We still have some cabins available for our Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2015 Caribbean Cruise! Please contact me for most up to date quote.
Thank you for visiting our website.
We offer both Cruises & Camps!
After perusing the general info BELOW & on the right sidebar for specifics, please read my couple of paragraphs called ” the Big Picture 1 & 2″.
All Prices are Per Person/Double Occupancy
Air Fare IS NOT included nor any other potential costs such as hotel the night before or associated taxi etc
MDC Dance Fee is $250 Per Person
* Please see FAQs regarding Cancellation Policy *
If I Cancel a trip – due to low registration – there is NO cancellation fee charged to you and I refund your full deposit.
I pass on to my dancers, the exact rate the cruise lines quote me + my dance markup. I get the best prices 6 + months in advance when I first create the group. Once 180 days from that date pass, the cruises line take back any reserved rooms that do not have a deposit posted for it. From that point in time, You/I lose the cheaper group rates and will have to pay their current retail price. That rate changes from week to week as each category fills up. Rates usually go up as the cruise line tries to maximize their profits on the remaining rooms. Its the old “Supply and Demand” principle.
It is best if you email or call and ask for a current quote. Please specify your desires: inside, ocean view (with or without obstruction) balcony, or suite? Are you coming as a solo or a pair? Do you want travel protection insurance? What airport will you fly from? (they sometimes have regional sales). Are you a past guest on that cruise line? Member # is helpful too.
Current Lineup has 2 Cruises and 2 Camps for of 2015
Now that we are into the new year, a couple more will be added to the schedule
For a Quick Look on each event – – – Scroll Down
For Full Details – – – See specific pages linked to Right Side Bar
1. Feb 28 2015 – Eastern Caribbean Cruise - Royal Caribbean CL (different ports from Jan 4 cruise) Fort Lauderdale
– Deposits now & Paid in Full due Nov 25.
2. July 1, 2015 – Pacific Northwest Dance Camp – Whidbey Island WA – North of Seattle
– Deposits now & Paid in Full due May 1
3. July 16, 2015 – Pacific Northwest Dance Camp – Whidbey Island WA – North of Seattle
– Deposits now & Paid in Full due May 1
4. Aug 22, 2015 – Alaskan Grandeur – Holland Westerdam – Seattle.
– Deposits now & Paid in full April 15
5. Tentative – Canadian – new England Fall Colors Cruise – Ot 2015
My goal is to respond to all e-mails within 24 hrs, unless on a cruise or otherwise out of town. Please contact me again, if you do not hear back within 24hrs. Adding your phone # would be a great help. I call only if my email acknowledging your contact is returned to us as undeliverable. Emails bounce back to me frequently, due to the inquirer inputting typos in their email address. We will not spam you or ever give out your contact info.
Important info – “Big Picture 1″:
If you want to make a dance cruise/camp, please try to get me a deposit 6-8 months in advance. Cruise lines & Resorts require Payment in Full 100-125 days before the events. Therefore, calling me inside 30 days to sailing, looking for a last minute deal doesn’t work! The group would have been cancelled by the cruise line long before that. Obviously, if I add an event with less than 6 months to departure, deposits need to get here immediately. If you are thinking about a DANCE cruise/camp, please put in a deposit. They are refundable, most of the time, unless you cancel at the last minute! But, that’s what travel insurance is for. If I cancel a cruise, your deposit is 100% refundable. You can’t lose by sending one in!
Sometimes it appears that you CAN find a cheaper cruise by booking direct with the cruise-line. You can do that and still participate in my dance activities. However, you won’t receive (1) my personal intervention when it comes to issues/questions with the cruise line. They won’t talk to me about your booking (citing privacy), (2) you’ll miss the evening meal camaraderie – part of the group dining experiences, (3) lose out on the in-room gifts or shipboard credits that I provide. (4) And, lastly the MDC professional fee (which covers my normal business expenses) will be $350 per person, instead of $250, to offset the loss of commission I would have earned had you booked with me instead.
For those who haven’t cruised before – you need to know the following:
Rooms are booked at the double occupancy rate. You will pay the cruise line for all extras (per person) listed below: bus transfers to and from the airport, travel insurance (highly recommended). And, when you check out at the end of the cruise you will owe all of your tips at $12 – $16 per day, extra, premium meals at specialty restaurants onboard, your adult drinks, including soda and juices, your side excursions and lastly, another tip left in the room for your cabin steward. There are also portage tips arriving and departing the airports and cruise terminals, to handle your luggage. You will be restricted from having departing flights after the cruise for 3-4 hrs. after arrival back at the port of debarkation, if you use the cruise bus. AIR FARE IS NOT INCLUDEDED either.
This is not to scare you from cruising but to prevent sticker shock or buyers remorse after you get home from a great vacation.
Dance Camps have arrived!
The idea is the same basic program of classes and dances on a cruise
but without the floor moving under our feet.
Nor are you shelling out a lot of extra money to the cruise line for all the things that ARE NOT INCLUDED!
Warm Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Feb 28 – Mar 8 2015
From/to Fort Lauderdale
on the Royal Caribbean, Independence of the Seas
Minimum registrants =12
These prices are 300 – 500 dollars higher than the original group rates first posted in January 2014. Once that 180 days from creation of the group passed – rates started climbing.
Inside cabins from $930. Ocean view from $1199. Balcony from $1553 Cruise line Taxes & Fees appx $103.
