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Captain Thomas Anderson
Maritime History | International Geopolitics | World Affairs
Retired Navy Captain, Aerospace and Diving Medical Doctor
Coming from: Oracle,  Arizona  USA


Captain Tom Anderson spent his childhood in a coastal city adjacent to a large seaport, where he developed an early fascination with the maritime world. During his 30-year military career, he lived and worked on, over, or under the sea. Now retired from the Navy, Dr. Anderson devotes his time researching, writing, and speaking about the ideas and events that are changing our world. He has created a series of original, wide-ranging conversations about the Maritime World which have proven to be extraordinarily popular with cruise ship audiences.
Anthony Babb
International Guest Speaker & Author
WW1, Royal Navy, Norway, Wildlife, Photograpy, Author
Coming from: Romsey,  Hampshire  UK


Tony served for 23 years in the Royal Navy as a weapons systems engineer and is a 1982 Falkland’s veteran. The award of the British Empire Medal in the 1988 New Year’s Honours List for services to the Royal Navy was the pinnacle of his career. His seagoing service saw him on 6 different warships including HMS Sheffield. His stories about life in the Royal Navy use many of his own photographs, along with memories from a varied career, to give a personal insight into the Royal Navy. These include details about the loss of HMS Sheffield, Captain Salt’s return to the Falklands on HMS Southampton and weapons systems performance in the war.
Brian Beck
Maritime History
Coming from: Montgomery,  Texas  USA


After an early career as a marine engineer in the British Merchant Navy, Brian Beck entered the field of electrical engineering. As a chartered engineer and with over 30 years’ experience in the electrical industry in Europe and USA, he has participated in electric supply restructuring in UK and North America. Brian has been an active member of Toastmasters International and is a regular cruise ship speaker with several cruise lines. His many interests include maritime history, self-improvement studies, travel, cooking and golf.
Melvyn Bowen
Maritime History & Marine Science
Extra-Master Mariner, MPhil., PhD.
Coming from: Rotorua,    NZ


Melvyn was born and raised in U.K., and completed his secondary education at the Haverfordwest Grammar School in Pembrokeshire. He commenced a career in the British Merchant Navy and after 10 years became a qualified Master Mariner before studying Nautical Sciences at the University of Wales. Following this, he went on to lecture in a range of maritime-science disciplines at several Universities and Polytechnics. He now lives in New Zealand and regularly talks about Maritime History on cruise ships.
Dr. Scott Cady
History, Crime, Memory, Health
Coming from: Cupertino,  California  USA


Scott has had a very interesting career. He has been a practicing chiropractor for over 30 years as well as a faculty member at Palmer West College of Chiropractic, mentoring students prior to their graduation. During his career, he was fortunate to work as a practicing doctor at the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, CA for several years. Scott has cruised and traveled extensively over the years, traveling to more than three dozen countries. He enjoys sharing his experiences with others.
Peter Carney
History of Polar Exploration
Coming from: Hastings,  East Sussex  UK


Peter Carney specialises in the history of Polar exploration of the Victorian era, focussing particularly on the Royal Navy's search for the North-West passage and the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1845. He writes a blog "Erebus and Terror files" and has authored and contributed to scientific papers on the modifications to the polar ships and the question of lead poisoning from tinned food. He has lectured to audiences in Britain, Ireland, the USA, and Canada where he was recently made a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Jim Clement
Destination Lecturer & Maritime Historian
Baltic, Mediterranean. Asia, Caribbean,Latin America, Panama, Norway,
Coming from: Largo,  Florida  USA


Jim is a retired USA Diplomat who lived in 13 countries and has given Destination/Maritime History Lectures on more than 120 cruises in Europe, Asia, S. America. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (BSc) and University of Chicago (MBA). He was a US Navy Submarine Officer, VP International for Fortune 500 companies. He was a University Professor for History, Geography, Logistics, and International Marketing. Having lived and worked in Panama and transited the Panama Canal 30 times and Suez Canal 4 times, Jim can give the ship's bridge commentary about the history of the Canal in English or Spanish. He has also narrated bridge commentary about Glaciers in Chile and Norway.
Bob Collins
Maritime History, Science & Destinations
Coming from: Preston,  Lancashire  UK


