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Who are Warren and Jane?

Warren and Jane are former competitors on the International circuit.  They were ranked British number 1 and were former All England Champions and grand finalists in the British, UK, European and World Professional Championships.   They appeared on over 25 programmes of the BBC’s Come Dancing and now own and run the UK’s largest chain of Ballroom and Latin dance studios based in the Midlands.  They have been voted the UK’s Top Teacher of the Year winners for the last 8 consecutive years.

What is their teaching like?

Clear, humorous, easy to understand, unforgettably funny, the best!  They have been voted the UK’s Top Teachers for the last 8 years as well as receiving more awards for teaching than anyone else!

When are the workshops?

Some workshops are held on sea days – we usually like to get two in on these with one in the morning and one late afternoon.    Some workshops are on the port days but wont clash with excursions.  For example, if the ship leaves at 5.00pm, then the workshop will often start at 5.00pm as we know that all passengers have to be back onboard by 4.30pm.  

Workshop standard

Our workshops are aimed at both social dancers and more experienced dancers.   Non dancers are welcome to come with us but we don’t run a beginners dance class as the ship usually puts those on for the general passengers.   We usually split the group into two based on their dancing experience and level.  One group will learn routines suitable for social dancers with a little experience and the other group will learn routines that are a little more tricky.   A questionnaire will be sent out near to departure time so that we can assess what level they are at.  We always have a lot of people tell us that they aren’t very good but they always go home happy!   Many ask if they will be good enough – we say, as long as you can do the basics.

What do the workshops cover?

Our workshops will cover various Ballroom and Latin American dances – which are Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba and Jive.   We will teach a short routine which will have some new ideas in it and then also give tips on how to improve your dancing including the hold, posture, how to lead and follow, and how to improve your technique.   We teach in a fun, light hearted style with simple instruction.

Do I need a partner?

If you are on your own, we will always try to make sure you have someone to dance with.  We have helpers and assistants on hand who can partner and we haven’t left anyone on their own so far! 

What is the dance floor like?

Dance floors on ships are never as big as on dry land but we try to select ships with the best dance facilities.   Some ships have bigger floors than others, while others have more general dancing.  Some don’t have as much general dancing as we would like so we try to offer more workshops on these ships to compensate.  It all a matter of compromise but it usually works out ok.

How do I know where the workshops are and when?

You will be sent a letter before departure advising you of the time and location of the cocktail party.  At the cocktail party we will give out the dance schedule for your cruise as it often changes right up to this point.

Is there general dancing onboard?

This varies from ship to ship.   Some ships will have strict tempo general dancing every night while on others its  a bit hit and miss.

Do I need my dance shoes?

If you’ve got them, bring them.

Do I have to attend all of the workshops?

No, its your cruise!  Attend all of them or non of them…its up to you.  If you are happy, we are happy!

Can anyone join in the dance workshops?

Only passengers who book within our group with Victoria Travel.

Are there gentleman hosts onboard?

This varies from ship to ship.  Cunard and P&O usually do, RCI usually don’t!  Not sure about Fred Olsen!

Dinner

We try to sit the group on large tables all together in the restaurant as this makes for a fun and lively atmosphere.  If someone wants a smaller table, they will need to let us know.  We always sit the group on second seating although if someone wants to go on 1^st seating they can but must be aware they wont be with the majority of the group and they could miss the odd workshop which may overlap their early dinner time.

Are you putting on a coach?

If we do a coach, it will go from the Midlands to either a UK departure port or airport.  This will depend on sufficient numbers going from the Midlands…usually we need about 18 to make it financially worthwhile. 

Cocktail Party?

First night just before dinner – time and location will be confirmed just before departure.

Dinner Party?

Where possible, we try and organize a private dinner party for our group in one of the specialty restaurants.   It is completely optional  for our passengers to join in although there is a ships cover charge.  If this is an option, it will be arranged once onboard.   Some ships specialty restaurants cannot cope with a very large group so it doesn’t happen every time.

I’ve not had anything through in the post about the dancing!

We send out our info about 3 weeks before departure.  However it is always worth checking!

Single passengers sharing cabins

If someone wants to share, get them to call us with their details and we will try and match them up with someone and put them in touch with each other to see if they want to share a cabin.

Group tours / excursions

We don’t officially do anything but its easy with a group to go with someone else doing the same tour or share a taxi as we all see each other at dinner and dance class.   If we feel there is  a really worthwhile tour that we think would be good for the group to do, we will tell them but its up to them to book it themselves onboard.