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Is Shapiro International an Agent?
Being a guest speaker on a cruise ship
Do Guest Lecturers
get paid?
If I
don’t get paid why should I do it?
Can I
take someone with me when I go?
Can I
take more than one person with me
What kind
of accommodation will I get?
How
does Shapiro International make money?
Am I a passenger or
crew?
What do I do
when I get to the ship?
Is the guest lecturer employed by Shapiro International or
the cruise company
Who is contracting whom?
How often
will I be expected to speak?
Who
should I talk to if I have any questions?
Presentation skills
Do I get any
perks while on board?
How do I
get from my home to the ship?
Will I be able to
go on tours?
Can I sell
product while I am on board?
How will I know if I have done well as
guest lecturer?
No. Although we do help speakers
and people/companies who want to book speakers get together
we are not strictly an agent. We are a speakers consultancy.
We run courses and do one to one coaching for new and
experienced speakers. We run our website as a speakers
portal and organise video demos for speakers and offer a
complete speakers service that help the speaker and the
booker get what they want
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Guest Lecturers/Speakers
booked on short-term cruise assignments are often called Enrichment
Staff. As a guest lecturer you will be expected to be an expert (or
at least very knowledgeable) about your topic as well as be able to
deliver an informative and entertaining presentation to cruise ship
passengers and guest of between 5 and 500 people.
As Enrichment Staff/Guest
speaker, you’re probably wondering, “Where do I fit in?” Good
question. Enrichment Staff exist in a bit of a gray area…you’re not
crew, but not passengers. That said, this gray area is one of the
best travel deals afloat. In exchange for sharing your programs
several times throughout the voyage, you will enjoy a cruise for two
and all the onboard food, entertainment and activities for a small
fraction of the cost that passengers pay. However, please note that
due to this unique role, it’s important that full-fare passengers
always “come first” around the ship.
You should remember that the
people who are going to be listening to you are on vacation and will
have the opportunity at the end of the cruise to comment on your
performance.
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It depends. If you are a
recognizable speaker/personality (ie if I stopped people in the
street and they knew who you were) then yes, you possibly would get
paid. The fee you get in this case is negotiable depending on your
“celebrity”
If you are not ‘known’ then
you may or may not get paid, depending on the cruise line that books
you. It has to be said that the vast majority of cruise lines do not
pay guest lecturers and there are probably only one or two in the
world that do. When/if you are offered a cruise as guest lecturer
you will be advised if this is a paid one or not.
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Most people think of guest
lecturing on cruise ships as a working holiday and a way to see the
world. Even with the fee you pay to Shapiro International, you will
still be getting a cruise for you (and up to one guest) for what is
usually a fraction of the cost of going the cruise as a passenger
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Usually you will be allowed to
take one guest with you as long as he/she shares your cabin. Your
guest will have to abide by the same rules that you do when on
board.
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Yes, if there is availability.
But anyone you take (over and above your first guest) will be
subject to availability and they will be charges at the normal
passenger rate even if they are sharing a cabin with you. (Sometimes
you will get a small discount)
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The minimum standard of
accommodation you will get is a Guest Entertainers cabin and on
occasions you will be given a passenger cabin where available. Guest
entertainers cabin are often located in passenger areas but
sometimes not
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If the speaker is paid
a fee then we take a % of that fee
If the speaker is not
getting paid a fee i.e. some cruise lines then we charge the guest lecturer a
small fee dependant on the length of the cruise
e mail us
for details
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There is no easy answer to
this question. Different cruise lines have different rules on this
but it will all be clearly stated in the contract/acceptance letter.
Truth be told you are neither and both at the same time.
·
As
part crew
o
As
guest lecturer you will sign onto the ships company (this makes you
part crew). You may be asked to attend a safety drill with other new
guests entertainers.
o
Similarly with eating arrangements. Some cruise lines allocate you a
table in the dining room with passengers and some ask that you eat
with the other entertainers and officers
o
You will not be allowed to use the casino or gaming machines on
board the ship
·
As
part passenger
o
You will usually be allowed to use every facility that full paying
passengers use but you must be aware that passengers always come
first. In other words use of the gym or spa is perfectly ok but at
busy times it is best to allow passengers the use of them and you go
at quieter times.
o
Similarly at evening stage shows if seats are scarce and it is busy
you should allow passengers to have a seat before finding one for
yourself
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You will be told in advance
when and where to join the ship. Find a member of the ships company
or a security person on the dock and he/she will tell you where to
embark. Usually the first place you will go once you get on the ship
and before anywhere else is the crew office to sign on to the ships
company. You will then visit the cruise directors office to
introduce yourself before going to your cabin. It is always a good
idea to familiarize yourself with the ship and in particular with
the room/venue you will be presenting in. Make sure everything you
asked for is there (ie projector, screen etc). You will be told the
days, times and venue for your talks by the cruise director.
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No. Shapiro International (or
any company associated with it) is not an employment agency and the
cruise line is not your employer. At all times you will be hired as
a freelance, self employed speaker, responsible for your own taxes,
insurance etc.
The contract will always be
between the cruise line and you, the guest lecturer. Shapiro
International will not sign any contracts on your behalf and will
never agree to the guest lecturer doing any work until they have
spoken to the guest lecturer.
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Most cruise lines (but not
all) will expect you to deliver one (different) talk on every day
the ship is at sea. Be prepared to help out by doing an extra talk
if asked to due to changes in the ships program. This is rare but
you will be appreciated even more if you help out in these
circumstances. Your talks should usually be no less than 45 minutes
and no more than 50 minutes. Always be aware of what is happening in
your venue directly after your talk as there may only be 10 minutes
of change over time
Typically, enrichment lectures
take place on days the ship is at sea. Enrichment programs are
generally not scheduled during port calls because passengers choose
to spend these days on tours exploring the sights ashore. This
allows you ample time to explore those sights as well. Please note
that if your cruise features a block of several port days in a row
or for some other reason, there is a possibility that you may be
called upon by the Cruise Director to conduct a program on a port
day afternoon prior to the ship’s departure.
