August 22, 2003 -- Back in the Golden Age of transatlantic travel and the early days of pleasure cruising, a good talk by an informed speaker was considered real entertainment. Luckily for those wanting a little brain massage to go with their seaweed wrap, the cruise lines are still hiring guest lecturers on topics as diverse as international diplomacy, Arctic exploration, and "Jeopardy."
And you thought it was all glitzy song-and-dance revues, rock-climbing walls, and umbrella-drinks in the hot tub.
This fall, the roster of lecturers aboard Celebrity Cruises (800/722-5941, www.celebrity.com) includes political consultant Dick Morris, election guru to Bill Clinton, former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, Mexican president Vicente Fox, and former Al Gore chief of staff Roy Neel, who led the Gore-Lieberman transition team through the notorious Florida recount. Morris sails aboard Constellation October 3 in Europe and December 12 in the Caribbean, and aboard Infinity February 1 in South America. Neel sails aboard Century December 20 in the Caribbean.
On December 21, world adventurer Peter Hillary, son of Mount Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary, will sail aboard Clipper Cruises' (800/325-0010, www.clippercruise.com) 128-passenger expedition ship Clipper Adventurer in New Zealand. Offered in partnership with National Geographic Expeditions, Hillary's talks will include details of his own Everest ascents and his treks to both the North and South poles.
Diplomacy is well represented aboard the luxury lines, with Silversea (800/722-9955, www.silversea.com) featuring former British Vietnam ambassador Richard Tallboys on seven Indian Ocean and Far East cruises aboard Silver Shadow between October and December. Competitor Seabourn (800/929-9595, www.seabourn.com) weighs in with its own British diplomat, Sir David Dain, who served in Iran, Afghanistan, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, and most recently Pakistan before his retirement in 2000. Sir David sails aboard Seabourn Spirit's 18-night cruise from Cairns, Australia, to Hong Kong, departing March 13.
A hundred and eighty degrees from diplomacy, Seabourn also features Jeopardy game show host Alex Trebek on Spirit's October 12 cruise from Istanbul to Athens. Scheduled for later in 2004 (dates not yet confirmed) are actress Cybill Shepherd, sportswriter and NPR commentator Frank Deford, and singer Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas.
Crystal Cruises (800/446-6620, www.crystalcruises.com) also weighs in on the entertainment front during Crystal Serenity's inaugural transatlantic sailing from Lisbon to Ft. Lauderdale, November 6. Featured speaker Josh Kanin, cinema professor at Santa Monica College, will present a series of films by his illustrious family, writer/actor/directors Garson, Michael, and Fay Kanin and Ruth Gordon, creators of such classics as Woman of the Year, Harold and Maude, and Adam's Rib. Hollywood reporter and Showtime commentator Bill Harris and writer/producer Paul Barber will also provide commentary.
For those who can't leave the office behind, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (800/285-1835, www.rssc.com) is hosting top business journalist Marshall Loeb on Seven Seas Navigator's September 17 Bermuda cruise. Former editor of Money and Fortune magazines and the Columbia Journalism Review, Loeb is also author of more than a dozen books, including 52 Weeks to Financial Fitness and Leadership for Dummies.
Appropriately, several lines also offer talks on ships and sailing. Norwegian Cruise Line (800/327-7030, www.ncl.com) will feature noted maritime writer John Maxtone-Graham, author of the classic The Only Way to Cross, speaking about the golden age of ocean travel on Norwegian Dream's September 7 transatlantic cruise from Dover to Boston, and on four Norwegian Crown sailings in late 2004.
Princess Cruises (800/PRINCESS, www.princess.com) features the line's own former fleet commodore, Michael Moulin, speaking on the history of P&O (Princess's legendary parent company) as well as offering general lectures on the life of a captain at sea. Commodore Moulin sails aboard a number of cruises each year. (Dates not yet confirmed for coming year; inquire with Princess.)
Greek line Royal Olympia Cruises (formerly Royal Olympic, 800-872-6400, www.royalolympiccruises.com) runs the gamut of topics, with more than two dozen lecturers sailing their ships at different times, many of them speaking on the archaeology and cultures of the regions visited. Notable guests on winter 2003/04 cruises include Dr. Sergei Khrushchev, son of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, speaking about the Cold War and modern Russian history, and former U.S. ambassador Edward L. Peck, once Chief of Mission in Iraq, speaking on diplomacy and cultural exploration. Dr. Khrushchev sails on Olympia Explorer's 14-night Hawaii cruise, departing December 8. Ambassador Peck sails on Olympia Voyager's "Great Pacific Adventure" cruise (Valparaiso to Los Angeles, February 8 to March 5) and 19 -- or 21-night eastbound transatlantic cruise (Fort Lauderdale to Athens or Genoa, departing April 4).
Contact the cruise lines for full details on lecture schedules.