The End of Voyage 131
Students, staff, faculty, lifelong learners, and family gather on the back of the MV World Odyssey in Aqaba, Jordan to take the shipwide voyage photo. Photo by Austin Trapnell.
It’s hard to believe how quickly the first four months of the year flew by. I remember feeling as though I blinked and time-traveled from early January to late April.
Many of us were in a state of denial — how was it over already?
Yet, even during the final days of the voyage, life on the ship remained busy. Students were studying and completing assignments as finals loomed around the corner.
Alongside the last-minute cramming, reintegration seminars were beginning. Many teachers and staff host their own lectures detailing their advice on how to adjust back to normal life and process the insane experience we’d just finished.
When students weren’t studying, they were packing, spending precious moments with their new friends, getting things signed, and writing letters. Similar to a yearbook, SASers sign each other’s maps, journals, hats, or even clothing! I left with a bucket hat covered in signatures and a journal filled with notes that I didn’t read until I was back home.
And of course, among all this, there are some notable and bittersweet events that occur on each Semester at Sea voyage.
The Alumni Ball
The Alumni Ball is a celebration for the Semester at Sea “graduates” that took place on April 17. Once we complete our finals and required coursework, we’re dubbed alumni — hence, the ball. The ball is a chance for students and faculty to throw on their best formal attire, share a fancy dinner with friends, and then dance their hearts out on deck 9.
I spent most of the night with my closest friends on the ship: Karley, MK, and my roommate Bella. We shared a table at dinner and had a blast taking photos and laughing with each other all night. Of course, I also spent lots of time with my other SAS besties. Some are pictured below.
The Convocation Ceremony
Convocation takes place the morning after the Alumni Ball. It’s an actual ceremony honoring college graduates. The students who graduated in the Spring 2023 semester at their home institutions missed their ceremonies to be on Semester at Sea, so the program hosts an honorary ceremony for new college graduates.
Charlie, a good friend of mine on the ship, just graduated from Arizona State and partook in the Convocation Ceremony.
The Last Day and Night on the Ship
Maybe it’s like this on every voyage, or maybe not, but I can tell you that the last day and night of Voyage 131 was a memorable night. During the day, alongside the activities I mentioned earlier, there was a roll-eating contest! Rolls are practically famous on the ship since they’re served at every meal and are delicious. But I have to admit, watching a bunch of college-age guys shove rolls in their mouths was pretty gross. But the contest as a whole was lots of fun.
That evening, students, staff, lifelong learners, and faculty gathered on the back deck to watch our very last sunset on the ship. It was a heartwarming experience — everyone was hugging one another, crying, and retelling stories from the past four months. Moreover, it was a beautiful sunset. Our Voyage 131 family, gathered together one last time.
Maybe it’s tradition, but a chunk of students, including my friends and I, decided we were going to pull an all-nighter for our last night on the ship. It was a long night of games, dancing, laughing, and talking, and I spent it with my closest friends, of course. It felt like a giant sleepover. It was so much fun.
YouTube vlog coming soon!
Disembarkment Day
April 20, the day I was dreading since the beginning of the voyage was here. Since we pulled an all-nighter, I was awake for the sunrise as we docked in Bremerhaven, Germany. Once we disembarked, we were no longer under Semester at Sea’s care — we were traveling on our own.
Even if one didn’t pull the all-nighter, students were still up by 6 a.m. to go through face-to-face immigration. Once immigration was completed, we moved all our stuff from our rooms and waited in the dining halls, library, and union to disembark. We were called by sea to disembark, but no one quite knew what order we were being called in. So it was really intense when the intercom would crackle, and we would anxiously await who would leave next.
I was physically shaking, and I was so restless. I just couldn’t believe the adventure was over, and I had to say goodbye to some of the best friends in the world. But alas, my sea Bering was called, and we made our way to the gangway. We scanned our ship IDs one last time, and just like that, we were no longer voyagers.
After disembarkation, passengers are free to do what they please. Some returned home immediately, for an important job or just because they missed family and friends. But many continued traveling throughout Europe and beyond. I think SASers tend to think alike because many of us did end up in the same places, like Munich, Germany for Springfest and Amsterdam, Netherlands for the Tulip Festival. Knowing that we share something so special as Voyage 131. I’m so incredibly grateful for the connections I’ve made all around the world.
I briefly traveled in Germany and Amsterdam before finally making my way home on April 25. While at home, besides working and catching up on photos and blog posts, I struggled to reflect on my time with Semester at Sea. Sometimes, when I look back on it, it seems like a dream. Did it even happen?
Of course, it happened, and once I began actually processing my experience, that was when I gathered my insight. Now, I could go on and on about how Semester at Sea changed my life. But I managed to sum up the most important points in the video below (which is also on my Instagram @lifeofsamn).
