Traveling as a Spotlight Voyager on Semester at Sea is a wonderful way to get a taste of the Semester at Sea experience without committing to the full 100-day voyage. Lifelong Learners meet daily for voyage-specific educational seminars, share meals and cocktail conversations, join clubs, exercise groups and are able to attend classes with students as space permits. There is never a lack of thought-provoking activity to engage you during your Spotlight no matter whether it is 10 days, two weeks, or longer. You will swiftly be swept up by all of the educational and cross-cultural opportunities that will cross your path and provide endless fodder for future study and exploration.
Lifelong Learners
The Semester at Sea Lifelong Learning Program invites adventurous adult travelers to grow, experience, and explore on our academic voyages.
Program Overview
Traveling as a Semester at Sea Lifelong Learner provides adult learners 30 years of age or older with an opportunity to join the SAS academic community. Lifelong Learners add a valuable generational element to the Semester at Sea shipboard community. They are retirees, professionals on leave, or simply adventurous travelers who desire to study with bright, enthusiastic undergraduate students from around the world. Semester at Sea is a travel experience designed for curious learners who want to push beyond the tourist paradigm and experience the heart of cultures around the world.
What’s included
Additional Lifelong Learner Expenses:
- Overnight stay prior to embarkation
- Flights to and from the ship
- Travel visas
- Field Programs
- Textbooks
- Any appropriate vaccinations
- Between-meal food and beverages while onboard
- Laundry
- Independent travel
- Port Services Fees (if applicable)
- Fuel surcharge (if applicable)
Upcoming Voyages
January 05 — April 20
Germany Ghana India Kenya Malaysia Morocco South Africa Spain Thailand Vietnam
September 09 — December 22
France Ghana Hong Kong India Mauritius Morocco Netherlands South Africa Spain Thailand Vietnam
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about joining Semester at Sea as a Lifelong Learner.
That depends on what you hope to accomplish while at sea. The internet on-board is fairly reliable but can also go in and out, depending on the ship’s location. The most reliable internet will always be in port, at hotels or restaurants. Generally, you can send and receive emails or text using WhatsApp while on board. However, streaming of any kind is prohibited, which includes services like Netflix, YouTube, Zoom, Pandora, and more.
At this time, we offer a Loyalty Award to alumni (of any kind) who are sailing a full voyage as a Lifelong Learner. Read more.
Yes! Many families sail together on Semester at Sea to experience a nontraditional travel opportunity. We have a variety of cabin options, including large suites for families with young children, or cabins across the hall from each other should you need a little separation. Contact us to discuss your particular situation.
Semester at Sea, like any company, sets up a yearly budget based largely on estimates of fixed and variable costs with some room for variation. We are directly impacted from time to time just as everyone is in the travel industry and the maritime industry in particular, with periodic and significant overall increases in our fuel prices. Depending on each port’s regulatory and environmental requirements, we have to consider at least two different types and grades of fuel, each with significantly different price points. Political unrest in certain parts of the world, as well as periodic natural disasters, also can contribute to increasing and unpredictable volatility as well, which in turn lends to overall instability and unpredictability in fuel prices. Fuel charges remain a material component of our overall cost structure. We make every effort to contain fuel costs through enhanced itinerary planning (which we conduct one to two years in advance), and through the use of standard advance fuel purchase commitment arrangements when appropriate. However, it is impossible for us to accurately predict what we might pay for fuel per voyage, port-to-port. Like airlines and major shipping companies, we regrettably must offset these higher costs from time to time with additional fuel surcharges.
In order to facilitate your financial planning, we may invoice you with a “fuel fee,” which at the time is our best indication of what our final “fuel surcharge” is expected to be. In advance of sailing, Semester at Sea may enact a fuel supplement surcharge for all participants, in the event that the average price for the blended types of fuel and related costs during the voyage is expected to exceed a certain budgetary threshold in pricing per metric ton, the amount of which will be offset by advance fuel fee billings/payments. These incurred costs include not only what is expected to be paid in various ports, but also include additional costs for fuel contracts entered into. These fuel contracts are intended to cushion the financial impact if future fuel prices became volatile. Such surcharges when enacted are necessary to offset the total excess fuel costs that exceed this budget threshold. For more information please review our fuel surcharge policy.
Living & Learning Aboard a Ship
The Semester at Sea voyage is not a cruise! Our ship becomes a floating college campus where you will live, eat, and study with up to 550 undergraduate college students and up to 100 faculty, staff, and family members. In addition, there are 180 multi-national crew members who add to this diverse shipboard community.
Make It Your Voyage
Many Lifelong Learners choose to sail for the full voyage to get the richest experience. However, traveling for 3-1/2 months may not be an option for everyone! We also offer partial voyages called Spotlight Voyages. Spotlight Voyagers join for a defined amount of time, generally 30-45 days. Spotlight Voyagers integrate into the shipboard community and participate in academic courses, community activities, and in-port Field Programs.
Earn a $500 Loyalty Award!
Semester at Sea is grateful for returning voyagers and is pleased to offer a loyalty award to alumni sailing as Lifelong Learners. If you are an upcoming full-voyage Lifelong Learner who has previously sailed a full summer, fall, or spring voyage in any capacity, you will receive a $500 shipboard credit* upon boarding the ship!
Who’s Eligible?
The loyalty award is available for alumni who sailed on a full summer, fall, or spring voyage, and who sailed as a:
- Student
- Lifelong Learner
- Faculty
- Staff
- Dependent/family member
Alumni who have only sailed on an Enrichment Voyage, Maymester, Reunion/Homecoming voyage, or any of the Forum on Global Engagement voyages are not eligible for a loyalty award. Partial voyagers (interport lecturers, visitors, etc.) are also not eligible.
How to Apply
Lifelong Learners should notify the Director of Lifelong Learning upon reservation in order to confirm their previous participation on a voyage. This offer is not available to Spotlight Voyagers.
*Please note that there is a maximum of $1,000 shipboard credit per cabin, and any unused credit at the end of the voyage will be invalid.
*The Loyalty Award is available for eligible Lifelong Learner participants only, and may not be used for alumni sailing again as student voyagers.
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