CRUISES OFFER A SEA-GOING EDUCATION

Cruises today offer vacationers myriad opportunities to expand their minds as well as indulge their senses. Innovative onboard programs expand guests’ knowledge of cuisine and entertainment, health and fitness, financial planning, computer technology and much more.

“Cruise vacationers today have the best of both worlds,” says Bob Sharak, executive director of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 24 major cruise lines in the North American market. “They can learn new skills or update their knowledge on a variety of topics. They’re having fun and learning at the same time, and they’re choosing to take advantage of the many classes, workshops, and programs that are available onboard daily.”

CLIA member lines continue to develop new ways to enlighten guests and expand their horizons by bringing aboard prominent figures and expert lecturers such as famous television anchors; hosting wine tastings and cooking classes with Michelin chefs; offering beginner and advanced Yoga and Pilates classes; and teaching computer and digital camera fundamentals.

Here is a sampling of the onboard learning experiences available on CLIA member lines:

Guests on Bora Bora Cruises become island experts as they learn of local culture and nature from the ship’s staff and local island storytellers on their voyages of discovery in the Polynesian islands.

Carnival Cruise Lines offers a comprehensive golf program with professional instruction both onboard ship and during golf excursions. Shipboard lessons take place in a “netted driving range,” utilizing the latest V1 technology.

Celebrity Cruises welcomes a host of celebrities in its expanded enrichment program, including noted performers, astronauts and news commentators to share their stories and unique experiences with guests. The Nov. 8 sailing of the Century, for example, features actress Jane Kean, who had a recurring role on The Jackie Gleason Show.

Costa Cruises features a range of enrichment programs in the following areas: life enrichment; color, image and fashion; astrology and the occult; graphoanalysis; and investment and finance. Other topics include cruise videography, Yoga, martial arts, rock music, genealogy, ethnic cooking, collecting, computers and memory training.

Crystal Cruises’ Creative Learning Institute presents a series of interactive classes as well as an array of wellness seminars. Specialists from the Cleveland Clinic lead seminars on such topics as neurology, cardiology, arthritis and osteoporosis. Tai Chi Master Martin Lee, PhD, of the Tai Chi Cultural Center leads instruction in Tai Chi. The line also partners with Berlitz, the world’s premier language services firm, to offer complimentary foreign language instruction; Spanish will be offered on most cruises, with many itineraries featuring instruction in a second language pertaining to the region visited. In addition, Parsons School of Design provides introductory classes in fine art, floral design and interior design.

Aboard Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2, authors, historians, artists, scientists and celebrities will offer a variety of classes and workshops as part of Cunard ConneXionsSM. The line has partnered with: University of Oxford, to offer courses on British and American music and culture, Shakespeare on Film and the Internet; London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to offer readings, workshops and acting classes; and Architectural Digest, to present on-board lectures and one-on-one design consultations.

Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic enables adults to have a series of hands-on activities, tours, conversations with guest presenters and demonstrations on such topics as Mysteries of the Sea, and the Art of Entertaining. Interactive, hands-on experiences for youngsters include learning about “wacky” science, creating an animation cell, and becoming a young science apprentice and making batches of Flubber.

First European Cruises’ Nov. 30 transatlantic crossing of the European Vision (14 nights from Genoa to Santo Domingo) is a Fitness Cruise with classes, demonstrations and lectures on exercise, dance, grooming, good health, stress reduction and healthy eating, relating to both physical and mental well-being.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ArtsClub cruises feature nine special themes: music, dance, watercolors, bridge, wine, antiques, stage and screen, Archers (Britain’s most popular radio drama), and gardens. Passengers cruise with a team of experts in their respective fields, enjoying performances and lectures, discussions, practice sessions and social get-togethers.

Holland America Line offers golf excursions to scenic championship courses on 10 Caribbean islands. Prinsendam, Zuiderdam and Oosterdam also feature on-board golf simulators that display world-renowned golf courses on a giant projection screen and tracks players’ shots via a computer system that allows passengers to virtually play the course.

