Opinion wanted - guest lecturers

[Colo Cruiser]

The guest lecturer we saw several years ago on Princess was very good and she spoke about retirement/finances. We happened to have dinner with her one night and she told us her stateroom was on deck 4, with the crew, and her cruise was complimentary. Maybe not all of them have complimentary rooms (?).

 

I agree there are crew cabins and pass cabins available for these type of situations.

[billet]

The compensation package varies depending on how the lecturer is hired, since Princess tries to source directly but will often go through an agent who will negotiate a different package. This can mean the lecturer will pay a reduced rate for the cabin or it may be free, air travel may be included or may have to paid for (at a discounted rate), and the spouse may or may not be included as part of the package.

 

The lecturer can certainly be in the crew area but it will be an officer level of cabin or may be in a passenger cabin depending on availability.

 

To address the original subject of the thread I was very impressed with Jules Talarico on the Star. He was amusing, had excellent visuals and was always well prepared.

 

I do find that with a lot of the lecturers it is an excellent time to catch up on lost sleep.

[cruisin36]

The compensation package varies depending on how the lecturer is hired, since Princess tries to source directly but will often go through an agent who will negotiate a different package. This can mean the lecturer will pay a reduced rate for the cabin or it may be free, air travel may be included or may have to paid for (at a discounted rate), and the spouse may or may not be included as part of the package.

 

The lecturer can certainly be in the crew area but it will be an officer level of cabin or may be in a passenger cabin depending on availability.

 

To address the original subject of the thread I was very impressed with Jules Talarico on the Star. He was amusing, had excellent visuals and was always well prepared.

 

 

Jules is the man that relayed the info to me!!

[BruceMuzz]

FYI - The guest lectureres do not get the cruise free. They do get a heavily discounted fare and air to get there. They must pay full fare for theor spouses ifnthey come and their airfare. Thhey are obligated to provide a lecture on all sea days.

 

Let me re-phrase it for you.

EVERY guest lecturer makes his own deal with the cruise lines. He signs a contract spelling out the details of his job.

I am given a copy of that contract when they sail on my ship. There is usually some discussion between me and the lecturer about what he thought he was getting - versus what his contract promised him. The black and white version keeps those conversations short.

 

Some get to bring a spouse or children; some don't.

Some get free airfare; some don't.

Some pay for the cruise; some don't.

Some have their bar bill comped; some don't.

Some get free shore excursions; some don't.

Some get an entertainer cabin; some get a passenger cabin.

Some have to share a cabin; some don't.

Some are allowed to do self promotion; some are not.

Some can sell their CD/Book/Services; some cannot.

Some must work every day; some only once or twice per cruise.

Some get paid for the job; some don't.

[Coral]

On the Dawn Princess in Alaska - my cabin was 3 or 4 doors down from the Naturalist. She was assigned an ocean view cabin.

[cruisin36]

Let me re-phrase it for you.

EVERY guest lecturer makes his own deal with the cruise lines. He signs a contract spelling out the details of his job.

I am given a copy of that contract when they sail on my ship. There is usually some discussion between me and the lecturer about what he thought he was getting - versus what his contract promised him. The black and white version keeps those conversations short.

 

Some get to bring a spouse or children; some don't.

Some get free airfare; some don't.

Some pay for the cruise; some don't.

Some have their bar bill comped; some don't.

Some get free shore excursions; some don't.

Some get an entertainer cabin; some get a passenger cabin.

Some have to share a cabin; some don't.

Some are allowed to do self promotion; some are not.

Some can sell their CD/Book/Services; some cannot.

Some must work every day; some only once or twice per cruise.

Some get paid for the job; some don't.

 

And who are you and what ship do you own???

[hughdm]

On the Golden to Hawaii, we were very pleased with the quality of the speakers. Besides the hula, and other lessons, on the way there we had a naturalist, and on the way back we had a maritime historian.

[BruceMuzz]

And who are you and what ship do you own???

 

For the past 35 years I am a Hotel Manager on 28 different cruise ships, with 8 different cruise lines.

I don't own any ships.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I normally enjoy the lectures or activities. Some are very informative, some entertaining, and at least one sent me into a hobby that now fills a lot of my time. And some aren't so hot. Besides whatever deal they get from the cruise line, many have agents who must be paid by the lecturer.

[Psychedout]

FYI - The guest lectureres do not get the cruise free. They do get a heavily discounted fare and air to get there. They must pay full fare for theor spouses ifnthey come and their airfare. Thhey are obligated to provide a lecture on all sea days.

 

I was wondering about that. Anne Post GG Granddaughter of Emily Post was on the Crown with her boyfriend, Feb 13 th. they were 2 doors down from us.

[capriccio]

On our 4 Princess cruises we've had the entire range of lecturers - some excellent and some downright poor (they should have paid us to attend!).

 

On the Coral Princess Alaska cruise in 2007 we too had Barbara the naturalist. She was wonderful and definitely added to the overall experience on the trip. As I remember she lectured every day and frequently was commenting on the PA system when not giving a formal presentation.

