Peter Maeck is a writer, speaker, teacher, and photographer. In 2023 Peter is a Royal Caribbean Destination and Special Interest speaker on Mexico/Western Caribbean itineraries. He is also a Royal Caribbean Special Interest speaker on transatlantic cruises, teaching methods of verbal and visual creative expression, with special focus on passengers' cruise experiences. Peter's Alaska presentations (Celebrity Millennium 5 cruises summer 2022) draw from the work of his grandfather Dr. William S. Cooper whose ecological studies in the Glacier Bay region led to his successful promotion of Glacier Bay National Park. Peter has also presented on Holland America's MS Oosterdam about his father's brave, good-humored experience with Alzheimer's Disease. Peter's plays and dance scenarios, including for Pilobolus and MOMIX Dance Theatres, have been produced in New York City, Europe, and Africa. Peter served as a U.S. State Department Cultural Specialist in Tanzania and Morocco. He has created training and motivational programs for corporations worldwide.

Peter's photographs are in private collections and international galleries. He has taught French language to American university students in the US and abroad. As a certified instructor in the world-renowned Rassias Method™ of language instruction, Peter offers short immersive, interactive, and incredibly effective entry-level French language workouts for cruises calling at French-speaking destinations.

Peter's two books of poetry, "Remembrance of Things Present: Making Peace with Dementia" and "Aperture" are published by Shanti Arts Publishing. His new novel, "Zänker," will be published in 2023.

Peter has a BA in English magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and an MFA in Playwriting from Brandeis University. He has been a featured speaker at multiple TEDx events and international mental health conferences.

Click here to visit Peter's website >> www.petermaeck.com

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DESTINATIONS

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ALASKA:
MAGNETIC NORTH: THE LURE OF ALASKA, AND THE SPECIAL CALL OF THE INSIDE PASSAGE AND GLACIER BAY
The northerly calls of Discovery, Profit, and Beauty, with special attention to my grandfather the ecologist Dr. William S. Cooper, prime mover in the establishment of Glacier Bay National Park. (Presented on 5 Celebrity Alaska Cruises 2022)

ANTARCTICA:
IN SHACKLETON WE TRUST
An Illumination of the life and legend of Ernest Shackleton, exemplar of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. My consideration of Shackleton's human traits and his astounding strengths as a leader (with special focus on his time on Elephant Island and South Georgia Island) culminate in an appraisal of heroic endeavors in diverse fields from Shackleton's era to our own.

MEXICO:
YEARNING FOR THE YUCATÁN
Explorers, conquistadores, Mayans, Aztecs, and the secret of human life in a 66 million-year-old crater.

INDIA:
THE MIND OF MUMBAI
A lyrical dramatization of Indians' states of mind.
"Suppose that peace of mind is Atman; beauty then is Brahman.
Now the path to one of them's the path they have in common."

FRANCE:
FROM LUMIČRE TO LA NOUVELLE VAGUE
A flashback/fast-forward frolic through French film.

FRENCH IN A FLASH:
Trained in the world-renowned Rassias Method™ of language instruction by Prof. John Rassias himself, I conduct a short series of immersive, interactive, and incredibly effective entry-level French language group workouts.

AMSTERDAM/NETHERLANDS:
A VIEW OF DELFT, AND BEYOND
An appreciation of the palette and visual poetry of Dutch Golden Age master painter Johannes Vermeer.

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SPECIAL INTEREST/ENRICHMENT

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WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
A photography workshop teaching basic camera technique and image composition, especially for travel photography. Focus will be on passengers' own photos taken aboard the ship and during shore excursions, culminating in a slideshow presentation with musical score of these photographs.

RHYMED AND UNRHYMED
An interactive introduction to enjoying and writing poetry, especially poetry inspired by traveling. I will read from my own published poetry, and will coach passengers in writing their own poems, which will be read aloud and celebrated in the last session.

YOUR OWN HERO
A workshop in writing your own life story – in verse, dramatic monologue, or short story, with specific attention to why passengers chose to sail on this particular cruise.

THE PLAYWRIGHT'S RIGHT STUFF
An interactive introduction to playwriting, referencing my own experience as a playwright and teacher of playwriting. Passengers will write their own short dramatic sketches, inspired, if they wish, by their cruise experiences.

MINDS IN RHYME: AN ARTFUL APPROACH TO PEACE OF MIND IN CHANGING TIMES
A poetic, photographically illustrated treatment of emotions high and low, personal and communal, illuminating paths to more peaceful states of mind. (As presented at the World Federation for Mental Health World Congress and other international mental health summits.)

FRENCH IN A FLASH
Trained in the world-renowned Rassias Method™ of language instruction by Prof. John Rassias himself, I conduct a short series of immersive, interactive, and incredibly effective entry-level French language group workouts.

2023 Regent Seven Seas Mariner: Singapore to Dubai
2023 Royal Caribbean International Radiance of the Seas: Mexico/Central America/South America
2023 Royal Caribbean International Enchantment of the Seas: Transatlantic (Cape Liberty NJ to Civitavecchia/Rome, Italy)
2023 Celebrity Cruises Apex: Scandinavia & Iceland/Ireland
2022 Celebrity Cruises Millennium: 5 Alaska cruises
2019 Holland America Oosterdam: "Connecting Circles of Care and Building Bridges of Hope Cruise & Conference"

WEBSITES
www.petermaeck.com
www.petermaeckphotography.com

TEDx TALKS VIDEO LINKS
"Remembrance of Things Present: Making Peace with Dementia":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXBNNQqE2jw
"Cradle and All: Making Peace with Loss":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4LGhF7dJOw

SPEAKER: CONFERENCES (land)
World Federation for Mental Health World Congress 2022 (London, UK)
Legend Senior Living 2020 (Wichita, KS, USA)
International Neuropsychiatric Association Conference 2018 (Bengaluru, India)
National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society 2018 (Ranchi, India)
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry Annual Meeting 2018 (Honolulu, HI)
6th International Child & Adult Behavioral Health Conference 2018 (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
World Federation for Mental Health World Congress 2017 (New Delhi, India)
World Psychiatric Association XVII World Congress of Psychiatry 2017 (Berlin, Germany)
Royal College Of Psychiatrists Faculty of Neuropsychiatry Annual Conference 2017 (London, UK)
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry Annual Conference 2017 (Tauranga, NZ)
6th European Conference on Mental Health 2017 (Berlin, Germany)
2nd International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia 2014 (Valencia, Spain)
Alzheimer's Association/Banner Health/Spirit of Women (Ft. Collins, CO, USA)
Alzheimer's Association/Estes Park Senior Center (Estes Park, CO, USA)
Southeastern Symposium on Mental Health (Greenville, SC, USA)
TEDx TALKS:
TEDxUnionTerrace (Aberdeen, UK)
TEDxStendenUniversity (Leeuwarden, Netherlands)
TEDxMarionCorrectional (OH, USA)
TEDxTallaght (Dublin, Ireland)
TEDxLSCTomball, (TX, USA)
TEDxPeachtree (Atlanta, GA, USA)
TEDxLizardCreeek (NC, USA)

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