Which of the main cruise lines offer the best enrichment programs?

[thermal]

I really love enrichment programs when I cruise.  I love learning about different cultures, environments etc when travel from one port to another.  

 

My understanding is that many of the smaller, higher end cruise lines like Viking have great programs on board, but these are out of my price range. 

 

Out of the mainstream lines (Carnival, RCL, Princess, HAL etc), which offer the best depth of enrichment programs? 

 

Thank you kindly. 

 

 

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, thermal said:

I really love enrichment programs when I cruise.  I love learning about different cultures, environments etc when travel from one port to another.  

 

My understanding is that many of the smaller, higher end cruise lines like Viking have great programs on board, but these are out of my price range. 

 

Out of the mainstream lines (Carnival, RCL, Princess, HAL etc), which offer the best depth of enrichment programs? 

 

Thank you kindly. 

 

 

It's hard to say for sure.  Many of the speakers onboard the ships are, basically, just passengers like you.  So it's likely that any given ship that may have had spectacular speakers on a particular cruise may not be as spectacular on a similar cruise if no one contacts the cruise line to offer their services.

 

We've had good speakers on Disney and HAL (mostly on the Panama Canal cruises).  We've also had some pretty boring speakers.  

[navybankerteacher]

I would say Cunard - which really is a mainstream line.

[Essiesmom]

Basically, you need an itinerary with two or more sea days.  It’s hard to fit in enrichment and expect an audience if every day is a long day in port.  Some lines have been known for enrichment.  I’ve had great speakers on Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Cunard.  Add Crystal (the old) and Oceania.  But these were TAs, or longer voyages with many sea days.  Princess disappointed me on a Caribbean cruise with two sea days.  I’ve been on ships where the most enriching lecture was the art history intro by the art auction people.  EM

[cruisemom42]

Very few mass market cruise lines offer what I would consider "good" enrichment lectures that correspond with the ports and itinerary. It seems a really big gap to me, but I guess others don't miss it. 

 

On Voyages to Antiquity they offered 2-4 invited lecturers on every itinerary and these were folks who were real experts in the history, art, culture, politics, and even wildlife/birds/plants of the places we visited. Often they were recently retired professors from top universities and most knew how to give an engaging talk. Not only that but they also accompanied shore excursions and would socialize/eat dinner with passengers.

 

Those itineraries did not have many sea days, but somehow they fit it in -- often just prior to or after dinner time. (Yes, a few of the older passengers would sometimes fall asleep.)

 

HAL at one time said they were going to introduce more itinerary immersive cruises, but after a brief trial on one or two ships, they abandoned the concept prior to Covid. I've never had any good lecturers on Celebrity and on Princess only on an Alaska voyage.

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

Although you said Viking is more expensive, we've used both Viking and Holland America, and when the extras that Viking includes are added, it's just a bit more. Viking had great expert enrichment lectures. We're trying Oceania next, as they have a price that includes airfare and a significant number of credits that we're using for excurstions. For us, it ends up being a decent deal, but I don't know about their enrichment lectures.

[Aquahound]

I really can't say which is best because they don't seem consistent.  Viking Ocean is known for great things including enrichment, and seems to have a fast-growing fan base here, so you might want to give them another look.  

 

Regarding mainstream lines, I've seen great enrichment lectures on Holland America and Celebrity, but those were pre-COVID.  Unexpectedly, my last cruise on RCI had a ton of enrichment lectures on the schedule.  FWIW, it was an Alaskan cruise.

[lenquixote66]

Cunard 

[travelersjoy]

We just did 101 nights on Cunard and the enrichment program consisted of 3 or 4 lecturers on various topics on each segment plus a celebrity speaker, who were generally (but not always) very well known to British audiences, but still very enjoyable for the Americans on board.  I find Cunard's programs much better than Holland America and Celebrity's seems to be non-existent on our 2022 Ft Lauderdale to Rome trip.