I Am A Cruise Speaker!

[andy-hughes]

At last, after having my first Cruise Speaker engagement snatched away from in April 2020 - a cruise to Portugal and back, I am finally invited to sail and speak.

Of course, cruise liners are just getting back to normal again, so they are doing trips around the UK - mine is a six-day trip to Liverpool and back to SDouthampton.

I have to deliver six (!!!!) forty minute Talks, so I have four months to research, write and rehearse them - it's a tall order, but I will make it.

I just heard today, so I wanted to share it with my AB friends.

I am SO excited!!!!!!

[Patsy33]

Pleased for you, Andy. All the best.

[Caran]

How wonderful Andy. I love a cruise.

[tamborine]

Good luck Andy, hope its all successful. Internet & wifi connection is abysmal on board as it interferes with liner electronics but be sure my eye strain will miss you ;)

[woofgang]

Congratulations and best wishes. A colleague of mine at work's husband was a non stipendiary vicar. Periodically he used to go off and do cruise lecture sessions on origami.

[roopower]

That all sounds exciting. Can you slip Gerry and the Pacemakers in there somewhere? It will be a great rehearsal for bigger and better times.

[roopower]

Husband says and Freddie and the Dreamers - you could do the little dance.

[dannyk13]

Lucky you.

[pastafreak]

That sounds exciting Andy, congratulations. I hope the waters are calm that week. Have you ever been on a cruise?

[emmie]

good luck AH, sure it will be good.

[piggynose]

Phew that was close, i almost uploaded "frigging+ a rigging"for
you. I forgot how filthy it was.
Good luck mate.

[Ken4155]

Congrats and well done Andy. Not something i would be capable of - even if i was allowed to talk about myself for 40 minutes:-) Hope all goes well.

[misscherry]

Congrats! Out of interest, how do you go about finding speaking opportunities like that?

[andy-hughes]

pasta - // That sounds exciting Andy, congratulations. I hope the waters are calm that week. Have you ever been on a cruise? //

Thank you very much.

We have cruised many times, and seen lots of on-board speakers, which is where i got the idea to try it.

As with a lot of things, you see someone do something well and think, 'I wish i could do that ...', then you see someone do it badly and think 'I could do that, and do it better as well ...' and the idea forms about having a try.

[Zacs-Master]

Well done, Andy.

[andy-hughes]

misscherry - // Congrats! Out of interest, how do you go about finding speaking opportunities like that? //

The major cruise liner companies, in my case Carnival, are always on the lookout for speakers for their cruises.

You have to apply to them with your expertise, and offer the sort of Talk(s) they may be interested in.

If they are interested, you are invited to deliver half of forty-minute Talk at their Southampton HQ in front of other auditionees, usually around eight, and a panel of Carnival staff who employ Speakers.

If you are successful, you join the panel. and they offer you a contract for a cruise where they think your subject will fit for the passengers travelling at that time.

It's taken me nearly two and a half years to finally get a cruise offer - I was down for a cruise to Portugal last April, but it was pulled five days before sailing because of Covid.

But I am now down for a cruise in September on Britannia, I can't wait!!

[andy-hughes]

Thanks once again to all have posted since my first 'thank you' response, I am very happy to receive all your kind wishes, it does mean a lot.

[Lie-in King]

Well done, I hope all goes well.

[barry1010]

Congrats, how exciting