New Registration THE CRUISE SHIP ENRICHMENT NETWORK |
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INTRODUCTION TO CRUISE SHIP ENRICHMENT
Please read the sections below carefully because they will explain in detail about how the cruise ship speaker & instructor "gig" business works and what to expect.
IMPORTANT: First of all you should understand that most cruise ship guest lecturers and instructors are not paid.
However, in return for providing a number of presentations/workshops, etc, the guest speaker, instructor or workshop host will usually receive a "free" cruise including full board for themselves and a companion. You may also received certain discounts but this varies from cruise line to cruise line.
Some cruise lines will also pay for your travel to meet a cruise and some will expect that you cover that cost. Your guest, if you bring one will in most cases have to pay their own travel costs. Many cruise lines will prefer to engage speakers and instructors located in the region where the cruise is sailing so as to minimise their travel expenses in the case where they are paying travel costs. So it is unlikely that they will pay for a speaker to travel from Europe to do a cruise in Australia. Again, it varies from cruise line to cruise line.
Any speaker or instructor considering to be engaged by a cruise line should have sufficient presentations or workshops to be able to present a different presentation/workshop on each day at sea. These presentations should be only 45 minutes in duration and should be entertaining, credible and informative so as to appeal to a wide audience, the passengers. University type lectures are not appropriate. You will usually be rated by the passengers on a cruise and if you score well you will be invited back. Instructors and Work Shop Hosts will be required to provide their programs by arrangement with the Cruise Director and that will vary by cruise line.
Getting engaged as a cruise ship ship speaker or instructor is quite competitive especially for newcomers. Unless you are a well recognised and sought after speaker or instructor, you have to consider the several ways to get noticed by the Enrichment Managers at the cruise lines. Many cruise lines want to see a candidate's profile as well as a short video clip (showreel) to demonstrate your presentation style. If you are starting out and looking for your first engagement, you will need to give serious consideration to having a profile including a short video clip (preferably a link to Youtube or similar platform). Many cruise lines now insist on seeing a short video clip (showreel) before engaging a speaker for the first time.
Speakers and Instructors also need to be active which means applying for opportunities.
Nobody is going to call you up and offer you an engagement exclusively without first getting noticed.
However, in return for providing a number of presentations/workshops, etc, the guest speaker, instructor or workshop host will usually receive a "free" cruise including full board for themselves and a companion. You may also received certain discounts but this varies from cruise line to cruise line.
Some cruise lines will also pay for your travel to meet a cruise and some will expect that you cover that cost. Your guest, if you bring one will in most cases have to pay their own travel costs. Many cruise lines will prefer to engage speakers and instructors located in the region where the cruise is sailing so as to minimise their travel expenses in the case where they are paying travel costs. So it is unlikely that they will pay for a speaker to travel from Europe to do a cruise in Australia. Again, it varies from cruise line to cruise line.
Any speaker or instructor considering to be engaged by a cruise line should have sufficient presentations or workshops to be able to present a different presentation/workshop on each day at sea. These presentations should be only 45 minutes in duration and should be entertaining, credible and informative so as to appeal to a wide audience, the passengers. University type lectures are not appropriate. You will usually be rated by the passengers on a cruise and if you score well you will be invited back. Instructors and Work Shop Hosts will be required to provide their programs by arrangement with the Cruise Director and that will vary by cruise line.
Getting engaged as a cruise ship ship speaker or instructor is quite competitive especially for newcomers. Unless you are a well recognised and sought after speaker or instructor, you have to consider the several ways to get noticed by the Enrichment Managers at the cruise lines. Many cruise lines want to see a candidate's profile as well as a short video clip (showreel) to demonstrate your presentation style. If you are starting out and looking for your first engagement, you will need to give serious consideration to having a profile including a short video clip (preferably a link to Youtube or similar platform). Many cruise lines now insist on seeing a short video clip (showreel) before engaging a speaker for the first time.
Speakers and Instructors also need to be active which means applying for opportunities.
Nobody is going to call you up and offer you an engagement exclusively without first getting noticed.
