Cruise Travel: Do You Want to Dance?

Every week I'm mesmerized by the beauty and strength of the contestants on television's Dancing With the Stars. Ask any athlete and they'll tell you that no one works harder than a dancer. Whether it's ballet, tap, or classic ballroom, dancing is a work-out that requires concentration and determination.

Over the years I've met many couples who signed up for a crash course in tango or cha-cha-cha before their first cruise. I have to admire their effort, although it was sometimes painfully obvious that they were mentally counting the beats of the music and hoping they wouldn't make a mis-step.

Couples with rhythm in their souls--and feet--have even more incentive to pack their dancing slippers for future cruises on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas as their new production show, "Invitation to Dance" takes ballroom dancing to sea level. After an evening of Dancing With the Stars-style try-outs at the beginning of each cruise, four couples will be selected to participate in the "Invitation to Dance" production show. The finalists then work with Royal Caribbean's professional dancers to learn slick dance moves, attend costume fittings, and receive star treatment in preparation for their stage debut later in the week. Showtime is a heady evening in the spotlight for the dancing couples as they join the Royal Caribbean cast on stage and compete against each other for the applause and support of their fellow guests.

As someone who's performed a dance routine on a cruise ship, my advice to anyone who plans to audition is... stages at sea tend to move with the motion of the ocean. See what I mean in That's Entertainment, an insider's look at the Passenger Talent Show.