So, the MV World Odyssey is used fall and spring by Semester At Sea, and in the summer it hosts specialty cruises. As a result, we get the benefits of a rather luxurious university/home away from home.
We left San Diego and Ensenada on Saturday, January 4. Sunday was a full day of orientation: academic expectations, social contracts, introductions to the captain and crew and professors. Most importantly, it was a day to get our sea legs, start our sea-sickness prevention method (patch, pills, wrist bands or all 3!) because the sea was rough! We had prepared ourselves mentally for motion, but we had never taken the time to imagine the feeling in the body….Now we are used to the rocking and rolling. The ship determines how quickly you move throughout the hallways, and students are finding that the constant movement makes you either fall asleep in class more easily, or makes you need to take frequent study breaks, because it feels like your brain is a little scrambled when you try to read a lot. And we find the entire ship decorated with little white barf bags empty, and waiting!
The photos below are some of our classrooms: the ballroom, a salon and a movie theatre when not being used by Semester at Sea. The views from every window are. ocean. No ships, no land….just ocean.
Our daily schedule on ship:
7:30 Breakfast
8:30 A and B days: Global Studies
9:40 A and B days: Lifelong Learner Seminar
11:30 Lunch
12:40 A day: Global Leadership; B day: Introduction to Culinary Tourism
14:10 A day: Religions of the East
17:30 Dinner
19:00 Evening Lecture
Then we try to fit in walking or spinning or Tai Chi or Yoga everyday while at the same time keeping up with the readings we are expected to do for class. Even if we do not have to take exams or write papers, we are expected to read and participate in the discussions.