Experience
Student Stories & Mentors
Who better to share the transformative Semester at Sea experience than students themselves? You can chat with recent alumni directly via our Global Ambassador Program or Diversity Peer Mentor Program, or you can scroll below and explore more student stories!
Global Ambassador Program
Global Ambassadors are recent alumni who are still enrolled as undergraduate students — possibly at your campus or a campus near you! They are trained to answer questions you may have about the program and share their unique experiences.
Diversity Peer Mentor Program
Before and after each voyage, SAS can connect recent alumni with prospective voyagers who share similar identities. This is designed to be an informal mentoring program to share personal voyage experiences. Although we cannot guarantee to meet all mentorship requests, we will do our best to pair as many mentors and mentees as possible.
Voyager Vlogs
Error: No videos found.
Make sure this is a valid channel ID and that the channel has videos available on youtube.com.
Explore our YouTube
This Giving Tuesday, let’s go beyond. 🌍 #semesteratsea #studyabroad #givingtuesday
Gap Year Abroad | How Semester at Sea Changed My Life
Unplugged & Fully Present: Life Aboard the World Odyssey | Semester at Sea
Falling Asleep to the Waves: What I Miss Most About Semester at Sea
Life on the World Odyssey: Sunsets, Sunrises & What I Miss Most | Semester at Sea
🌍 Sail to 11 Countries + Get $250 Shipboard Credit | Semester at Sea Fall 2026 🚢
Social Feed
In Mombasa, Kenya 🇰🇪, students in Dr. Walter Spezzano’s Principles of Natural Resource Tourism course took learning beyond the classroom and into the field.
Led by Dr. Walter Spezzano, Professor of Hospitality and Tourism on the Semester at Sea 137th Voyage, the field class explored how tourism is shaped, framed, and experienced across three sites: Nguuni Nature Sanctuary, Serena Beach Resort & Spa, and Mombasa Cultural Village.
Through ethnography and discourse analysis, students examined how ideas like conservation, luxury, cultural heritage, and authenticity are communicated—and how those narratives influence human behavior. By connecting theory to real-world tourism practices in coastal Kenya, the experience offered a deeper, more critical understanding of hospitality and tourism in action.
#semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad
Our voyagers share tips and advice for future Black students preparing for their Semester at Sea experience #blackhistorymonth #semesteratsea
“Every Voyage is the Best Voyage Ever.” - Dr. John Tymitz
For more than five decades, John and Dixie Tymitz have been woven into the fabric of Semester at Sea. Their story is not just one of leadership, but also of love – for their family, students, and colleagues – and a lifetime of adventures through their commitment to Semester at Sea.
Recently, the Tymitz legacy reached a new chapter when the John and Dixie Tymitz Endowed Scholarship Fund surpassed $1 million, a milestone made possible in large part by a major gift from Jim and Becky Fehsenfeld, longtime SAS alumni and supporters whose lives were shaped by John and Dixie’s steady presence.
But to understand what that milestone truly means, you have to rewind the story – to a boy who once studied a globe and a girl who dreamed of acting under the spotlight.
Read more in our latest News from the Helm: https://www.semesteratsea.org/every-voyage-is-the-best-voyage-ever-celebrating-dr-john-and-dixie-tymitz/
Due to developing weather conditions, the Spring 2026 Voyage will now arrive one day later than planned in Cape Town, South Africa, Executive Dean Kenn Gaither announced today. Captain Kostas has slowed the MV World Odyssey’s speed as a result of the weather off the coast of South Africa.
As a result, one day (March 10) has been added to the voyage’s South Africa port. This will necessitate shortening our Ghana port by one day, arriving March 19 and departing March 23.
The Field Office and ISE are working to reschedule SAS Field Programs and Field Classes impacted by these changes. The shipboard community will continue to be updated by the Captain and voyage leadership over the days ahead. The ship is now expected to arrive on Thursday, March 5.
Said Gaither in his announcement, “I know you join me in appreciating the proactive care of the Captain and Crew to managing the developing weather. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these changes.”
Meet Jasmine Janet, a fourth-year law student and our Interport Student from Kenya 🇰🇪 Jasmine sailed with us from India to Kenya, sharing her culture, insights, and perspective with our shipboard community every step of the way. #semesteratsea #studyabroad #sas
🗳️ Cast your vote! Comment the number of your favorite SAS Flag photo from Kenya on our IG Story🇰🇪
☝️Only one vote per user will be counted.
⏰Voting ends in 24 hours!
Not your average day at sea! #semesteratsea #studyabroad #sas #neptuneday
The lessons we are bringing home from our time in Asia #semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad #voyage137
Exploring India’s history one palace at a time #semesteratsea #studyabroad #sas #india
Scenes from India #semesteratsea #travel #studyabroad #cinematic #sas
This reel was created by our Social Media Management students as part of a class competition! Each port will feature a student reel, with winners determined by likes, comments, and shares within a 7-day window.
Officially Shellbacks🐚 Happy Neptune Day Voyage 137! 🛳️🌊 #semesteratsea #sassp26 #sas #neptuneday
Taking “the world is our classroom” to the next level! #semesteratsea #sas #studyabroad
Ready to Set Sail?
Take the first step on the journey of a lifetime.