Guests aboard Regal Princess sailing to Russia and Scandinavia this summer have a unique opportunity during their cruise. An esteemed lineup of speakers will come onboard overnight to share their personal stories, local expertise, and passion for the places they call home – all for guests to listen and learn from.
The speaker series has been developed by Princess Cruises in partnership with Cruise Baltic, and is part of their “Local Connections” program. The program is aimed to inspire the line’s guests by sharing the pride that the company’s port partners have for their destination, and give them helpful suggestions and tips from those that know the locale best.
Over 70 speakers will join Regal during this summer’s Baltic season. Highlights include:
Pia Allerslev, Mayor – Copenhagen, Denmark
Allerlei is a member of the Copenhagen City Council for the Danish Liberal Party, and Mayor of the Children and Youth Administration in the City of Copenhagen. She began her political career in 1991, where she was elected Chair of the Liberal Youth Party in her former hometown. Previously, she was Mayor of Culture and Leisure for six years, and was also a teacher in the public school system.
Maris Hellrand, Estonia Stories – Tallinn, Estonia
Hellrand is a multilingual freelance journalist and consultant that tells engaging stories about Estonia to audiences from all over the world. She’s passionate about travel, music, architecture, cinema, innovation, and education. After almost two decades as a global nomad, Estonia has become her focus. Her countless stories about the country have reached TV, radio, and magazine audiences in Germany, France, the UK, and Scandinavia.
Evgenia Brileva, Ballerina – St. Petersburg, Russia
Born into an artistic family as the daughter of a ballet dancer and musician, Brileva was naturally devoted to acting, dancing, and piano playing. At the age of 10 she toured to Germany with her father, performing pieces by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev. She learned photography from her grandfather, a press photographer of Pravda Newspaper. Her background is a blend of Russian culture that includes ballet, music, fine art, and photography, which has been inspired by her mother city.
Ingreid Ruefors, Director – Stockholm, Sweden
Rudefors is a Swedish director, film producer, and writer. She spent the first part of her professional life in New York, where she studied theater. In the late 1980’s, she was active there in the independent film industry. She currently works as film commissioner in Film Region Stockholm Malardalen.
Sonya Antoni, Historian – Waremunde, Germany
Antoni hails from an international surrounding; born with a British mother and German father, she grew up in Iran and South Africa, returning to her father’s country to study English and French literature and linguistics as well as psychology in Germany, England, and France. Attending the University of Potsdam set her path for tourism, and the art lover found a haven in the World Heritage Sites of Sanssouci Parks and Palaces. She participated in the tourism program of the Potsdam City Council and of the Foundation Prussian Parks and Palaces, and soon became inseparable from the city’s history.
Additional elements of the “Local Connections” program include a video series of local partners sharing their experiences, insights, and recommendations of the places they call home, new shore excursions, new welcome and departure experiences, and an insider’s guide including ‘cool things’ made in each port.
