Julie Donofrio is an award-winning author and passionate traveler, who loves to learn about the people and events that make up the history of the places she visits.

She is an informative and engaging speaker on a variety of topics including history, destinations and entertainment. She especially enjoys bringing to light the stories about the forgotten women of history. Julie can also lead writing workshops on board and she is happy to develop new lectures to fill in any gaps required by cruise directors.

She is a former management consultant for IBM and Oracle where she led multiple Fortune 100 companies through successful organizational changes and system implementations. She honed her presentation skills by delivering thousands of training sessions and speaking with all levels of organizations from executives to line workers, and knows how to read and engage any audience.

Microplastics: Who, What, When, Where and Why:
The discussion around Microplastics and how they affect the natural environment has become an important and global one. But what are microplastics? Where are they and why do they matter? Learn the answers to these questions and others.

Hawaiian Mythology: The Goddesses:
Pele, the goddess of fire, is probably the most well-known goddess of Hawaiian folklore, but she isn’t the only one. Learn Pele’s story, as well as the origin stories of the other goddesses, and their realms of influence which include snow, fertility and more.

Hawaiian Mythology: The Gods:
From the god of light who lives in a cloud, to the god of war, the god of the ocean, and more, Hawaiian folklore has no shortage of deities to discuss. Learn about the origin stories, the feuds and familial relations that drive these ancient myths.

“Queens” of the South Pacific:
“Queen of the Pacific” is a name claimed by many persons, places and things, including a Mexican drug lord! Dive into the multiple ways this term is used and also learn about some very important and influential Queens and how their reigns affected the South Pacific and the world.

What do trees, animals, volcanos and space have in common?
They are all part of some of the oddest stories that are part of the history of New Zealand. As are elves, hobbits, wizards, water, wind…

Women can do what?
In New Zealand, education, voting rights, running for parliament, becoming a police officer and equal pay for equal work have all been part of the struggle of equality for women. We will examine the evolution of women’s rights and accomplishments in New Zealand over the past 200+ years – from the Maori women who could own land in the 1800’s to the third female Prime Minister in 2023.

Mutiny on the Bounty: The Afterstory:
Captain Bligh’s humiliating departure from the HMS Bounty at the hands of mutineers led by Fletcher Christian is only the beginning of the story. What happened to the mutineers? What happened to Bligh and the 18 other men who were forced off the ship into a 23-foot boat in the open ocean? Let’s find out!

Incredible Ocean Voyages: Past and Present:
A whaling ship sunk by an 85-foot sea creature. A polar exploration ship crushed in the ice. Rowing alone across the Pacific. Sailing from Hawaii to Tahiti without instruments or a map. The ability to accomplish incredible feats and to survive in deadly situations are an indelible quality of the human race. We’ll explore these voyages that span time from the 1800’s to present day.

Writing Workshops:
Providing writing workshop sessions for any length of cruise. Sessions include a mini-lesson, writing time and share/feedback time. Sessions will cover different writing genres such as memoir, fiction and poetry, as well as the concept of ‘show, don’t tell’, dialogue, plot pacing, character development and idea development.