 

On the Island Princess Panama Canal transit in January 2008 we attended only the first lecture by the husband and wife team – it was so excruciating we didn’t go to any others (they only gave a few lectures if I remember correctly). My husband (a professor in a former life) characterized it as listening to your neighbors go through their unedited vacation slides/photos. I (an editor in a former life), wanted to scream every time (and it was many times) one of them would repeat the exact same sentence the other had said less than 5 minutes earlier.

 

On the Emerald Princess Baltics cruise we had the incomparable John Lawrence. Again, a definite asset to the cruise. He lectured just about every day since it is such a port intensive tour. In addition to the port lectures he gave presentations on fabrege eggs and amber.

 

On the Royal Princess Amazon cruise this past January I noted in my review that

"there were two port lecturers on the cruise; one I would rate fair; the other good. The one rated fair concentrated more on fauna but started every lecture with photos of his books – none of which had anything to do with the topic at hand. After the first lecture we all knew who he was and his background, self publicity wasn't really necessary. The other lecturer concentrated more on history but once again had to talk about himself at length – to the extent of sharing his political feelings on more than one occasion which I think is uncalled for. There was little evidence of coordination between the two lecturers and both just read the bullet points in their Powerpoint presentations (I know others were taught – as was I – that the bullet points are highlights that should be elaborated upon). Both had trouble with pronunciation of Brazilian names (including our destination Manaus!). It's a shame that Princess couldn't hire some 'real' experts for these lectures – especially on a cruise like this. Passengers wanted information – often the Cabaret Lounge was standing room only – that I think could have been delivered better."

 

While poor guest lecturers can't wreck a cruise, good ones can contribute to making the difference between a good cruise and a great one.

[NotWthOutablcony]

And I would talk about coffee. ;)

Fine, but if Pia gets to talk about coffee, I get to talk about mattresses! :D:p:rolleyes:

On the note of topic, I have heard that the lecturers on the Hawaii and Alaska cruises are very interesting, I hope we get a few good ones for our Hawaii cruise, I'd love them to lecture on the whales, dolphins and underwater life. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[billet]

And who are you and what ship do you own???

 

LOL - I agree with you.

[cruznliz]

On our Jan. 17, 2010 Hawaii cruise on the Golden we were delighted to have John Maxtone Graham. He was amazingly entertaining. I already own all his books so didn't get any autographed copies. After we got home I was kicking myself that I didn't get my picture taken with him! I guess I'm a groupie! :o

 

We have also enjoyed Hawaii Bob and John Lawrence, though both of them can be full of themselves on occasion. The best and most educational lecturers were on the Regal Princess to Antarctica in 2006. It was a British team of scientists, grad students and their instructors. They took turns talking about their specialties. There was standing room only at every lecture.

 

We attend any nature lectures at least once, but are often disappointed. I guess it's hard to make Power Point slides fascinating.:rolleyes:

[mikjr]

FYI - The guest lectureres do not get the cruise free. They do get a heavily discounted fare and air to get there. They must pay full fare for theor spouses ifnthey come and their airfare. Thhey are obligated to provide a lecture on all sea days.

 

Sorry... but this is not correct. I have lectured on both Celebrity and Princess, and your room is basically free, and you can bring your spouse at no charge. There is a small fee that goes to the agency that books you with the cruise line. Yes, you must pay your own airfare... but sometimes depending on the need, it will be paid for also.

 

Also, some cruise lines provide you with discounts on bar drinks.

 

I lectured on a 15 day Hawaii cruise... and only spoke five out of the ten sea days.

[cruisin36]

Sorry... but this is not correct. I have lectured on both Celebrity and Princess, and your room is basically free, and you can bring your spouse at no charge. There is a small fee that goes to the agency that books you with the cruise line. Yes, you must pay your own airfare... but sometimes depending on the need, it will be paid for also.

 

Also, some cruise lines provide you with discounts on bar drinks.

 

I lectured on a 15 day Hawaii cruise... and only spoke five out of the ten sea days.

 

This was told to me by a lecturer aboard the Ruby last Fall. So you are saying he is a liar? I will refer tour post to him, he will enjoy it.

[wannagonow123]

Someone from Princess Sales Department could have someone on each day describing other cruises that are offered. I have not taken many cruises yet, and I have only done the MR & Alaska venues. Maybe someone could bring a slide show and convince me why I should Cruise with Princess to Tahiti. Right now, if I wanted to see Tahiti, I would fly, and have to pay for hotel, air, food, and figure out what to see on my own, arrange for tours, and basically be a slave to my computer. Maybe someone from Princess can show me that it a better value to let them handle everything, plus what other things in other ports there are to see and do.

 

Brochures are really not enticing. Me, I'll get on a ship to anywhere. My husband however is one that really needs to be interested in the itinerary. The main reason we went to Alaska, was NATGO did a great special on Alaska, and because of that, he suggested the cruise.

