Franz Schneider enjoys giving talks on cruise ships because of his love of the sea. Onboard, Franz will give talks about maritime topics (ocean liners, ocean racing, and navigation) as well as topics of general interest. Franz’s first voyage was as a child on the Queen of Bermuda, starting his passion for ocean liners.

A sailor all his life, Franz became active in ocean racing as a teenager. He sailed many thousands of miles with Ted Turner, starting with races from Bermuda to Denmark in 1966, and from California to Honolulu in 1967. In the 1970s, Franz was Turner’s navigator in many ocean races including the classic Newport to Bermuda, and Miami to Montego Bay races. He was also the founder of Landfall Navigation, a firm that offers navigational supplies and services.

When not at sea, Franz has had a dual career as an academic and a professional money manager. A holder of three degrees from Harvard University, he taught there since 2001— most recently teaching courses about Psychopaths as well as Law & Psychology. He was a member of the faculty of the Harvard Medical School for 21 years. For the past 30 years, he has also been a private trustee as well as a registered investment advisor.

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MARITIME HISTORY

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A Life on Liners— Four Favorite Ships
As a child, Franz Schneider’s family often visited his grandmother in Bermuda. Their voyages on the classic liner Queen of Bermuda started Franz’s passion for ocean liners, and he will talk about some of those experiences. Other classic liners discussed in his talk are: the Queen Elizabeth 2, which Franz first traveled on during her 1969 maiden year; the Regent Sun, originally built in 1964 as the Shalom; and the Norway, originally built as the France in 1962. The latter two ships were the last ocean liners powered by steam.

Cruising— The First 100 Years
At the beginning of the 20th century, the shipping industry was huge, but passenger ships were liners transporting travelers from point A to point B. Franz describes some of the earliest cruises as well as the first world cruises in the 1920s on ships like Cunard’s Franconia, as well as the boost given to “booze cruises” by America’s disastrous experiment with Prohibition. The introduction of mass air travel in the 1950s posed a threat to traditional passenger liners, but eventually a handful of start-up companies in the early 1970s launched cruising into a mega-industry that left ocean liners in their wake. Those upstarts became today’s Big Three: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian.

Captain James Cook's Voyages of Discovery
In this talk, Franz relates the fascinating story of Captain James Cook, a young man from Yorkshire who had the ambition and talent to change civilization's view of world geography. He employed his talents as an expert seaman, navigator, and surveyor and made three voyages of discovery around the globe. Among his many accomplishments: he accurately charted most of the Pacific Islands; circumnavigated New Zealand for the first time; explored Australia's eastern coast; and discovered the Hawaiian Islands-- the place of his tragic death.

Mutiny on the Bounty — The Real Story
The public has long been fascinated by the true-life sea story of the mutiny aboard the British naval ship HMS Bounty in 1789. This yarn led to two popular movies starring Clark Gable in 1935 and Marlon Brando in 1962— both based on the historical novel "Mutiny on the Bounty." The novel created an image of Captain Bligh as supremely villainous and Fletcher Christian as virtuous. In this talk, Franz details the real story behind these dramatic events, relying on original sources written by both Bligh and Christian’s brother.

Cunard’s Legendary Liners
Franz first sailed on Cunard as a passenger aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1969. As he met some of the ship's deck officers, he became fascinated by their life at sea and the history of Cunard's ships. With the success of the QE2, Cunard regained its place at the pinnacle of ocean liners, as exemplified by the introduction of the Queen Mary 2, the last true ocean liner ever built. In this talk, Franz describes the QE2 and QM2 as well as the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

Commodore— James Bisset's 48 Year at Sea
Franz tells the incredible tale of James Bisset, whose career mirrored the golden age of steam. He was a Liverpool lad who joined a square-rigged sailing ship when he was 15, sailing around Cape Horn four times while circling the globe. By age 23, he had earned a Masters license and joined the Cunard Line. His achievements during forty years with Cunard included rescuing the Titanic’s survivors as Second Officer aboard the Carpathia, and ultimately commanding the two largest steamships ever built: the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. As “Captain of the Queens,” Bisset transported close to half a million troops during World War II, and for his service, he was knighted in 1942 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Cambridge in 1946.

The Princess Story— How the Love Boat Grew
Princess Cruises started in 1965 with a small chartered ship— the Princess Patricia—offering cruises from California to the Mexican Riviera. After growing with several more chartered ships, Princess acquired two small luxury vessels in 1972. These ships provided the setting for the phenomenally popular television series, The Love Boat, first produced in 1977. Although acquired by the British P&O line in 1974, and later by Carnival, the ambiance and great onboard experience of the Love Boat style are still hallmarks of cruising on Princess. The resources of these parent companies have enabled Princess to develop a fleet of 15 world-class luxury ships that now offer The Love Boat experience of cruising throughout the world.

