So What Haven't
We Covered?
Luxury and Recreation
First and foremost, we are sailing aboard
a beautiful cruise ship
for seven nights that offers more activities and fun
things to do than you could ever imagine!
Our ship is basically an enormous floating hotel that has the facilities for
every conceivable type of fun that is legal. If there is something
you desire, they aim to please. Any amenity you might expect at a
four-star hotel is generally there for the asking on a cruise ship as
well.
What is interesting is that a Vegas hotel goes for $100-$200 a night.
On board a cruise ship, we get to enjoy the life of luxury
as low as
$60 per day.... and that is with meals
and entertainment included! This curious fact explains why
"cruising" is considered one of the best travel bargains of all.
Friends
One reason our numbers are strong every year is due
to an intangible, best described as the "Group Experience". People
enjoy seeing their friends so much that they don't want to miss the next
adventure... and they haul a couple new people along to join the fun.
One unique feature of a
cruise is the chance to learn first-hand the meaning of the phrase "the
more the merrier". No matter how big our group grows, the
energy just grows right along with it.
If you want to be alone,
there are hidden corners everywhere... or your own cabin for that
matter. If you want to be with the group, there's always a party
going on somewhere. If you want to play cards, go for it. If
you want to do a puzzle, go for it. Whatever you want to do, the
cruise ship has a spot for you and our group supplies the people to keep
you company.
Dinnertime
The best example of the
Group Experience is our elaborate Dinner, an event that lasts about two
hours each night. Two hours may seem like a long time, but we are
having so much fun we don't even feel the time pass.
Every cruise ship takes the
dining experience seriously. The dining room is beautiful, the
food is excellent, and the waiters very personable. Our group usually occupies half
the upper floor of the dining room. You cannot help but smile when
you see our group spread out from one side of the ship to the other.
Impressive.
It is true a cruise trip is often about
romance. The ship provides hidden restaurants for those kind of
evenings and it isn't unusual for our guests to spend
one night alone. However, as a rule, the SSQQ Cruise is more about
hanging out with friends for the entire week.
Marla assigns each person to
a table. She puts a lot of thought into this process and generally
matches her people up very well. Some tables are all singles.
Some tables are all couples. Some tables are groups of friends who
have bonded on previous trips.
The people at your table become your buddies throughout
the trip. You have no idea the stories that people share at
dinnertime. The conversation ranges from the sublime to the silly. This is how people make friendships that
become
so strong that they carry over right onto shore after the trip is over.
The next thing you know, you are having dinner with the same people back
in Houston.
Dinner with the group is
one of the highlights of every day on the trip. Once people get
going, the noise level can get pretty high. The smiles and
laughter are infectious. In fact, we even give out "Rowdiest
Table" awards. When you are sea, misbehavior is always rewarded.
Then you pay the blackmail fee to make sure the stories don't make it
back to land; everyone is happy.
Dancing
Every
evening no matter where you go on the ship, wherever there is music, you
are sure to see SSQQ dancers putting on a show. Every cruise ship
has a wide variety of music venues. On any given night, you might
hear Salsa music in one room, Western in another, Popular music and
Ballroom in yet a third spot... all played by live bands.
And that doesn't even
include the Disco which is always in full swing. Before dinner,
after dinner, late night, it doesn't matter. There are
dancing opportunities
all over the ship till the wee hours of the night.
Throughout the evening, the SSQQ dancers basically take over the dance floors
much to the delight of
the other passengers.
Historically, our dancing is so
impressive that
other guests often greet
us as we return to our seats and thank us for being so much fun to
watch.
When you add up all the great dancers in our group, we definitely
put on quite a show. There have been several times
where the guests were surprised to find out we are passengers on the ship
just like they are. They had assumed we were professional dancers
hired to be part of the entertainment. Now that is a compliment!
That said, the attention we receive is much deserved. These dance cruises are definitely good for the ego.
It is the ultimate form of
flattery to look up at the levels above and see the railings lined with
people who watch us as if we are the evening's entertainment.
