Educational Travel Options

Travel by its nature is informative. It broadens our horizons and our understanding of the world. Travel brings to life places and things we have read about and allows us to discover new experiences. There are many ways to specifically focus on learning during your vacation. These are some of the popular choices we can arrange for you through our travel partners.

Take a Course

Learn more about local life by taking a course while on vacation.

• Culinary programs are very popular, especially along the Mediterranean where cuisine is a major part of La Dulce Vita. Start your class with a tour of the market to gather fresh produce before delving into the secrets of local cooking.
• Language classes: What better place to learn a language than in its home country? You'll learn from an expert and have plenty of opportunities to practice your skills with native speakers.
• Discover local culture on courses like tango classes in Buenos Aires and Flamenco in Spain; ceramic tile painting in Portugal and a whisky course in Scotland.

Hire a Local Guide

Touring with local guides is a sure way to get the inside scoop. Whether you arrange a private guide or join a tour, you'll find the experience enriching and rewarding.

Get the Guide Book

Pick up a guide book with good maps before you go to give you a better understanding of where you are going and what you are about to see. Arrive prepared and keep it with you to be well informed about everything from the best shopping spots and quietest beaches to local history.

Take an Organized Educational Tour or Cruise

Join others with a quest for knowledge on small group tours, cruises and expeditions.

• Tour topics and theme cruises range from culture to adventure; food and wine to health and wellbeing.
• Cruising offers many educational aspects with on board lectures, classes and cooking demonstrations plus a variety of informative excursions ashore with local guides.
• Expedition ships take you to the far reaches of the globe for unique experiences in hard to reach places.

Volunteer

Become a part of the community by volunteering.

• Holland America Line's Cruise With Purpose excursion from Juneau, Alaska, lets you be a research biologist in the wilds of Alaska.
• Signature Vacations Volunteer Holiday lets you assist in the building of homes for under-privileged families in Costa Rica.
• GAP Adventures' Shalati volunteer extension in South Africa let's you get involved with local community projects including building and maintaining a pre-school.

Enrichment On Board and Ashore in Alaska

Get in touch with the real Alaska with a variety of entertaining and educational experiences on board and ashore. These are just some of the many options geared specifically to Alaskan culture, cuisine and nature to enjoy during your cruise.

Culinary

• Culinary demonstrations featuring typical Alaskan dishes are featured on most ships. Many have dedicated culinary centres where you can cook side by side with the chefs while big screens display the process close up so the audience doesn't miss a thing.
• Alaskan dishes are on the menus designed by the cruise line's celebrity chef.
• Culinary and wine experts give classes and demonstrations on board Seven Seas Navigator's Food and Wine theme cruise: 14 nights, May 26, 2010, San Francisco to Vancouver via Alaska.
• The Wild Alaska Culinary Extravaganza at Icy Strait Point is an example of the culinary excursions found in many ports. Learn how to prepare and cook local seafood, including salmon, halibut and Dungeness crab then enjoy a feast.

For the Kids

• Park rangers bring Glacier Bay and the Alaska wilderness to life for kids and teens in Princess Cruises' Junior Ranger and Teen Explorer programs.
• Kids and teens explore Alaska in a meaningful and enriching way with the Club Mariner Youth Program aboard Seven Seas Navigator.

Lectures and Commentary

• In Glacier Bay and at Hubbard Glacier, park rangers will come on board to give an informative narration during your visit to the tide water glaciers.
• Attend lectures and slide shows given by the on board naturalist or historian throughout your cruise.
• The on board naturalist may also give a commentary at important parts of your voyage. Two popular places are when passing a sea lion colony or traversing the Grenville Channel, the narrowest part of the Inside Passage.

Local Entertainment

• Check the daily program to see if local entertainers are coming on board. Libby Riddles, the 1985 Iditarod sled dog race champion and first woman ever to win the famous Anchorage to Nome trek, has been visiting the ships of Princess Cruises for the past nine years.
• Russian dancers from Sitka and gold rush entertainers from Skagway may also entertain you.

Shore Excursions

• Well informed guides teach you about Alaska on shore excursions from your ship. There's a wide range of excursions which immerse you in the culture and history of Alaska. Check these out at your cruise line web site where you'll find descriptions and details and you can book ahead of sailing.
• With Holland America Line's Cruise With Purpose you'll have a chance to be a research biologist in the wilds of Alaska. This exclusive wildlife and research tour from Juneau is offered in conjunction with Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program and the Marine Conservation Alliance.

For more on educational Alaska, see the Alaska Highlights in our Spotlight article.