WHO DECIDES WHICH SPEAKERS AND INSTRUCTORS ARE BOOKED
We provide a convenient online facility for the cruise line enrichment managers to access to view applications for the cruises they list, as well as to simply just browse the lists of speakers and instructors and contact them directly should they wish to do so.
We are not engaged by the cruise lines to ascertain the suitability of a speaker or their subjects simply because the cruise lines do not want to pay agents to do this. The cruise lines make their own selections using their own selection criteria.
When you apply for an opening via our platform, we either forward your application to the cruise line for their consideration, or in some cases, the cruise lines can view these applications directly on our platform. It depends upon the individual preferences of the cruise line and how much staff they have to manage this review process.
The decision as to who a cruise line engages for any particular cruise rests with the enrichment booking manager at that cruise line and they will consider your profile, suitability and your proposal for each cruise. We do not have any influence in that decision, nor can we provide you feedback as to the progress of any application you make via our platform.
Each enrichment booking manager at a cruise line will have their own selection criteria depending upon the enrichment program they want to offer for a specific cruise. There would be no such thing as the "best" candidate for any particular cruise unlike what one would expect with a career type job with a salary. Cruise ship speaking and instructing falls into the realms of Onboard Entertainment & Enrichment and as such the enrichment booking managers will probably be thinking about how a particular candidate can fit into that program. So it would be impossible for us to give advice as to how any one candidate could make themselves "better" than another candidate. Every speaker and instructor act is going to be unique.
Perhaps the easiest way to describe how our platform works in the selection process is that it is like a speaker & instructor auditioning forum for specific cruises. When the cruise line enrichment booking manager is reviewing your application they will probably take into consideration your submission for the cruise, as well as view your profile and any showreel attached. Hence it is important to have a strong profile and a video showreel so as to make a good first impression. And remember, not everyone can be successful with every audition.
Every cruise line engages different types of speakers and instructors and there is no set rule. You can read more below about the types of speakers and instructors that the different cruise lines engage.
We are not engaged by the cruise lines to ascertain the suitability of a speaker or their subjects simply because the cruise lines do not want to pay agents to do this. The cruise lines make their own selections using their own selection criteria.
When you apply for an opening via our platform, we either forward your application to the cruise line for their consideration, or in some cases, the cruise lines can view these applications directly on our platform. It depends upon the individual preferences of the cruise line and how much staff they have to manage this review process.
The decision as to who a cruise line engages for any particular cruise rests with the enrichment booking manager at that cruise line and they will consider your profile, suitability and your proposal for each cruise. We do not have any influence in that decision, nor can we provide you feedback as to the progress of any application you make via our platform.
Each enrichment booking manager at a cruise line will have their own selection criteria depending upon the enrichment program they want to offer for a specific cruise. There would be no such thing as the "best" candidate for any particular cruise unlike what one would expect with a career type job with a salary. Cruise ship speaking and instructing falls into the realms of Onboard Entertainment & Enrichment and as such the enrichment booking managers will probably be thinking about how a particular candidate can fit into that program. So it would be impossible for us to give advice as to how any one candidate could make themselves "better" than another candidate. Every speaker and instructor act is going to be unique.
Perhaps the easiest way to describe how our platform works in the selection process is that it is like a speaker & instructor auditioning forum for specific cruises. When the cruise line enrichment booking manager is reviewing your application they will probably take into consideration your submission for the cruise, as well as view your profile and any showreel attached. Hence it is important to have a strong profile and a video showreel so as to make a good first impression. And remember, not everyone can be successful with every audition.
Every cruise line engages different types of speakers and instructors and there is no set rule. You can read more below about the types of speakers and instructors that the different cruise lines engage.
TYPES OF SPEAKERS & INSTRUCTORS BEING ENGAGED BY THE CRUISE LINES
Speakers are generally classified in several ways.
Special Interest Speakers - these speakers are experts in their field and would be required to deliver a 45 minute Powerpoint presentation on every day that the ship is at sea during a cruise. This would typically be 4 to 5 different talks over a 14 day cruise. Types of special interest topics include aviation, space, astronomy, forensics, crime, wildlife, Hollywood, music, archaeology, art history, etc. Some special interest speakers may also be considered as destination focused speakers if they can relate their subjects appropriately to the regions being visited during a cruise.
