Crystal Cruises adds onboard enrichment program with locally well-known experts
If you’ve ever cruised in Europe, whether on an ocean or river ship, most likely you would have experienced one of the many onboard lectures. Cruise lines hire professional speakers to inform and entertain guests about the destinations that they visit.
Many times, the speakers are professors, military historians, political commentators and other experts in a multitude of related fields. While they are informative and interesting presenters, most if not all do not live in the country that is the topic of their lecture. Crystal Cruises is changing the lecture circuit scene and starting this year, will feature carefully selected curators, officials and mavens to share their insider’s perspective on destinations in Europe, the Baltic and Mediterranean.
Examples include:
- Barcelona : Gaudi Centre architect Toshiaki Tange
- St. Petersburg : Ex-Mayor of St. Petersburg, Vladimir Khodyrev, or Managing Director of the Hermitage, Olga Arkhipova
- Belfast: Titanic expert Joe O’Neill
- Copenhagen : Managing Director of Tivoli Gardens, Lars Liebst or the Mayor of Culture and Leisure Activities, Pia Allerslev
- Bodrum: Archaeological diver and Director of the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, Yasar Yildiz
- Venice : Chairman of the 16-church-wide Chorus Association, Father Don Aldo Marangoni or Venetian Port Manager Roberto Perocchio
Additional ports where the program will be offered
These ports include Dublin, Piraeus/Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Reykjavik, Odessa, Kotor, Ashdod, Livorno, Malaga, Cadiz, Valencia, Sorrento, Dubrovnik, and Bilbao, with some itineraries offering experts at up to three different calls during the cruise.
“Our guests seek – and expect – profound travel experiences that allow them to explore the heart of destinations and see them in new ways,” says Bret Bullock, Crystal’s vice president of entertainment. “This Crystal Visions Enrichment Program addition offers easy access to first-hand knowledge of cultures and regions using those who know these nuances best: the locals…and the most distinguished locals at that.”
There’s something of value in an enrichment program when the audience instantly senses a personal connection from the lecturer to his or her subject matter. It must have been a challenge for Crystal Cruises to seek out and enlist the high caliber of the local scholars, government officials, scientists and historians who truly represent the diverse cities and cultural icons for this new program. With these particular cruises running now through the early winter, there is still time to plan your cruise and partake in this new and exciting enrichment program.
I need more!
If you are still craving more learning experiences and have individual interests, Crystal Cruises offers (all complimentary) Yahama keyboard instruction, Berlitz language classes, computer learning opportunities on 27″ Apple Macintosh computers, health and wellness seminars and even tai chi classes.
I am a published writer. A long time resident of Malta, I have developed a small itinery of ‘Hidden Gems’ to be found in the islands which the tourist does not generally reach. They include: ‘Malta’s Irish Ghost’ the story of a young man hung at the yard arm of his ship. My idea is to give talks about this subject enroute and then, on arrival in Valletta, escort parties to the various sites connected with the incident. I have previously lectured same to Irish Clan Gatherings and to the Bir Mula Heritage Centre in Malta (itself one of the hidden gems.) The talk was recently broadcast by NET TV Malta.
Other areas of possible interest are: Selected sections of the Victoria Lines, (a fortified wall used by the military since the time of The Knights.) Punic tombs and Stone-Age beehives.