Guest speakers, guest chefs and local entertainment headlines Holland America’s 75-day Grand Pacific & Far East Voyage

The line has booked a range of quality guest speakers, notorious skilled chefs and a wealth of local entertainers for their spectacular 75-day cruise of the Far East and Grand Pacific.

ms Amsterdam will sail the 75-day tour, departing in September 2013.

The cruise tour will visit Hawaii, Micronesia, China, Japan, the Philippines and French Polynesia.  The ship will also make maiden calls to Majuro, Marshall Islands and Pohnpei in Micronesia.

The cruise will also make overnight stops in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Japan and Singapore.  This will give guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of the region.

Holidaymakers who cannot commit to a 75-day cruise will be pleased to hear that the line are still selling 21- to 43-day segments of the journey.

On Location Program:

Wherever you are on the 75-day cruise, Holland America want you to be totally immersed in the culture and atmosphere of the region.  To achieve this, they’ve coordinated a range of activities and performances for guests to enjoy.  These include lei making, ukulele lessons, hula classes and Hawaiian language classes.  Local performers will also entertain guests during special evening performances in a variety of locations.

Guest Chefs:

The ship’s Culinary Arts Center will host four guest chefs during the voyage.  Each chef will take it in thens to whip up their signature dishes, give cooking demonstrations, help with hands on coming classes, host wine tastings and hold question and answer sessions in the ship’s professional show kitchen which is in partnership with Food & Wine Magazine.

The following chefs will be joining the cruise:

• Joseph Caputo (Sept. 20-29)
• George Geary (Oct. 10-23)
• Paulette Mitchell (Nov. 3-23)
• Naomi Kakiuchi (Oct. 24-Nov. 2)

Guest Speakers:

In addition to the ship’s fantastic range of enrichment programs, guests will be able to enjoy lectures from a number of notable guest speakers.

The following speakers are booked to lecture on the cruise:

• Dr. John Palmisano (Sept. 20-29) – holds a Ph.D. in marine biology,  has studied sea otter ecology in Alaska and the decline of wild Pacific salmon.
• David Smith (Sept. 20-29) – professional photographer, travel writer, publisher of travel photography tutorial CDs and DVDs.
• Joseph Kess (Sept. 29-Oct. 14) retired emeritus chair in Japan, Asia-Pacific Relations of the Center for Asia-Pacific Initiatives at Canada’s University of Victoria.  Also an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government.
• Sandra Millikin (Sept. 29-Oct. 23) – an architectural historian, former assistant curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects Drawings Collection.  Previously lectured at the Open University.
• Professor Roberta Sloan (Oct. 14-Nov. 17) – produced, directed and acted in more than 200 productions. Former lecturer at Marymount College, Huntingdon College, University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma. Also received a Kennedy Center Medal.
• Stephen Sloan (Oct. 14-Nov. 17) – A professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma and a pioneer in research and teaching on terrorism.  Sloan is the author of 13 books, including “Simulating Terrorism”, a book that has been used to conduct exercises internationally. He consults for the U.S. government and internationally.
• Melvyn Foster (Oct. 23-Nov. 17) –  destination, wildlife and maritime speaker with an interest in maritime history and commerce, particularly the Atlantic and Pacific liners.  Has personally logged more than 75 Atlantic and Pacific crossings.
• Elizabeth Foggin (Nov. 17-Dec. 4) – Ph.D. in Applied Social Sciences from Universite de Montreal, with a focus on the experience of leisure and tourism of people with reduced physical abilities.  She is co-author of a study and report commissioned by United Nations’ Asia Pacific office concerning “Barrier-Free Tourism in the Asia Pacific Region.”