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Fenella Bazin
The Vikings & Norway
RBV, PhD, GRSM, DipEd, LRAM |
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Ramsey, Isle of Man UK |
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| Fenella is an accredited NADFAS lecturer. Recently retired from her role as Director of Postgraduate Studies in the Centre for Manx Studies, Dr Fenella Bazin’s enthusiasm for Norway enhances the experience of passengers to northern waters, introducing them to aspects as varied as the everyday life of Vikings, wartime Norway, and the natural wonders of this spectacular journey. She also performs and listens to the Music of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. |
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Ian Beckett
Modern and Military History
PhD, FR Hist S |
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Penzance, Cornwall UK |
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| Ian retired as Professor of Military History from the University of Kent (UK) in 2015. Previously Ian held chairs in both the UK and the US, including the Horner Chair in Military Theory at the US Marine Corps University, Quantico, Virginia as well as being Visiting Professor at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. He was also on the academic staff of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst for 15 years. Ian has an international reputation for his work on the First World War and on the history of the British Army. On cruise ships, however, he speaks more widely on modern and contemporary history. |
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Dr William Beeman
Anthropology | Archaeology | Music | World Affairs
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San Jose, California USA |
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| Dr. William O. Beeman is a linguistic anthropologist with extensive knowledge of languages, cultures and performing arts of the Middle East; East, South, and Southeast Asia; Europe; the Pacific region; Africa; Northwest North America; and Business Culture. He is a trained opera professional with European and North American stage credits. Widely sought as a popular lecturer, his presentations have delighted audiences in a wide variety of popular venues and cruise itineraries. He is author or editor of 14 books and more than 500 professional and popular articles and is Professor Emeritus from the University of Minnesota and Brown University in the United States. |
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Robin Binckes
South African and African History
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Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa |
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| Robin was born & bred in the Transkei, South Africa after a career spanning public relations, marketing, retail and tourism. Since 2002 Robin has been a registered South African guide specialising in culture and history introducing international visitors, mainly Americans to South Africa. Author of nine published books he is an experienced public speaker on South African history and transformation. His overall knowledge of the variety of cultures and people and history of all the diverse groups in South Africa informs and educates and is delivered in a balanced manner ensuring accuracy and objectivity. |
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Wil Cheung
Astronomer, Aurora Chaser & Photographer
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Newcastle, Tyne and Wear UK |
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| Wil Cheung is an astronomer, aurora chaser, photographer and international speaker with over 400 aurora displays witnessed across the world. A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and TEDx speaker, Wil combines science, storytelling and breathtaking imagery to make astronomy accessible and entertaining. His talks cover the Northern Lights, eclipses, photography, space science and practical workshops, drawing on years of experience leading tours, cruises and stargazing events worldwide. |
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Mike Curtis
Maritime, Naval & World History
Life in a Submarine |
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Havant, Hampshire UK |
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| Mike is an ex Royal Navy Officer who served for 22 years in both the surface and sub-surface Fleet. Mike joined from school as an Electrical Engineer Artificer Apprentice eventually specialising in Sonar and Gunnery systems. Following the Navy, Mike carried on his career in the Commercial World of manufacturing and Defence Research. He provides Guest Speaker services to the cruise industry and other interested shore based groups talking about all aspects of;submarines, maritime history, and geographical history of the planets oceans and surrounding countries. |
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Terry Davis
Apiarist (Bee Keeping)
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Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire UK |
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| Eileen specialises in the History, Arts, Myths & Legends of the Ancient World and as a qualified Egyptologist, author and lecturer, is also an authority on the people of Ancient Egypt, their history, language, art, religion and funerary practices. She is an experienced Guest Speaker on cruise ships, lectures to Archaeology/Egyptology societies in the UK and is also an accredited Lecturer for NADFAS. |
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Frosa Katsis
Craft Instructor | Greek Culture, History & Food
Greek History, Archaeology, Mythology and Food |
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Sunbury, Victoria Australia |
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| Frosa has a wealth of experience in Medical Research having worked for a world renowned institute based in Melbourne. Her experience has predominantly been in the field of protein & metabolism. The history of the Institute and how it all began is a great story in itself and Frosa will cover the history and development of this chemistry. It is not all about science and chemistry with Frosa being a successful business owner operating craft sessions which include macrame, jewellery, paper craft such as scrapbooking, paper roses, card making. |