Whether it is a large group or just small pockets of dancers, we take
over the ship every night anywhere we hear music. The rest of the passengers stare in
envy and wish they could join us.
Do you have a child who has
been in a dance recital? A dance cruise is like a recital for
adults. A dance cruise serves as a reward for all those hours of
dance lessons. Good dancing requires a lot of time practicing.
Most of the people in our group have taken dance lessons for months
getting ready for this cruise... or years for that matter! It is
nice to receive recognition for hard work and time well spent. Now
you finally see your hard work pay off.
There is a flip side to the
attention our group receives. Sometimes there is a look of
wistfulness on those faces. "Gee, I wish I could do that!"
Our dancers should not feel guilty. Yes, it is a shame that
so few people in America know how to partner dance, but that isn't our
fault. We are out there showing people what they are missing.
Once they see how much fun we are having, don't be surprised if they
take dance lessons themselves the next time they book a cruise
trip. In a sense, our dancing serves as an inspiration to the
entire ship.
We dance from the moment we
get on the ship. Our SSQQ Welcome Aboard Dance Party begins
soon after the ship departs. Then we schedule
our first dance workshop for the following morning. Some people
"charge" for dance lessons at sea. That is not our style.
Marla and Rick are just grateful to have you on board. We take
delight in raising the energy with fun dance classes.
We will have Dance Workshops on each of our three days
at sea. Yes, we take requests! In the
past, we have taught Swing, Foxtrot, Waltz,
Cha Cha, Salsa, Slow Dance, Rueda,
Night Club, you name
it. These workshops are well-attended. Here is
the perfect way to get to
know your fellow guests in
the group!
Rick and Marla aren't the only instructors on board.
There are usually other dance classes taught by
instructors who work for the ship.
These ship-sponsored dance classes are usually very well-attended for a
couple of reasons. The cruise industry is well aware how popular dancing
is at sea. They are also well aware that most people don't have a
clue how to dance, so they provide lessons. Typically, once the
passengers see us in action, they flock to the classes in hope that they
might learn enough to join us out on the floor. No one is mean
enough to point out the kind of moves we use cannot be learned in a
couple of hours. Why discourage them?
Many of these classes are line dances.
Partner dancing classes exist as well. Although the material is
geared towards the non-dancing general audience, our dancers thoroughly enjoy the extended opportunities to
dance and dance some more! Don't tell anyone,
but they take the lessons as a way to meet some of the other passengers.
Now isn't that clever?
We save some of our best
dancing of the day for late night. Marla has secured Studio B for our group. This makes our late
hours dance party a private event.
We set up our own music
system and dance the night away. This after-hours dancing will go
till 1 AM. Of course, that seems pretty late, but
people learn to time-shift on a cruise. Frequently people don't
even come to breakfast till 10 AM or so.
Join the Club!
Now that Marla and Rick have
organized forty trips, one thing is clear - people love to travel in groups.
They like knowing they will
have company for each activity, they like the safety, and they like
having people they care about to share their experiences. It
doesn't matter whether someone is single or in a relationship, once we
are at sea, we function as a very tight-knit group. We all look
out for one another.
Whether it is a wild
afternoon at Senor Frogs in Cozumel,
zip-lining
through the jungle in
Jamaica, swimming with the sting rays at Grand Cayman,
sand volleyball on the beach, walking the
Seven Mile Beach, and dancing with the
group in a workshop, the SSQQ Travel Cruise is a chance to make firm and
lasting friendships that will continue after you have left the ship.
And you never know, you might find the Love
Boat legend is real after all. Many people come on trips to find
love. With a group our size, the sparks are flying right and left.
The
romance angle is well-known, but less advertised are all the neat people
you will meet on this trip. Dancing is just the
starting point. You will find people that
you will wish to share adventures with long after you return to land.
Over the years, our cruise trips have created an entire community.
Come join our club!
For questions, call Marla Archer at
713 862 4428
or email her at
marla@ssqq.com
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