As many of you know, from time to time emergent international issues compel Semester at Sea to alter its itineraries. We have encountered such a moment. Within the last 24 hours, logistical issues related to the next Semester at Sea port, Mauritius, have arisen which have led the ship’s owner to request that the Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea alter the Spring, 2017 itinerary by bypassing the port of Port Louis, Mauritius and proceed directly to Cape Town, South Africa. The owner has already resolved the business issues, but final resolution in Mauritius has been hindered by the fact that this weekend is Mauritius’ National Day and most business and official offices are closed. Semester at Sea is not a party to the relevant business and logistical issues.
The visit to Mauritius was planned to be very limited, approximately just 12 hours, and the activities that were slated there for field programs and field classes, while valuable, will be rescheduled for later ports on the itinerary. Students, faculty and staff will be reimbursed for costs they incur because of this itinerary change. The remainder of the itinerary, including visits to South Africa, Ghana, and Morocco, and disembarkation in Hamburg, Germany, remains unchanged. The ship will arrive in Cape Town as scheduled on Sunday, March 19.
While Semester at Sea regrets this itinerary change, our top priority, as always, is to ensure the safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and ship, and to ensure the integrity of the academic and field programs. This relatively minor itinerary change will ensure that these fundamental goals are achieved.
Thank you for your continued support of Semester at Sea.
Sincerely,
Loren W. Crabtree
President & CEO
Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea
