Will there be special Panama Canal lectures during Regatta's canal transit?

[TexEm]

Does Oceania have a Panama Canal lecturer for its canal transits? Or do they use regular staff, such as the CD? Has anyone done a recent transit, and what was your experience? Regatta is heading for the canal right now, so anyone on board, please chime in. Thanks!

 

Mary

[orchestrapal]

Does Oceania have a Panama Canal lecturer for its canal transits? Or do they use regular staff, such as the CD? Has anyone done a recent transit, and what was your experience? Regatta is heading for the canal right now, so anyone on board, please chime in. Thanks!

 

Mary

 

We had an absolutely brilliant lecturer who went on with the ship to Alaska.

Unfortunately I understand she is now on Regent.

[Jancruz]

Does Oceania have a Panama Canal lecturer for its canal transits? Or do they use regular staff, such as the CD? Has anyone done a recent transit, and what was your experience? Regatta is heading for the canal right now, so anyone on board, please chime in. Thanks!

 

Mary

 

They always have a special lecturer for the canal transit..I have transited 5 times and they have all been great!!

Jancruz1

[orchestrapal]

They always have a special lecturer for the canal transit..I have transited 5 times and they have all been great!!

Jancruz1

 

Thanks Jan, good to know as we are doing it again in '14.

[Travelcat2]

We had an absolutely brilliant lecturer who went on with the ship to Alaska.

Unfortunately I understand she is now on Regent.

 

You probably had Terry Breen onboard. She is amazing and has been with Regent for years.

[kuldalai]

For the REGATTA full transit in April this year (2013) we had an excellent Canadian Lecturer who gave four talks on the Panama Canal .

1. The failed French efforts 2. Later attempts 3. The Americans step in and finally get it done in the early 1900's . 4. How the canal works today, and the current expansion project .

 

Dan also gave live commentary as the ship transitted the canal through the day .

[orchestrapal]

You probably had Terry Breen onboard. She is amazing and has been with Regent for years.

 

Your so right she is and we did.

We enjoyed lunch with her several times and besides being a fantastic lecturer she is a lovely person.

[LHT28]

We were fortune to have David McCullough on one transit

Author of The Path Between the Seas

[TexEm]

LHT28--wish I'd been on that cruise with David McCullough! Did he lecture? He's one of my husband's favorite authors. I've read The Path Between the Seas--after my last canal transit (Norwegian Sky)--and hope to reread it before our December cruise.

 

Kuldalai--were the 4 lectures on separate days prior to the canal transit? (We leave Miami, go to Key West the next day, then 2 sea days, then Cartagena, then the transit.). I'm assuming "Dan" was the CD? I don't remember any special lectures on my last transit (but lots of shopping talks!!) but someone did provide commentary on the overhead speaker as we went thru.

 

Mary

[LHT28]

LHT28--wish I'd been on that cruise with David McCullough! Did he lecture? He's one of my husband's favorite authors. I've read The Path Between the Seas--after my last canal transit (Norwegian Sky)--and hope to reread it before our December cruise.

 

 

Mary

I believe he did some lectures but I did not attend ( it was a few years ago so my memory might not be as good ) ;)

He did narrate during the transit though

 

I remember it was a very long & hot day

 

Lyn

[kuldalai]

Dan is the Guest Canadian lecturer on the Panama Canal .

 

The talks were given progressively over several days before arriving at Colon at the Atlantic end of the canal .

[newbie60]

Does Oceania have a Panama Canal lecturer for its canal transits? Or do they use regular staff, such as the CD? Has anyone done a recent transit, and what was your experience? Regatta is heading for the canal right now, so anyone on board, please chime in. Thanks!

 

Mary

 

We were on Regatta, going thru the canal on Sept 3. Terry Bishop was our on board enrichment lecturer and all around entertainer. He spoke nearly every sea day - and we had a lot of them - and was educational as well as fun. He also had a stage show two nights and they were standing room only. If you want a serious lecture, he's not your man, but every lecture was packed--every day.

[bayvillagepotters]

So glad to hear about the lectures and the Path Between Two Seas! As novice cruisers all tips are appreciated. Thanks,

[Hawaiidan]

We were on Regatta, going thru the canal on Sept 3. Terry Bishop was our on board enrichment lecturer and all around entertainer. He spoke nearly every sea day - and we had a lot of them - and was educational as well as fun. He also had a stage show two nights and they were standing room only. If you want a serious lecture, he's not your man, but every lecture was packed--every day.

 

A quick comment of " lectures" or" interpretation" and speaking as a professional national park service naturalist interpreter, the last thing you want is a college lecture.

 

People connect through many means, culture, age, sex, nationality, values etc. The use of humor to cloak facts is very productive and long lasting serious professional technique. As an example, can you remember the Boyles law from a physics class? Or do love the tell and re tell favorite jokes and personal funny stories from long ago? Ever ask why?

Aesop started this with his fables; Mark Twain once said that you can get a lot of great knowledge across if you disguise it with humor and Tilden perfected it.

 

Teachers lecture and test their results. Interpreter's connect people to the subject to draw personal and emotional meanings from their audience. There may thus be a hundred different connections/ appreciations to a subject, all different and all meaningful to each. ;)

[Hawaiidan]

We were on Regatta, going thru the canal on Sept 3. Terry Bishop was our on board enrichment lecturer and all around entertainer. He spoke nearly every sea day - and we had a lot of them - and was educational as well as fun. He also had a stage show two nights and they were standing room only. If you want a serious lecture, he's not your man, but every lecture was packed--every day.

 

Speaking as professional National Park Service naturalist/interpreter this guy has serious professional skills far above a serious lecturer.:cool:

 

Teachers teach to a rigid standard and test to evaluate performance.

 

Interpreter's connect people through emotions to the subject using humor, personal values, age, sex, nationality, culture of their audience. Each person takes away a personal meaning as varied as each persons make up....not that of a teachers lesson .... and way more valuable to them.

Aesop started it, Mark Twain once said that you can get across a lot of serious information if you cloak it in humor. Can you recall Boyles law from physics or is it easier to remember jokes and funny stories from the past? Wonder why?:cool:...Hmmmmm

[ORV]

We were fortune to have David McCullough on one transit

Author of The Path Between the Seas

 

I would have loved that. That book should be read by anyone doing a Canal transit.