Resorts with large dance floors?

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tursiops

Marine Scientist and Master Instructor (retired)
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Every two years I assemble a group of divers/snorkelers from around the world who also do Scottish Country Dancing. Our goal for a week is to dive/snorkel all day, dance all night...well, all evening, anyway. We've done this in Bonaire, Roatan, Grand Cayman, and Saba. We are now looking for a place for 2020, during June-August. We expect possibly 16-24 people.

Requirements:
  1. good to excellent diving
  2. good to excellent snorkeling
  3. a dance space, preferably wooden floored, at least 30x40 ft.
  4. combined cost for ground and air (from US east coast) under $2500/wk
We've danced in exercise studios, conference rooms, and patios. We are hoping for the Caribbean or Mexico.

!, 2, and 4 are pretty easy. 3 is tough.
Any suggestions? We'd love to go to Mexico somewhere.....

Thanks!
 
Catalina Island has a grand ballroom, big, wood. I flew over with friends for a west coast swing or ballroom dance event. Not warm water..., sorry. Big as in banquet dinner size all wood big, cleared for dancing.

Casino Ballroom Avalon Santa Catalina Island wedding location 90704 - Here Comes The Guide
casino-ballroom-014726888391zO.gif
 
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Every two years I assemble a group of divers/snorkelers from around the world who also do Scottish Country Dancing. Our goal for a week is to dive/snorkel all day, dance all night...well, all evening, anyway. We've done this in Bonaire, Roatan, Grand Cayman, and Saba. We are now looking for a place for 2020, during June-August. We expect possibly 16-24 people.

Requirements:
  1. good to excellent diving
  2. good to excellent snorkeling
  3. a dance space, preferably wooden floored, at least 30x40 ft.
  4. combined cost for ground and air (from US east coast) under $2500/wk
We've danced in exercise studios, conference rooms, and patios. We are hoping for the Caribbean or Mexico.

!, 2, and 4 are pretty easy. 3 is tough.
Any suggestions? We'd love to go to Mexico somewhere.....

Thanks!

How did Sunset House on Grand Cayman work for your group previously, and where do you stay on Saba?

A lot of resorts have space for destination weddings but I would guess that they charge a hefty amount to rent the hall.

Where did you stay on Roatan? Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan is offering a 2-for-1 special at their all-inclusive resort (food, lodgings, diving).

They also advertise that they have a "large air conditioned classroom" at AKR for use by groups of marine science students. I don't know if they would let you use the classroom space - if they don't have any groups of students staying at the same time - but you could ask, see the links below:

Buy One Get on Free Roatan Vacation Packages | Anthony's Key Resort

RIMS Student Groups | Anthony's Key Resort | Roatan | Honduras

And there is also a small conference center on the grounds of the Cayman Brac Beach Resort, see the link and picture below. I am sure that they rent it out for events but perhaps they would let you use the space for dancing since you would be bringing a large group to the resort.

They also have a double-deck open-air bar (pic below) but I don't know if that space would work for you, and the noise might annoy the other guests.

If you decide to call, tell the booking agents at Reef Fantaseas that the folks at Sunset House let you use their space for dancing previously - because they are competitors and that might catch their attention.

And I believe that some of your party stayed in Cayman for 2 weeks, going to LC after GC, so that may also be of interest to the booking agents - because the Clearly Cayman resorts have resorts on all 3 Cayman islands.

Meetings and Banquets | Brac Reef Beach Resort

CBBR_conference_center.jpg


CBBR_bar.jpg
 
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Don't recall the size of the dance floor or if it was wood but cocoview on roatan may meet your requirements
 
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On my way home from SE Asia or Micronesia/Oceania, with a stopover in Honolulu Hawaii -I always go dance with the Hawaii Jitterbugs Lindy Hop Swing Dance Club:

Hawaii Jitterbugs

Make a dive trip to the Hawaiian Islands (Oahu, Maui and/or The Big Island Hawaii). . . and meet & share share some Scottish Country Dance Steps with the Jitterbug Dance Troupe!
 
TC:
Don't recall the size of the dance floor or if it was wood but cocoview on roatan may meet your requirements
CCV has everything you want, in spades.

