Crystal Cruises has lined up guest speakers for the Crystal Serenity’s 94-day 2012 World Cruise. Among the guest speakers will be television host Regis Philbin, Hall of Famers Hank Aaron (baseball) and Don Shula (football), Olympians Dorothy Hamill (ice skating) and Cathy Rigby (gymnastics), and astronauts “Hoot” Gibson and Rhea Seddon.
Crystal also tapped experts from varied fields to give complimentary presentations, including Gen. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under two U.S. presidents; Deborah Fallows, linguistics expert who wrote “Dreaming in Chinese”; Maj. Gen. Pat Brady, the chief U.S. Army spokesman and helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War; Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, a former U.S. ambassador to Laos and Pakistan who played a key role in the post-9/11 campaign against al Qaeda; Tom Faranda, a global trend forecaster who predicted China’s rise; Farhana Qazi, a counter-terrorism expert and most prominent American-Muslim woman to study al-Qaeda and Muslim conflicts; Shelby Coffey III, a former executive at the Los Angeles Times, CNN Business News and ABC News; and Neil Leifer, who some considered to be the greatest sports photographer in history. Back by popular demand is “Ocean Views,” where noted panelists debate issues of the day.
Departing Jan. 18, the roundtrip Los Angeles itinerary consists of five 16- to 22-day segments through Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Alaska, and Canada, with numerous port overnights (including a three-day Beijing exploration) en route.
Two-for-one segment fares start at $9,760 per person, including complimentary airfare from 24 North American gateways (or air credit), plus up to $2,000 per couple shipboard credit. Full World Cruisers receive additional savings and perks.