 

Better than listening to how mant ports have Diamonds International and Del Sol.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry... but this is not correct. I have lectured on both Celebrity and Princess, and your room is basically free, and you can bring your spouse at no charge. There is a small fee that goes to the agency that books you with the cruise line. Yes, you must pay your own airfare... but sometimes depending on the need, it will be paid for also.

 

Also, some cruise lines provide you with discounts on bar drinks.

 

I lectured on a 15 day Hawaii cruise... and only spoke five out of the ten sea days.

 

 

On Princess this is not the same for all situations.

[JTor]

I agree with most of your criteria for a good lecturer - an energetic speaking style, enthusiasm (and knowledge) about the topic, and (bonus points) being able to get the audience involved are at the top of my list. I've attended great lectures on topics I thought I'd loathe and they were great because of the speaker. Others with good topics just.... weren't fun.

 

I don't mind if the topic isn't directly related to where we are cruising, although topics that are would be a bonus.

 

Crystal seems to have fantastic guest lectures. I assume they probably do pay. I especially remember a fellow who used to be editor of a major Chicago paper, and a former CIA agent - both were fantastic. Maybe Princess needs to publicize their program more widely to attract better people? I work at a university where everyone lectures all the time and most are pretty good speakers... not all topics would appeal to cruise passengers, of course, but some would.... I've never heard of anyone lecturing on a cruise. Probably some of these folks would be delighted to give a few talks in exchange for a free cruise.

[donaldsc]

I have found that generally, the naturalists are pretty good.

 

The lecturer on our January 29 Princess Cruise who was a retired professor was awful. They should have comped everyone who had the misfortune to attend any of his lectures.

 

DON

[FLACRUISER99]

If you ever are lucky enough to be on a cruise where John Maxtone-Graham is the speaker, please don't miss any of his lectures. One of the very best educational and entertaining lecturers we have ever heard on land or sea. Get there early or you may not find a seat!!

 

Also as mentioned in an above post, Bob Basso (Hawaii Bob) was very interesting and fun to listen to on our Hawaii RT Princess cruises.

 

We, especially DH, enjoy the lectures - I sometimes have to be coaxed away from my balcony if the sun is out!

John Maxtone-Graham #1 in my book

[Elua]

I have been in and around the cruise industry since the early 90's, and have seen more then my fair share of lecturers and speakers. I must say John Maxtone-Graham is the absolute best. I was lucky enough to have him with us on the Crown when Leialoha and I took it out in 2006, and he has been with us on the Golden for the last two months. I go to as many of his talks as possible, and find them, (even after multiple viewings) engaging, interesting, humorous and just plain fantastic!!

 

Dave Soreff

Elua

[mikjr]

This was told to me by a lecturer aboard the Ruby last Fall. So you are saying he is a liar? I will refer tour post to him, he will enjoy it.

 

I am only telling you my experience... I am not calling you or anyone else a liar.

[mikjr]

On Princess this is not the same for all situations.

 

As I mentioned to another poster... I can only share my experience with the cruises I lectured on.

 

That raises the question, based on your experience or what you've heard... what is the situation with Princess?

[marypat01]

The compensation package varies depending on how the lecturer is hired, since Princess tries to source directly but will often go through an agent who will negotiate a different package. This can mean the lecturer will pay a reduced rate for the cabin or it may be free, air travel may be included or may have to paid for (at a discounted rate), and the spouse may or may not be included as part of the package.

 

The lecturer can certainly be in the crew area but it will be an officer level of cabin or may be in a passenger cabin depending on availability.

 

To address the original subject of the thread I was very impressed with Jules Talarico on the Star. He was amusing, had excellent visuals and was always well prepared.

 

I do find that with a lot of the lecturers it is an excellent time to catch up on lost sleep.

 

Was that YOU in the third row on the Ruby Princess, 2 JAN 2010? If so, I heard you from the stage! :)

 

Just kidding. I am one of the Scholarship at Sea Lecturers who hires directly with Princess. I am also familiar with the other processes. You got it right. However, the cruise line gives a free cruise and it is the booking agency that charges the speaker $30 -> $100 per cruise day, depending upon the ship/itinerary/etc., sorta like a commission.

 

Right now, I am not retired, so I do not get to do this as often as I would like. I was on the Ruby for this past New Year's and I will be on the Emerald for the next New Year's. Since I do mostly the Caribbean, my topics are topical: Bermuda Triangle - Love It or Leave It, If You Can; Ancient Atlantis, from Plato to Edgar Cayce and Beyond; The Story of Blackbeard the Pirate, as told by his First Mate Israel Hands (yes, in costume and in character); on the dryer side there is The Eastern Caribbean Before Columbus. I also have The Real Pirates of the Caribbean (mostly from 1690 - 1720); and I will be doing Sea Monsters on the next trip, in character as the 1878 sea captain who went to the bottom of the sea with his crew on the sloop Dorothy after an attach by a sea monster.

 

I am always interested in knowing what other subjects people want to hear, so bring them on!

 

Patrick McCormack, SPHR

 

Interview with CD on Emerald Princess April 2009 on youtube at patrick8563, for anyone interested.