Holland America Line has announced the 15 winning guest finalists who will compete on the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Champions Cruise Dec. 6, 2014, aboard ms Westerdam. Each winner will represent one of the 15 ships in Holland America Line’s fleet and was selected via the onboard “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” dance competitions held throughout the past year on every sailing.
The 15 guests and their professional shipboard dance partners will perform and compete in the main show lounge for guests, as well as dance pros and celebrities from the hit ABC television show “Dancing with the Stars,” who will be onboard the Champions Cruise. The winning couple will walk away with the coveted Holland America Line “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea Mirrorball Trophy” and title of Holland America Line’s “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Champion.
“The talent we’ve seen this year during the ‘Dancing with the Stars: At Sea’ guest competitions has been incredible and the Champions Cruise is going to be a week filled with intense and exciting competitions,” said Richard Meadows, Holland America Line’s executive vice president, sales, marketing and guest programs. “The Champions Cruise is the perfect finale that allows us to showcase the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with the ‘Dancing with the Stars: At Sea’ program over the past year, and we look forward to crowning the next champion.”
The finalists who will compete on the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Champions Cruise Dec. 6, 2014 are:
· Simona Tsives of San Carlos, Calif., representing ms Amsterdam.
· Matthew McGloin of New York, N.Y., representing ms Eurodam.
· Elaine Jordan of Meeker, Colo., representing ms Maasdam.
· Brenton Mitchell of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, representing ms Nieuw Amsterdam.
· Maurice Van Melick of Arnhem, Netherlands, representing ms Noordam.
· Kelly Cooper of Concord, Calif., representing ms Oosterdam.
· Jacoba Wendrich of Barendrecht, Netherlands, representing ms Prinsendam.
· Jamie Freedman of Boca Raton, Fla., representing ms Rotterdam.
· Marie Liza Rodriguez of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, representing ms Ryndam.
· LeeAnn Valero of Bulingbrook, Ill., representing ms Statendam.
· Summer Knowlden of Lehi, Utah, representing ms Veendam.
· Frances Manzo of Woodlands, Texas, representing ms Volendam.
· Ritchie Valenzuela of San Diego, Calif., representing ms Westerdam.
· Caroline Chan of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, representing ms Zaandam.
· Ian Alldritt of Nepean, Ontario, Canada, representing ms Zuiderdam.
Joining the Champions Cruise to perform in a special production show are two-time “Dancing with the Stars” champion Kym Johnson and pro dancers Sharna Burgess and Artem Chigvintsev. Celebrities set to perform include actress Sabrina Bryan and television personality Carson Kressley.
The “Dancing with the Stars” talent will dazzle the audience with dance numbers from the television series performed in the main show lounge. Additional events on the cruise include a special fashion show featuring the glamorous show costumes and a chance to meet the dance pros and celebrities, ask questions and take photos with them.
The Dec. 6 Champions Cruise visits the eastern Caribbean sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with calls at Half Moon Cay, the line’s award-winning private island in the Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos.
Holland America Line’s partnership with “Dancing with the Stars” features the shipboard program through the 2015-16 sailing season, culminating with another Champions Cruise guest dance-off competition on the Jan. 10, 2016, western Caribbean sailing of ms Westerdam.
The 2015 schedule also will continue to feature “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” programming on every cruise throughout the year, in addition to six special “Dancing with the Stars” theme cruises featuring the show’s professional dancers and celebrities. Celebrities and professional dancers for 2015-16 will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information about the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” theme cruises, consult a professional travel seller, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com or the Plan a Cruise tab at www.Facebook.com/HALcruises.
Editor’s note: Photos from previous theme cruises that featured Tristan MacManus, Sabrina Bryan, two-time Mirrorball trophy winners Kym Johnson and Mark Ballas, Olympian Shawn Johnson and television personality Carson Kressley are available at https://www.cleanpix.com/cleanpix/portal/WNdb-fFX-cwW.