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Heino Klinck
World Affairs
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Alexandria, Virginia USA |
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| Heino Klinck is a global strategist, business executive, retired U.S. Army Colonel, former diplomat, and international policy expert. His extensive experience includes 2+ decades abroad; leading global strategy efforts in a Fortune 100 company; senior political-military roles in the Pentagon; analytical and operational responsibilities in the intelligence community; and multiple diplomatic postings in Asia and Europe. Heino was educated at U.S., British, Italian, and Chinese universities and speaks multiple foreign languages. |
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Dr Sofia Laurein
History | Art History | World Affairs | Espionage | Crime
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La Mesa, California USA |
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| Dr. Sofia Laurein is the Chair of the History & Political Science Department and a Professor at San Diego City College. With a Ph.D. in History and an M.A. in Literature and Linguistics, she is an engaging, witty speaker who transforms presentations into captivating stories. Sofia is a cultural consultant and an expert witness on organized crime for federal courts. Having visited over 65 countries, Dr. Laurein lectures on History, World Cultures, Art, Espionage, Organized Crime, Literature, and Theater. A passionate raconteur and world traveler, Sofia blends humor with deep cultural, historical, and artistic insights. |
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Martin P. Lee
Destination Lecturer & Gentlemen Dance Host
BSc(Hons) MSc FBCS CITP |
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Poole, Dorset UK |
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| Martin P. Lee graduated with first class honours in geography and geology from King's College London in 1975 followed by a masters degree in geography from Keele University. After service as a fellow at Lancaster University, he became a lecturer at Leicester University, and then a senior lecturer at the Royal Military College of Science. Upon early retirement in 2006, Martin has been a Gentleman Dance Host and Port Lecturer. He now spends half the year at sea and half the year at his home in Bournemouth. |
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Professor Ed Lynch
International Relations & Foreign Policy
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Roanoke, Virginia USA |
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| Dr. Ed Lynch is Chair of Political Science at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. He is a recognized expert on foreign affairs, international relations and diplomacy, especially that of the Mediterranean world. He has sailed with several cruise lines as an expert speaker, traveling to South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East. Ed is a frequent commentator on political affairs for television, radio and newspapers. His travel adventures include visiting 20 countries in one year, experiencing a minor earthquake in Guatemala, and nearly getting killed in Ecuador, protecting a fellow traveller. |
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Jessica Martin
World Affairs | Destinations & Culture | Politics
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Davis, CA USA |
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| Jessica Martin is a political economist and former American diplomat who has lived and worked across four continents - including in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Before the State Department, she forecast global crop trends for the Department of Agriculture and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova. She holds degrees from the University of Puget Sound and Carnegie Mellon University. Known for her engaging, accessible style, Jessica brings firsthand experience to a wide range of topics - from the global wine business, geopolitics, and the economies shaping our ports of call. |
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Dr Virginia Matzek
Wildlife | Natural History | Environment |Science
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Davis, California USA |
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| Dr. Virginia Matzek is an ecologist and conservation biologist. She received her Ph.D. in ecology at Stanford University and currently teaches environmental science at Santa Clara University in California. Her scientific career has taken her from the Amazon to Iceland to Australia and many stops in between. Her engaging lectures blend her expertise in conservation biology and wildlife ecology with her passion for the varied cultural biogeography of each ship's destination. |
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Georgina Maynard
Art & Lifestyle | Art Workshops and demonstrations
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Beaminster, Dorset UK |
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| Georgina has been fortunate enough to spend most her life involved in the world of antiques and the arts. Having run a successful antiques business and worked as a journalist on many of the more prestigious magazines for some 35 years she took a degree in Fine Art with the University of Plymouth in the UK. Her lecturing and workshop experience runs from Art & Antique lectures in Brussels to the American Women’s Club and several tours with boutique cruise ship on Mediterranean, transatlantic crossings, and World Voyages. She recently extended her range to include talks on photography looking at the ‘The mobile, the camera in your pocket’. |
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Steven Mayo-Smith
History & Destinations
Asia Pacific | Australia | New Zealand | Europe | Mediterranean |
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Auckland, NZ |
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| Steven has a very diverse and international background, of Scandinavian and English heritage, he was born in Greece, raised in Africa and educated in both the UK and United States. He now lives and works in New Zealand. A keen Scuba Diver, he maintains a strong interesting in our oceans and their future. He is also a seasoned long distance bicycle tourist who has ridden through America, New Zealand and Europe, Most recently from the top of Norway to Budapest. He regularly presents at conferences on history and technology issues throughout the Asia Pacific. |