Destination Focused Speakers - these speakers could be experts in the Arts, History, Sciences, Travel, Nature or World Affairs and who can also relate their talks to the ports and destinations visited during the cruise. Each talk should be tailored to the cruise itinerary.
Destination/Port Speakers - these speakers are usually very well travelled and generally provide specific information about the ports and region being visited during the cruise. With some cruise lines Destination Speakers are also required to promote the port excursions.
Instructors and Tutors | Workshop Hosts - these can be Art & Craft Instructors, Bridge Instructors, Photography Instructors, Creative Writing Tutors, etc.
Different cruise lines engage different types of speakers depending upon their passenger demographics and also the types of passenger that the cruise line wants to attract. So whilst a speaker's topic may be successful for one cruise line, it may not be of interest to others. Some cruises may be family focused whilst others may be destination focused. Passengers are usually on a cruise to have a good time. You need to consider this in your approach as to how you target your presentations and which cruise lines may be interested in what you offer.
There is no general rule that applies to all cruise lines.
University type lectures are generally not appropriate. You have to bear in mind that most of the Enrichment Booking Managers and Cruise Directors have come from within the ranks of entertainment on board ships so you will need to appeal to them first before they will consider putting you in front of their passengers for the first time.
Special Interest Speakers - these speakers are experts in their field and would be required to deliver a 45 minute Powerpoint presentation on every day that the ship is at sea during a cruise. This would typically be 4 to 5 different talks over a 14 day cruise. Types of special interest topics include aviation, space, astronomy, forensics, crime, wildlife, Hollywood, music, archaeology, art history, etc. Some special interest speakers may also be considered as destination focused speakers if they can relate their subjects appropriately to the regions being visited during a cruise.
Destination Focused Speakers - these speakers could be experts in the Arts, History, Sciences, Travel, Nature or World Affairs and who can also relate their talks to the ports and destinations visited during the cruise. Each talk should be tailored to the cruise itinerary.
Destination/Port Speakers - these speakers are usually very well travelled and generally provide specific information about the ports and region being visited during the cruise. With some cruise lines Destination Speakers are also required to promote the port excursions.
Instructors and Tutors | Workshop Hosts - these can be Art & Craft Instructors, Bridge Instructors, Photography Instructors, Creative Writing Tutors, etc.
Different cruise lines engage different types of speakers depending upon their passenger demographics and also the types of passenger that the cruise line wants to attract. So whilst a speaker's topic may be successful for one cruise line, it may not be of interest to others. Some cruises may be family focused whilst others may be destination focused. Passengers are usually on a cruise to have a good time. You need to consider this in your approach as to how you target your presentations and which cruise lines may be interested in what you offer.
There is no general rule that applies to all cruise lines.
University type lectures are generally not appropriate. You have to bear in mind that most of the Enrichment Booking Managers and Cruise Directors have come from within the ranks of entertainment on board ships so you will need to appeal to them first before they will consider putting you in front of their passengers for the first time.
HOW THE CRUISE LINES USE OUR PLATFORM FOR THEIR RECRUITMENT
Our platform is supported by subscriptions and we provide the cruise lines free access to it so that they can engage with it in several ways:
Viking Cruises use our platform extensively to source suitable speakers as well as to manage their bookings across their 14 ships. All Viking itineraries including enrichment requirements are listed on our platform well into the future, usually several years ahead. If you are booked by Viking Cruises you will not need to pay any booking fees but you will be required to maintain your subscription so as continue to receive those free bookings.
Other cruise lines like SAGA, Fred.Olsen, P&O and Oceania | Regent regularly access our platform in search of suitable speakers and if they find someone they are interested in they will contact them directly. These cruise lines do not need to tell us who they contact because that is not a requirement. Some speakers do tell us that they got contacted and booked this way, and this is one of the benefits of having a subscription on our platform.
Some cruise lines like Crystal, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea and Marella Cruises also ask us to regularly list cruise opportunities on our platform. Speakers are invited to apply for these openings and the cruise lines will then select who they think is most suitable for a particular cruise.