They have a huge outdoor pavilion and wooden dance floor on the connected Hawksbill Cay. It is about 60x80' (on the left in pic) with electricity and a bar area. You could own it for the week, even with regular evening entertainment going on in the Clubhouse.

image.jpeg
 
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Catalina Island has a grand ballroom, big, wood. I flew over with friends for a west coast swing or ballroom dance event. Not warm water..., sorry. Big as in banquet dinner size all wood big, cleared for dancing.
There is actually a large SCD event held there every year or two....but, as you say, the water is too cold for my folks.

How did Sunset House on Grand Cayman work for your group previously, and where do you stay on Saba?

A lot of resorts have space for destination weddings but I would guess that they charge a hefty amount to rent the hall.

Where did you stay on Roatan? Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan is offering a 2-for-1 special at their all-inclusive resort (food, lodgings, diving).

And I believe that some of your party stayed in Cayman for 2 weeks, going to LC after GC, so that may also be of interest to the booking agents - because the Clearly Cayman resorts have resorts on all 3 Cayman islands.
Sunset House was OK, Keith could not have been more helpful, but the dancing was on tile and killed everyone's feet and ankles.
The snorkelers were not too happy with Grand Cayman; I think it was partly logistics and partly fish density at the sites they went to.
We were at CCV in Roatan, and Queen's Gardens in Saba.
Destination weddings seem to be in spaces with tile/concrete floors. Not good for us.
How did you know about our group and Sunset/LCBR? Yes, I'd like to do that combined thing again. The folks that join us from Switzerland and Germany (and maybe the UK next time) like two-week trips....amortizes the time zones and air costs.
TC:
Don't recall the size of the dance floor or if it was wood but cocoview on roatan may meet your requirements
We used it a few years ago...could go back, but would prefer somewhere new. Viz was horrible when we were there; not much fun for the divers, but the snorkelers were OK.

On my way home from SE Asia or Micronesia/Oceania, with a stopover in Honolulu Hawaii -I always go dance with the Hawaii Jitterbugs Lindy Hop Swing Dance Club:

Make a dive trip to the Hawaiian Islands (Oahu, Maui and/or The Big Island Hawaii). . . and meet & share share some Scottish Country Dance Steps with the Jitterbug Dance Troupe!
Hawaii is attractive. There is a SCD group there (Honolulu) that has a big event every two years, but in February. That doesn't work for my teachers and professors. Bummer.

-----------------------
Thanks all! Very helpful info and suggestions.
 
...How did you know about our group and Sunset/LCBR? Yes, I'd like to do that combined thing again. The folks that join us from Switzerland and Germany (and maybe the UK next time) like two-week trips....amortizes the time zones and air costs...

I knew that some of your group went to LCBR after Sunset House because you posted that information, see below:

Yes, we are going to Sunset House June 4-11, 2016, and then some will go to Little Cayman Beach Resort June 11-18 for some more diving but no dancing. It will be a fabulous 2 weeks!

The Clearly Cayman Resorts are offering a limited 14 day "Expedition" in September of this year to both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. It's not cheap but it includes a lot, including boat transfers between the 2 islands, see the link below. If you are interested, perhaps they would put together a special 2 island, 2 week trip for interested members of your group in 2020, and let you use the conference space at CBBR for dancing, too!

2 Islands. 14 Days. 42 Dives.
 
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I knew that some of your group went to LCBR after Sunset House because you posted that information, see below:



The Clearly Cayman Resorts are offering a limited 14 day "Expedition" in September of this year to both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. It's not cheap but it includes a lot, including boat transfers between the 2 islands, see the link below. If you are interested, perhaps they would put together a special 2 island, 2 week trip for interested members of your group in 2020, and let you use the conference space at CBBR for dancing, too!

2 Islands. 14 Days. 42 Dives.
My goodness, what a memory you must have! Or a very good filing system!
 
My goodness, what a memory you must have! Or a very good filing system!

No, when I saw your post I wondered "Is this the same guy that previously posted about diving and dancing?" so I did a search and your posts came up. Mystery solved.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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