Catch Up With John de Lancie!

October 31, 2024

John de Lancie, your favorite trickster Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation, is joining us on Star Trek: The Cruise VIII! This is your chance to see and get to know the man behind the mischief. Read this exclusive Q&A and watch this video to get ready for an epic adventure at sea!

John, you’re one of the “Cruise Crew Five” who have been aboard ever since Star Trek: The Cruise I! How will you keep your week ship-shape fresh for yourself this year and for the fans?

What I like so much about the cruise is coming up with a new show each and every year. And then casting fans in the show! That, in itself, keeps me fresh and excited. I’ve done, over the years, The Scope Monkey Trial, Lost World, The Dover Trial and, last year, I presented the Curtis Institute of Music. This coming year it’s: War of the Worlds – with a twist!

Apparently, thanks to the final scene of Picard, we now know Q will always be with us since he can manipulate what time he emerges from for a visit. So: Would Q ever take a cruise vacation simply for himself—or could he just not resist causing some shipboard mischief for his own fun?

Funny you should ask. Assuming that “Q” is me (and he is!) my wife, Marnie, recently suggested our taking a Norwegian cruise. My immediate response was, “But will I do for a week?!” Her answer: “Nothing!” Which doesn’t sound like much fun to me. So, I think, “Q” will confine his cruising to Star Trek: The Cruise.

What’s a personal hobby or interest you suspect most fans likely still have no idea about? Besides music and pizza baking, of course!

I’m pretty sure my fans know that I sail. My biggest trip was to Tahiti and back. Sailing represents a lot of different things for me: adventure, solitude, romance. And while the destinations have drastically changed since Captain Cook or Magellan visited those ports of call, the ocean has not changed. I’m still traveling the same ocean and that’s thrilling to me.

If you could create an actual *Q flash* event to entertain cruise fans at sea this year, what would it be?

Well, it would have to be spectacular and nautical. Perhaps an expanded version of what I already see when sailing off the coast of California: dolphins and whales. Depending on the season, I regularly sail past hundreds of dolphins or dozens of whales as they feed in the waters off the Channel Islands. It’s a thrilling sight that, if I had the power of the “Q”,  I’d want everyone to experience.

How do you view the impact Star Trek has made on the world?

This is a huge question and I can only touch on a few points. Community. Sharing. Optimism. I’m struck by how many people ‘bonded’ with their parent(s) while watching Star Trek. That, in itself, is so unusual. A multigenerational show! I’m told about how good the show has made them feel through all these years. And, finally, how Star Trek has come to represent a better future. All very powerful.

What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?

Sailing with friends.

What goal are you working toward right now?

I’m working on presenting to the world at large my Dover: Panda trial show, which interestingly, was first created and presented for Star Trek: The Cruise. As happens in the world of Trek, I was approached by one of the Cruise guests – Kristen Tregar – offering to help me develop the show. We spent the year co-writing the Dover show and presented it to the Cruise audience the following year. That show is now being done around the country. In Sacramento on October 4th and again in Chattanooga on July 19th, 2025. All because of Star Trek and The Cruise. Sweet!

Star Trek: The Cruise VIII is the only place to see John de Lancie on the high seas in 2025. The Un-Conventional Voyage is sold out, but join the waitlist for a chance to embark on our starship at sea!