dance cruise

For more pictures click the "read more" link. If there is not a picture of you in this collection that means  I did not get a good one to post.  If you have a great picture of yourself or anyone else to post here please email it to me and I will add it to the collage.

 Friday, January 1st, 2010 Dance workshops while cruising back through the East Caribbean

Last night we had a raucous and fun-filled New Year's Eve party. Despite  only a couple of hours sleep I was as energetic as usual when I woke up - though I was really craving coffee.  i think Mike got to bed about the time I usually wake up at home so I didn't think he would make it to the workshop at 10 am.  When our coffee and breakfast did not arrive at the expected time I called to find out where it was. Apparently some yoyos had taken the room service card off our door - it later turned up outside the door of an empty cabin further up the corridor.

Jeoffrey however worked his magic with the kitchen staff and a tray of coffees arrived quickly. We poured cups of coffee, expresso and cappucino down our throats - and "presto- we were dancing fools". That's a great quickstep number by the way -  "Dancing Fool"  by Manilow - the version I have is really nice but a very quick quickstep!

By the time we had to assemble for the workshops we were all ready to go. Surprisingly considering last night was a wild party, almost everyone turned up for the workshops. And they concentrated.

Here are some of the guys learning their parts.

Wendy had scheduled Robert to teach a tango workshop first. He showed us the sequence, dancing it  with Wendy.

Starting in promenade position it was a walk to a ronde, fallaway to two pivots and then - tango close.  Huh! I think I actually used correct terminology. I also wrote down the timing because that makes it easier for me to think about it.

So it is

SQQS(ronde with right foot)
QQS& (thats the fallaway- step pivot)
S& (that's the next step pivot)
QQS

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands)

By around 8 am we were docked at the pier in St. Thomas, one of the three main islands (with St. Croix and St. John) that comprise the US Virgin Islands. Once part of the Dutch West Indies the islands were taken over by America after the first world war and the islanders are now American citizens.  Charlotte Amalie is the capital and main port.

We had decided not to book any excursions - a decision that  actually worked out fine.  However Joelle, who used to livd in St. Thomas , told us that we should really get out and see around the island as it is quite beautiful. We had every intention of doing so and  went  ashore early to do a bit of shopping and then get a cab to do some sight-seeing.  But the heavens decided otherwise. We had just finished our  shopping when It  began to pour - a heavy pounding rain - and within minutes we were  all soaked through to the skin. So, shivering despite the soggy warmth,  we splashed back to the ship and did not get up to the mountain to see the reputedly famous views. We decided to relax for the rest of the afternoon, read  and make the best of our free time.

By six thirty we were dancing in the Club Savoia. The music alternated between the band and  Wendy's music when the band is on break, which gives a lot of dance variety. Then to our frustration the cruise staff came out to play games such as bingo and took over the floor. That meant we had to move to Club Verde and its much smaller floor until dinner time.

Because we were in an upgraded cabin, a mini-suite,  we were given an invitation to have dinner in the Club Ristorante so at 8:30 when the group went off to dinner in the Michaelangelo Restaurant,  Mike, Amanda and I went up to Club Ristorante on deck for our special invitation dinner. It was the best meal we had on the ship

We had a nice sized table for three and the service was as good one would expect in a better level restaurant. Although I tend not to drink much wine on these dance cruises (I don't want to fall over during a quickstep or Viennese waltz, right?) we decided a good bottle of wine would complement this special occasion nicely.

We chose a bottle of Elena Walch 2008 Gewurtztraminer from Alto Adige, Italy.  I was quite intrigued at the idea of an Italian Gewurtztraminer as I associate the varietal more with Germany or the Alsace region of France , as well as our Okanagan region in BC now of course. But later, when I did some research I remembered that the varietal was actually named after the Italian town of Tramin - the full name in German, Gewurtztraminer,  meaning spicy Traminer. And the Trentino Alto Adige region is in the North East part of Italy, bordering on Austria; German is as commonly spoken there as Italian.

 Monday, December 28, 2009  Sea days - Dancing from Fort Lauderdale to St. Thomas

Today is the first of two days at sea and we have 2 hour dance workshops scheduled on both days; These will be on the 4 most common social dances  - rumba and foxtrot, and  waltz and chacha . On the return two days at sea, Wendy has scheduled bolero (one of my favorites), salsa (not my favorite), tango and swing. We were asked to be at Club Verde by 10  am.

