In June of last year I had my first experience as a Past Preservers guest speaker on board a cruise around Ireland with Fred Olsen. I wrote about it here: https://ryangenealogicalresearch.com/2025/06/18/cruising-around-the-emerald-isle/

This year I was lucky enough to do it again on a similar cruise again with Fred Olsen and on the same ship, the Bolette for their Landscapes of Ireland Cruise. I submitted six topics for lectures and had to deliver three. The lectures I chose were:

1. Recording and Collecting Family Stories
2. Tracing Your Irish Ancestors
3. Folklore Traditions of Scotland and Ireland

For those wondering how I got such an opportunity or looking to do something similar themselves, it came about through a company called Past Preservers. Past Preservers act as an agency for various cruise companies and are also involved in casting for other media projects, such as TV documentaries, podcasts etc. While there are a number of agencies who provide guest lecturers for cruises, what seems to set Past Preservers apart is that they don’t charge to register with their database. Once you are in their database, you can then browse the list of available cruises and fill out an application form. So far I’ve only applied for Fred Olsen cruises around Ireland because my expertise lies in Irish history and also because the cruises are relatively short, usually around a week. I don’t get paid but I get a free cruise and discounts for any onboard purchases. After submitting the application to Past Preservers they pass it on to the cruise company, who will make a decision on whether they want you as a guest speaker. You will usually be notified by the cruise about which submitted lectures they want you to give. Although there is normally some discretion on the part of the speaker if you decide certain topics might work better.

The ship departed from Liverpool on Friday 17th July and returned to Liverpool on Saturday 25th July. Eight days total, with three of those spent at sea. That meant three guest lectures. The route taken was slightly different this year. Instead of heading straight to Dublin, our first day was spent at sea sailing off the west coast of Scotland to view Finn’s Cave and some of the other scenic sights. We then visited Belfast on the 19th of July where I got to escort an outing to visit Titanic Belfast. As I wrote about in my previous blog above, one of the perks of being a guest entertainer on a cruise is that you get to go on the excursions for free as an escort, availability permitting. This was my first proper visit to Titanic Belfast and it was really impressive. It takes you through the construction of the ship and the importance of the shipyards to Belfast in the period.

Our second stop was Dun Laoighre in County Dublin on the 20th of July. I wasn’t needed for any of the excursions so I took the opportunity to do some exploring of my own. I originally considered taking the train into the city but decided to stay close to Dun Laoighre. One of the challenges with Dun Laoighre and some other ports is that the cruise ship has to anchor further out, meaning the use of a small launch boat to get in and out. Luckily the seas were calm during our trip. I visited the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in the former Mariner’s Church in Dun Laoighre. I then took the train down to the nearby village of Dalkey to visit the castle and heritage centre there. Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre does a very impressive tour, involving living history, and as a bonus for anyone with an interest in genealogy, there is an old graveyard and medieval church ruins connected to the castle and included on the tour.

Most of the 21st of July was spent at sea but we arrived into the town of Killybegs, County Donegal that evening. Since it was considered a sea day I delivered the first of my guest lectures in the morning and sat in on a talk in the afternoon by the other guest lecturer, Paul Howard, a UK based photographer. This time around we were given a set schedule for our lectures and it wasn’t changed. One major change was that because there was a lot of stuff happening the Nepune Lounge in preparation for the evening entertainment shows, some of the lectures were moved to the smaller auditorium on the ship. In order to accommodate as many people as possible we were asked to repeat the lecture three times during the day. This was a good move because with so many other activities taking place on the ship, including a murder mystery show, it gave more people the opportunity to attend the lectures.

Despite arriving in Killybegs on the evening of the 21st I didn’t step ashore until the following morning. This was my first time in Killybegs and I think only my second ever time in Donegal. It’s not the easiest county to get to using public transport. I got to accompany a group on a scenic outing to the stunning Slieve League cliffs. A bit blustery but luckily no rain. After finishing the outing and returning to the ship, I deposited my bags in my cabin and went off to explore the local area. Killybegs has a lot of history, including a holy well and ruined medieval church nearby, both dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. I also learned that there was a prehistoric megalithic tomb outside the town and set off to find it. Not the smartest decision when it was over a mile and a half away along rural roads. My efforts were in vain anyway because the tomb was buried underneath some overgrown bushes.