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Any questions you have before
you actually get on the ship should be directed to Shapiro
International either by e mail or phone. Once you board the ship you
will contact the cruise director with any questions you have. Of
course you can contact Shapiro International at any time even during
your cruise. You should not contact the cruise company head office
with any questions as they will only direct you to us.
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For the most part, cruise
ships have all of the modern technical equipment needed to present a
multi-media lecture. This includes LCD projectors for PowerPoint,
DVD, VHS, microphone, podium, etc. You will let us know your
requirements and we will send your technical needs to the cruise
line prior to your voyage, but it’s always wise to go over your
requirements with the Cruise Director or a member of his/her staff
after boarding the vessel. A member of the ship’s technical staff
will set everything up for you before each presentation.
You will usually be asked what
equipment you will need while giving your talks. Most ships these
days have compatible projectors for plugging into your laptop for
using things like PowerPoint etc. But make sure you advise us of
anything you need for your talks well in advance of you joining the
ship so that you will know if the ship can accommodate you. Note …
Make sure you carry notes etc in your hand luggage so that if your
luggage goes missing at airports etc you will still be able to do
your talks
Remember to make your talks
fun. The people you will be talking to are on holiday and while they
want to be informed they also want to be entertained. (No you do not
need to crack jokes during your talk!)
Most cruise lines will give
guest lecturers discounts on bar purchases and on board shop
purchases. The discount varies from company to company but it
usually means that your eventual onboard bill will be much less than
it would be if you were a passenger. You will also usually be
allowed to put your name forward to lead a tour excursion when the
ship is in port. If you are asked to do this it simply means you
will help the actual tour guide do a headcount on and off of your
tour bus and in return you will not pay for the tour. Your guest, if
you are taking one and he/she goes on the tour, will however be
charged
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This again depends on the
cruise line but in general it falls into 2 categories (the following
examples are if you and your guest are UK residents) (substitute
your country for ‘UK’ below where the ship leaves and returns to
that country)
- Cruises where you embark
in a UK port
- In this instance you
will usually be responsible for getting yourself to and from
your home to the ship at your own expense.
- Cruises where you embark
in a non UK port
- In this case the cruise
line will organize and pay for flights to and from a UK
airport (not always the closest one to your home) to the
port of embarkation. If you are taking someone with you they
cruise line will usually charge you a reduced rate for that
person’s air fare. You will know what that is beforehand.
Transfers to and from the ship at the non UK port will be
arranged for you. You will be responsible for getting to and
from your home to the UK airport that you fly from at your
own expense.
Yes. See ‘Perks’ section
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Yes you will usually be
allowed to sell your own product while on board. This is usually at
the end of your talks. You will not be allowed to set up a stall
selling anything. All products must be your own work i.e. a book you
have written or a CD you have made. The cruise line will usually
take a percentage of what you sell (usually 20%) but this will be
detailed in your contract
Ultimately the captain of the
ship but you will usually come under the Entertainment department
and as such will be under the charge of the Cruise Director (head of
entertainment)
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- Passengers ALWAYS come
first
- Your passport must be
valid for all the countries you (and the ship) are visiting even
if you do not get off the ship
- It is your
responsibility to have a valid visa for any country the ship is
visiting even if you will not get off the ship in that country
- It is your
responsibility to have valid travel insurance (which covers you
lecturing on the ship)
- It is your
responsibility to ensure you have all the vaccinations needed to
visit all places the ship will visit even if you do not intend
to get off the ship in that place.
- Have fun while you are
on board and make use of the fantastic facilities available
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Well for a start if you have
done well then you will be asked back. You will be rated in two
ways. Firstly by the passengers at the end of cruise questionnaire
survey and secondly by the cruise director who will assess how you
fitted in with working with the rest of the entertainments team. In
other words delivering great presentations but making the life of
the entertainment team difficult is as damaging to you as being a
really lovely person and delivering terrible presentations. Shapiro
International will often also get a report on how you did.
“Success” in the world of
cruise line entertainment and enrichment is usually defined by a
number – a score compiled from passenger questionnaires that are
distributed by the cruise line towards the end of each and every
sailing. Your name and position may be included in this
questionnaire, and passengers will rate you as excellent, good, fair
or poor. We also receive important feedback from Cruise Directors
regarding your professionalism, preparedness, cooperation and
attitude. As cruise lines strive for excellence in passenger
satisfaction, only those who receive a top score and excellent
feedback will be allowed to return for future engagements.
Cruise lines have
identified a number of key success factors for lecturers
·
Lectures should be serious, but not heavy: guests do not want to be
lectured to, but they do want to be informed. The emphasis is on
what might best be called infotainment rather than education, on
telling an interesting story rather than delivering dry facts.
·
Your lecture topics should be easily followed by a general audience.
Guests on luxury cruises are usually highly educated, but no special
subject knowledge should be assumed.
·
Most lectures will be enhanced by the use of visuals. PowerPoint,
DVD, and other digital media are highly effective components of a
good presentation.
·
Your presentations should be enthusiastic, without reliance on a
text or detailed notes. Involving the audience, through occasional
Q&As or other mechanisms, is an excellent tool for success.
·
A
ship is a very social environment, and guests especially like to
meet the people who are there to enrich their cruise experience.
Therefore, it’s important that you and your companion enjoy being
approachable and sociable.
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