Three different naval history cruises are conducted on Fridays, generally in the middle and end of the month. The first cruise is scheduled on 19 February 2026. During a cruise different presentations which relate to a particular naval site around Sydney Harbour are delivered. At least two presenters are used during a cruise to provide variety.

Cruises start and finish at the king Street Wharf, Darling Harbour. A presenter is expected to participate in most cruises initially to gain experience and then work in with his/her colleagues to manage absences.

A presenter's role is to deliver existing PowerPoint presentations with an interesting commentary on MV BENNELONG. The “standard” presentations can be changed to suit the presenter provided the same topics are covered.

SKILLS REQUIRED PowerPoint, basic laptop operation. Confidence with public speaking. Ability to add an interesting commentary to photos appropriate to the audience without lots of notes. Prompts on some slides can be helpful.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Good overall knowledge of the topics which can be obtained by reading books, the internet, YouTube, etc. Prior Naval experience not necessary.

TRAINING Training and mentoring will be provided by the current team of presenters. Undertake all three cruises for experience then when ready, identify a topic/location and become familiar with and research the topic, rehearse it and when comfortable deliver a presentation. Over time a presenter's repertoire will expand.

Benefits: Cruise presenters are members of an enthusiastic and highly effective small team which deliver a unique educational experience for groups undertaking Naval Historical Society cruises. They have the support of other team members and Society volunteers which assist new presenters learn more about Australia's naval history.

They have the satisfaction of meeting a wide range of grateful visitors who almost always express sincere gratitude at the end of a cruise on.

Overtime presenters become very familiar with Sydney Harbour, it's geography and maritime history. Volunteers are invited to participate in several social events throughout the year.