Life at Sea – Week One

We have now spent six nights on the MV World Odyssey as apart of the Semester at Sea and it has been incredible! I can’t imagine a better place to spend a semester. Not many people can say they have travelled around the world in four months while getting university credits! Each morning, I wake up so grateful as I look out the window in my room to see if I can spot any sea creatures!

Who is on the Ship

There are a total of 723 people aboard the MV World Odyssey. There is a total 61 “staculty” (staff and faculty), 26 children, and 20 lifelong learners. The crew consists of 176 different people from 17 countries around the world! Lastly, there are 449 students from 187 different institutions! 71% of us our female and there are 8 students from Canada!

Rooming Situations

There are many types of bedrooms on board including outside doubles, outside triples, inside triples, inside doubles, inside singles, and larger rooms for families and lifelong learners. The room I am staying in is an outside double on the fourth floor! I am glad to be on the outside because we have a window looking out to the ocean, which I have spotted dolphins out of! We have two single beds and tons of storage space. There is a desk, a decent sized closet, two bedside tables, a television, and a nice bathroom with a shower. My roommate and I have decorated our room to feel more like at home. By far, my favourite part of sleeping in this room is how the rocking ship puts me to sleep like a baby each night!

Classes on Board

There are many different rooms on the ship that are used as classroom. These rooms may be old lounges, theatres, or even restaurant areas. There are no desks so students have to bring a lap-desk or a clipboard. The best part is definitely how comfy the chairs are in all the rooms!

Each student is required to take four classes. Students are able to take five but they do not recommend it since they want us to experience each country we visit and not be overwhelmed with homework. The four classes I am taking include Global Studies, Biological Diversity, Psychology and Sport, and Human Origins and Variation. Our classes are split into Day A and Day B instead of Monday through Friday since the schedule depends on the amount of days at sea and in-country. I have two classes on each day to keep everything evened out.

Each student is required to take Global Studies which is taught by a professor from Iceland! It is split into two sections and there are about 200 students in each class. This class is held in the Kaisersaal, which is the large auditorium on deck 6 where all the big meetings are held. Global Studies is great since we are able to learn all about the countries we are going to! I am starting to gain an understanding of global interconnectedness and discover in which ways our globalized world affects our families, communities, and global world.

Another class I am taking is Biological Diversity. The professor who teaches this class is originally from Edmonton, Alberta and now living in Hawaii. There are ­­­28 students in this class and it is held in the Adlon classroom that is at the back of the ship on deck 8 and has a great view of the ocean. I am excited to branch away from my usual science classes like kinesiology and chemistry and explore the biological diversity of various ecosystems in our world.

Psychology and sport is taught by a professor who has lived all over the United States. This class is also held in the Kaisersaal but on the starboard (right) side of the boat with another class taking place on the port side. Our class has 28 students in it as well. I have always had a love for psychology and also sports so I am excited to see what this class will teach me!

The fourth class I am enrolled in is Human Origins and Variation.   This class consists of 19 students and is taught by a professor from Hawaii. This classroom is called the Lido Terrace and is full of natural light on the 9^th floor! I have never taken a anthropology course so I am very excited to learn about human evolution.

Field Classes and Programs

Each class offers a field class that is included in tuition.  These classes are held in country and are worth 20% of our grade. 

The title of my Human Origins and Variation field class is
Old World Monkey Business.  This program is on September 27^th in Tema, Ghana. We will be examining Olive Baboons in their natural habitat and taking note of their complex social structure first-hand!  The goal is to better understand how the baboons maintain their social hierarchy in the Shai Hills Resource Reserve!

My second field class is called Kakum Canopy Walkway and Music Performance and will be in Ghana on September 29^th. This field class is a bit different since we were able to choose one of 50 to use towards our Global Studies class. In this program I will have the opportunity to explore the Kakum National Park in West Africa’s lush rainforest. After exploring the Canopy Walkway we will get the chance to experience a musical performance by local youth! For this field class, I will have to write a paper on what I experienced and how it relates to the information we learned in class about Ghana.

My field class for Psychology and Sport will be held in China on November 29^th! We will be visiting the Chinese Olympic Training Center and the Shanghai University of Sport to observe practices and interview athletes and coaches. This program will teach us about the psychological methods used to motivate athletes in a different culture!

My last field class will be held in Hawaii on December 16^th. This class is for Biological Diversity and is titled Island Biogeography and Conservation Challenges on the Island. We will be hiking to Ka`ena Point Natural Area reserve to learn about and partake in bird banding, nest marking, and GPS tracking of the Laysan Albatrosses!

We also have field programs in country which are separate from our field classes. Click here to check out which programs I am registered in for the upcoming countries in my first Semester at Sea post!

