Increasing number of cruise lines don't only incorporate enrichment-oriented activities in their offer, but they develop them as well to make the cruise more appealing. This includes interactive workshops, culinary demonstrations, lectures from experts, and various presentations on a number of topics.
Cunard Line
For sophisticated cruisers, or even for the budding ones, the Cunard Line would certainly be ideal. On their three ships, the Insight Speaker series, as well as the Book Club of Cunard organize literary discussions on every cruise. On the other hand, on the QM2, additional courses are offered. This includes Juilliard Jazz series, and the Royal Astronomical Society stargazing and astronomy presentations.
The sessions are totally free and the travelers can engage in a number of courses. However, if you often travel with this cruise, chances are you might find the lectures repetitive since they're usually conducted by the same speakers.
Celebrity Cruises
The several aspects of Celebrity's enrichment programs are both educational and entertaining. Culinary classes and tours that concentrate on molecular mixology and food-and-wine pairing are being offered. Also, there are training seminars about acupuncture, balancing one's metabolism, and skin renewal. In the “Learn” category, stargazing sessions and Rosetta Stone language courses are available.
Professionals from Smithsonian Journey deliver talks in this cruise. The Celebrity iLounge staff provides classes on web designing and digital photo enhancement.
Most of the enrichment courses are coached by outstanding professionals, such as the Rosetta Stone and Smithsonian Journeys. However, these kind of courses have additional fees ranging from $20- $100. Also, the specific workshops and cruises may vary by cruise.
Crystal Cruises
The enrichment program of this cruise carries a number of components. For one, their Creative Learning Institute educates the travelers some important skills from areas such as music, language, art, and wellness. On top of that, with hopes of bringing the best possible experience on board, the line has collaborated with highly respected names like Berlitz and Yamaha. Lastly, their "Computer University" teaches the passengers on computers, social media, and the Internet.
It's considered as the most extensive program operating and all of the courses, lectures, and presentations are absolutely free. However, due to the fact the program is intended for senior travelers, it could be a little old-fashioned for younger cruisers.
Princess Cruises
This cruise is very famous for its light-hearted classes. You could join pottery classes, digital photography, wine-tasting and food-pairings, meal preparation and hands-on cooking, cruise-ship preparation, scrapbooking, and even dance classes. Each cruise has a host or two that offer insights on relevant issues and details about the destination during the cruise.
The Princes Cruises' focuses on hobbies instead of education, giving the passengers a light-hearted ambiance. Nonetheless, most of the courses being offered are quite expensive.
Holland America
The Holland America's dynamic exploration programs combine entertainment with enrichment. The Exploration teams usually vary in size depending on the length of the cruise. Nonetheless, it consists of life stylist, party planner, “techspert,” travel guide, a book club leader, and dance director.
The life stylist holds seminars about health and wellness. The party planners run their seminars and cooking demos; they also organize flower-arranging, wine-tasting, and other various workshops. The “techspert” hosts digital workshops and other computer classes. The travel guide gives presentations and lectures about the cruise' destination. The book club facilitator organizes the literary discussions. Lastly, the dance director hosts dance lessons and dance-related activities.
The culinary demos being held in the sophisticated and state of the art kitchens are marvelous. Additionally, the wellness classes and basic computer courses would be valuable for mature passengers. Nonetheless, some of the lectures may seem a bit fluffy.
Oceania
The main enrichment of this cruise focuses on food. Wherein, both Marina and Riviera have a Culinary Center with two-person cooking stations, convection ovens, and themed classes. The courses are heavily hands-on and the students have the privilege to learn in various culinary areas, such as food-and-wine pairings and cheese selection.
Nonetheless, if cooking is not your thing, you could still enjoy the cruise with its hands on courses that focus on aspiring artists.
There's no doubt that the culinary center is state-of-the-art and the wide selection of classes will definitely hone the passengers' skills. However, the individual classes and tours might burn a hole in your pocket. Market tours, as well as cooking classes cost around $175. Likewise, an individual session costs $39 and a two-hour cooking session is $69.