For as long as boats have been afloat, the thirst for knowledge has spurred us to travel for the sake of the journey, collecting experiences and insights to share with those back home. In these harried days of videoconferencing and Instant Messenger, our sense of wanderlust is often confined to vacation time. As a result, we want our voyages to take on more meaning, and to include new insights and perspectives on the world around us--all while we're having the times of our lives.
It's a neat trick to compress this much into one vacation, but the luxury cruise lines make an extra effort to ensure that your vacationing mind doesn't sit idle (unless, of course, you want it to). Bringing in crack teams of geologists and historians, ornithologists and marine biologists, bridge instructors and ballroom dancers, acclaimed chefs and sought-after yogis, the luxury lines present an unprecedented opportunity to enrich time spent at sea with oceans of choices. And you can do all of this on a purely optional basis in between eating sinfully delicious meals, relaxing on the sun deck, and visiting tantalizing destinations across the globe.
It's in the Stars
Take basic navigation, for example. Most passengers simply sit back and let the captain take care of it. But on Windstar ships, where white, billowy sails harness the age-old power of wind, interested passengers can learn to tie knots, pull the sails in, and even take a turn at the wheel (conditions permitting). The unique "open bridge" allows guests to stop in and chat about the ship's capabilities with veteran captains and officers. At night, as the same stars and moon that marked the path for ancient mariners emerge over the horizon, astronomy instructors teach you to put a name to the constellations and planets that seem to follow the ship from dusk till dawn.
These days, sophisticated computer programs and global positioning systems supplant star charts and dead reckoning as the preferred method of navigation. Crystal Cruise Lines helps passengers get up to date on technology at its Computer University @ Sea. Offered on all Crystal cruises, state-of-the-art workstations provide the foundation for learning everything from the basics of e-mail and Internet services to using spreadsheets and building Web sites. At least two general lectures are offered on each cruise, and, for the real cyber explorers, some private lesson time is usually available. Radisson Seven Seas Cruises also offers a wide range of free computer classes to guests, including Introduction to E-mail, Advanced Word Processing, and even Digital Photography.
Lecture series often revolve around the itineraries, so that passengers arrive on distant shores equipped with some understanding of what to look for. To provide introduction to the unique places you'll be exploring, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises brings experts onboard from the highest ranks of the diplomatic service, leading universities, and museums for pre- and post-shore wrap-ups and lectures. You could learn about the natural geology and wildlife of Alaska during an Inside Passage cruise, Polynesian art and legends during a cruise around Tahiti and the Marquesas, or Renaissance architecture and classical manuscripts while sailing the Mediterranean.
Learn From the Pros
Crystal's Creative Learning Institute onboard Crystal Serenity offers a series of classes and lectures on topics including wine and food, arts and entertainment, business and technology, and a whole lot more. On each sailing, an accredited bridge instructor provides lessons and supervised games, while professional dance teachers offer complimentary classes in the most popular dance steps. Selected cruises feature the talents of PGA pros, Pilates instructors, and even representatives of such organizations as the Tai Chi Cultural Center, the Cleveland Clinic, and Barnes & Noble. In addition to having onboard bridge, fitness, and art instructors of its own, Radisson offers exclusive courses in Le Cordon Bleu French cooking on selected voyages (for an extra fee), and ballroom dancing lessons from accomplished Ambassador Hosts. Comprehensive wellness programs on Windstar cruises encompass cardio kickboxing, tummy toning, yoga, and the healing qualities of mutual massage.
With ardent passenger interest, the possibilities for onboard learning and discovery at sea continue to grow. Next time you're on a cruise, you don't have to check your brain at the gangway. Instead, you can expand your horizons and take a tango lesson off the coast of Argentina, learn to identify the corals of the Great Barrier Reef, understand what causes the aurora borealis to appear over the fjords of Norway, or practice the sun salutation yoga postures while traversing the Panama Canal. There's a whole vacation of knowledge, adventure, and discovery waiting out there, so hit the high seas and get inspired!•