Bob Collins (B.SC, MBA) is a graduate metallurgist and businessman with over thirty years professional experience working in the UK and internationally. Bob has developed his portfolio of entertaining and informative talks based on a deep interest in both maritime history and the influence of materials on the world of today. Bob is also an adult fan of LEGO and uses this to add character, a little humour and discussion topics to a relaxed and note free style of presentation.
Howard Cook MA FRGS
Destination & Enrichment Speaker
Coming from: Bury St.Edmunds,  Suffolk  UK


Howard Cook is an Historic Aircraft Pilot, Historian and lecturer (MA University of Birmingham). He has travelled extensively throughout the world, is a qualified Destination and Port Speaker with particular expertise in the Arctic, Scandinavia, Baltic and the Mediterranean and is keen to bring destinations and subjects to life for cruise guests with his love of History and Geography. He is a Freeman of the City of London, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) and was Honorary Commander of the 493rd Fighter Squadron US Air Force. Howard has flown a wide range of aircraft, from Tiger Moths to Spitfires and Hurricanes.
Michael Crowe
History | Great Lakes | Caribbean | Cuba | South America
Coming from: Huntington Beach,  California  USA


Michael Crowe is originally from England and a Veteran of the Royal Air Force. He has lectured on Ancient History of the Greeks Romans & Mesopotamia in Europe and other interesting Maritime subjects and other popular Ports of call around the world including Caribbean, South Africa & South America. He has sailed on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. He shares his interactive programs on ships throughout the Great Lakes, America’s Rivers, Cuba ,the Caribbean and has sailed extensively throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Michael brings a wealth of personal stories, experiences and insightful knowledge to share with your guests.
Mike Curtis
Maritime, Naval & World History
Life in a Submarine
Coming from: Havant,  Hampshire  UK


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.
Richard de Grijs
Astronomy | Maritime History
Coming from: Sydney,  NSW  Australia


Richard de Grijs is a prolific and popular public speaker with in-depth knowledge of astronomy and maritime history. He holds professional appointments as professor of astrophysics at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) and Executive Director of the International Space Science Institute–Beijing, a 25% secondment. He recently published a detailed biography of William Dawes, the astronomer assigned to the “First Fleet” from England to Australia (1787–1788). Richard spends his weekends as volunteer guide on the Maritime Museum’s historical (replica) tall ships.
Dr Michael Fopp
History - Social & Military
National Museum Director, Pilot & Historian. PhD, FRAeS
Coming from: Soulbury,  Buckinghamshire  UK


Michael is the son of an Australian Battle of Britain fighter pilot and grew up surrounded by aeroplanes. He has been a member of the elite Mounted Branch of London’s Metropolitan Police for over 10 years before being appointed Director of the London Transport Museum in 1985. He then went on to be Director of the Royal Air Force Museum. Since retirement in 2010 he has devoted his time to the Guild of Air Pilots & Navigators as well as lecture on transport and aviation history.
Thom Gorst
Architecture and Art | Maritime History
Coming from: Bath,    UK


Thom Gorst is an architect and historian of art & architecture, based in the City of Bath in the United Kingdom. Thom has taught architecture in a number of universities, including the University of Bath, and he was Professor of Architecture in Birmingham, UK. His doctorate was awarded by the Glasgow School of Art in 2011, and investigated the aesthetics of maritime ruins. He presents destination-specific lectures, in addition to giving insights into the developments of art & architecture.
Eileen Goulding
The Ancient World
Coming from: Crystal Palace,  London  UK


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.
Jack Hardy
Destinations, History, and Marine Exploration
BA-Univ. California, MS-Oregon State, PhD-Univ. of Washington
Coming from: Portland,  Oregon  USA


Over the past 16 years professor, historian, and underwater explorer Jack Hardy has lectured on 67 different topics on more than 63 cruises. His richly-illustrated lectures focus on the history and culture of many popular cruise ship destinations, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean and Pacific. Also, as a diver and underwater photographer, other lectures include regional marine life, ancient shipwrecks, and famous ocean explorers. He has published more than 100 research papers and books. His research and exploration has taken him to 110 countries around the world.
John Haywood
Dark Age European Historian & Author
BA Hons (1st class), PhD early medieval maritime history
Coming from: Lancaster,  Lancashire  UK