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WORLD AFFAIRS

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Avoiding Disaster — Starting with the Titanic
The public has long been fascinated with disasters. For many, it is not because of morbid curiosity, but rather a desire to understand why they occurred, and how the risk of future disasters might be reduced. In this talk, Franz will describe four such disasters: starting with the sinking of the Titanic; reviewing the collision and sinking of the Andrea Dorea; examining why the worst aviation disaster in history occurred in the Canary Islands; and finally looking into the Challenger space shuttle tragedy. How did these terrible events happen, and what was learned in their aftermath?

The Fallacy of Nuclear Diplomacy
The development of the atomic bomb represented a tremendous leap in applying science to warfare— and some believe saved many lives by shortening World War II. Franz looks at how a suggestion by Albert Einstein to President Roosevelt launched the Manhattan Project. After Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by atomic weapons, American post-war diplomacy assumed that the U.S. would maintain a monopoly on atomic weapons. However, when the Soviet Union achieved nuclear capability in 1949, it set off a nuclear arms race of ever more destructive weapons that has continued despite attempts at disarmament.

JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis— Ten Days in October 1962
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union, under Khrushchev, secretly installed nuclear weapons in Cuba that could easily strike the United States. When the U.S. suddenly discovered the missile sites in October 1962, it led to a confrontation that tested the administration of President John F. Kennedy. During a ten-day period, the world came the closest it has ever been to a nuclear war.

Cuba and the Kennedys— The Road to Dallas
The Cuban revolution in 1959 alarmed American politicians. The Eisenhower administration adopted policies to oppose the Castro regime, including plans for a disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, which the new Kennedy administration inherited. That humiliation drove a sustained effort to topple Castro by Jack and Bobby Kennedy through Operation Mongoose. Both the CIA and the mafia were recruited in these unsuccessful efforts— and their involvement would play a role in the assassination of JFK in 1963.

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GENERAL INTEREST

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The Bermuda Triangle: Myths and Realities
The public has long been intrigued by tales of the Bermuda Triangle— a vast area of ocean in which various strange things have happened to ships and airplanes. Franz will describe some of the incidents attributed to the Bermuda Triangle as we sail through these waters. He will discuss some of the real phenomena that can be challenging, and will also explore the many myths that continue in the public mind.

The Jet Age: a Miracle, a Tragedy, and a Mystery
In this talk, Franz relates the huge changes in aviation when jetliners replaced propeller planes. After describing the development of the early jets by Boeing and Douglas, he'll look at the emergence of a worthy competitor— Airbus, with its "fly by wire" technology. Franz also examines three specific incidents: the miracle of US Air flight 1549 landing on the Hudson River; the tragic loss several months later of Air France flight 447 between Rio and Paris; and the mysterious disappearance of Malaysian flight 370.

Murderous Minds— A Forensic Challenge
Psychopaths may commit a majority of violent crimes. Franz describes two famous cases involving men that were clearly murderers but that may have been— or claimed to be— insane. Ken Bianchi, the Hillside Strangler, killed at least a dozen young women but forensic experts were convinced that he had Multiple Personality Disorder. Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, created bombs that killed or maimed people over a 17 year period, but his public defender advocated a plea of insanity. This talk looks at how the legal system deals with the issue of insanity.

The Pan American Saga
At one time, Pan American was the world’s best known airline— having introduced air travel on a global scale while becoming the “world’s most experienced airline.” In this talk, Franz will relate the history of Pan Am and its famous founder— Juan Tripp, showing images of its aircraft, including: the beautiful flying boats of the 1930s; the Boeing 707 that made flying across the Atlantic routine; and the Boeing 747, which created a mass market for air travel. He will also discuss how Pan Am fell victim to airline deregulation in the late 1970s.

The Return of Psychedelics
In 1943, a Swiss chemist accidentally discovered the odd—many would say magical— properties of LSD. LSD fascinated the public in the 1950s, along with other mind-altering drugs such as mescaline (derived from a cactus) and psilocybin (found in some mushrooms). By the early 1960s, the benefits of LSD were being extolled by celebrities such as Cary Grant, and LSD was also seen as a promising cure for alcoholism. However, the antics of one man, Harvard's Timothy Leary— and the counter-culture that he inspired— abruptly saw these psychedelic drugs banned. More recently, these same drugs are on the cusp of being approved as breakthrough cures for stubborn afflictions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Franz will be your guide on this trip through the psychedelic age half a century ago, and its impending return.

