747FC

I recently got a call requesting me to be a speaker on a cruise ship. The deal was that I would give two talks in my area of expertise, and the cruise would be free. However, the booking agency required a fee of $60.00/day. Given my schedule, I did not jump at this opportunity.

Anyone here on FT done these types of gigs? If so, knowing about your actual experience being an Enrichment Speaker would be very helpful.

Thanks!

hedoman

Which line? I've talked to enough of them to have some idea of the tariff.....or what they're paid. It's a wide range, but $60/day is way high to pay.

747FC

It was a mass market line. The enrichment contractor obviously was getting the money.

Can you share your experiences, advice, etc?

dcbarry

Sounds shady. See my PM.

ysolde

A family member (not a FTer) has been doing this for years, through cruises run for university alumni associations. They are small and specialized. As I understand it, they don't have to pay anything (I think they are sometimes even paid, but I am not 100% sure of this).

Randyk47

A little different from what I think you were offered but a few years ago a company I consult for got this "bright idea" to put together a cruise based management seminar. They would pay my cruise fare, a small daily stipend, and flight costs in addition to a speakers fee. I signed what basically was a contingent contract but they couldn't generate enough interest so it never happened. I personally, having been a reimbursed and sometimes unpaid speaker at other gatherings, would never pay a booking agency. Sounds fishy to me.

PeterBruce

There are web-sites such as these which provide enrichment and other speakers to cruise lines:

http://www.sixthstar.com/about-page/

http://eventzinparadise.com/

In each case, the charges [are/were] $65 per night [Sixth star $US/Events $Aust]. The speaker can take a companion, so effectively the cost is $32.50 per night. I do not know if the whole fee goes to the agent.

The agent will interview and determine suitability [usually at no cost, except for a sample presentation dvd/online etc]. Once the agent finds the speaker suitable, they will facilitate the connection to the cruise ship company, involving presentation of biography and topic list.

It can be a good way to cruise, however once on board, the speaker can be considered a necessary evil by the Activities staff - usually very little contact with the cruise director, but with a designated person.

Scheduling of talks is by the cruise activites team to fit into use of facilities and days at sea. In the role, one sees the behind the scenes mayhem of an entertainment program. Some lines get it together, others fall apart with their logisitics, with the daily bulletin messy with errors, and often conflicts of timing like minded events. My last experience was chaotic and I am considering a change of line for future talks.

Princess Cruises previously handled recruitment inhouse [with a team of speakers in the South Pacific/Australia/New Zealand area], but have now passed it to an agent [maybe different in other locations].

It is certainly an enjoyable past-time, however when sailing as a speaker no loyalty status applies as it does when you sail commercially [in a paying passenger status]. Benefits such as lounge access or "elite" breakfast are not available as the price is so low that the line does not need to offer enticements.

david55

So essentially you are treated as a deck hand. You paint a very good picture of just how unimportant most guest speakers are on these cruises.

Nanook

And most of them, at least on Crystal, are dead boring. They get the same old "retired former ___________" fill in the blank. Someone that's been out of the game for a number of years. Cunard seems to have better speakers.

PeterBruce

Enrichment speakers don't earn the cruise line money. They are there to help the traveller enjoy the cruise - my area is destination enrichment so I provide behind the scenes information for port visits, but don't actually sell the shore excursions - Royal Caribbean in South Pacific/Australia/NZ last season left the destination work to their Shore Excursion team who had a presentation focussed on the contents of the shore excursions, rather than the features to see.

Shipfish

Well, not quite. Guest Lecturers often exist in a "grey area" as such: not full passengers not crew either. Although they will normally be on the Passenger List (but not always) exactly how they are treated depends a lot on the individual management on that particular ship and on the Lecturer themselves.

I've known Lecturers who have had the best of both worlds - well respected and treated as part of the crew "family" whilst being a popular passenger, but also the opposite that they've alienated the crew with their attitude and ended up not getting treated as well as they could have been.

What PeterBruce says is correct though - be prepared for very mixed treatment in regards to scheduling - and again, it's not just by the line but due to the management on a particular ship at the time. Some are amazingly organized and will make themselves available for you to speak to about any issues and will work out your schedule with you; others will leave you to find out you have a lecture only from the passenger daily events paper the night before and actively avoid dealing with you even when they know you need to speak to them.

hedoman

There are major league enrichment lecturers. There are minor league lecturers. Destination speakers are a league of their own and they do not make it to the majors. Yes, I can see them paying an agent for a cruise.

DaveBlaine

Is it like MLB where someone from the minors could get that call up and get to the majors? Perhaps because of their own potential or due to an injury from someone in the majors?