Food on Board

The food has been incredible and is different almost every day (so far)! There are set times for when we have to eat each meal. Breakfast is from 7:00 to 8:30am, lunch is from 11:30 to 1:30pm, and dinner is from 5:30 to 7:30pm. There is also a snack every night we are on sea at 10:00pm! The two main restaurants are called the Berlin Restaurant and the Lido Restaurant. They are both very large and beautiful! I prefer the Lido Restaurant since you can also go outside and eat on the deck!

There are many options for each meal. For breakfast there is always, fruit, pastries, a type of eggs, bagels, toast, cereal, oatmeal, and something bigger like pancakes or French toast. For lunch and dinner, there is always a salad bar, a soup bar, fruits, vegetables, and buns with different types of meat, potatoes, rice, and dessert! The only difference is that lunch usually has sandwiches with it as well. Snack is always leftovers from the previous meals usually consisting of sandwiches and desserts.

There is fresh water, coffee, and tea available 24 hours a day! I’m glad I brought my travel mug since this is the only way coffee and tea can be brought out of the restaurant.

Besides the main restaurants, there is also a Lido Grill and Snack Bar. The Lido Grill offers burgers, sandwiches, fries, pizza and other food items for an extra price. The Snack bar is similar but with cookies, chips, and other snack items. There is a Vita Mix Bar that sells fruit smoothies and vegetable juices for about $4 each.

The last food option available is called the Four Seasons Specialty Dining. On certain days, the Four Seasons restaurant opens for a six-course dinner! This meal does cost $30 but past SASers say the food is amazing and worth doing at least once. A few of us are considering going for my birthday next week!

Communication on Board

Communication on board can be very difficult with the lack of wifi and use of cellphones! Over the past week, we have figured out where certain people like to hang out making it easier to find each other. The easiest way to find people is to decided beforehand where to meet. For example, on A Days we always have breakfast at the Lido Restaurant at 8:00am. Then at least you get to be with all your friends in the morning and make plans for later in the day. Another way to reach each other is through email since it is available to all of us. This is reliable but you never know when your friend will log on to their SeaMail and see your message!

My friend Amanda and I have figured out a system that is working for us so far. We have been leaving sticky notes on each other’s doors with our location, time, and the hope that we’ll be able to find each other! Oddly enough, Amanda is also from the University of Lethbridge but we met aboard the MV World Odyssey! Be sure to check out her personal Semester at Sea adventures at amandaabroad.blog!

There are a few websites we are able to access without Internet. The homepage for Semester at Sea is called the Dean’s Memo. Each day, this memo is updated with reminders about meetings, messages from clubs, and reminders about movie nights! There is also a section showing the time (since it is always changing), the ships location, the temperature of the water and air, and when the sun will rise and set so we never miss it! Lastly, everyday there is a noon report over the intercom relaying similar information from the Dean’s Memo to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on that day.

Other Activities and Amenities

There are many activities and amenities that are available on the MV World Odyssey. On the 9^th deck, there is a pool deck where people like to swim, lounge, and study. Overlooking the pool is a small volleyball and basketball court. There are also two gyms with cardio equipment and weights.  

On the 7^th deck there is a hair salon and on the 3^rd deck there is a spa. The spa offers a number of services including pedicures, manicures, waxing, many types of massages and more.  

The ship also has a medical clinic, a library, and a campus store. The medical clinic is open a few hours every day whether we are at sea or in port. The campus store sells SAS clothing, school supplies, and hygiene products. In the cinema, there are movie showings on certain nights and students can show what they brought also.

Lastly, there are many different clubs and groups on the ship. The ones I joined include Waves of Change volunteering, the extended family program, basketball, volleyball, soccer, workout club, and yoga. The extended family program allows students to pair up with one of their professors. About one night a week, that student gets to have supper with their professor and his or her family.

Advantages of Ship Life

There are many advantages of living and having classes on a ship! First, studying for classes means sitting on the back deck, looking at the ocean, and waiting for someone to yell “dolphin.” Though the rocking of the ship might put you to sleep in class, nothing beats a study break of looking over the rail at the shark swimming by or the whales in the distance! One of my favourite parts of the day is getting to watch the sunset. The colours are breathtaking and different each night.

Also, the lack of wifi and cellphone service forces everyone to take a break from technology and get to know each other. This, along with living with everyone on the ship, creates a close-knit community. Unlike most schools, students are able to get to know their professors and his or her families by sitting down to eat a meal together. Making friends seem to happen faster when one of the best ways to spend time on the ship is to sit by the pool or play a game of cards with other students.

The food is always amazing! The best part is we do not have to worry about cooking or cleaning! Our cabins are cleaned every day and laundry is available at an extra charge. Overall, life on the MV World Odyssey goes above and beyond anything I ever imagined. Sometimes it is hard to remember that we have classes to attend and homework to finish.

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