Learn 2 Cruise

Learning on vacation, are you crazy!! This is one of the few times learning and fun will ever go together. Education at sea programs are gaining popularity and giving cruise guests the opportunity to learn just about anything while on the ship. Dancing, photography, cooking, art and even detox workshops are available. Often referred to as “Enrichment Programs” by luxury lines, these classes and workshops fill up quickly and are presented by industry leaders. As I mentioned in my article, Sports & Rec, cruises and vacations are a time to try something new and different. I encourage you to challenge yourself to learn something new and take advantage of knowledge the experts onboard have to share with you.

Cheers!

Probably one of the most common topics is wine as this popular libation can be a puzzle for some. With so many flavors, grapes and vintages to choose from, wine can be an intimidating topic. A wine tasting class is a great way to begin to understand wine and break down the complex flavors into simple fruits and spices. Wine classes and tastings are offered at least once a week on almost all cruise ships.

Celebrity Cruises offers a complete Vineyard Series, featuring beginner classes like, Celebrity’s Wine Appreciation 101, for $10 per person, to advanced seminars like, Ridel Comparative Wine Crystal Workshop, at a cost of $82 per person. I do love wine but unless your palette is well advanced, the high cost of that class really isn’t worth it. Your most likely paying for the expensive crystal you’ll be sampling from.

Crystal Cruises, another luxury line, offers an array of wine tastings onboard their cruise ships. A representative from The Society of Wine Educators is on board every voyage and will offer expert advice into selecting the right glass of wine and which wine to pair with what food. A perk of these classes, is that they are free! Silversea is another luxury line that offers a free educational wine series.

• L2C Tip – Check out Mixology classes onboard. Taught by certified mixologists, these classes are fun and a great way to try different drinks. Cost of these classes is $10-$15 per person, not bad considering you typically learn how to make at least three different cocktails.

Let’s Get Cooking!

Silversea, Holland America, Princess and Regent Seven Seas are among the many cruise lines that offer culinary enrichment classes. With the rise of the Food Network and shows like Hell’s Kitchen, cooking has become a trendy hobby.

Holland America’s cruise culinary experience is presented by Food & Wine Magazine and features lectures and classes hosted by San Diego based chef, Paul McCabe. Chef Paul McCabe is the owner of the well-known Kitchen 1540, where he serves up his famous farm-to-table style menu made with many organic ingredients.

Regent’s culinary program is based upon the extremely famous French cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. In these workshops you can learn tips from expert chefs and sample some of the finest cuisine you’ve ever tasted. When you return from your cruise, a dinner party is a must so you can show off your new culinary skills to friends and family.

One with the Sea

Onboard learning can be more than just food and wine. Regent Seven Seas Cruises will have one of the worlds most well respected oceanographers in the world sailing with them. Jean-Michel Cousteau will be doing lectures on the environment and his oceanic travels. His work is also inspiration for activities in Regent’s Club Mariner Youth Program. Aboard Princess Cruise ships travelers can go back in time during a Navigation @ Sea class and learn the history of ship navigation over the years and understand maritime terminology. These classes are also conducted by one of the many well-traveled officers sailing with you.

Tech Ed

Another common trend for cruise ship enrichment programs are digital workshops. These workshops can teach you how to use Photoshop, Word, Excel, the Internet and even how to send an E-mail! For those of you tech savvy travelers you may wonder why cruise lines would even offer these courses. I hope your sitting down for this…some people don’t know how to use a computer! And thanks to mature guests with an appetite for learning, cruise lines have added these workshops in order to share the amazing world of computers to another generation.  Holland America’s digital workshops are powered by Windows and led by Microsoft “techsperts”. Most of these workshops take place in the ship’s onboard Internet Café. Here you can also access the Internet from your laptop and use the fax machine and printer. Check with your cruise line for any Internet and fax usage fees.

• L2C Tip – Did you just get a new Blackberry or Iphone? On Celebrity Cruises you can learn how to use your new smartphone by taking one of their Celebrity Life Discovery Series classes. The technology experts will show you the features of your new phone and how to download the latest apps.

A Class of Their Own

Regent Seven Seas Cruises put their own twist on onboard enrichment. They have invited their President, Mark Conroy, as a host on the ship. Mark Conroy has been with the cruise line since it’s inaugural voyage in 1992. Onboard, Mark will host a cocktail party and sit on a panel for a Town Hall style meeting, allowing cruise guests to ask questions about the ship and the Regent Seven Seas Cruise line.

Among some of the other unusual lectures and classes you can experience at sea are Jewelry Making, Napkin Folding, and Scuba Certification. These classes can all be found on select Royal Caribbean ships. Celebrity Cruises even offers a one of a kind Hot Glass Show with live glass blowing demonstrations. These demonstrations take place in Celebrity’s new glass blowing studio.

I hope this article has inspired you to explore the many enrichment programs and classes offered onboard and open your mind to learning new things on land and at sea.