Guest Speakers 2023

[RJChatsworth]

Following on from blue marble’s Dress Code and Themes post, does anyone know, please, the guest speakers on each of Cunard’s ships for the rest of this year?
 

In the good old days (whenever they were) I seem to recall an annual list of speakers against each voyage.  There were often changes and additions which was inevitable, but they were largely correct.  These days we know only about themes, like concerts and authors.

 

I do enjoy a good speaker, particularly on the transatlantic voyages.  I regularly looked at the lists before booking.

[bluemarble]

Unfortunately Cunard no longer publishes those master lists of Insights Guest Lecturers as they used to prior to the shutdown. Unlike the master lists of Dress Code and Theme schedules which are also no longer published, the information about the speakers isn't made available in My Cunard.

 

About all Cunard publishes on their website is a "Guest speakers on board" page which provides only a very limited list of speakers. That list is mostly the speakers for special event cruises such as the Literature Festival at Sea and some of the QE Alaska voyages. A few other speakers can be discerned from the Event Cruises page and Cunard press releases. But for most voyages, I'm afraid we are now left in the dark about who the speakers will be.

 

I have seen lists of speakers for specific voyages which were obtained ahead of time from the Grills Concierge by guests who booked grills suites. If you have booked a grills suite, it sounds like that's a resource to learn who the scheduled speakers are prior to your voyage. I wouldn't know for sure how that works though since I'm strictly a rower.

 

I would love to start a project to create lists of Insights Guest Lecturers similar to the Dress Code and Theme schedules, but I'm afraid I haven't found that information to be generally available anywhere in order to make that a viable project.

[RJChatsworth]

Thanks blue marble.  I would have thought it in Cunard’s best interests to publish as before the pandemic.  They seem to accept it useful to publish the theme events you mention, but not the single speakers.

Perhaps there is another issue with them.  Either too many cancellations or they have reduced their perks/remuneration and can’t attract them!!

[Victoria2]

4 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

Thanks blue marble.  I would have thought it in Cunard’s best interests to publish as before the pandemic.  They seem to accept it useful to publish the theme events you mention, but not the single speakers.

Perhaps there is another issue with them.  Either too many cancellations or they have reduced their perks/remuneration and can’t attract them!!

Or it could be a privacy issue eg announcing to the world [well cruising world] 'you' will be away from home?

[RJChatsworth]

Victoria 2 - are you suggesting all those authors named on the Literature Festival at Sea have more secure homes?  Perhaps they are able to afford such!

[Victoria2]

14 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

Victoria 2 - are you suggesting all those authors named on the Literature Festival at Sea have more secure homes?  Perhaps they are able to afford such!

No idea what you mean, sorry.

 

[Victoria2]

20 minutes ago, RJChatsworth said:

Victoria 2 - are you suggesting all those authors named on the Literature Festival at Sea have more secure homes?  Perhaps they are able to afford such!

Oh I get you.

 

Not at all.

 

Can't have a Literature Festival without folk knowing who the speakers will be. No, I was thnking along the lines of privacy and data protection.

[RJChatsworth]

Ok, but I’m sure you are correct that for security reasons some speakers wouldn’t wish to be named in advance.

[bluemarble]

@Victoria2, do you automatically receive itineraries from the grills concierge listing the upcoming speakers prior to your cruises? Just wondering if that's a routine procedure or something provided on request. If it is a routine procedure, how far ahead of the cruise do you receive that information? Rest assured I won't be pursuing that as an avenue to compile master lists of speakers. It wouldn't be a viable mechanism notwithstanding the privacy concerns. Just curious how that works.

[NE John]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

I have seen lists of speakers for specific voyages which were obtained ahead of time from the Grills Concierge by guests who booked grills suites.

I wonder about the reasoning why Grills paying guests get upcoming speaker info vs the 85% of the other paying guests (rowers…) who get iced out? Odd Grills benefit, it seems.

I’ll be glad to share any info I receive about speakers with those on the roll call for my upcoming June 23 TA. 
 

