Enriching the Cruise Experience
by Rita M. Ippoliti
August 17, 2007
Holland America's Terry Breen has dramatically new ideas for onboard enrichment.

A leading luxury cruise line executive once told me that cruisers cite "enrichment" as the one thing they want more of than anything else.

So, what is "enrichment" in cruise jargon?

Typically, the word refers to a lecture or demonstration offered by an expert in any topic. The most common presentation relates to a topic of interest for the geographic itinerary of the cruise, such as an environmentalist in Alaska discussing the habitats of local species or an archeologist in Egypt providing a chronological history of dynasties.

Or enrichment lectures can also be about other topics entirely, such as investment strategies or an in-depth examination of semi-precious stones. No matter what the topic, however, they should always be of interest to the people on that particular cruise.

Terry spent a career guiding folks through sites like this in Alaska for the 17 years that she worked for Regent Previewing shore excursions such as dogsledding is what Terry's "Destination Specialists" will do for HAL's lucky guests

Since enrichment has become more integral to the overall perception of the quality of the cruise line, it requires an "expert" to provide the "enrichment," Therefore, finding the right experts to give the enrichment lectures requires an expertise of its own.

As of March 2007, the expert of expertise at Holland America is Terry Breen, a lady of 45 who honed her cruise enrichment skills speaking for 17 years as an Alaskan environmentalist aboard Regent Seven Seas cruise ships. In her new role as director of onboard enrichment programs for Holland America, Terry hopes to make the cruise line the "enrichment leader" in premium category.

What does Terry have up her sleeve? First of all, let's take a look at the evolution of enrichment on cruise ships...

A Little "Enrichment" Background

According to Terry, in past years passengers were happy with a few interesting talks to pass the time on a long day at sea. Holland America used to have a stable of guest lecturers who came onboard for one or two cruises at a time, often to talk about a variety of subjects.

But today's passengers demand much more -- they want to learn something new every time they cruise. And those higher expectations mean designing today's onboard enrichment programs is a bigger challenge than ever.

As the new director of onboard enrichment programs for Holland America, Terry sees her mission as one to provide a far more comprehensive experience for all guests sailing its ships. How does she plan to get there?

Guest Lecturer vs. Destination Specialist

"The expansion of the onboard enrichment programs will be a work in progress for some time," Terry told me. "We want to completely revamp the entire program to make it more relevant for our guests."

The old approach of using and re-using a stable of guest lecturers to talk about a variety of subjects is passe in the view of today's cruisers. Terry sees something totally different in Holland America's future.

"I want to develop a core group of destination experts. These people will sign on for two or three-month contracts and they'll be salaried Holland America employees. They will represent a variety of professions, and be experts in the particular destinations on that ship's itinerary. As employees, they will have a vested interest in their ship, its itinerary and guests. As employees imbued with the Holland America culture they will take an ownership interest in what they do -- not like the person who only steps onboard occasionally to lecture, and really knows very little about the cruise line or the ship to which she is assigned."

The goal of this new philosophy is to create a synthesis between the destination and what is happening throughout the ship. For example, if the menu has a local specialty that night, the lecturer will be certain to know about it. If the gift shop has local items for sale, the lecturer can describe their significance. By creating a symbiosis between the lectures and the rest of the cruise ship, the enrichment program will reflect on more than just the speaker. It brings the entire cruise experience into a finer focus in the minds of the passengers.

Terry is already hard at work building this new enrichment program, building on her 17-year-history as an onboard destination specialist for Regent Seven Seas. While the basics of this new program were put into place on some ships before Terry's arrival at Holland America, it will still fall to her to refine and develop the program, something she believes will continually evolve over time. By the way, it should be noted that many devoted Regent cruisers have expressed their sadness that Terry has moved on to another cruise line.

Knowing what it takes to keep passengers engaged with their surroundings is Terry's business. Working with Regent, she learned how to be much more than just an excellent speaker. She can make the local color come alive for her guests, drawing upon her rich background of personal experience and using her presentations to share them.

"What we so easily forget," she says, "is that for many of our guests, traveling is not something they do as a routine part of their lives. The cruise they are on represents a once-in-a-lifetime experience for which they have scrimped and saved for many years. Therefore, we have a personal and corporate obligation to make the experience something really special, one that will truly impact the rest of their lives."

A great destination specialist will already have personal experience with everything she is relating to the guests -- no second-hand knowledge. And because she has already totally immersed herself in the specifics of the geographical area she is leading her passengers through, she can share many personal insights with them that they could not have gotten anywhere else.

In the case of Alaska, that glacier she talks about in one of her bridge narrations will take on a very special meaning for the guest because they have been able to experience it through the eyes of someone who really has an in-depth knowledge of glaciers. She might say, "if you look down into that glacier at the blue ice, you will see many layers. Here is how they formed over the course of eons..."

Destination Specialists on More Extensive Cruises

While Terry sees these "destination specialists" replacing most of the onboard speakers HAL has previously used in their Explorations Speakers Series, the new enrichment program will still be supplemented with speakers on other topics for longer itineraries containing a lot of days at sea.

"Of course, I have a stable of speakers for these longer trips, and we will continue to bring all kinds of experts onboard to do presentations on a variety of topics. But I will still do my best to always keep the topics pertinent to the specific voyage; i.e., Hawaiian culture on a Hawaii cruise, European history on a voyage visiting that part of the world."