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Professor Thomas Mazour
Enrichment Speaker
World Affairs / Destinations / History / Travel / Sciences |
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The Villages, FL USA |
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| Professor Mazour was a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. In his 20 years with the IAEA in Vienna, Austria he worked in 36 countries on every continent but Antarctica, and collaborated with colleagues from over 90 different countries. After retirement from the IAEA, he joined the faculty of an online university whose mission is to help those in the workforce to receive suitable credit for their work experience and training, and to then complete courses needed to earn relevant degrees. He teaches online courses in leadership, communication and nuclear engineering. |
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Dr Adriana Mendez
History, Literature and the Arts, Culture
Caribbean | Spain and Portugal | Panamá | South America |
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Columbia, Missouri USA |
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| After a distinguished career teaching Latin American and Comparative Literature at leading US universities, Dr. Adriana Méndez turns to her love of travel and the sea. Widely knowledgeable about the Iberian world, she has published extensively on Atlantic travelers, from Victorian women adventurers to Enlightenment scientific explorers. A seasoned traveler, she has lived in Spain, Mexico, France, and Sweden, and gathered many stories and knowledge along the way. Her lectures on the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal, Panamá, and South America bring the history and cultures of these regions alive. |
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Todd Miller
History | Cultural Geography | World Affairs
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Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada |
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| As an educator of adults, teenagers, and children for over 30 years, Todd understands the importance of connecting with an audience through engaging and entertaining storytelling. With a lifelong passion for history and geography, Todd loves to share unique destination-focused narratives about the past and present. From explorers to cultural geography and engineering feats to all things maritime, Todd has a way of making even ordinary topics into extraordinary stories. In retirement he has worked as a Specialist (Historian) on Viking Expedition ships in the Great Lakes, Atlantic Canada, Antarctica, and on a World Longitudinal tour. |
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Julie Oatridge
History of Cinema 1895 - 1960s
BSc |
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Bicester, Oxfordshire UK |
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| Julie is a dynamic presenter who brings history to life with vivid, engaging storytelling. A sought-after speaker for historical societies and cultural organisations, she has lived in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, taught in Korea, Germany and Scotland, won gold at the Far Eastern Olympics, and later became a glider pilot and flying instructor. A lifelong film lover, she also has a personal link to cinema history — her father appeared in The Bridge on the River Kwai. She now shares her passion through her popular talk series, The History of Cinema: From Silence to the Golden Years. |
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Glenn Patrick
Physics, Cosmology & Earth Sciences
BSc, PhD, CPhys, FInstP, FRAS, FRGS |
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Lyme Regis, Dorset UK |
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| Glenn is a particle physicist who has spent most of his career working on large international experiments using accelerators at the CERN Laboratory in Geneva. Glenn is based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory where he is now an Honorary Scientist and is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Portsmouth, where he teaches. Glenn regularly gives public talks to a wide variety of audiences and specialises in explaining the concepts of physics, cosmology and astronomy in everyday language. |
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Bill Powell
Travel & Music
South East Asia, the USA and contemporary music. |
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Chester, Cheshire UK |
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| Bill was an accountant with BT and joined Marks and Spencer to head their Customer Services Division. He subsequently became Chairman of the Consumer Credit Trade Association. He took early retirement and embarked on a completely different career path as a Tour Manager, escorting groups of travellers to worldwide destinations. He specialises in the USA, Borneo and China. Bill's talks largely reflect his experiences during his ten years as a Tour Manager, mixing personal high (and low!) lights with amusing anecdotes about his journeys around the world. |
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Max Quanchi
Pacifc Island History | Australian History
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Toowong, QLD Australia |
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| Dr Max Quanchi taught Pacific History at Monash, QUT, UPNG and USP universities. His research is on the history of photography in the Pacific. He was guest editor for special issues on photography for Pacific Studies (1997), the Journal of Pacific History (2007) and the Journal of New Zealand and Pacific Studies (2020-2021). He was a founding member of the Executive of the PHA and AAAPS and is on the Editorial Boards of JPH and JNZPS. He retired to Brisbane and barracks for AFL Brisbane Lions, enjoys Mali Blues music, red wine, and art-house movies and since 2016 has done more than thirty cruises as a Guest Speaker on P&O cruises in the Pacific, and Australia. |
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Pete Raine
Nature & Conservation
MSc |
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Whitstable, Kent UK |