 

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, NE John said:

I wonder about the reasoning why Grills paying guests get upcoming speaker info vs the 85% of the other paying guests (rowers…) who get iced out? Odd Grills benefit, it seems.

I’ll be glad to share any info I receive about speakers with those on the roll call for my upcoming June 23 TA. 
 

 

And certainly not an invariable Grills benefit. I have never had one. Perhaps it is only the top suites.

[Victoria2]

15 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

@Victoria2, do you automatically receive itineraries from the grills concierge listing the upcoming speakers prior to your cruises? Just wondering if that's a routine procedure or something provided on request. If it is a routine procedure, how far ahead of the cruise do you receive that information? Rest assured I won't be pursuing that as an avenue to compile master lists of speakers. It wouldn't be a viable mechanism notwithstanding the privacy concerns. Just curious how that works.

Q1 and 2'er here and no, we've never had sneak prior knowledge of speakers but then to be fair, I've never looked but in the interest of research, I've looked at all our bookings and no, no speakers announced.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Nothing helpful to add, but blue marble I have to applaud and adopt the designation “rowers”! 

[RJChatsworth]

We have not received notification of speakers when in QG or PG.

 

However, on sectors of the WC on QE-2 they used to put an A3 sheet in the cabin in daily grid format.  Each grid square gave the date with the more important events.  The speakers may have been listed in there along with the port (or at sea), dress code and theatre entertainment.  Someone will remember, I am sure.

[mpk]

On 4/1/2023 at 11:08 AM, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

Nothing helpful to add, but blue marble I have to applaud and adopt the designation “rowers”! 

 

We too are uncomfortable with too much attention.  We have stayed at fine white glove hotels a couple of times, but it creeps us out that they know our names when we pass through the lobby.  Clearly, that makes us mass market hotel customers 🙂   Is there a "rower" designation for land hotels?  We'll wear the badge proudly   🙂

 

By the way, if I may ask, which premium credit card do you use that provides travel insurance?

Edited April 5, 2023 by mpk

[exlondoner]

On 4/1/2023 at 7:08 PM, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

Nothing helpful to add, but blue marble I have to applaud and adopt the designation “rowers”! 

While bluemarble is clearly the fount of all knowledge and much wisdom, I do not think he can be credited with the invention of the designation rowers, which was prevalent on here when I first joined in 2007.

Edited April 5, 2023 by exlondoner

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

We use Chase Sapphire Reserve. It has a substantial fee, but we get over half of it back almost immediately, and we’ve found the benefits easy to use.

[Host Hattie]

On 4/1/2023 at 5:24 PM, bluemarble said:

 

I have seen lists of speakers for specific voyages which were obtained ahead of time from the Grills Concierge by guests who booked grills suites. If you have booked a grills suite, it sounds like that's a resource to learn who the scheduled speakers are prior to your voyage. I wouldn't know for sure how that works though since I'm strictly a rower.

This rower contacted Cunard via the Contact Us section of the website and almost by return was sent 3 names for insight speakers for our June cruise. 

I'll report back on how accurate the information is.

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

This rower contacted Cunard via the Contact Us section of the website and almost by return was sent 3 names for insight speakers for our June cruise. 

I'll report back on how accurate the information is.

 

I submitted a similar request about an hour ago for our upcoming May voyage on QM2 and received a prompt reply. There are several "TBA" slots, especially on our crossing back to New York where they only list two speakers so far, but it's good to know this information is also available on request for us minions.

[bluemarble]

To bring the "rower" discussion full circle, one of our speakers is billed as The Man who Rowed Across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to San Francisco. 😮

[BklynBoy8]

Still wondering who will speak on the June 30th sailing of the QM2......

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Still wondering who will speak on the June 30th sailing of the QM2......

I am the same with regards to my roundtrip TA on 18th May.

[Host Hattie]

Have you asked?

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Have you asked?

I have and not had a reply.

[techteach]

10 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Still wondering who will speak on the June 30th sailing of the QM2......

@BklynBoy8 Have you asked? I have not, but intended too. I keep getting distracted and then forget!