Celebrity Cruises has found a way to make its unforgettable Alaska cruises even more memorable: The top-rated line’s onboard enrichment program features the expertise of knowledgeable and enthusiastic naturalists who offer free, ongoing educational presentations about the region’s flora, fauna and natural history.
Marine researcher Brent Nixon is scheduled to offer onboard enrichment programs in Alaska on Celebrity Mercury and Celebrity Infinity this year. Nixon has been exploring Alaska for over 25 years. His comprehensive array of onboard presentations includes an overview of Alaska’s land and people and glimpses into the lives of humpback whales, dolphins, killer whales, sea otters, seals, sea lions, puffins; brown and black bears, and bald eagles of the Pacific Northwest.
Nixon is known for dazzling guests with personal accounts of tangling with bears, swimming with orcas, and sitting in eagles’ nests. A former U.S. Army cold-weather survival and climbing instructor who also has worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, Nixon was instrumental in establishing and managing the nation’s first non-captive whale-watching park. He also has contributed extensively to the creation of the Marine Mammal Sanctuary in the Hawaiian Islands.
This year, Nixon is also scheduled to sail on Celebrity Century in Europe, offering discussions on topics including humpback whales of the North Atlantic; Atlantic puffins, bottlenose dolphins and killer whales; the difference between seals and sea lions; and glacial geography.
Naturalist and Santa Cruz, California public radio personality Milos Radakovich will LEAD onboard enrichment programs on Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Summit in 2007.
Radakovich has been producing a series of science-oriented radio spots titled “Life on the Planet” for National Public Radio (NPR) station KUSP-FM 88.9 in Santa Cruz. He has led walking, cycling and kayaking tours along the West Coast for 25 years, has been widely recognized for his work in education and conservation. Radakovich, who has been the recipient of numerous awards for his work in education and conservation, will offer Celebrity guests the chance to learn about wildlife of the open ocean; volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis; marine mammals; and global climate.
Naturalist Leneh Wingard is scheduled to share her passion for the Alaskan wilderness with guests sailing on Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Mercury this year. Wingard, who holds a Master of Science degree in environmental education from the Audubon Expedition Institute, once spent several months living in a tent in the Alaskan wilderness while studying its geology, botany and wildlife, and trekking more than 70 miles over some of the state’s most prominent glaciers. A past lecturer for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Pacific Whale Foundation, Wingard has worked to find new species of deep sea animals in the Monterey Canyon and has spent hundreds of hours watching whales in the waters around Maui. Wingard will discuss the formation of glaciers; the life cycle and cultural significance of salmon in Alaska; and the wildlife of Alaska and the North Pacific Ocean, including humpback whales, eagles, elk, bears and killer whales.
In addition to Alaska, Celebrity also offers naturalist-led enrichment programs during certain cruises in the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Europe and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also will offer naturalist enrichment programs when Celebrity Mercury begins sailing in Australia and New Zealand in November.
Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, authentic five-star dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, Antarctica, Bermuda, California, Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal and South America, and will begin sailing in Australia and New Zealand this year. The line also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Europe and Australia through its cruisetour division. Noted for "The World's Best Large Ships," as voted by the readers of Conde' Nast Traveler (February 2007 Cruise Poll), Celebrity's current fleet will be joined by Celebrity Journey and Celebrity Quest this year, Celebrity Solstice in 2008, Celebrity Equinox in 2009, and Celebrity Eclipse in 2010.