Dance Fever Hits The High Seas

America loves watching famous people—check that, even nobodys—make fools of themselves. Kate Gosselin, for instance, took this to a whole other level, first with her bird-inspired hairdo, then her own reality show—"Jon & Kate Plus Eight"—now with her preening on the hit show "Dancing With The Stars." Like it or not, she's a rating bonanza.

Maybe that's why these dancing reality shows are so big. So big, infact, that they are infecting the high seas: people, it turns out, love to dance, too!

Now, dancing on cruise ships is not a new thing. There's plenty opportunity for ballroom, salsa, waltzing, we've even seen the Electric Slide in full force. But the success of shows like the aforementioned "Dancing With The Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance," have raised dancing's awareness on cruise ships.

So much so that USA TODAY's cruise blog devoted an entire item to it. Did you know that Carnival's British line P&O Cruises launched its newest and largest ship, the Azura, in Southampton, UK, over the weekend with a dance-themed party and a ballerina godmother? Now you do. Stars from "Strictly Come Dancing," the UK version of "Dancing with the Stars," (we have a problem with the title!) were among those watching as the champagne bottle smash against the hull of the 3,100-passenger ship.

Other cruise ships have the dancing bug. Cunard, for one, offers ballroom dance lessons during the day, where passengers can learn steps from professionals then test their skills in the balrooms that evening. Meanwhile, MSC Cruises offers Latin Dance, including instruction in the Rumba, the Cha Cha Cha—Fun, Fun, Fun!

The there is Crystal Cruises, which will have an enhanced schedule of dance classeson its December 1 transatlantic sailing on Crystal Serenity. We hear there will even be a crew dance contest (much more civilized than a belly-flop contest!). The cruise is headlined by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.