enrichment

[bucks42]

How are the enrichment lectures on Oceania? Someone said the lectures on Regatta PC were pretty good?

[LHT28]

they can be hit or miss

Some lecturers will put you to sleep in no time others will be quite interesting

Edited May 29, 2015 by LHT28

[bucks42]

I am thinking about applying to speak on O ships. Just looking for some insights

[hypercafe]

On my last trip there were two. One did port talks, just like the shopping talk on mass market lines. The other spoke about the civil war, very nice but did not go with a Carib trip IMO.

 

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[bucks42]

Thanks again. I am thinking about destination type lectures: history, culture, economy, sights. Any thoughts?

[globevest]

Thanks again. I am thinking about destination type lectures: history, culture, economy, sights. Any thoughts?

 

I have greatly enjoyed some of the destination lectures as long as they are not just photos of current day ports. A destination lecture on Spanish conquests in the Caribbean while heading to ports in central American ports was really good. The same lecturer on a cruise while heading up the Baltic did a excellent similar series on Napoleon's conquests in that location.

 

I have also enjoyed very good lectures on European explorers while heading to the Med on a TA.

Some of my favorites have been marine biology lectures.

[orchestrapal]

Thanks again. I am thinking about destination type lectures: history, culture, economy, sights. Any thoughts?

 

We have had some very poor ones. People reading every word as they fumbled showing their own photos and great overuse of the word I.

On the other hand we had a fantastic lecturer on our first Alaska cruise. A scholar and areal pro. She gave great information and had wonderful visuals.

[Gsel]

Had a wonderful gentleman on the Regatta in April. He talked about Pirates and the history of the islands. He even gave a extra lecture on Ponzi schemes and about Ponzi himself. He "packed" the lounge almost every day!

[bucks42]

we were on that trip! It was he who gave me the idea of trying this myself.

Thanks. He was ok, too

[Floridiana]

Good destination lectures - history, developments and people today - are always a bonus. This and talks about the 'nature' of the area - fauna, flora, geography, geology etc. - draw me in. It is probably very difficult for a lecturer to assess the interest level of the audience beforehand.

 

On various ships and lines, I have had chaotic lectures (bad), boring lectures (worse) and lectures that have absolutely nothing to do with the destination (worst). I also don't like it when I know more about the topic than the lecturer, and I assure you that I don't know much.

[bucks42]

Thanks for your insights

[computerworks]

On various ships and lines, I have had chaotic lectures (bad), boring lectures (worse) and lectures that have absolutely nothing to do with the destination (worst). I also don't like it when I know more about the topic than the lecturer, and I assure you that I don't know much.

 

Ditto. It is a tired tradition.

[Mura]

I am probably not saying anything new. We've had wonderful lecturers, we've had mediocre lecturers. There is no predicting who will be making presentations on your cruise.

 

On a Marina cruise a year or so ago, there was a passenger (!) who gave some very interesting presentations on "old movies" -- by old, as I recollect we're talking the '40s and '50s, maybe the '60s. We had no idea if he arranged his talks with the ship before he boarded or after. But they were very entertaining. He had LOTS of clips to show so clearly he had prepared in advance.

 

On our most recent cruise we had a wonderful lecturer talking about the Panama Canal and other Central/South American topics. The other lecturer was an oceanic person, and while his subject matter would have interested me his presentation did not.

 

So the easy answer is there is NO answer to your question!

 

(On another recent cruise we had a wonderful lecture talking about "singing". He dealt with movies, with opera, and other musical venues. He ended up doing an extra lecture or two because of a couple of missed ports due to weather. The theater was always packed.)

 

Mura

[ORV]

we were on that trip! It was he who gave me the idea of trying this myself.

Thanks. He was ok, too

 

What is your experience in this and your area of expertise?

[hondorner]

Most lecturers have credentials of one sort or another, often academic. In my opinion, they don't mean a thing, except to the cruise line staff doing the hiring. Some of the worst lecturers we've encountered had head-in-the-sky degrees, but put us to sleep. Some of the best we've encountered had real world experience in their subject. One of the all-time best was Vern Lundquist, the sports announcer. I don't think he's ever forgotten a play in a game he called. Another was a young lady on a Hawaiian cruise, who was a working naturalist and oceanographer -- her knowledge was encyclopedic and her delivery was exciting. Although I never hear his lectures,I understand oneof the best was "Jack from Washington", who on his first cruise enthralled everyone on Cruise Critic with his "Live from..." post, and was invited to lecture on the similar cruise the following year. That was in the days when FDR was a big fan of Cruise Critic...

 

I agree with orchestrapal -- the worst I have encountered were those who read every word of the printed text of their power point presentations.

[bucks42]

mura,

Was that regatta in Apr or may

[computerworks]

the worst I have encountered were those who read every word of the printed text of their power point presentations.

 

...littered with public domain photos. :(

 

Most I have seen were the happiest that they got a free cruise.

[hondorner]

...littered with public domain photos. :(

...Complete with Wikipedia commentary.

[Mura]

mura,

Was that regatta in Apr or may

 

No, because the last time we were on Regatta was for the Black Sea in August 2012. Our last four cruises have been on Marina, so it would have either been BCN-Rio in Nov-Dec 2013 or NY to Dover in May-June 2014. I'm pretty sure the music lecturer was on the latter. Verne Lundquist was on one of those, too, and I enjoyed his talks very much. (No powerpoint for him!)

 

I did hear a complaint from another passenger about Lundquist but that was because he'd been on several cruises with him and his point was that he'd heard the material too many times. But that would be true of just about anybody, I think, if the lecturer doesn't prepare new material for each cruise.

 

We have had a couple of guides who just read their commentary on the bus. Nothing more deadly. I have on one or two occasions told those people who call to sell you something that they'd have better success if they didn't just read their script but the comment went completely over their heads ...

 

Mura

[Toranut97]

We were on Regatta through the Panama Canal late April. There were 2 lecturers. One, Larry T., very engaging. Told us background and such for the upcoming ports. Not stuff you would necessarily read in your guidebook, mind you. Lots of slides, many from his previous visits to the ports.. Included topics like the Offbeat and obscure characters in San Francisco history. I watch the lectures as they are replayed on the tv. The other lecturer was more esoteric - I think they were art lectures? Regrettably, this was a miss for me. Sadly I tried watching once and never went back again! So yes, hit and miss indeed!

 

Donna

 

 

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[Gsel]

Larry was the gentleman I posted about. He is a former professor from San Jose and is very interesting. Hopefully he will return to Oceania. I believe he was a Economic Professor!