening hosted dance sessions with a live orchestra. It is still possible to take dance lessons with your travel companion but full-blown dance sessions are, for now p, on hold.

On formal nights, such as the Royal Night Themed Balls, you were likely to see most gentlemen in tuxedos whirling their partners around the dance floor, with ladies choosing long ball gowns for the occasion. This is serious dancing at its best and if, like me you are more of a spectator, it was a real treat.

Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can all enjoy this again.

Cunard Special Dance Cruises:

Cunard’s Big Band Ball

In 2020/21 Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria were to hold an exclusive special event - The Big Band Ball. For one evening on these special sailings, guests were to be able to dance to Big Band music provided by a 17-piece swing Orchestra and guest vocalists. With classic Big Band music inspired by the 1930s and 1940s, guests were to be transported to a different era, where dance was king (or should we say Queen).

Sadly, again as a result of Covid19 restrictions these sadly were unable to go ahead, but I am optimistic that the6bwill enjoy a resurgence in the future.

Ballet at Sea

Celebrity Cruises classical dance cruises

Celebrity Cruises have in the past partnered with the acclaimed dance company, the American Ballet Theatre, to bring guests the best classical dance experience at sea.

Guests were able to enjoy exclusive performances from the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) performing alongside Celebrity’s world-class musicians on selected ships. There was also the opportunity to join the dancers for ballet barre classes, and attend an intimate question and answer session, where guests got to know the ABT performers and find out what it takes to become a professional classical dancer.

Whilst there are currently no such cruises being advertised, there is a tantalising holding page requesting we check back for 2021 dates, so potentially there is a plan afoot to hold another in the near future.

Scenic Cruises (New for oct 2021)

Pre-pandemic, Scenic River Cruises announced a special ballet cruise featuring Dame Darcey Bussell scheduled for Spring last year (read more in my related post HERE). Needless to say this was postponed due to the unprecedented events of 2020.

I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, to come across another similar Scenic itinerary - “Dancing down the Danube with Dame Darcey Bussell” taking bookings for 21 October 2021 departure. It is an 8 day sailing from Budapest to Munich and including Vienna, this is a unique opportunity to join Dame Darcey Bussell, the former ballerina and Strictly Come Dancing judge, for a five-star all-inclusive river cruise down the Danube. It seems to include similar content as described in my related post.

For more information or to book, please visit www.scenic.co.uk, call 0808 271 6331 or visit your local travel agent.

Best Cruises for Solo Dancers

4. Crystal Cruises DANCE HOSTS

People travel alone for many reasons, and cruise lines have recognised this trend and have taken strides to ensure solo passengers enjoy their cruise as much as their fellow guests who may be accompanied. Single cabins have become more affordable and spacious, and there are planned activities on board to give those who wish for company, to make new friends.

However, even the most independent of us dance-lovers find it difficult to watch others trip the light fantastic with their partners, while we sit like the proverbial envious wallflower. This is true also when your own companion is a non-dancer whilst you desperately want to be swirled around the dance floor.

Enter the “dance host”, a long-standing cruise tradition heralding back to the days of the great liners. Referred to also as “ambassador hosts” or “gentlemen hosts” (although there are now also female hosts on board thankfully), they are employed by the cruise lines specifically to dance and socialise (to a degree) with solo guests. Typically, aged between the ages of 40 and 70 (so sorry, you are unlike to find your Patrick Swayze or Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice), these hosts excel at social ballroom dancing.

Crystal Cruises is only one of two cruise lines which employed Ambassador Hosts on every voyage (the other being Cunard), although both NCL Cruises and Holland America Line have provided them on certain cruises.

Crystal not only ensured solo guests would have a dance partner, they also offered one-to-one dance lessons.

This may seem an outdated (and possibly sexist) practice but many single women book a Crystal Cruise purely because of the Ambassador Host Programme. In fact one octogenarian, Mama Lee Wachstetter, retired to live permanently on the Crystal Serenity (reportedly at a cost of $164k per year) specifically so she could continue dancing once she was widowed.

Sadly, for the time being, the dance host programmes on cruise ships have had to be suspended but hopefully they will be back when we return to normality.

Best Cruise for Line Dancing

Love it or loathe it, line dancing has a huge following in both the USA and the U.K.

You were likely to find line dancing on most popular cruise lines , where the uninitiated could learn the basic steps or learn a couple of new dances.

However, what if you want more than the just the occasional session?

Carnival Cruises - New for 2022

If you need a daily hoe-down, then look no further than Carnival Cruises - they regularly host line dance themed cruises with workshops, themed dance events, pool parties, Island beach parties, and late night top deck dance sessions. There is a cruise being advertised to be held on on Carnival Breeze in August 2022, sailing for 5 foot-stomping days from Galveston in the USA to Cozumel and Yucatan. Details can be found here.

In fact Carnival, whose strapline is ‘Choose Fun’, seem to host many line dancing groups throughout the year - you just need to do a google search as they aren’t specifically organised by Carnival themselves. Once you have identified the dates book the specific cruise and keep an eye on the daily program to find times of events.

Best Cruise Line if you want to JUST DANCE!

You are on vacation and want to let your hair down - so which line has the best nightclubs and dance opportunities? Well you are spoilt for choice as most cruise ships boast a nightclub or “disco lounge”. But many cruise lines have decided to temporarily close their dance lounges so do your homework. Choose carefully, however - I have been on ships where the clubs are empty by 10 and the deserted entertainment deck feels like the Marie Celeste!

Norwegian Cruise Line

NCL has some of the best and varied entertainment at sea, and one of the best nightclubs - the Bliss Ultra Lounge. Like many dance venues at sea, Bliss is a multi purpose space during the day but comes alive late in the evening and transforms into one of the trendiest dance venues at sea.

As an alternative, if you like dancing late into the night, you might choose MSC Cruises as Europeans enjoy late night raving. Royal Caribbean and Carnival also all have great dance venues on their ships

Virgin Voyages

There is a new dance diva on the block - Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady. The Manor, which Virgin describes as a “kick-ass nightclub” is just one of the dance venues on board, with every voyage also visiting the Beach Club at Bimini where Mark Ronson is set to be one of the founding DJs. And it seems like business as (un)usual - so you can pack your dancing shoes for Scarlet Night or one of the many deck parties.

Beach Club at Bimini Image: Virgin Voyages

From Autumn 2021 you will also be able to enjoy the ‘Untitled DanceShowPartyThing’ on Scarlet Lady - a dance party with a difference

Although I have highlighted some of the disappointing yet necessary changes on some cruises, I hope I’ve also inspired you to dust off your dancing shoes, shine up your glitter ball and to practise your best moves in preparation for some of the new dance cruises waiting for the curtain to rise.

Let me know in comments below your cruise dance experiences.

Best Cruises for Dance in 2021/2022