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YACHT RACING

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Winning the America's Cup
In 1851, an American schooner was the victor in a race of Britain's top yachts— an event that launched what has become the longest international competition in any sport. The winners of that race donated the trophy to the New York Yacht Club, which successfully defended the America's Cup for more than a century against two dozen challenges from other countries— often from England. Australians started challenging for the Cup in 1962, and with their increasing skill and determination finally wrestled away the Cup in 1983. Although Americans have won back the Cup several times, in this century New Zealand has been ascendent and will be defending the Cup later this year.

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst
An extraordinary ocean race started in 1968—a non-stop, single-handed, round-the-world race that offered a 5,000-pound prize to the winner. There were no eligibility requirements, and one of the nine starters was Donald Crowhurst, a businessman in his 30s with little ocean sailing experience. As the rugged conditions forced most of the competitors to withdraw from the race, Crowhurst’s survival strategy came to involve deception. As it looked like he might be the winner, he faced a moment of truth— which drove him to madness— with his voyage coming to a shocking conclusion. The story is now back in the public eye due to two movies released in 2017: Crowhurst; and The Mercy, which stared Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz.

Racing Across the Atlantic with Ted Turner
Franz started racing with Ted Turner in 1966 when Ted competed in a 3,600-mile race from Bermuda to Denmark with his Cal-40 yacht Vamp X. In this talk, Franz starts with a video clip taken aboard one of Ted’s yachts during the start of an ocean race. Then, a brief history will be given of how races across the Atlantic first started in 1928, and have continued ever since. The primary focus of the talk is the 20-day race with Ted in 1966, although Franz will also talk about recently seeing Ted, who has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.

Racing to Bermuda & Jamaica with Ted Turner
Franz became Ted Turner’s ocean racing navigator, starting with the 1973 Miami to Montego Bay race in Ted’s one-tonner, Lightnin’. Franz will discuss why the Jamaica race became his favorite, navigating Ted’s winning performances in 1973, as well as in 1979 with Ted’s 61-foot sloop, Tenacious. Another favorite race is the legendary Newport to Bermuda race, and Franz will describe some of the most memorable Bermuda races that he participated in between 1964 and 1994.

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NAVIGATION

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The Art and Science of Navigation
As an experienced navigator, Franz will introduce passengers to navigation— setting out some basics, and then describing specific navigational techniques, starting with the most basic tools that Columbus used, and ending up with the present day’s high tech navigational systems. He will also present several navigation case studies, including the 1992 grounding of the Queen Elizabeth 2 near Martha’s Vineyard, which occurred due to an error of the local pilot.

The Vanishing Art of Celestial Navigation
Since the time of Columbus, mariners have used the sun, moon, stars, and planets to guide their voyages. With the development in the 18th century of accurate time-keeping devices that could go to sea, it became possible to navigate the world’s oceans with a precision of about one mile using celestial navigation. Indeed, until the first truly worldwide GPS system was introduced in the early 1990s, all ships—and many airplanes—still carried sextants when navigating far from land.

Becoming a Navigator
Franz grew up in a sailing family and learned to sail as a child. Starting at age 12, he wanted to sail on the beautiful yachts that raced on the ocean. As a boy he discovered that one way to realize this dream was to learn navigation. In this talk Franz describes these early experiences which led to his racing to Bermuda when he was 16. In the 1970s, he started navigating winners in several classic ocean races. He continued navigating in Bermuda races through 1994, but by then the widespread use of the Global Positioning System had taken most of the fun out of being an ocean racing navigator.

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DESTINATION TALK GIVEN ON CRUISES TO CUBA

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Cuba’s Beautiful Cars
Every time Franz visits Cuba, he is enchanted by the beautiful cars that are seen everywhere—many of them vintage 1950s American models. In this talk, Franz discusses these classic cars, showing pictures of each year’s distinctive models. He also describes how ingenious Cuban mechanics manage to keep these cars on the road, and shows video interviews with some of them.

OTHER CRUISES RECENTLY COMPLETED

Enchanted Princess — Nov. 12, 2023; 11 days Mediterranean; Barcelona to Rome

Enchanted Princess — Nov. 23, 2023; 15 days Trans-Atlantic; Rome to Ft. Lauderdale

Sapphire Princess — Feb. 5, 2024; 14 days Cape Horn; Buenos Aires to Santiago

Sapphire Princess — Feb. 19, 2024; 13 days Cape Horn; Santiago to Buenos Aires

Royal Princess — March 5, 2024; 10 days New Zealand & Australia; Wellington to Sydney

Royal Princess — March 15, 2024; 14 days South Pacific; Sydney round-trip

Majestic Princess — April 10, 2024; 14 days repositioning; Sydney to Tahiti

My specialty is long voyages since I can give as many as 20 unique talks. I am also willing to give two talks on the same day, should that be useful to the Cruise Director.

I am happy to speak on back-to-back cruises, and am often available on short notice from my base in Boston.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.