As far as our cabin goes it is very comfortable and well designed, with adequate storage space  so that we are not tripping over each other's stuff.  The balcony has two long pool chairs and a table.  It has the best view of any office I have worked in except maybe my "office" on the Pacific Princess, traveling between Honolulu and Tahiti. 

 Since my introduction earlier this year to the delights of cruise ship ballroom dancing with great dance hosts and delightful fellow dance enthusiasts (West Coast Ballroom Dancing and Wine Tasting Cruise) I have traveled to New York for theatre and fine dining (New York, New York), dance-cruised from New York to New Brunswick (Labour Weekend Getaway), from Honolulu to Tahiti (South Pacific Ballroom Dance Cruise) and most recently from Beijing to Bangkok (South-East Asia Ballroom Dance Cruise).

Now as I write, I am sitting in the Conte di Savoia 1932 lounge of the Costa Fortuna cruise ship, presently at port in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The Costa ships are modelled on the Italian steam ships that once plied the Atlantic Ocean between Italy and the Americas. The derivation of the names for the lounges and bars on the Fortuna is a homage to these older liners. So the Savoia lounge is named for the steamship Conte di Savoia that was built in Trieste and made her maiden voyage to new York in November 1932.

The Fortuna was built in 2003 and has a passenger capacity of around 3470. The ship is 890 feet long and  cruises at 20  knots with maximum speed of 22 knots. Most importantly, she has  beautiful wood  dance floors of which the Savoia floor is the best. 

 Looking out the windows, at green hills shrouded in the mist of a fine but steady rain, I feel right at home. It was pouring in Vancouver the day I left to fly to Toronto. There I spent two nights with my daughter before flying down to Fort Lauderdale to embark on a 7 night cruise in the Eastern Caribbean with the Dancers at Sea group.

For the last few years I have spent New Year's Eve quietly, with a small group of friends or family, enjoying  food,  wine and conversation. But this year,  in my new incarnation as an "at-sea dancer" I am closing out the year and the decade, at sea with a New Year's Eve dance party on board ship. So as well as my daughter and my older son who are accompanying me on this trip, I will be partying with about 40 old and new friends.

 I heard that Costa Fortuna has a great dance floor, and is a real party ship, so I  plan to dance myself out of my comfort zone and party the year away.   Here is how my plan is going so far.

We are nearing the end of this 16 night cruise from Beijing to Bangkok. Singapore is the last stop before we disembark in Bangkok.  I spent a week in Singapore in September 2005 when the International Association for Pediatric Laboratory Medicine had its triennial meeting there. Although much of the time was spent at the conference - really,  we did get to tour a bit. I visited the Botanical gardens, and a group of us made the mandatory trek to Raffles Hotel to sit in the bar and drink a Singapore Sling. Actually I sipped someone else's Singaproe Sling just to taste it and then had white wine instead.

I also spent some time shopping and found some terrific tops in a regular department store on Orchard Street. They actually became my most often worn tops for casual and for dance wear. So this visit  I really want to see if I can get back to the same store.

Friday, November 20th, Singapore
 

From the South China Sea, the Diamond Princess entered the Singapore Strait around 3 am and was docked at the pier around 7 am. Although the weather was cloudy it was hot, hot, hot. The noonday temperature was 29 C - maybe not that hot for many people but way too warm for hot-blooded me.

For Singapore, there were 6 of us in the "Weinstein and Women" gang that signed up for the river cruise and Singapore sampler excursion, Carol and Jeane having joined the original group of  four, Raoul, Joan, Bernie and me. 

I am sure the other guys are wondering just how Raoul does it - getting to explore exotic locales with 5 women trotting quietly and obediently - (not!) after him. But actually as I am sure he will tell you, the reality is that despite, or perhaps, because, he is an organizer and map-reader extraordinaire, he spends a lot of time "herding cats" so to speak - as we rush ahead, fall behind or dash off in various directions to shop and to washrooms, while, gentleman as he is, he waits patiently till the group is together again - and usually will have some newly thought up highly relevant joke to share.

Thursday November 19th: At Dinner in the Savoy Dining Room

Missing a picture of Bernie - if anyone has additional photos to post please email them to me.

Thursday November 19, The second to last day of just cruising at sea and the third formal night for dinner

We were quite tired after the long bus rides yesterday and the humid weather did not help. We decided to go the breakfast in the room route before heading up to the Wheelhouse lounge for 9 am.

Greg was doing a hustle workshop first. Then instead of the planned West Coast Swing class by Brian, they decided that Greg would review some of the things he had taught, and on the next sea day, Brian would do the WCS class and review his lessons with us.