Our next stop after Killybegs was Galway city on the 23rd of July. Like Dun Laoighre, we had to anchor further out and another trip on the launch was required. Once again I was grateful for smooth seas. I got to be part of a bus tour through Galway city and surrounding countryside. We stopped briefly in the village of Oughterard for some lovely tea and scones. Since we were back from the tour just before noon I had plenty of time for exploring Galway. I was there last year on the previous cruise but time hadn’t allowed for much exploration on that visit. I spent some time in Galway City Museum and just walking the streets. Lots of history to see.

We left Galway that evening and began the journey back to Liverpool. We spent all day of July 24th at sea and I delivered my final guest lecture that morning. There was also a guest lecturers meet and greet. On the previous cruise they had a speakers lunch, where guests had the option of paying extra to meet with the guest lecturers. This time around it was free and more informal. Personally I think that was a great way to do it. At first myself and Paul, the other guest lecturer, were unsure if anyone would show, but we did get some people.

We were fortunate to have great weather for the entire trip and I spent a lot of time up on deck taking photos, especially on the final day.

I covered plenty about life on board a cruise ship in my post from last year and not a huge amount had changed this year. But there are some pointers for anyone considering taking a guest speaker role on a cruise.

Firstly, keep in mind your audience and itinerary when planning your lecture topics. Some cruises will want destination specific lectures. Your audience will also probably be older and maybe not very knowledgable about the topics you are speaking on. Of the six topics I submitted, those three were probably the best for a general audience. The talk on folklore in particular was an opportunity to be more of a storyteller and have some fun with the lecture. The only one of my lectures I wasn’t completely happy with was the first talk on recording and collecting family stories. I’m used to giving that talk to genealogical societies and I don’t know if I did enough to retool it for a more general audience. With the talk on tracing Irish ancestors I was at least fortunate that the majority of passengers on the cruise were British and quite a few had some previous experience in researching their family history. So I was able to emphasise the commonalities between British and Irish genealogy as a starting point.

Secondly, soon after boarding the ship you and the other guest entertainers will likely be invited to a meeting with the Cruise Director and their staff. This is a chance to get to know everyone and to go through any tech requirements you might have for your lectures. You will also likely be given an entertainment schedule for the weeks. If there are any issues, get in touch with the Cruise Director or their team well in advance. They start putting together the daily newsletter for the following day very early so they can distribute it to guests the evening before. So make sure to check in with them about your preferred lecture titles and any other requirements you might have.

Thirdly, be very courteous and polite to the crew, especially the servers and cabin stewards. Be particularly generous when it comes to tipping because gratuities are essentially their take home pay. That’s the reality of cruise ships. If you want to volunteer as an escort on any of the outings make sure to approach the Destination Services before the first shore day and make yourself known. It’s likely that you won’t get your first choice on all the excursions because paying passengers understandably get priority.

Fourth, you are allowed to bring a partner or you can travel solo. Either way there are plenty of opportunities to socialise on board the cruise. As a guest lecturer I often had people approaching me to chat while I was walking around the ship or when I was on the excursions. Mealtimes are also a good chance to chat with other passengers. There are plenty of other activities on the ship to join in with and even some meetups for solo passengers.

As regards whether I plan to do more of these cruises in the future, I would certainly love to. Obviously it will depend on my own availability next summer and what cruises are visiting Ireland. I’ve had very positive experiences with Fred Olsen on board the Bolette and it would be great to do it again. However, Fred Olsen have changed their relationship with Past Preservers and in future will be recruiting guest lecturers through the company they use to hire their other guest entertainers, RWS Global. I’ll have to investigate the process this company uses and their requirements. I might also look into some of the other cruise companies that Past Preservers work with and apply for one of those.

But for anyone looking to become a guest speaker on a cruise, the best place to start is to investigate the database of available cruises on the Past Preservers website. Their co-founder and owner, Nigel J. Hetherington, is always helpful and willing to answer questions. It’s useful to sign up for their emails and keep an eye on their social media channels for any last minute speaker vacancies and other upcoming opportunities.

Hopefully this blog post has proven helpful and might encourage other genealogists and historians to join a cruise. It’s a fun experience and a great way to step out of your comfort zone.