Swine Flu Update: Letter to the Semester at Sea Community

April 30, 2009: The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) is closely monitoring developments related to the outbreak of swine influenza (H1N1 Virus) in Mexico, the United States, and other parts of the world.

As a precautionary measure, ISE has cancelled a stop in Mexico as part of the upcoming "Passage Through Panama" Enrichment Voyage. Participants have been informed of this change; please see Enrichment Voyages for more information. At this time, all other voyages are expected to sail as planned. When necessary, ISE has the ability to cancel ports of call at any time if conditions should change in any country, even while a voyage is underway.

We will continue to evaluate the outbreak in close consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other entities, for possible impact on current and upcoming voyages. The health and safety of our participants and employees is of the utmost importance and will remain our first priority as we respond to any new developments.

ISE has contingency plans in place to respond to any potential escalation of the outbreak and follows a rigorous health and safety protocol. As part of our Health and Safety Awareness program, students, faculty, and staff receive detailed information from medical staff and senior administrators about best practices for safe and healthy in-country travel. In addition, during situations of heightened alert, MV Explorer personnel will escalate efforts to ensure that all members of the shipboard community follow more stringent preventive measures.

For additional information, please consult the CDC at www.cdc.gov and the WHO at www.who.int/. We will update the SAS website as new information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Salvatore N. Moschella
VP and Chief Operation Officer