I was quite pleased that Greg reviewed that chacha pattern - I think I got the swivel parts - although I did not always feel the lead into that step but the "da da", swivel, swivel timing had me confused and it is a really cool move. Anyway by the end of the review I think I had the timing right on it. Now I need to have a chance to put it into practice.

Also when Carrie does it she really gets down low for that sexy swivel and it looks great - I don't think I can get down that low - need to do more lunges and squats in the gym when I get back, instead of whining about my quads when Cale makes me work on those moves.

November 17 to 19, 2009 -  Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

Unlike Hong Kong which I had visited on several occasions, where I found that most people could speak some English and many were fluent, Vietnam was an unknown for me. I had never visited the country before and did not feel comfortable trying to get around by myself. As well the ship was to dock quite a distance from the places we were to visit.

So Joan, Bernie, Raoul and I had all signed up for a tour in Nha Trang. Later Jeane and Carol decided to take the same tour.

The ship anchored off shore from Nha Trang, a small town in the south centre region of Vietnam, with fishing as its primary industry. The warm waters and white sand beaches also make Nha Trang a favorite holiday destination.

Tuesday November 17, Nha Trang

Our group met at 7 am in the Princess Theatre as the tour was scheduled to start 7:30 and we had to tender ashore. Our "sampler" excursion itinerary included the Ponagar Cham Tower, the Buddhist Shrine at Long Son Pagoda and a visit to see how Vietnamese silk picture embroidery is made.

Nha Trang was originally the centre of the Kingdom of Champa that ruled the area from the 2nd century to the 15 century AD. They were defeated by the Ly Dynasty who founded the independent state of Vietnam. The south, central and northern areas of Vietnam are now one country with a population of over 83 million people, and governed from Hanoi in the north.

After we tendered ashore we got onto buses for the short drive to Nha Trang. We stopped off to see the Long Son Pagoda with its massive white statue of Buddha. We were inundated by hordes of people selling everything from postcards to fans and prints. It was actually quite uncomfortable as they get in your face, begging you to buy stuff. I actually ended up buying some really attractive prints.

I find it fascinating that though Buddhism is supposed to be a non-theistic spiritualism, Buddha has almost it seems been elevated to a god and places  seem to vie to see who can have the largest Buddha statue. Something seems a bit odd with this picture. Not my photo of course!

Next we stopped at a beach restaurant called something like Nha Haru Bia Tua Louisiana which translated into Louisiana Brewhouse!

This was a refreshment stop where we were presented with coconut milk in a coconut shell. For me it was sour and astringent and I just had a few sips.

There was lots of  time for us to walk along the beach and we enjoyed the fresh sea air. Raoul got to demonstrate his skill as dance partner.

Then we piled back into the buses for the drive to Ponagar where we were to visit the Cham Tower.

The bus let us off on the far side of a bridge over the Cai River Estuary which we walked across in single file. This gave us an opportunity to look down on the fishing boats in the bay before we followed our guide up to the Towers.

Saturday, November 14 Hong Kong

The Diamond Princess picked up the local pilot around 5:30 in the morning and was docked in the Contaiiner Terminal by about 7:30. Although it was warm and humid it was still grey outside.

The consensus among those of us who had planned several excursions together was that in Hong Kong we could manage fine without taking an organized excursion. I remembered feeling quite comfortable travelling around when Bob and I had visitedHong Kong years ago, and again when I spent a few days there on my way back from Shanghai.

So Bernie, Jean, Joan, Raoul and I met in the atrium at around 9:15 and by 9:30 we were on the bus shuttle heading from the Pier into Kowloon - about a forty minute drive.

From our drop-off point we found our way to Nathan Street and at a HSBC bank we drew out cash and changed it for Hong Kong dollars. Then we wandered off to the street market where I acquired a great back pack with a detachable smaller back pack,  with wheels for about 19 dollars (Canadian not Hong Kong dollars). The HK dollar is about 6.8 against the US dollar.

I am really bad at bargaining - I always feel bad about beating them down even though I realize the original prices are reallymarked up but Raoul helped by encouraging me to "walk away" and so I got it for considerably less than the marked price. Amanda is going to have to work with me on my acting skills though before I try much more in the way of bargaining.

We were amused by a bakery display. When we took pictures a woman came running out and shouting- no pictures! but here they are.

We then walked down Nathan Street in the general direction of the Ocean Terminal where we wanted to catch the Star Ferry across to the Hong Kong side of the harbour. It costs 2.5 HKD (about 1 dollar fifty) to buy a token for a one way trip across to HK.