Princess' ScholarShip@Sea Program Offers Enriching Experiences

When passengers go home after a Princess cruise, very often they leave with more than just happy memories and souvenirs. As travelers become more and more interested in learning vacations, Princess has led the way with the innovative ScholarShip@Sea program, in which passengers can take home new skills, knowledge and perhaps their own ceramic masterpiece.

This innovative educational program offers a variety of enriching "edu-tainment" courses in which guest lecturers and shipboard experts present courses on a variety of topics, including cooking, visual arts, computer skills, photography and, a first in the industry, pottery. The program debuted aboard Coral Princess in early 2003 and proved so popular that it was expanded fleetwide in less than a year. Today, every Princess ship offers passengers the opportunity to become Sea Scholars, and all vessels have been equipped with onboard pottery kilns.

Passengers can choose from approximately 20 courses per voyage (at least six per sea day) from four core subject areas -- Culinary Arts, Visual/Creative Arts, Photography and Computer Technology. Italian cooking, ceramics or pottery, digital travel photography, web page design, and watercolor techniques are just a few of the enrichment courses offered. In addition, guest speakers may present courses on additional topics, such as destination; history; arts and world affairs. Many courses are free of charge and passengers are welcome to enjoy as many as they wish.

Guests who would like to continue their sea-going education can expand their ScholarShip experience with smaller, more in-depth instruction sessions, which expand upon the curriculum offered in the larger courses. These specialized hands-on classes, which focus on such areas as hand-building pottery, photography and computer training, are offered for minimal fees, beginning at $10.

Culinary Arts

Culinary Arts courses feature a variety of entertaining demonstrations from visiting professionals as well as Princess' own onboard chefs. On some ships the presentations are staged in a full kitchen set, similar to those used on televised cooking shows. Passengers will learn the secrets to preparing a multitude of mouth-watering specialties, and will be provided with take-home recipes. Other culinary offerings include wine tasting events and how-to presentations on home entertaining.

Visual/Creative Arts

The Visual/Creative Arts component of the ScholarShip@Sea program features extensive courses in a variety of artistic disciplines. All ships offer a ?paint-your-own' ceramics program in which passengers express their creativity by decorating pre-made ceramic tiles, mugs, picture frames and other souvenir items, which are fired in the cruise industry's first onboard kilns. In addition, Coral Princess and Island Princess offer a full pottery program with specialized hand-building and wheel-throwing classes in which Princess' pottery experts teach passengers how to create their own masterpieces.

Photography

Photography classes will give passengers the opportunity to learn more about travel photo techniques from experts in the field, as well as participate in specialized courses in basic photographic skills and digital technology.

Computer Technology

Passengers who wish to upgrade their computer skills can take advantage of a series of general computer technology lectures as well as smaller, personalized classes. Students can choose from computer basics such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Word or Excel; to designing their own web page; to surfing the web or editing digital pictures.

New Programs

A number of new ScholarShip@Sea enrichment programs recenlty debuted to expand passengers' horizons, whether they aspire to host the perfect party or increase their maritime knowledge. The Art of Entertaining offers passengers the opportunity to learn party-planning tips from lifestyle expert Susie Coelho via a multimedia presentation hosted by the cruise director. Navigation@Sea focuses on the history of navigation as well as the complexities of plotting the route of a modern cruise ship, with a presentation by the ship's navigator. Mixology@Sea lets passengers channel their inner bartender with a hands-on course taught by the ship's bar manager. For star gazers, the new Astronomy@Sea program provides passengers with the opportunity to explore the night sky through a telescope on the top deck, with the expert guidance of a ship's bridge officer. Developed in conjunction with Dr. Thomai Serdari, Professor of Art History and Director of Research Collections for New York University, Art History@Sea: Botticelli to Warhol, The Evolution of Art makes 500 years of art come to life with a special hour-long presentation.

Special Topics

In addition to the main subject areas, each sailing may include courses or enrichment lectures on topics such as maritime history; creative arts; science, politics; nutrition; geography; health/wellness and culinary. A host of experts including authors, astronauts, naturalists, personal development experts, maritime historians and many others will offer these informative presentations.