OREANDA-NEWS. June 18, 2015. Seabourn has announced a new line-up of accomplished lecturers for Seabourn Conversations, the award-winning cruise line's onboard enrichment and special guest entertainment program. Prominent speakers scheduled to sail late 2015 and early 2016 include Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, Forbes Media Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes, and legendary American journalist Dan Rather.

The ultra-luxury line's onboard enrichment program continues to feature outstanding adventurers, artists, historians and the business elite sharing tales of success and personal insights. On Seabourn's intimate ships, distinguished speakers not only provide skilled presentations of their expertise for guests to enjoy, but just as importantly, they may share meals, adventures ashore and casual chats with guests throughout the voyage. 

"We always seek the most engaging speakers to participate in our Seabourn Conversations program on Seabourn vessels around the world," said John Delaney, Seabourn's senior vice president, marketing and sales. "With global perspectives drawn from personal experiences in the realms of culture, history, innovation, adventure and art, we're very excited to welcome the line-up of distinguished speakers for our guests."

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2000, will participate in the Seabourn Conversations program on Seabourn Odyssey's 20-day Holiday Panama Canal cruise, which departs Fort Lauderdale on December 15, 2015, and arrives in Los Angeles on January 4, 2016.  

Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather, who retired in 2005 as the longest-serving anchor on a nightly newscast in American broadcast history after 24 years at helm of CBS Evening News, will join Seabourn Conversations aboard Seabourn Odyssey's 20-day Panama Canal cruise from March 21-24, 2016. Renowned in the industry and country for his compelling reporting, he is one of the most famous television news journalists and an author of several best-selling books including his autobiography Rather Outspoken.

The rest of the conversationalists will sail on the 77-day Pacific Realm Exploration of Seabourn Odyssey, which will depart Los Angeles on January 4, 2016, bound for Sydney, Australia and return to L.A. on March 21, 2016.

Featured speakers in Seabourn Odyssey's Seabourn Conversations program include:

  • Royal portrait painter Richard Stone, who painted the British Royal Family for four decades, as well as luminaries such as Luciano Pavarotti, Margaret Thatcher, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. (January 4-16, 2016)
     
  • Australian cultural historian, author and filmmaker Warren Fahey has been awarded the Order of Australia, the Prime Minister's Centennial Medal, and the Banks Music Award for lifetime contribution to the arts. (January 4-20, 2016)
     
  • Globetrotting adventurer Paul Deegan has climbed Mount Everest and most mountainous regions on five continents. A highly sought-after speaker on the corporate circuit, Deegan has also been featured on TED Talks and has appeared on BBC, CBS and Sky News. (January 16-27, 2016)
     
  • One of Australia's few true titled "Master and Commanders," Captain Peter Martin is a maritime historian and foreign affairs expert. Martin has piloted the Barrier Reef and navigated the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. (February 6-19, 2016)
     
  • Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media Steve Forbes is an engaging speaker with unique perspectives on business, technology, the economy, and politics through personal experience in the Republican presidential primaries of 1996 and 2000. (February 15-19, 2016)
     
  • Discussing the world beneath the ship's keel, George Losey is a Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Marine Biology and Zoology at the University of Hawaii. (February 26-March 11, 2016)
     
  • The former Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry and Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Digby Jones was knighted in 2005 and has been a member of the House of Lords since 2007. He is currently Business Ambassador at UK Trade & Investment, Chairman of Triumph Motorcycles, and Corporate Ambassador for Jaguar Cars. (February 28-March 21, 2016)

Seabourn's intimate, award-winning ships offer key elements that set Seabourn apart: spacious, thoughtfully appointed suites, many with verandas; superb dining in a choice of venues; open bars throughout the ship; fine wines poured at lunch and dinner; award-winning personalized service and a relaxed, sociable atmosphere that makes guests feel right at home on board. Seabourn's ships circle the globe throughout the year, sailing to the world's most desirable destinations at their peak seasons including marquee cities and lesser-known yachting harbors and hideaways that few travelers ever see. All-inclusive fares offer tremendous value for one of the world's finest travel experiences.