We are Elite Status Cruisers who have always raved to friends about our Celebrity experiences: good food, friendly and helpful staff, responsive Cruise Directors who provided good ballroom dancing venues. Unfortunately, we had a very different experience on this cruise regarding the dancing.

For the first time in our experience, ballroom dancing was only available in the Grand Foyer, a tiny floor at the center of activity where other passengers walk through the dance floor from five different directions to get to Guest Relations or the bar. In addition, non-dancing passengers stood on the dance floor conversing, watching the band or pushing toddlers in diapers onto the floor, encouraging them to dance. Christmas decorations further limited the small space. From the third night on, a photographer took over a small piece of real estate next to the grand staircase to photograph people in front of all the ginger bread houses (whose frosting crumbs kept falling onto the dance floor). It was an unsafe and frustrating environment for dancers and others.

On past cruises, the cruise directors offered other appropriate venues for ballroom dancing, such as a DJ or trio in the Sky or Quasar Lounges. After our third contact with the cruise director, JC, we were informed of a new corporate policy to not support ballroom dancing; this was confirmed by one of the ship's officers. The CD did label a couple of sets as being for ballroom dancing late in the week, but in the Grand Foyer, which was inadequate to support the 15 couples who attended. The “ship's bands” did not understand how to mix tempos: one played four sambas in a row (exhausting); another, four fox trots (boring); but they were cooperative when asked to mix in some latin. The only group who understood ballroom dancing was The Les DeMerle Trio, but I would expect that from someone who drummed 13 years for Harry James. Read more