Scholarship @ Sea

[marypat01]

So, here we are, perhaps on the Royal Princess, or the Coral, Emerald, or even the Ruby, but the most important part is, we are on a Caribbean or Panama Canal cruise. What to do on board? There is always the casino, bars, swimming pools, bingo games, etc. But did you know they often have guest lecturers? Oh, I do not mean the port shopping talks, but someone contracted, just for that cruise, to tantalize your intellectual cravings. Talks can range from astronomy, to pirates, to the Maya, or the natives before Columbus, or even the Bermuda Triangle. Each contracted speaker has a list of topics.

 

But what topics would interest you? Again, cruising the boundaries of the Caribbean, what would you be interested in hearing about? Let's use this thread to list what YOU, the Cruiser, is interested in hearing.

[catwoman6226]

Pirates would make a fascinating topic!

 

I'd like to know more about the spice trade....any trade, really, but especially with Spain and England.

 

Shipwrecks, marine life, historical look at hurricanes and their effect on the islands, economy, life, etc. - not recent ones, but further back in history.

 

How many different tropical drinks can be made with indigenous products :D

 

Interesting thread - thanks for starting.

[shredie]

How do they find these experts? Is there some sort of agency?

[SadieN]

How do they find these experts? Is there some sort of agency?

 

 

Yes, there is. Friend is a retired art history professor. She had to send in a video of her teaching/lecturing. She primarily does European itins on Celebrity.

[Tweedy]

Pirates would make a fascinating topic!

 

 

 

I agree!

[DelrayCruisers2]

The history of the indigenous Caribbean Indians, how they got there, who were the Caribes, who were the Arawaks, their cultures. I love this stuff.

[jonikal]

The most interesting guest lecturer we have had on our many trans-Atlantics was undoubtedly John Maxtone Graham. He wrote about 30 books, including “Dark Brown Is the River,” a biographical novel about his older brother; “Liners to the Sun,” about cruise ships; “Safe Return Doubtful: The Heroic Age of Polar Exploration”; “Cunard: 150 Glorious Years”; “Titanic Tragedy: A New Look at the Lost Liner”; “Queen Mary 2: The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time”; and “S.S. United States: Red, White and Blue Riband, Forever.”

 

His presentations were always given to a full house - standing room only and his wife, Mary, participated in some of the comedy skits. Sadly he died in July of 2015 at age 85. He will be sorely missed.

[jrzebird]

On the five-day Regal after the repositioning cruise, we will have 4 ladies, who are published authors of romance novels. Should be interesting.

[shredie]

On the five-day Regal after the repositioning cruise, we will have 4 ladies, who are published authors of romance novels. Should be interesting.

 

I saw that. Wish I could book it. Be sure to come back and tell us how it was.:)

[GUT2407]

How do they find these experts? Is there some sort of agency?

 

 

I believe that there is an agency, they also sometimes approach universities or authors' they also have a lot of people approach them.

 

On one of our cruises they approached DW about possibly doing a cruise as a lecturer after one of the staff in Port Arthur told the CD that they should be asking DW those questions not the staff member as she (DW) was acknowledged as one of the leading experts on that topic.

[dorisis]

The most interesting guest lecturer we have had on our many trans-Atlantics was undoubtedly John Maxtone Graham. He wrote about 30 books, including “Dark Brown Is the River,” a biographical novel about his older brother; “Liners to the Sun,” about cruise ships; “Safe Return Doubtful: The Heroic Age of Polar Exploration”; “Cunard: 150 Glorious Years”; “Titanic Tragedy: A New Look at the Lost Liner”; “Queen Mary 2: The Greatest Ocean Liner of Our Time”; and “S.S. United States: Red, White and Blue Riband, Forever.”

 

His presentations were always given to a full house - standing room only and his wife, Mary, participated in some of the comedy skits. Sadly he died in July of 2015 at age 85. He will be sorely missed.

 

He was one of the best we have ever seen on a ship.

[marypat01]

I believe that there is an agency, they also sometimes approach universities or authors' they also have a lot of people approach them.

 

On one of our cruises they approached DW about possibly doing a cruise as a lecturer after one of the staff in Port Arthur told the CD that they should be asking DW those questions not the staff member as she (DW) was acknowledged as one of the leading experts on that topic.

 

Hi - I am the one who initiated this thread, to find out what topics people want to hear. I am also one of those who lecture on Princess every once in a while, specifically in the Caribbean. I am wanting to ensure I keep my topics up to what people want to hear. I do historical topics: Blackbeard, Christopher Columbus, the Caribbean before Columbus (yes, the Arawaks, Caribs, how they were settled, lived, etc), Ancient Maya, The history of chocolate, Ancient Florida, the Maya Calendar, Atlantis, Bermuda Triangle (OK, these last two are not historical, as such, but the BT is fun on an Eastern Carib cruise, while we are actually "in the triangle").

 

Some speakers are hired through agencies, but it is possible to be hired directly. That is how I work, I do not use and agency.

 

I have done the partial transit of the Panama Canal 4 times. The ship always has someone who specializes on Panama Canal and in my experience that individual also did the Port Lectures (not the port shopping). The first two times, the speaker booked himself (he has been doing it for years) and the last two times a different speaker had gone through an agency.

 

Oh, these days I work with only Princess.

 

Patrick

 

p.s. keep those topics coming!

Edited September 21, 2015 by marypat01

[GUT2407]

Hi - I am the one who initiated this thread, to find out what topics people want to hear. I am also one of those who lecture on Princess every once in a while, specifically in the Caribbean. I am wanting to ensure I keep my topics up to what people want to hear. I do historical topics: Blackbeard, Christopher Columbus, the Caribbean before Columbus (yes, the Arawaks, Caribs, how they were settled, lived, etc), Ancient Maya, The history of chocolate, Ancient Florida, the Maya Calendar, Atlantis, Bermuda Triangle (OK, these last two are not historical, as such, but the BT is fun on an Eastern Carib cruise, while we are actually "in the triangle").

 

Some speakers are hired through agencies, but it is possible to be hired directly. That is how I work, I do not use and agency.

 

I have done the partial transit of the Panama Canal 4 times. The ship always has someone who specializes on Panama Canal and in my experience that individual also did the Port Lectures (not the port shopping). The first two times, the speaker booked himself (he has been doing it for years) and the last two times a different speaker had gone through an agency.

 

Oh, these days I work with only Princess.

 

Patrick

 

p.s. keep those topics coming!

 

Sounds good.

 

A great speaker makes a big difference

 

But boy some are bad.

 

DW never actually dd one, because it was only cruises to Tasmania that really suited her topics and just couldn't get the timing right

[marypat01]

Sounds good.

 

A great speaker makes a big difference

 

But boy some are bad.

 

DW never actually dd one, because it was only cruises to Tasmania that really suited her topics and just couldn't get the timing right

 

even good speakers can have bad days . . .

[GUT2407]

even good speakers can have bad days . . .

 

 

I agree, and would never say someone was bad based on one lecture, but when they get facts wrong time and again.