Born and brought up in the north of England, Dr John Haywood studied medieval history at the universities of Lancaster and Cambridge, and Copenhagen. His doctoral dissertation, published as Dark Age Naval Power in 1991, was a study of north European seafaring before the Viking Age. The author of over 20 books, John has written on a wide range of historical topics but his main interests are the Vikings, maritime history and historical atlases. John Haywood formerly taught medieval history at Lancaster University, but since 2002 has been a full-time writer and tour leader and lectures on cruise ships.
Dr Steven James
Science | History | Medicine | Psychology
Coming from: Rancho Santa Fe,  California  USA


Steven James, MD is an internationally published psychiatrist and an accomplished storyteller. His innate curiosity about the world of science and history is reflected in his presentations and will keep your audiences engaged and wanting more. Connecting the cutting edge of neuroscience to history, Steven entertains with a refreshing perspective of the world and its mysteries. An outstanding communicator and storyteller, Steven effectively bridges the gap between science and history to bring a fresh understanding about the opportunities and benefits of travel.
Dr Theodore Karamanski
World History | Maritime History | History of Exploration
Coming from: Chicago,  IL  USA


Theodore J. Karamanski is Professor of Public History at Loyola University. He is author of ten books and numerous articles related to history, archaeology, historic preservation, and maritime history. He has been a heritage consultant for the USA National Park Service, the BBC, The History Channel, Travel Channel, Weather Channel, and National Geographic Magazine. His work has been featured in numerous international outlets including the New York Times and Newsweek. He has twice been named teacher of the year at Loyola University and has received a lifetime achievement award from the American Historical Association.
Thomas Macan
Diplomacy & World Affairs
Retired Ambassador and Governor
Coming from: Kendal,  Cumbria  UK


Tom Macan is a retired British Diplomatic Service Officer with extensive experience of western and central Europe, the Caribbean, South Asia and the Portuguese-speaking world. His final post was that of Governor of the British Virgin Islands, having previously been Ambassador to Lithuania and Deputy High Commissioner to India. His history talks range from the Baltic region, South America, Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
John Manka
Naturalist, History, Marine Biology & Geology
Coming from: Trenton,  SC  USA


When passengers return home they often share one of Ranger John Manka’s stories. As a career National Park Ranger, who worked in 15 national parks, and a cruise speaker, who has sailed around the world and to all seven continents, John has lived and collected the stories he interweaves into his well-researched and smartly illustrated programs. His varied topics include: wildlife and nature, geology and geography, historic events about the ports and countries, heroic explorers, surviving natural disasters, oceanography, and maritime history.
Professor Thomas Mazour
Enrichment Speaker
World Affairs / Destinations / History / Travel / Sciences
Coming from: The Villages,  FL  USA


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.
Charles McClelland
Historian & Traveler
Central & America | Panama Canal | Caribbean | South Pacific
Coming from: Springfield,  VA  USA


A cruise line presenter since 2009, Charles weaves the experiences of his many travels into his diverse and far-ranging discussions. His appreciation of and enthusiasm for different cultures are contagious and provide a special energy to his presentations. Raised in the Panama Canal Zone, he is a recognized expert in the history operation of the Panama Canal. In addition, he has traveled extensively throughout the entire the Caribbean area & Central & South America, and has explored numerous Mayan and Inca archeological sites. In addition, in recent years he has extended his expertise to the South Pacific region.
Malcolm McRonald
Maritime History
BA
Coming from: Wirral,  Merseyside  UK


Malcolm McRonald is the author of three books on Maritime History, under the collective titles of "The Irish Boats". In addition, Malcolm has had articles published in many Shipping magazines. He has built up an extensive collection of his own photographs, mainly covering coastal/cross channel ships, and he has a large collection of postcards and photographs of passenger liners and other ships. Over the years, he has given many illustrated talks on the subject of ships and cruising.
Joseph Micallef
Age of Exploration, Military and Maritime History
Published Author, Fox News and CNN Commentator, Keynote Speaker
Coming from: Tualatin,  Oregon  USA


Joseph V. Micallef is a historian, best selling author, keynote speaker and commentator on military and international affairs. He has produced, directed or written dozens of documentary programs on military history and world politics as well as written a number of books. He has an M.Sc. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was a Fulbright Fellow at the Italian Institute of International Affairs. Joseph has lectured extensively on military history and world affairs at a variety of venues, and also frequently speaks on the history of food, wine and spirits. He is fluent in Italian and English.
Alan Oliver
History | Geology | Science
M.Sc
Coming from: Marlborough,  Wiltshire  UK