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| Pete is a lifelong naturalist, and an experienced lecturer, writer and broadcaster. He holds an MSc in wildlife conservation from University College London. After an early career as a chartered accountant, Pete’s work has always revolved around the environment. He has given numerous slide lectures in the UK, lecture tours of Australia, Germany and Holland and over 150 wildlife radio programmes on Radio Kent. He enjoys sharing his experience and passion about birds, plants, insects, and about the history of the planet and the forces that have made our wildlife what it is. |
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Dr Peter Ranelli
Oceanography
Captain, USN (Ret),, Ph.D. |
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Fort Myers, Florida USA |
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| Dr Ranelli is experienced cruise ship speaker with a focus on the importance of the ocean to our life on Earth. He has over 45 years’ experience in oceanography and meteorology, Naval operations, and maritime activities. He completed a 25-year career in the US Navy, in operational oceanography and meteorology. With his extensive experience in underwater systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, underwater acoustics, physical oceanography and meteorology, and operational environmental support, Dr Ranelli lectures on the roles of the oceans in our everyday lives and the impact that humankind has on the ocean. |
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Robyn Ratcliff
Enrichment & Destination Speaker
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Bensville, NSW Australia |
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| Robyn Ratcliff is a lively Speaker, TEDx speaker, Psychotherapist, Author, Blogger and Podcaster. She makes Special Interest topics like the Human mind, Generations, Social media, Hollywood, Nature & Wildlife fun and easy to enjoy. A keen traveller, researcher, and Cruise Ship presenter, Robyn shares fascinating talks about destinations across Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, French Polynesia, and Southeast Asia. Her presentations are always engaging, passionate, and full of interesting insights. |
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Dr. Emma Roberts
History of Art, Design and Architecture
Ph.D.; BA (Hons) |
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Chester, Cheshire UK |
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| Born and raised in Wales, UK, Emma Roberts earned a BA (Hons) and a PhD at the University of Liverpool, England. Emma now heads the BA (Hons) History of Art course at Liverpool John Moores University, U.K., and lectures daily to students on all aspects of art and design. She also speaks regularly to other organizations and was, for several years, a regular visiting lecturer to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Emma is a frequent cruiser in her spare time. |
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Howard Roitman
World Affairs, History & Geography
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Denver, Colorado USA |
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| Howard is a keen student of history, geography, and current events and loves to share those passions with audiences. He's given hundreds of talks over the last six years following decades of traditional teaching. Howard began his career as a destination and enrichment speaker in 2018 after teaching for many years in the University of Denver's University College masters program. Since 2015, he has been delivering presentations through an organization called Active Minds throughout the Denver metropolitan area on a broad range of topics of current interest. He received a B. A. with honors in History from Brooklyn College and a J. D. from Yale Law School. |
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Bill Simpson OBE
Military/Aviation Historian, Author & Port Speaker
OBE |
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Poole, Dorset UK |
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| Bill Simpson served in the Royal Air Force for 25 years. Responsible for air transport operations in Northern Ireland, he was awarded an MBE in 1979. He then commanded two RAF Stations, receiving an OBE from Queen Elizabeth in 1988. Bill's acclaimed biography ‘The Prince’ was published by HarperCollins in 2006 and he now writes historical novels. Bill is an experienced enrichment and destination speaker having completed almost 60 cruises over 7 years and he has employed his passion for - and comprehensive knowledge of - military & aviation history to great effect. In March 2017, Bill was selected to join Viking Ocean as a Resident Historian. |
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Malcolm Teasdale
Destination Speaker | Adventure Travel
Expert on Global Culture |
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Pinehurst, North Carolina USA |
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| British and American citizen Malcolm Teasdale was able to take early retirement when he sold his technology company in 2013. Nowadays, as an adventurer, he travels to the more unusual destinations around the world. He hosts “The Travel Addict” and “Two Brits in America” Podcast Shows and has made many guest appearances on business and travel shows worldwide. A traveler to 118 countries, you will love his factual stories, which focus on education and enrichment, with a laugh or two along the way. |
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David Withington
Modern Technology for Non-Techies
Technology made easy, entertaining, and useful for everyday life. |
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Wigan, Lancashire UK |
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| With 40 years of experience in telecommunications, David Withington has a knack for making modern technology easy, entertaining and useful. His talks combine engaging multimedia, clear explanations without the jargon, a good dose of humour, and interesting stories to bring technology to life - especially when it comes to cruise travel and everyday life. David explains everyday tech in a way that’s enjoyable for non-techies and anyone keen to learn something new. Cruise guests really appreciate being able to put their new knowledge and skills to good use on their travels. |
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