The most incredible journey of my life! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I didn't fine this program too academically challenging. We had three main courses while ashore: Oceanography, Nautical Science, and Maritime Studies. All were engaging and the professors were wonderful, but the science side of things was relatively basic. Across all three courses, we had a total of four exams and two essays; all but two of the exams were take-home.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Ashore: The house-style living is a really solid idea, but my program ended up squishing thirteen people in a house that comfortably would have held eight. However, living with all your program mates and being collectively responsible for things like cleaning, cooking, and grocery shopping was a good way to bond. On the ship: Bunks aboard the Cramer are, as should be expected, pretty small.I could sit up comfortably, and lie flat, but not much beyond that. Don't overpack, and realize that the only time you really spend there is to sleep.

Ashore: Food is made by you and your shipmates, so it really is luck of the draw on this. My crew happened to be pretty talented, but grocery shopping for a house of 13 was definitely stressful. On the ship: Food is EXCEPTIONAL. I never eat this well in daily life, to be honest. We ate six delicious fresh meals a day (okay, three meals, and three snacks), and the steward (cook) makes fresh bread daily! Students spend at least one day of the voyage as full-time assistant cook, and get to plan the meals for the day; this ensures that the menu is varied and that everyone's tastes are shared. Can't say enough good about how wonderful the food is.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Ashore: Since I'm from New England, and the school's shore component takes place in Woods Hole, MA, there wasn't much cultural adjustment. It's a beautiful town and everyone was welcoming. On the ship: Ship culture is a strange thing, but a wonderful one. It really is build by those aboard the ship at any given time, so we were able to create a really solid ship family. Grenada (final destination): Although we spent a day touring around the island, I didn't feel at ease in the local culture. We weren't introduced to it very well, as we were just sent ashore for a few hours each day without much guidance. But part of this is the fact that we were only in Grenada for a few days, and those were not the focus of the program.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

First and foremost, this trip is completely in the middle of the ocean; helicopters will not fly out to get you if there is an emergency, and you can be many days of sailing from the nearest land. The communication with hospitals on shore is limited to the satellite phone so, while they can get advice on medical issues, there isn't much on the ship. The highest trained medical person is the medical officer, who is typically a WFR or WEMT. I'm a type one diabetic, and I had more trouble convincing SEA Semester to let me sail with them than I have had on any other expedition-based program I've done - and many of those were remote, backcountry trips! That being said, once I'd actually been cleared by their medical review team, I had no problems on this front; the medical officer and the rest of the crew didn't make a big deal of it, and were considerate of my needs. The other factor of any sailing trip is seasickness. It's pretty brutal, if you're prone to such things; as it turns out, I'm very much a person who gets seasick. So I spent a solid few days hanging over the rail whenever I was awake. The medical officer on board can give some seasickness medications and encourages everyone to start taking them, but they only do so much. And while you won't be allowed to leave watch if you're seasick, the crew takes good care of you - everyone's been through it at some point.

Because medical access is so limited, safety is stressed heavily on SEA semester. While 'on watch', all students and staff wear chest harnesses. These can be clipped onto the railings, and this is actually required whenever you are working over the side of the ship - deploying nets, ect. All sails can be set and struck from the deck, but those who wish to go aloft (climb up in the rigging) have to undergo safety training. We did full ship safety drills for man overboard and abandon ship.

SEA Semester was truly life changing, and the program that I did (Ocean Exploration) had the sailing component that I was really seeking. I liked sailing on the Atlantic, and ending in the warmth of the Caribbean was stellar. I would also consider doing a similar program in the South Pacific, which is also offered by SEA.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

There were no necessary costs that the program did not cover, except when reaching Grenada. Even then, SEA provided meal options for those who did not want to spend money on shore. Once on the ship, there's nothing to spend money on at all, which is very thrifty.

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• Other

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Americans
• International Students

• Community
• Sailing
• Laboratory work

• Seasickness medication
• Housing on shore - less crowded would have been nice
• More academic support for the gap year students - some of them were not prepared for a college workload.

The Avid Adventurer