MSC Italian Cruises offers a Music of Your Life® at Sea Festival aboard its newest flagship, Lirica in January 2004. The star-studded Big Band spectacular features Les Brown Jr. and his Band of Renown on a Jan. 15 sailing in the Southern Caribbean and West Indies and a partial transit of the Panama Canal Jan. 26. In addition to top-notch entertainment, the sailings feature special afternoon Tea Dance sessions during days at sea, trivia contests, talks on the history of the Big Band era and autograph opportunities.

Norwegian Coastal Voyage Inc. presents onboard lectures on such topics as The Northern Lights, The Sami People and Their Culture, The History of the Norwegian Coastal Voyage and Living in Norway.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star offers a Lifestyles Enrichment Program with Hawaiian dignitaries who lecture on Hawaiian heritage and culture. Also, on select sailings, the Pacific Whale Foundation presents a series of lectures including “Hawaii’s Humpback Whales,” “Under the Hawaiian Waves,” “Dynamic Dolphins” and “Who are the Hawaiians?”

Oceania Cruises’ Oceania@Sea center helps guests stay connected with a 24-hour Internet center. The computer learning program offers a variety of computer lessons, both individual and group classes ranging from beginner’s level Microsoft Windows XP to image retouching with Adobe Photoshop Elements. The line also combines entertainment with enrichment, featuring such guest lecturers as entertainment celebrities, professional athletes, authors, wine connoisseurs, educators, financial experts and renowned politicians.

At Orient Lines, the Discovery Lecture Series features renowned speakers from around the globe, including the worlds of science, history, journalism, politics and diplomacy. Recent Discovery Lecture Series topics have included seminars on investing and finance.

Princess Cruises’ ScholarShip@Sea program offers a variety of enrichment courses on such subjects such as cooking, visual arts, computer skills, finance and – a first in the cruise industry – pottery. Passengers can choose from 20 free courses per voyage from four core areas – culinary arts, visual/creative arts, photography and computer technology. More in-depth, hands-on classes are also available.

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises presents computer instruction in Club.com on the new Seven Seas Voyager, with 29 computers in its Internet café and classroom, and on Seven Seas Mariner, which has 18 computers in its Internet café and classroom. A computer expert is on the Seven Seas Navigator, which has 10 computers in the library. A golf pro sails on every Seven Seas Navigator Bermuda sailing, offering free clinics for golf swings, instruction tips and works with guests in the cages.

Royal Caribbean International’s new wine bar on Navigator of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas, Vintages, offers a week-long series of educational and entertainment activities each cruise, from wine and sensory essence tastings like “Making Sense of Wine” to a wine trivia game.

Onboard Royal Olympia Cruises’ Olympia Explorer and Olympia Voyager, seminars are offered by luminaries in world affairs and diplomacy, arts and letters, archaeology and anthropology, space science and technology. There are also classical music concerts featuring artists of international acclaim.

Seabourn Cruise Line’s Dress Circle onboard enrichment program gathers celebrities and experts from the worlds of music, theater, film, television, journalism, literature, history, geography, politics, food and wine. Past guests have included Paul Theroux, Alan Arkin and Alex Trebek.

Silversea Cruises’ guests can explore great wines with guided excursions to renowned vineyards, delight their palates with the culinary artistry of Relais & Chateaux or perfect their game both onboard and ashore with Silversea’s Silver Links 365 Golf Program.

Swan Hellenic’s enrichment programs include guest experts such as artists demonstrating their skills with hands-on opportunities for passengers to try out their own techniques. Photography experts tutor in lighting and composition to ensure passengers capture memories of the places they visit. Under the guidance of a professional actor, guests participate in theater workshops in which they can write, rehearse and perform their own play.

Windstar Cruises’ presents Gary Eberle of Eberle Winery on the Wind Surf’s Oct. 25 seven-night voyage. Don Walsh, an ocean explorer, writer and expert on shipping and oceanography, sails on the Wind Surf’s 14-day transatlantic cruise Nov. 16. Additional culinary and wine cruises are also being planned for 2004.

For more information about onboard enrichment programs, visit CLIA’s website, www.cruising.org.