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Guest Speakers 2023

RJChatsworth

By RJChatsworth,
in Cunard Line

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techteach

techteach

Posted
Posted

I received an email from Cunard with a link to the website where all of the speakers are listed. I am very disappointed in the lack of service and sent a reply message saying so. They must have a list of speakers by cruise and it shouldn’t have been too difficult to supply the information. I’m sorry I came up empty handed for M318 @BklynBoy8.

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alibabacruisers

alibabacruisers

Posted
Posted
On 4/13/2023 at 3:03 AM, 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.

HI Hattie,

 

I have gone to the Contact Us section.  Which "topic" did you select?  There is no topic that applies to my question about speakers

 

Thanks.

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BklynBoy8

BklynBoy8

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, techteach said:

It didn’t take long for another email to appear with two names of speakers for the M318 cruise, however they are not definite. I’ll post them on the roll call with an *. @BklynBoy8

 

Susan, I didn't email Cunard since they were suppose to be posted on Cunard Site...

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BklynBoy8

BklynBoy8

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, techteach said:

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

 

Susan, as said before, handling other emails with them one at a time. After Meet & Greet inquire for our group it will be close and may ask my contact then.

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bluemarble

bluemarble

Posted
Posted
52 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

HI Hattie,

 

I have gone to the Contact Us section.  Which "topic" did you select?  There is no topic that applies to my question about speakers

 

Thanks.

 

I used "General inquiries" for the topic. Also check the "I have a booking" box so that you can supply all the detail to identify which voyage you are asking about the speakers.

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BklynBoy8

BklynBoy8

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, techteach said:

@BklynBoy8 I have no patience for opening every one of the speakers on that site to find out if they will be on our cruise. There are quilts to be quilted and grandsons to teach to ride bikes.

 

That's why I too have not done that. I was use to the old fashion listing on the Cunard site which made it easy.

 

We honestly did not know anything till boarded  last September and looked at the Daily Programme. We went in the sailing blindly and discovered as a surprise.

 

BTW... They were good choices. The Illuminations Theater was JAMMED packed at each session with standing room. They even had to run a Q&A in Carinthia Lounge an hour afterwards for the guests questions they wanted to ask.

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bluemarble

bluemarble

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, techteach said:

@BklynBoy8 I have no patience for opening every one of the speakers on that site to find out if they will be on our cruise. There are quilts to be quilted and grandsons to teach to ride bikes.

 

That's a futile exercise indeed. The speakers listed on the "Guest speakers on board" page will also be listed within a "Guest speakers on board" section at the bottom of the pages for each of the individual voyages. If there is no "Guest speakers on board" section on the page for your voyage (which is the case for voyage M318), then none of the speakers on that master list are assigned to your voyage. That's the case for the vast majority of voyages.

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Victoria2 Great Review Rare

Victoria2

Posted
Posted

As one who is happy to read once onboard, who the speakers will be for that particular cruise, can I ask a serious question because I would like to understand this.

 

Why does having pre-embarkation knowledge of who the speakers are, matter so much? Does knowing before hand increase anticipation or conversely, dampen any pre-boarding enthusiasm?

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FritzG

FritzG

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

As one who is happy to read once onboard, who the speakers will be for that particular cruise, can I ask a serious question because I would like to understand this.

 

Why does having pre-embarkation knowledge of who the speakers are, matter so much? Does knowing before hand increase anticipation or conversely, dampen any pre-boarding enthusiasm?

It would give me a chance to do some research on the speakers if I'm not familiar with them, and if they're published I might want to read their book. Also, if they are published I might want to bring the book and have the speaker sign it.

 

Edited by FritzG
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bluemarble

bluemarble

Posted
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7 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

As one who is happy to read once onboard, who the speakers will be for that particular cruise, can I ask a serious question because I would like to understand this.

 

Why does having pre-embarkation knowledge of who the speakers are, matter so much? Does knowing before hand increase anticipation or conversely, dampen any pre-boarding enthusiasm?

 

For me personally, the Insights Guest Lecture series is the activity I most look forward to on a Cunard voyage. As the situation is now where Cunard no longer posts full the lists of speakers up to a year ahead of time, knowing who the speakers will be is mostly a matter of curiosity although it does also increase the anticipation.

 

I was disappointed to learn after the fact about recent voyages where Stephen Payne was one of the speakers. I haven't yet had the opportunity to hear him speak. If had known the schedule with sufficient lead time, I might have tried to book one of those voyages. Imagine my excitement when I learned he may be a speaker during one of the legs of our upcoming voyage.

 

In the past, having the list of speakers available ahead of time has influenced my choice of voyage. Since we have several choices for transatlantic crossings each year, knowing who the speakers were going to be has been a deciding factor for me in choosing one crossing over another. One year there was a 21-night roundtrip from New York including Norway which looked interesting. When I found out Bill Miller was a scheduled speaker for the entire voyage, that sealed the deal for me to book it.

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Victoria2 Great Review Rare

Victoria2

Posted
Posted

Thank you for your answers.

 

I was curious as the onboard lectures are a bonus for us and had/ have no influence on the cruise we would book, partly I suppose as we have very little choice of cabins so have to book when the itineraries are released and speakers schedules weren't published that early.

 

Published celebrity speakers often have their books for sale in the bookshop and I have bought and have had two books signed by speakers.

 

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safarigal

safarigal

Posted
Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, techteach said:

@bluemarble Have you been reading @safarigal ‘s blog? She was seated next to Stephen Payne for dinner on her last, or current cruise. If he was a listed speaker we would for sure book the cruise.

Dr Stephen Payne is indeed on Queen Mary 2 at the moment and he has given a series of wonderful standing room only lectures. He will be back on QM2 on the May 18th and September 4th crossings this year if all goes well.

Edited by safarigal
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Victoria2 Great Review Rare

Victoria2

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, Wagtail adventures said:

Does anyone know how the guest speakers are remunerated?  Is it with a free cruise?  If so in which cabin grade?  Or plain old-fashioned money?  Or both?  On our December Transatlantic one of the guest speakers was dining in the QG restaurant...

The Celebrity Guest Speakers in our experience, seem to dine QG.

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Victoria2 Great Review Rare

Victoria2

Posted
Posted (edited)
19 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

How can SP not be a celebrity on QM2? God would probably be more accurate. 😀

Celebrity speakers generally are well known outside of their own sphere.

I have not come across an Insight speaker labelled Celebrity, on our cruises who hasn't dine QG but then, we weren't on QM2  cruises.

Edited by Victoria2
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