Evolution of the Role of Destination Lecturer

Terry also elaborated on her long-term vision for the enrichment program she plans to roll out fleet-wide in the coming months. "I see the destination specialists filling several roles onboard," she said. "In addition to their lectures and other programs about the ports of call on their ship's itinerary, they will also have more one-on-one interaction with the guests."

"I hope to merge the destination specialists with the resources of the Explorations Café. Guests will naturally come to the Explorations Café throughout the voyage to look up information about their upcoming destinations, and so that becomes the perfect place for the destination specialist to maintain daily desk hours to provide personal information. Perhaps a guest has heard about a museum and wants more specifics about its hours and location. He can get that information from the destination specialist who will have all kinds of resources at his desk, including maps and guides and you name it."

We had one of these "destination experts" onboard the Veendam during a TransAtlantic repositioning cruise I took this past April. He kept regular desk hours in the Exploration Café, right next to the busy Future Cruise Consultant. I went to visit him one afternoon when I wanted to find a location of one of my favorite eateries in Nice, France. Armed with guidebooks and online resources he was able to point me right to the spot, and boy did that BigMac taste wonderful!

"I also see a certain synergy between the destination lecturers and the shore excursion desk," Terry continued. "While the destination experts will certainly not sell shore excursions, their advice and opinions on various local attractions will be invaluable, regardless of what operator the guest decides to book tours with."

"So, let's use our glacier example again. Perhaps a guest asks the best way to view the glaciers in one of our Alaskan ports. The destination specialist may recommend a helicopter tour that makes a landing on an actual glacier, an experience she has had herself. She can provide graphic descriptions of what the guest will see during such a tour, such as the view from the air, and how it feels to walk on a glacier. She will vividly describe looking down into a deep crevice in the glacier, and describe the look of the stratas of blue ice far below the surface. During my own destination lectures for Regent, I often discussed certain aspects of the Alaska experience, only to have guests head straight for the shore excursions desk after my talk and book the very tours I described in my talks, including dog sledding and helicopter rides. I see the same sort of thing taking place on the ships of Holland America."

Terry feels that a cruise experience should be so much more than simply travel. It should be as much a total immersion into the regional locale as the guest desires. True destination experts, as opposed to people who simply recommend certain shopping outlets, can make the local flavor of the region come alive for guests.

At some point, Terry envisions the destination specialists leading VIP tours in some of the ports of call. A visit to a local market in the South Pacific to buy fresh produce or seafood, for example, or maybe a visit to the Mayan ruins led by an archeologist who is intimately familiar with the area's history and practices. "It is experiences such as these," says Terry, "that not only educate the guest, but also create memories that last a lifetime."

Would You Make a Great Destination Specialist?
Terry is in the process of recruiting special people to serve as destination experts on various Holland America ships right now. "I'm already using my extensive contacts in the industry to try to bring some really good people onboard," she reveals. " And while we already have a modified version of this program running on some ships, put in place on an experimental basis by one of my predecessors, I hope to see it begin rolling out in its more evolved form perhaps as early as this fall. It will start with selected ships and eventually work its way through the entire fleet."

I asked Terry how someone could apply for such a position and what she looks for in a candidate. Will the destination experts need to make a long-term commitment, or will there still be openings for occasional lecturers as well?

"I really have more supplemental lecturers than I can use right now. So, I'm not looking to fill that role. But for destination lecturers, I need people who are willing to commit to at least two months onboard ship, and maybe longer. Unlike the occasional expert speakers we will be using less of, these people will be salaried Holland America employees. Applicants should have significant knowledge of a region or destination served by Holland America's ships, love travel, have experience with public speaking and enjoy interacting one-on-one with other people."

If you think you'd fit the bill, Terry would love to hear from you. The best way to apply is to put an information packet together, including your area of expertise, and a resume with a detailed listing of your professional experience. Mail it to her attention in Seattle. Her mailing address is 300 Elliott Avenue, West, Seattle, Washington 98119.

17 Years on the High Seas

I couldn't help but ask Terry if she would ever consider going back onboard to fulfill a role as one of these destination specialists. "No," she laughed. "My time for that is over. I've been at sea for 17 years, so it's time for me to settle down. Besides, I'll have my hands full managing this program from Seattle," she added.

For those who have traveled on Regent ships, formerly Radisson Seven Seas, Terry is a familiar face, and a welcome one to repeat passengers. She has a loyal following who were overwhelmingly sorry to hear she departed the Regent line. The constant theme running through all of the comments placed on the luxury cruise message boards related how much of a difference she had made to those Regent passengers, not just in their overall cruise experience, but in their very lives with her informative talks. People raved about her knowledge of Alaska and how she made the majestic beauty of the ports, the wildlife, the culture, and the peoples of that great state come alive for them;. They also expressed the hope (and considerable doubt) that Regent could ever find someone who could do justice to the legacy Terry is leaving behind.

Check Out Terry's Blog and Cruise Guides!
Terry is also well-known for her blog, cruiserfriendly.com/cruise_blog where she shares her onboard adventures and her wealth of knowledge about Alaska. She is also the author of The Cruiser Friendly Onboard Guide to Alaska's Inside Passage, which has already sold over 7000 copies with relatively little promotional effort on her part, which is no small feat. She has other, similar guides slated for release in the coming months.

Holland America is lucky to have someone of Terry's stature to remake its onboard enrichment programs. If the experiences related by former Regent guests on the various message boards are any indication, we HAL loyalists are in for a real treat in the future as Terry's efforts come about. I know that I, for one, cannot wait.