All Aboard the MV World Odyssey!
Deck 9, where the pool is located, aboard the MV World Odyssey on January 5, 2023 docked outside of Dubai, UAE.
Have you ever seen the Suite Life on Deck? If you haven’t, it’s a Disney Channel sit-com featuring the iconic Sprouse twins, Debby Ryan, Brenda Song, and other Disney actors. Essentially, it’s about a group of kids who live and study aboard a cruise ship. I remember watching the show on TV as a kid and laughing along at their antics and adventures. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would find myself living my own “Suite Life on Deck” through Semester at Sea.
All Aboard!
On January 5, I awoke bright and early in Dubai to board the MV World Odyssey, a cruise ship, and my home for the next four months. It was a fast-paced morning, packing up, checking out of the hotel, and catching the final Uber with Dedra and Taylor. As I rushed about in the Lobby, wearing a SAS sweatshirt that I bought nearly a year ago when I got accepted into the program, many people took notice and wished me luck as I boarded the ship. I thanked them, feeling like I would need it. Because even though I was ecstatic, I was also extremely nervous. Mostly nervous if I would make it through security, if I had the right documents ready to go, and overall, just not knowing what to expect.
But I’ve come to learn that releasing expectations and embracing the unknown doesn’t have to be anxiety-inducing. I’m trusting that everything works out the way it is supposed to. So, we arrived at the Seaport and entered Terminal 2. We were greeted by friendly SAS members, wearing deep blue SAS t-shirts and big grins on their faces. Mollique, who I would later learn is the on-ship care coordinator, approached Taylor and I, offered to help with our bags and eagerly asked us questions about where we were from and how excited we were. However, I was noticeably tense at this point, which he noticed.
“Hey, just breathe,” he told me, smiling sincerely. And I did. I felt better.
We checked in our bags and headed over to customs, where we turned in our passports and India E-visas. After a heartfelt goodbye, with Dedra referring to me as her “adopted daughter,” Taylor and I went through security. Then, we exited the Terminal and found ourselves face-to-face with the World Odyssey.
Four years of dreaming about boarding this ship, and the time was finally here. Seeing the ship in the flesh, with its white exterior, bold blue letters and the words Semester at Sea rising above the deck, visible to all. Taylor and I, along with more excited girls, grabbed some pictures before we climbed a narrow staircase inside. The ship was different from any other cruise ships I’d been on (including a Carnival Cruise and Harmony of the Seas Royal Caribbean, because it was smaller and significantly older (I know, I’m spoiled!).
The interior was adorned with bright red carpet and gold embellishments on the walls and light fixtures. There are also a multitude of paintings hanging on the walls, and sculptures in different areas of the room. I didn’t recognize any of the people in the art, but maybe someday I can do some research – I’m sure they’re significant to the ship. Interestingly, nearly all the signs on the ship are written in German because a Germany company manufactured the ship. Once we boarded, we checked in by grabbing nametags, turning in medical records including our yellow fever cards, and grabbing our class schedules.
After that, I descended to the fourth deck, where my room was. Upon entering, it was small, but not smaller than I expected. Bella had already claimed one side of the room, so I grabbed the other, threw my stuff on the shelf and inspected the room. Although a bit awkward, the room could have been much worse, and it was beautifully decorated. I figured I’d be okay living here for the next four months.
Then, I decided to grab some lunch. At this point, it was around 11:30 a.m. As I was searching for the Lido Dining Hall, one of two on the ship, I ran into my roommate, Bella! She moved in about 30 minutes before myself, and I was so excited to spend some time with her. We went to Lido and found a group of girls seated by the window. We grabbed food, which consisted of grilled chicken, pasta, and rolls. It was delicious! The SAS dining halls have some of the best dining hall food I’ve ever had, and I really think I’ve been branching out my appetite since boarding the ship. As we ate, we laughed and talked with another, the same questions flying about.
“Where are you from?”
“Where do you go to school?”
“What port are you most excited for?”
“Why SAS?”
After lunch, I somehow lost Bella and ended up exploring the ship alone for a bit. I went to the ninth deck, where I came across a group of guys, a woman and her son playing a variation of darts. I decided to join them and got to talking to Nancy Carr, the woman and her son Elliot. As a theatre professor on board, we got to talking about our favorite Broadway shows, which if you know me well then you know I adore Come From Away. After telling her this, we made the craziest connection ever. Her husband, Geno Carr, played a main character, Oz, in the original Come From Away Broadway cast! Furthermore, I saw the musical for the first time as a freshman in high school on Broadway in New York City, so I watched Geno perform live nearly six years ago! Now here we are, sailing the world on the same ship. What a small world we live in. This is just one of the few crazy connections I’ve made on this journey. I met Geno at the Faculty Meet and Greet (which was a day later during orientation on Jan. 6) and was totally starstruck. I asked him tons of questions about what it was like being in the show. Now, I see him and his family all the time on the ship and consider them friends!
Meeting Geno at the Faculty Meet and Greet. He told me all about performing with the Come From Away original Broadway cast in New York City!
After this interaction, we reported to the Anderson Union, the largest classroom and common area on the ship. There, we met some of the leadership, including Dean Dan, Dean Nancy, the academic advisors, the medical and counseling Team, the Resident Directors, some of the crew, and more. After that, I reunited with Bella and new friends Trevor, Abby, Emily and Hannah.We grabbed dinner and watched a cloudy but beautiful sunset – the first of many. At around 8:00 p.m., everyone congregated at the back of the ship, and we watched as we departed from Dubai! As we did, cheers erupted from the students, staff, faculty, and lifelong learners watching from the back. We could see parents waving from the docks nearby, which honestly made me tear up a bit. Had my parents been among them, I would have been bawling.
After a bit more socializing, Bella and I retreated to bed since we were totally exhausted and prepared for our first day at sea tomorrow.
Learning the Ins and Outs of Boat School
Our first day at sea was spent at orientation, which lasted all day. We received schedule in our mailboxes, letting us know where we would be throughout the day. We watched variety of presentations on ship safety, academics, field classes/programs, technology information, cultural awareness, and more. It packed a lot of information in one day! Despite how exhausting it was, it was very helpful. We also had a safety drill, where we grabbed our lifejackets stowed in our rooms and met by the lifeboats for a safety briefing. We do this once a month.
In addition to briefings, we had to program to get to know one another and meet our “seas.” There are six “sea” groups onboard, consisting of students and their leader RD’s. Bella, Abby, Emily, Hannah and I are all in Bering Sea (which is obviously the best). There’s also Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea, Yellow Sea, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea. The seas compete against each other when we have the ship-wide “Sea Olympics” in March. And, it’s just another ship community that’s cool to be a part of and a great way to meet people! Our RD is Raja; they’re super lively, energetic, friendly, and approachable. I know I’m biased, but I think they’re among the best RDs. During the meetings, we played lots of fun ice-breakers, and I met so many new people I honestly can’t keep track of them all. We ended the night with a late snack in the dining hall before heading to bed so we could be well rested for our first day of classes tomorrow.
The incredible thing about Semester at Sea is the community on the ship. In my short time aboard the World Odyssey, I’ve met so many amazing people from different places all over the world. The coolest part is that the nature of SAS naturally attracts very like-minded people, I’ve noticed. People who are adventurous, creative, intelligent, thoughtful, outgoing, friendly, and fun. I’m so excited to continue to meet people throughout the voyage and travel in-port with my new friends.