Alan is a science graduate and has worked in the timber, building, chemical, and railway industries, in research and development, sales and marketing roles. He was also a university lecturer for 18 years. He has lectured on cruise ships for 15 years, and has prepared a series of lectures relating to the countries visited on the cruise. These lectures will cover topics related to their History, Geography and Geology.
Roy Paul
Seafarers and Maritime Subjects
Coming from: Market Rasen,  Lincolnshire  UK


Roy was born in the port town of Immingham and as a teenager was a volunteer at the local seafarers’ centre and so began over 40 years association with the maritime world and the welfare of seafarers. In 1998 he was appointed as Chaplain to the Mersey Mission to Seafarers in Liverpool and became Chaplain to the River Mersey. He retired early from this post in 2015 and now enjoys sailing and sharing his experiences and his interests in Maritime themes.
Geoff Peters
Maritime Explorers and Adventurers
Part year in Australia and part year in the UK
Coming from: Southampton,  Hampshire  UK


Edu-tainment is the best way to describe Geoff’s speaking style, providing educational, entertaining and authoritative presentations whilst also injecting humour and personal experiences documenting his time at sea. Recently retired, Geoff and his wife Leanne have purchased a boat in the UK, cruised across the English Channel and now spend much of each year cruising the rivers, canals, and coastlines of Europe, creating their own adventures.
Bruce Petty
Military History
WWII IN THE PACIFIC
Coming from: New Plymouth,  Taranaki  NZ


Bruce Petty was born and grew up in Long Beach, California. He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves at Alameda Naval Air Station in 1962, while still in high school. After graduation from high school, he served two years aboard USS Yorktown, CVS-10, as an aviation ordnanceman, and is a Vietnam War veteran. He graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, with a degree in history. In 1995, he moved to Saipan in the Mariana Islands, returning to California in 2000. Bruce is an accomplished author and now lives in New Zealand. Bruce is a regular speaker on cruise ships.
Mike Rendell
Social Historian & Author
Eighteenth Century Social History
Coming from: Sherborne, Dorset,  Dorset  UK


After a thirty-year stint as a lawyer Mike retired to become a historian. He writes, blogs and gives talks on all aspects of life in the 18th Century. He is custodian of a treasure trove of old family papers – everything from shopping lists to recipes and household accounts, dating back to the early 1700s. His talks cover such questions as what did the Georgians eat and drink, what did they do for entertainment, and why etiquette was so important. He talks about everyday life in the England of Dr Johnson – and of Jane Austen.
Lennart Resenbro
Science, Navigation and History
Scandinavia, Baltic & Arctic Regions
Coming from: Vallensbaek Strand,    Denmark


Lennart has sailed the seven seas as an officer before becoming a Naval Architect. He is now educating future officers of the Royal Danish Navy in their role as navigators. Believing that learning should be fun he is more of a performer than a traditional lecturer, and always wants his audiences to take part or gain some hands-on experience from his talks. Topics would be on Navigation combined with Astronomy, Arctic navigation in combination with great Arctic explorers, modern Ship construction and Naval History especially in the North Sea and Baltic region.
Gavin Roser
Shipping & Transportation
Coming from: Ayr,  Ayrshire  UK


Gavin is Ambassador at Large of the European Freight and Logistics Leaders' Forum, Brussels based think tank. He sees a dynamic world and interviews leaders focused on and meeting change head on. His has been Managing Director of a major ship agency, Chairman of first joint venture in the Falklands post conflict, Maritime Advisor to National Shipping Line of Iran and Consultant at the centre of the privatisation of the shipping industry of New Zealand. He is a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Gavin has seen remarkable change over his 54 years in shipping. He greatly enjoys bringing people with different perspectives together, and discovering new things.
Elisha Saffer
Maritime History, Oceanography, History, Culture
Coming from: West Palm Beach,  Florida  USA


