January 5, 2023, marks a day that has been long anticipated by many– Embarkation Day! Today, voyagers boarded the MV World Odyssey to officially embark on the Spring 2023 Voyage. Voyagers include 509 students from 230 institutions, 65 faculty and staff, and 19 Lifelong Learners, who represent 48 states and 27 countries.
Voyagers from around the world met the ship in Dubai to set sail on a 7-day journey to Mumbai, India, the first port on the Spring 2023 itinerary.
Over the next 106 days, voyagers will visit 3 continents, 11 countries, and 11 cities, including:
- Mumbai, India
- Mombasa, Kenya
- Aqaba, Jordan
- Limassol, Cyprus
- Piraeus, Greece
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Barcelona, Spain
- Casablanca, Morocco
- Lisbon, Portugal
The Spring 2023 Voyage will end on April 20 as voyagers disembark in Bremerhaven, Germany.
When voyagers are not on land researching coastal ecology on the shores of Kenya or exploring world music in the streets of Portugal, they will learn at sea from faculty who teach approximately 75 upper and lower-division courses each semester. Through our academic partner, Colorado State University, students earn 12-15 college credits all while traveling to 11+ destinations, experiencing Semester at Sea’s motto firsthand that “the world is your campus.”
The MV World Odyssey is truly a one-of-a-kind floating college campus featuring classrooms, cabins, indoor and outdoor dining, a library, fitness facilities, and a lecture hall. In addition to these spaces, a team of professional resident and student life staff, counseling and medical teams, and a maritime captain and crew ensure the safety and well-being of all voyagers.
Executive Dean, Dan Garvey, will be leading this charge. Dan will be sailing on his 7th voyage with Semester at Sea. He is currently President Emeritus of Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona, and served as President from 2000-2010. He is also a professor and founding Fellow of the Institute for Sustainable Social Change at Prescott College.
While serving as Executive Dean for this voyage, Dan will also teach SOC 362- Social Change, a course student-directed experience that provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and initiate action toward social justice.
“The most important focus for us as faculty and staff is to be here for the voyagers.” Dan shares. “It will be a learning experience unlike any other for everyone on the voyage. We just can’t wait to get started.”
As our 131st voyage sets sail, join us in welcoming the newest cohort of voyagers into Semester at Sea’s community of global citizens. With countless experiences, relationships, and opportunities on the horizon, we are eager to see how our Spring 2023 voyagers embark on their own “journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges.”
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