Exciting news! Holland America Line will continue the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” program in 2015/2016 due to its overwhelming popularity and success. For the third year, the collaboration brings the excitement of ABC’s hit show “Dancing with the Stars” to all of the premium ships in the Holland America Line fleet. The program will culminate with the annual Champions Cruise competition on ms Nieuw Amsterdam’s Jan. 10, 2016, western Caribbean voyage.

The 2015 schedule will continue to feature “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” programming on all sailings in addition to six special “Dancing with the Stars” theme cruises highlighting the show’s professional dancers and celebrities. In 2013 and 2014 select theme cruises featured professional dancers Tristan MacManus, Kym Johnson, Sharna Burgess, Emma Slater, Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsie Hightower, Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, along with television personality Carson Kressley, singer Joey Fatone, actress Sabrina Bryan and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

“On every cruise throughout the year our ‘Dancing with the Stars: At Sea’ lessons are a huge draw and the competition to dance for the Champions Cruise is intense, which tells us we have a very successful and engaging program,” said Richard Meadows, Holland America Line’s executive vice president, sales, marketing and guest programs. “Dancing always has been a feature activity on our ships, and the partnership with ‘Dancing with the Stars’ has enabled us to provide guests with a very special and exclusive experience.”

“Dancing with the Stars” cast members have a great time on every theme cruise. In addition to performing, they also participate in a Q&A session with guests.

Sail with Dance Pros and Celebrities from the ABC Show on Theme Cruises
The six “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” theme cruises in 2015/16 are:

• Jan. 3, 2015: Seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise aboard ms Westerdam that sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Jan. 10, 2015: Seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise aboard ms Westerdam that sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• June 6, 2015: Seven-day Bermuda cruise aboard ms Veendam that sails roundtrip from Boston, Mass.
• June 13, 2015: Seven-day Canada/New England cruise aboard ms Veendam that sails from Boston, Mass, to Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• Jan. 3, 2016: Seven-day eastern Caribbean cruise aboard ms Nieuw Amsterdam that sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Champions Cruise: Jan. 10, 2016: Seven-day western Caribbean cruise aboard ms Nieuw Amsterdam that sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Each theme cruise features lively guest performances from the professional dancers and celebrities who dazzle the audience with routines from the television show and exciting new choreographed dances. Additional events on theme cruises include dance lessons with the ship’s professional dancers, a special fashion show featuring glamorous show costumes and a chance to meet the dance pros and celebrities, ask questions and take photos with them. Celebrities and professional dancers for 2015 will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Dance Competition for Guests
Beginning with cruises that depart on or after Sept. 21, 2014, and continuing with sailings departing through Nov. 24, 2015, every sailing on all 15 ships in the Holland America Line fleet will feature exclusive “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” programming. Included are complimentary dance lessons with the ship’s dance pros and a dance competition that gives guests an opportunity to compete for a chance to represent their ship on the Champions Cruise. The range of eligible dance competition cruises vary slightly by ship based on actual departure dates; specific eligibility schedules and complete rules for the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” dance competition are posted at www.hollandamerica.com.

Following preliminary rounds on each cruise finalists are paired with a Holland America Line dance professional to perform center stage in the ship’s main show lounge. A judging panel — ship officers, shipboard professional dancers and other cruise staff — will score participants’ performances and combine those scores with audience appreciation scores for a total tally to determine the winning guest. Judges onboard the theme cruises may also include some of the “Dancing with the Stars” dance pros or celebrities.

Allyse Ishino, the first Champion, accepts the Mirror Ball trophy following her win.

Winners of the guest competitions with the highest scores from each of Holland America Line’s ships will win a free ocean-view stateroom for two on the Champions Cruise to compete for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy and title of Holland America Line’s “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Champion. There will be one winner from each ship on the Champions Cruise sailing aboard Nieuw Amsterdam Jan. 10, 2016.

Two New Dance Pros Added to Holland America Line’s Remaining 2014 ‘Dancing with the Stars: At Sea’ Theme Cruises
Before the 2015 season kicks off, there’s still time to sail on a 2014 theme cruise with dance pros and celebrities from the show. In fact, Holland America Line has added the talents of professional dancers Sharna Burgess and Artem Chigvintsev to the remaining two 2014 “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” theme cruises. Both currently performing on the ABC hit show “Dancing with the Stars,” Burgess and Chigvintsev will join ms Westerdam for the theme cruise departing Nov. 29 and the Champions Cruise that sets sail Dec. 6. Both cruises sail roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to the Caribbean.

Burgess and Chigvintsev will be joined onboard the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” cruises by dance professional and Mirrorball Trophy winner Kym Johnson, and celebrities Carson Kressley and Sabrina Bryan.

Artem Chigvintsev, left photo, and Sharna Burgess, far right, join the cast of “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” pros. Right photo courtesy of Jason Leppert, www.popularcruising.com.

About Burgess and Chigvintsev
Sharna Burgess has been a dance pro on “Dancing with the Stars” since 2011, performing this season with author and late-night television talk show host Tavis Smiley, and previously with Olympic gold medalist Charlie White, football-great-turned-ESPN personality Keyshawn Johnson and funnyman Andy Dick. She’s also toured with dance shows “Burn the Floor” and “Strictly Ballroom” as well as appeared on “Dancing with the Stars Australia” and “So You Think You Can Dance Holland.” Burgess was a choreographer on the film “Street Dance 2 – 3D.”

Dancing as a pro for first time on the current season of “Dancing with the Stars” with actress Lea Thompson, Artem Chigvintsev was a troupe member on the show last season and won the coveted Mirrorball Trophy during his first season on the U.K. version of the smash hit called “Strictly Come Dancing.” He also was a finalist on the FOX television show “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Will you be booking a “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” theme cruise in 2015 or participating in the onboard dance competition? Tell us your plans below!

All photos courtesy of Holland America Line/RobComeau.com.