Al’s background is a mixture of science, economics, technology and education. Al was an electronics instructor while in the U.S. Air Force, a Programing Instructor at New York University, and a Computer Systems Engineer and Instructor at IBM. Over a period of 10 summers Al has given a variety of enrichment lectures at Sunrise Senior College which is associated with the University of Maine. He has provided enrichment lectures on nine different cruises for four different cruise lines and his penchant for research enables him to give presentations across a wide range of subjects.
Franz Schneider
Enrichment Speaker on Maritime Subjects
Classic Ocean Liners, Ocean Racing, History
Coming from: Cambridge,  Massachusetts  USA


Franz Schneider enjoys giving talks on cruise ships because of his love of the sea. 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 Copenhagen 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. Franz talks about ocean racing, as well as several about navigation, including celestial navigation.
John Seaton
Maritime History | Global Warming
MSc BSc GDip CTech CPEng(Retired) MIEAust
Coming from: Prospect Vale,  Tasmania  Australia


Ask him, and John will tell you that he considers himself to have been most fortunate in being a Guest Speaker on many occasions over the past 17 years. Initially, John enjoyed sharing his Maritime History and Ships and Shipping knowledge and experiences in an informative, fun, and easy to understand way with his fellow cruise line guests. Now, since being retired, John has added to his knowledge base to include Destination Related talks on Australasia and Antarctica and the causes and impacts of Global Climate Change. He looks forward to you enjoying his future talks.
Andrew St John-Brown
Maritime and Naval History and Affairs
BA(Hons), GradDipEducation, MLitt
Coming from: Armidale,  New South Wales  Australia


Andrew presents on Naval and Maritime History and Affairs. He retired in 2023 as a Navy Commander after 46 years of Active Duty and Reserve service with the British Army and Royal and Royal Australian Navies as a specialist in merchant navy and civilian sea trade operations. Andrew has deployed to sea many times as the embarked Naval Liaison Officer on merchant ships. He holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Government, History and Defence with further specialisation in Naval history. Andrew has contributed to journals, books and the Official History of the Australian Navy.
Allan Thomas
Oceanography
BSc, NMSM, RAF(Rtd)
Coming from: St. Columb Major,  Cornwall  UK


Allan joined the Royal Air Force in 1960 eventually becoming an Air Electronics Officer and aircraft captain serving on Maritime Patrol aircraft keeping an eye on the Soviet Navy, especially its submarine force. In 1993 Allan was seconded to the United States Navy where he qualified as a military oceanographer prior to taking command of operations at a joint US-UK Undersea Surveillance Facility. In his talks he describes undersea geology, historical oceanographic events, and marine animals: focussing on the waters that each cruise passes though accompanied by some amusing anecdotes from his Service days. He is also a qualified and accomplished Destination Presenter.
Tony Van Maanenberg
South East Asia & Oceania Destinations
Historian Navy-Military-Maritime-Australia-New Zealand-Asia
Coming from: Eli Waters,  Qld  Australia


Tony loves researching Enrichment and Destination Port topics and strives to have fun with his presentations. His trade background supported by formal qualification from Ballarat University and experience with an amateur theatre group makes his topics, informative, enjoyable and easy to listen to. Tony loves cruising which helps fulfil his passion as a world traveller. He is an amateur Historian and enjoys investigating General, Maritime, Naval, Military and Social History. He also has a fascination for Egyptology, People, Places and things.
Jack Wilson
Destination & Port Lecturer
Local & Maritime Historian
Coming from: Southampton,  Hampshire  UK


Jack spent most of his working life in Social Housing in the South of England, working for local Councils and Housing Associations. For the last several years he has been running his own consultancy in Housing Management and Care and has pursued a long-standing interest in Local History to qualify as a Green Badge Tourist Guide. Jack and his wife have always enjoyed travelling, and have been cruising since 2002. Jack has worked as a port lecturer and enrichment speaker talking on maritime subjects and social history.
Martin Woodward MBE
Professional Diver and Marine Consultant
Treasure & Commercial Deep Diving, RNLI work, Adventure Challenges,
Coming from: Bembridge,  Isle of Wight  UK


Martin has been a professional diver since 1968, and is still actively diving in the UK and other locations worldwide. He was also involved with the RNLI for a total of 38 years. Martin’s diving career includes “deep saturation” diving in the North Sea, oilfields in the Persian Gulf and many other locations worldwide. His great love has always been finding shipwrecks and artefacts from under the oceans.
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