Guest Speakers – enhancing our guests' experience.

 By Brenda McLoughlin, Guest Speaker Programme Manager

Exciting itineraries, comfortable ships, good service, delicious food and interesting, like-minded fellow travellers, what is not to like about a cruise holiday? Add a great guest speaker and you are also learning whilst being entertained. As our many regular guests know, Noble Caledonia speakers are an eclectic bunch.  We have many who are experts in particular regions of the world and many more who are specialists in Architecture, Archaeology, Fine Art, Gardens, Military and Naval History to name just a few subjects.

 We have lost count of the number of letters and after cruise questionnaires we receive which specifically mention a speaker, waxing lyrical about the way in which a voyage was enhanced by their talks in addition to them being great company on board.  Some itineraries would seem to demand a certain style of speaker but many of the most memorable talks have been those which are only tangentially connected to the area in which the ship is sailing or to the theme of the cruise.

Our speakers can and do attract a following and many become firm friends with the guests they meet on board. The common factor is that they all work hard to produce talks to fascinate, enlighten and capture aspects of the theme of a cruise or about the area in which the ship is sailing.

 I had the pleasure of sailing with Naval Historian Rear Admiral David Snelson a couple of years ago on board Sea Cloud II (just before Covid and the lockdown hit us). David had an outstanding naval career which included command of the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL and a variety of staff roles as a Flag Officer. On retirement he was Harbourmaster for the Port of London and is still part of the senior management of the Corporation of Trinity House.  So David has a profound knowledge on which to draw.  Below he writes about his experience and his forthcoming cruise on board MS Serenissima in August this year.

 “The lecture programme is very much an integral part of a Noble Caledonia cruise. The relatively small number of passengers on a cruise means that a good proportion of people attend the lectures. This can often lead to fascinating discussions in the bar or around the dining table later in the day. Many passengers will know something of the subjects being covered in the lectures and are well placed to add their knowledge. I can think of several occasions where I’ve learnt something new related to the subject I’ve just talked about!

 On the Passage to Andalucía cruise there are things to see ashore related to the predominately maritime subjects I’ll be talking about; the fortress on Belle Isle stormed by British troops landed from the sea in 1761 or the old harbour in Cadiz from where the combined French and Spanish fleet set sail to meet Nelson off Trafalgar. Of course, some of my subject matter is out at sea; for instance, the waters off the Scilly Isles where Sir Cloudsley Shovell and his Fleet went aground in 1707 or the waters off Cape Trafalgar where the historic battle involving Nelson occurred in 1805.

Noble Caledonia cruises are somewhat like family occasions; everyone gets on very easily with each other and some lasting friendships are made. As a lecturer I get to share some of my knowledge with my fellow travellers but equally I get to meet a lot of interesting people who have got their own interesting life stories to talk about”. 

 Another speaker, Nicholas Merchant, has been a valued member of our team for a number of years. He is an accredited Arts Society speaker, as are many of our speakers. Nicholas is an antiques expert and has worked for many of the major auction houses as well as running his own book business which is devoted to decorative and fine arts.  The talks offered by Nicholas are always interesting and thoroughly entertaining. You will find him on board MS Royal Crown cruising along the Rhine and Moselle Rivers from the Low Countries to Basle from 24 June this year.

 Comments received after previous tours with Nicholas include “his morning talks ……… were educational and set us up for the days visits”.  “The four lectures given by Nicholas Merchant before our visits provided context to help us enjoy them fully”.

 These comments say it all, in that by hearing a talk before making a shore visit guests have a much greater idea of the place they are about to see. Suggestions are made about places to see within free time or instead of the scheduled visit with which guests might already be familiar. Nicholas says that trying to “do” certain places in a short length of free time could be deeply unrewarding without any prior knowledge. He recommends asking for advice on board and looking up on your smart phone what there is to see in a destination which might be “up your street” and making a beeline for it.

 Military Historian Christopher Joll has recently joined the Noble Caledonia Guest Speaker list.  Christopher was an officer in the Lifeguards, a regiment within the Household Cavalry, before a 35-year career in the City.  He is the official historian of the Household Cavalry and a prolific author and broadcaster as well as Director of various military pageants.  Christopher, who will accompany the Treasures of the Black Sea tour aboard MS Island Sky in August and September this year, says :

 ‘The position of the guest speaker can be an awkward one, for he or she is neither a full crew member nor wholly a guest passenger. On Noble Caledonia cruises this problem simply does not arise, for it is a hall mark of the line that crew, guest speakers and passengers are all part of one big family. Of course, responsibilities necessitate lines of demarcation, but not barriers: the crew creates the environment in which the passengers enjoy the experience of cruising, and the guest speaker enhances it with specific information and, as required, a supportive arm.’

 One of our longest serving and most popular Guest Speakers, Historian Imogen Corrigan, agrees.  Imogen spent 20 years in the British Army retiring in 1994 in the rank of major.  She then studied Anglo-Saxon and Medieval history and art and lectures widely on the subject.  Imogen will accompany tours aboard MS Van Gogh on the River Rhone in May and June this year and will sail aboard MS Royal Crown on the 2nd half of the “Voyage Across Europe” tour, joining in Vienna, in June this year.  She says :

 “Apart from the obvious pleasure of visiting new places and often having the chance to re-visit them as well, I always enjoy seeing them with like-minded people. I like to introduce the history of the area so that the guides can lay their specific local knowledge on top of mine. I’ve had the pleasure of talking not just on Anglo-Saxon and Medieval history generally, but on particular carvings found on churches, on renaissance artists from the area or how to read the buildings we visit. Every time I visit somewhere I learn. And we laugh such a lot too”.

 We have many more guest speakers, some will already be known to you. All will be trying their best to enlighten, entertain, inspire and possibly even challenge within their talks. A stimulating talk and possible opposing views can often provoke a hearty but satisfying conversation over dinner afterwards. We know that you enjoy spending time with our guest speakers and we absolutely agree that they are an integral part of a Noble Caledonia holiday. 

Whenever you will be joining us on board, we hope that you enjoy your cruise holiday and go home with great memories enhanced by the presence of a talented and knowledgeable guest speaker.