Cunard has revealed a wide-ranging selection of prominent speakers due to appear across its four-ship fleet between August and December 2026.
Broadcaster and author Clare Balding CBE, actress Celia Imrie CBE, computer scientist Dame Wendy Hall, comedian and author Ruby Wax OBE and crime novelist Peter James are among the names announced for the remainder of the year.
The appearances form part of Cunard's Insights enrichment programme, which brings specialists from broadcasting, sport, science, literature, exploration, history and entertainment aboard selected voyages for talks, interviews and question-and-answer sessions.
Cunard says its complete 2026 programme includes more than 800 Insights speakers, including around 200 prominent figures. That total covers the year as a whole; the names below are highlights announced for voyages sailing from August to December.
Ruby Wax OBE, Dame Floella Benjamin, Rebecca Adlington OBE
Queen Mary 2
Actress and author Celia Imrie CBE is scheduled to join Queen Mary 2 during the ship's 450th transatlantic crossing in November. Imrie's screen credits include the Bridget Jones films, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
- Dame Floella Benjamin – broadcaster, actress, author and former Play School presenter.
- Jeff Skiles – the first officer aboard US Airways Flight 1549 when the aircraft landed safely on the Hudson River in 2009.
- Patricia Hodge OBE – stage and screen actress known for productions including Miranda and Rumpole of the Bailey.
- Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE – broadcaster and former England cricketer.
Queen Anne
Queen Anne's programme will span elite sport, technology, exploration and literature. Dame Wendy Hall, a leading computer scientist whose work has helped shape web science and artificial-intelligence research, is among those due to appear.
- Rebecca Adlington OBE – double Olympic swimming champion and broadcaster.
- Rachel Riley MBE – mathematician and television presenter best known for Countdown.
- Adrian Hayes – explorer, adventurer and mountaineer.
- Will Carling OBE – former England rugby union captain.
- Adele Parks MBE – bestselling novelist.
- Katharine Merry – Olympic medallist, broadcaster and athletics commentator.
Queen Victoria
Comedy, crime writing, journalism and behavioural change feature in the line-up aboard Queen Victoria.
- Ruby Wax OBE – comedian, author, broadcaster and mental-health campaigner.
- Peter James – bestselling crime writer and creator of the Roy Grace novels.
- Jane Corbin – investigative journalist and documentary maker.
- Paul McKenna – author and broadcaster known for his work on behavioural change.
Queen Elizabeth in Alaska
Clare Balding CBE will be among the speakers joining Queen Elizabeth during its Alaska season. The award-winning broadcaster and author has covered numerous major sporting and ceremonial events.
- Alison Teal – filmmaker, environmentalist and explorer.
- Ariel Tweto – Alaska-born pilot, producer, actress and television personality.
Queen Elizabeth in the Caribbean
After Alaska, Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to operate a Caribbean season from Miami. Speakers announced for selected voyages include figures from space exploration, politics, entertainment and royal service.
- Susan Kilrain – former NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle pilot.
- Jeffrey Weinberg – former White House official and political historian.
- Nelson Aspen – entertainment journalist, author and broadcaster.
- Patrick Duffy – actor known for television series including Dallas and Step by Step.
- Grant Harrold – former member of the Royal Household and former butler to the then Prince Charles.
More than entertainment at sea
The programme gives Cunard a substantial bank of enrichment content for sea days, when guests have time to attend longer talks and conversations. It also allows each ship's programme to reflect its itinerary: explorers and environmental voices in Alaska, for example, and a particularly broad selection of cultural figures on the line's transatlantic crossings.
Guest speakers have been part of the Cunard experience since 1974. The modern Insights programme continues that tradition by placing recognised public figures alongside specialists whose work may be less familiar to passengers but whose knowledge is closely connected to a destination or subject.
Appearances are attached to selected voyages and programmes can change, so passengers wishing to see a particular speaker should check the relevant sailing information with Cunard before booking.