This summer and fall Silversea invites travelers to enjoy interesting journeys hosted by noted historians, political analysts, authors, and other experts.

The lineup of guest speakers includes Christopher Cazenove, British stage, film and television actor; Terry Hughes, former head of BBC TV Variety; Alastair Bruce, the Royal and National Events Commentator for Britain’s Sky News; Michael Buerk, BBC news correspondent and anchor; Ambassador Richard Gardner, former U.S. ambassador to Italy and Spain; Dr. John G. Stackhouse, Jr., award-winning historian, theologian, philosopher and journalist; Bill Toone, conservation biologist and executive director of the Ecolife Foundation; Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.; Richard Cowley, former director-general of the Anglo-Uruguayan Cultural Institute; and John Harrison, a British explorer and author.

“We are honored to include such a distinguished group of guest speakers on our voyages,” said Cliff Perry, Silversea’s director of entertainment. “Our enrichment programming has always been about offering unique perspectives, and these lecturers will offer insightful views.”

Following below is the schedule of speakers with abbreviated biographies:

Silver Cloud – July 4, 2009 – Voyage 1915 (Stockholm to Copenhagen)
CHRISTOPHER CAZENOVE: This British stage actor found fame in the 1970s and 1980s with a number of film and television roles in which he perfected his screen persona as the international charmer with a dark past. On the small screen, he is probably best remembered in the roles of Charlie Haslemere in The Duchess of Duke Street (BBC and Masterpiece Theater) and the dastardly Ben Carrington in Dynasty for ABC. More recently, he has appeared in such films as A Knight’s Tale, Beginner’s Luck and Judge John Deed.

Silver Wind – July 18, 2009 – Voyage 2922 (Monte Carlo to Monte Carlo)
AMBASSADOR RICHARD GARDNER: A professor of law and international organization at New York’s Columbia Law School, he served as U.S. ambassador to Italy from 1977 to 1981, and as U.S. ambassador to Spain from 1993 to 1997. He is the author of four books on international affairs, including In Pursuit of World Order: US Foreign Policy and International Organization, and his latest book, Mission Italy: On the Front Lines of the Cold War.

Silver Shadow – August 1, 2009 – Voyage 3918 (San Francisco to Vancouver)
DR. JOHN G. STACKHOUSE, JR.: An award-winning historian, theologian, philosopher and journalist, he holds the Sangwoo Youtong Chee Chair of Theology and Culture at Regent College, an internationally recognized graduate school affiliated with one of Canada’s premier universities, the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. Dr. Stackhouse is the author of six books and hundreds of articles and reviews.

Silver Cloud – August 26 & September 5, 2009 – Voyages 1921 & 1922 (London to London)
ALASTAIR BRUCE: A descendent of Robert the Bruce, he is the author of numerous books on British royalty and a commentator for Britain’s Sky News and the BBC. He is also a documentary filmmaker with Days of Majesty, Nicholas and Alexandra, and Victoria and Albert to his name. He is a member of the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland and is also an officer of arms to the Queen.

Silver Wind – September 15, 2009 – Voyage 2929 (Rome to Barcelona)
TERRY HUGHES: He was head of BBC TV Variety during the “golden years” of Morecame & Wise and The Two Ronnies. He also co-produced and co-directed the acclaimed Ripping Yarns, written by and starring Michael Palin. Moving to Los Angeles, he soon became one of the premiere producers and directors of television’s The Golden Girls, 3rd Rock from the Sun and episodes of 8 Simple Rules, Friends, Blossom and That ’70s Show.

Silver Whisper – October 24, 2009 – Voyage 4934 (Athens to Dubai)
BRUCE RIEDEL: A senior fellow in foreign policy at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., he is a former C.I.A. analyst, counter-terrorism expert and author. At the request of President Obama, he recently chaired an interagency review of policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan for the White House.

Silver Cloud – October 29, 2009 – Voyage 1927 (Barbados to Manaus) & November 12 – Voyage 1928 (Manaus to Rio de Janeiro)
JOHN HARRISON: British explorer who has authored books detailing his adventures, including Up the Creek: an Amazon Adventure and Off the Map: a Journey through the Amazonian Wild. The film John Harrison Explorer, made for the National Geographic Voyager television series, recounts his journey by canoe on Brazil’s Rio Ximim-Ximim.

Silver Cloud – October 29, 2009 – Voyage 1927 (Barbados to Manaus) & November 12 – Voyage 1928 (Manaus to Rio de Janeiro) & November 26 – Voyage 1929 (Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires
RICHARD COWLEY: Former director-general of the Anglo-Uruguayan Cultural Institute, the largest English-language and cultural center in Uruguay. In 1982, he was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and received a further decoration as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2004.

Silver Wind – December 4, 2009 – Voyage 2937 (Dubai to Mahe)
BILL TOONE: Featured in numerous PBS documentaries in the U.S., this conservation biologist with over 30 years of global field experience is the executive director of the Ecolife Foundation, providing ecologically sustainable water, food and shelter to communities. His work for the San Diego Zoo’s Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species has placed him on the front lines of conservation, beginning with the California Condor Recovery Program.

Silver Cloud – December 20, 2009 – Voyage 1931 (Santiago to Buenos Aires)
MICHAEL BUERK: One of Britain’s leading broadcast journalists, he has worked as a BBC news correspondent and anchor for more than thirty years. His coverage of the Ethiopian famine alerted the world to the tragedy, and led directly to Band Aid and Live Aid, massive international relief efforts valued in billions of dollars and estimated to have saved over a million lives.

Silversea Cruises is recognized as an innovator in the luxury segment, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper — and launching in December, Silver Spirit — all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the addition of the regal expedition ship Prince Albert II, the company’s itineraries encompass all seven continents.