Trip Insurance varies. Bus Transfer from Ft L ($34) from Miami ($60). MDC Professional Fee $250.
Itinerary: Fort Lauderdale – Florida, Philipsburg – St. Maarten, Basseterre – St Kitts, San Juan – Puerto Rico, Labadee – Haiti. We have 3 Sea Days.
Prices are based on double occupancy/per person. If you want a solo cabin, double the room rate + 1 taxes + 1 MDC Fee.
I will assist in finding a room mate if possible. Advise me of membership #s, airport departure city, senior or military status or any other possible discounts. Deposits lock in the rate. Prices subject to change at the whim of the cruise line. So do our cabin allotments.
2 Camps in the Pacific Northwest . . .
July 1 – 9 & July 16 – 23
On beautiful Whidbey Island (about 60 miles north of Seattle)
Minimum registrants =10 for either week, maximum of 16.
25 – 30 hours of dance instruction and “private party” dances.
Tours to local sights as well.
Rooms from $125 to $150 per person, per night.
$500 Deposit Per Person
$250 MDC professional Fee per person
Alaskan Grandeur
Aug 22 – 29, 2015
From/to Seattle
on the Holland America, Westerdam.
Minimum registrants =14
Port Calls: Juneau, transit Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria BC, back to Seattle. We have 2 sea days.
Inside from $999, Ocean Views from $1039, Veranda from $1459.
Port Fees and Taxes: $216
$250 MDC professional Fee per person
- Bus transfers to & from airport/pier $58 round trip.
- Trip Insurance varies with the cost of the cabin, from $99 to 159. Required unless you opt out in writing.
- MDC Administrative Fee: $250
- Payment in Full – May 18, 2015
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Important info – “Big Picture 2″:
I pass on to my dancers, the exact rate the cruise lines quote me + my markup. I get the best prices for bookings 6 + months in advance. Once we 180 days from the date I create a group (best prices available), the cruises lines take back reserved rooms that do not have a name and deposit. You/I lose the group rate and will pay their retail price, once rooms are recalled. That rate changes from week to week as each category fills up. Rates go up & down as the cruise line tries to maximize their profits.
Cruise lines may offer discounts, like military or senior, club member etc. They may or may not apply if you go with a group, such as us. I will quote to you, whatever I can get from them, plus the markup. Tell me if you think you qualify for those misc. discounts.
MDC’s professional fee, markup, covers the cabins for instructors/hosts, all of the fixed monthly advertising costs, & several more expenses lurking in the background. The basic mark up assumes a 7 day cruise. It must increase for longer cruises, since you will receive more instruction and more dancing. Keep in mind that instructors and hosts are self-employed. When they are away from home, cruising, they aren’t earning an income and pay their own transportation costs. Conducting a cruise is a labor of love for all of the staff. At the end of the cruise, it’s a net loss offset by a wonderful experience of cruising with and for dancers.
- Prices are for the cruise expenses only. Airfares not included.
- All skill levels welcome, from brand new dancers to advanced dancers. We always have a nice mix.
- We provide professionally certified dance instructors who teach all the Smooth, Latin & Club dances.
- True gentlemen dance hosts are provided for the unaccompanied ladies.
- We strive for a 1-3 ratio of hosts. But ladies signing up late usually upset my stated goals. Book early Ladies!
- Last minute sign-ups may reduce that goal. Which is another reason for single ladies to sign up well in advance.
- You must sign-up through Moonlight Dance Cruises to participate in our workshops and private social dances.
- Your deposit locks in your price! Cruise lines start raising prices as we get inside the 90 day window.
- We strive for a combined 20 + hours of workshops and private dances – subject to the ship’s port call schedule and approval.
I know everyone has their favorite cruise line. And we can book on Carnival, Cunard, Holland, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and other smaller lines. - Our biggest challenge is to get the cruise line to commit to us * 20+ hours * reserved for private functions * like our workshops and dances, * on adequate dance floors. From bad experiences, I no longer post a booked cruise on my website – until I get a written commitment that meets our requirements. Every cruise line will book me on a cruise but those group phone reps have no way of knowing if I can actually get the time and space we require to have a cruise. I’ve booked and then cancelled several cruises – after being told dance space was not available.
- The biggest dances floors are usually permanently committed to important “ship’s activities” such as art auctions, bingo, karaoke and Zumba. Hence, not available to dance cruise groups such as MDC.
- Join our e-mail club and we will send you information about all of our cruises. If you do not hear back from me within 24 hours, pleases resubmit! Occasionally we respond but the email bounces back, because the provided email address had a typo.
- For your convenience: we accept Mastercard, Visa, Discover credit Cards.
(Please see our Policies Tab regarding credit card processing fee (3%) & cancellations.) We recommend checks but allow for transit time. - Or, if you wish, print out a registration at home and mail it in with a check. Checks from outside the US must be drawn in US funds. (Our bank puts a 6-8 week hold on non-US $$ checks!)
Creating dream vacation cruises to: Alaska, Hawaii – West & East US coasts – Mexico – Caribbean – Europe -Mediterranean – Australia – New Zealand – South America.
If you are a certified ballroom dance teacher in the Smooth, Latin & Rhythm & Club Dances – Please call regarding our Commission Sharing Program for your referrals. And, if you have an idea for mutual collaboration – please contact me.
Links to Facebook – Check in and Say “Hi”!
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| Moonlight Dance Cruises | Dan’s Classic Ballroom |
CLIA member since 2010.