These cruise enrichment openings are offered under our SpeaknSave Program and a reasonable Booking Administration Fee will be applicable if you are booked via this method. These fees will be mentioned with each listing and the fee amount is reflective of the amount of administration work involved to manage each booking. The cruise line do not pay us to manage the bookings.
These cruise enrichment openings are offered under our SpeaknSave Program and a reasonable Booking Administration Fee will be applicable if you are booked via this method. These fees will be mentioned with each listing and the fee amount is reflective of the amount of administration work involved to manage each booking. The cruise line do not pay us to manage the bookings.
Other cruise lines like Virgin Voyages, Villa Vie and Ponant ask us on occasions to list cruise opportunities, although these cruise lines do not regularly engage speakers for most of their cruises. Speakers are invited to apply for these openings and the cruise lines will then select who they think is most suitable for a particular cruise.
These cruise enrichment openings are also offered under our SpeaknSave Program.
These cruise enrichment openings are also offered under our SpeaknSave Program.
WHAT DOES IT COST ?
Cruise lines DO NOT pay cruise ship speakers and instructors for their services and they DO NOT pay for the recruitment of them either. They DO NOT pay us or any agent for our services either.
So if you wish to consider being a speaker or instructor you have to accept that you will need to pay something, either to be promoted, or to apply for openings and to get booked by some cruise lines. You can read more below about how the different cruise lines recruit speakers and instructors.
There is no FREE way to get cruise ship guest speaker or instructor assignments unless you know someone at the cruise line.
There are plenty of people offering their services for cruise ship enrichment so don't expect that you will get an assignment thinking that the cruise lines are desperate. They are not. You need to promote yourself effectively and be active in applying for cruise openings. No cruise line is going to be contacting you if they have never heard of you before, no matter how good you are.
For new registrations we charge an Initial Startup Fee of £91 (about USD$115) if you have a UK bank account and can pay by internet banking. This Startup Fee includes a setup fee of £32 and a 12 month subscription access fee of £59 to our platform. There is a 5% surcharge by Paypal if you pay this fee using a debit/credit card. This fee is non-refundable.
It takes us time and effort to put together your profile on our platform for the very reasonable fee that we charge. Your profile is then available for the cruise lines to view and consider, and we provide promotion to the cruise lines in various ways.
For this Initial Startup Fee you will receive the following:
So if you wish to consider being a speaker or instructor you have to accept that you will need to pay something, either to be promoted, or to apply for openings and to get booked by some cruise lines. You can read more below about how the different cruise lines recruit speakers and instructors.
There is no FREE way to get cruise ship guest speaker or instructor assignments unless you know someone at the cruise line.
There are plenty of people offering their services for cruise ship enrichment so don't expect that you will get an assignment thinking that the cruise lines are desperate. They are not. You need to promote yourself effectively and be active in applying for cruise openings. No cruise line is going to be contacting you if they have never heard of you before, no matter how good you are.
For new registrations we charge an Initial Startup Fee of £91 (about USD$115) if you have a UK bank account and can pay by internet banking. This Startup Fee includes a setup fee of £32 and a 12 month subscription access fee of £59 to our platform. There is a 5% surcharge by Paypal if you pay this fee using a debit/credit card. This fee is non-refundable.
It takes us time and effort to put together your profile on our platform for the very reasonable fee that we charge. Your profile is then available for the cruise lines to view and consider, and we provide promotion to the cruise lines in various ways.
For this Initial Startup Fee you will receive the following:
- 12 months subscription access to our platform so that you can create/edit your online profile (CV) and apply for cruise ship enrichment openings
- An online profile (CV) that will be specifically targeted to the cruise line booking managers. This is your own online CV webpage which you can also send to anyone who maye be interested in what you offer as a speaker or instructor.
Click this link to see a sample of profiles >> CLICK HERE - A link on your profile page to a video showreel that you may have created to promote yourself. Most cruise line enrichment booking managers now expect to see a showreel before they will engage you for the first time.
- Assistance in setting up your profile such as uploading your profile photo and links to your video showreel if you have one.
- Regular email notifications about updated enrichment listings on our platform as well as other useful information to help you get the most out of our platform.