Celebrities at sea: Cunard unveil famous guest speaker line-up for 2015

Cunard Line have unveiled their roster of high-calibre guest speakers for selected 2015 voyages on board Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. 2015 marks the cruise line’s 175th anniversary and the line-up is a fitting one for such a landmark year.

Sir Jackie Stewart OBE

On 30 January, three-times F1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart OBE will board Queen Mary 2 for a 22-night sailing from Dubai to Hong Kong. Awarded an OBE in 1972 and knighted by the Queen in 2001, Sir Jackie will be hosting a talk and Q&A session about his illustrious career.

Shirley Jones

Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones - David Cassidy's "mother" in The Partridge Family – will board Queen Victoria for a 15-night voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles on 2 February. She will be accompanied by her husband, actor and comedian Marty Ingels. Passengers  will have the opportunity to meet the actress at a book signing, as well at two Q&A sessions and screenings of her films.

Nicholas Owen

On 10 May BBC news presenter, Nicholas Owen will board Queen Mary 2 for a seven-night Eastbound Transatlantic crossing from New York to Southampton. He will host two talks, with the first discussing how the monarchy works in the modern world and the second discussing whether newspapers have a role in modern society.

Peter Snow CBE

Journalist and broadcaster Peter Snow CBE will be on board Queen Victoria for a special 6-night 175th anniversary voyage from Southampton on 22 May.

The Right Honourable Professor Lord Robert Winston

On 16 June The Right Honourable Professor Lord Robert Winston will board Queen Elizabeth for a 14-night cruise to Spain and Italy from Southampton. Lord Winston will present three talks whilst on-board including, ‘How did Renaissance painters portray disease?’, ‘The burgeoning threat of technology’ and ‘The extinction of the human being’.

The Right Honourable David Blunkett MP

The Right Honourable David Blunkett MP will board Queen Victoria for a 14-night voyage from Rome to Venice on 12 September. As the first person with sight loss to hold senior office in government in modern times Blunkett will deliver two talks during the cruise including, ‘Reflections on growing up without sight’ and ‘Life in the bear pit’.

Pam Ayres MBE

Last but by no means least, writer and presenter Pam Ayres MBE will sail on the 17-night voyage on-board Queen Elizabeth to Venice and the Adriatic from Southampton on 21 October.

(Photographs courtesy of Cunard Line)

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