Program Reviews

I can easily say that Sea|mester has been the best experience of my life. I was hesitant about the program at first and was not sure what to expect, but if you are considering going on a trip then stop thinking about it and just do it. Throughout the 80 days that I spent on s/y Ocean Star I have seen some of the most incredible sights met some amazing people and made life long friends. It's an feeling that can only be experienced first hand, I feel that this trip has helped me learn and grow as a person. I wouldn't have traded this experience for anything.

This trip was the most amazing experience I have ever had. Having the opportunity to visit so many different places in three months is unbelievable. The program and the staff truly care about making sure you have the best time possible. It is more than leaning just sailing and scuba, it teaches you who you are and how to be a better and more responsible person. I immediately ended up changing my major to Marine Science so I could pursue a career on and around the ocean after the trip. The other students and staff are some people that I will keep in my life forever.

Incredible sights, amazing people, treasured memories. The things I saw, learned, and experienced were priceless. Seamester is a special program that truly cares about its students. Great fun was had and the islands you visit and people you meet will be with you for the rest of your life. Would do it again in a heart beat. Sailing, diving, hiking, adventuring - this program has it all in places you will never forget with people you will call friends for a lifetime.

Going on Seamester was the best decision I've ever made. I cannot even describe everything that I learned and experienced. My two older brothers also went on this trip before me and my whole family loves this program. (3/3 loved it!)
Only when you're out in the middle of the ocean with the stars above you and the bioluminescent below you, do you understand how beautiful it all is. Semester was able to take us out there without any trouble, even though most of the students had no idea how to sail before we got there. As a land-locked novice to sailing I had the best time and learned SO much. The islands we visited were beautiful and interesting. I loved every hike we went on and every dive we dove and every minute of this trip.

I absolutely loved this trip. I made incredible friends and learned to sail, all while taking a class that I could use at my college. I was very sad to leave after my 40 days, and would recommend a trip to anyone who wants to meet amazing people and have an adventure every single day. The SCUBA diving was amazing and I felt much more comfortable in my skills by the end of the trip. Even if you have never sailed before, it doesn't matter. You learn everything and by the end of the trip, we were all teaching each other new duties.

Seamester is an amazing program. Not only do you experience the world in a unique way, you connect with incredible staff and students from a huge variety of backgrounds. No matter your level of experience you feel accepted and valued.

You learn so much, not just about the tangible activities such as sailing, diving, or navigation but about yourself. You open up and become authentic. Truly life changing.

Recommended 100%.

If you have the time and chance, definitely consider Seamester. I was on the 90-day Caribbean trip on the 112 -foot Argo (HEY OSCAR), and I have to say my time on board will definitely be one of the highlights of my life. If all you want to do is party, then please do not sign up, as you will be miserably tired and wet. However, if you actually want to get closer to the ocean rather than stay in an insulated hotel cabin, I believe Seamester is a superior option to other similar programs such as Semester at Sea (which I believe is on a cruise ship). There will definitely be times when living in close quarters with 20+ stinky people will get on your nerves, but if you grit your teeth and hold your tongue, you will find riches in friendship and the chance to behold on a daily basis a beauty that other people might only see once or twice in a lifetime (like sunsets and dolphins). Additionally, you will also get a chance to know your teachers as actual human beings and be inspired by their lives (an extra highlight for me, as my trip had incredible staff members). Just pack well, and get plenty of sleep beforehand, as God knows that when you start this program, you won't.

Basic Score Breakdown:

ADVENTURE: Full 10. Self-explanatory: what else can you describe a journey of 4,300 miles?

LIVING SPACE: 8. Bit cramped, and can be hot at times. Still, you didn't sign up for 5-star hotel accommodations, did you?

CULTURAL IMMERSION: With island skipping, unfortunately, you don't get much of a chance to really get into the native Creole culture. However, the sailing community is very tight knit, and Seamester really gives you the chance to break into that group of slightly weird, terribly sun-burned people. (I'll say it again: my favorite part of the whole trip was meeting incredible people, some of who were my teachers, some of who where fellow students).

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION: I'd say this is the weakest part. The trip was very good, but sometimes the red-tape can be incredible, some due to complex legal problems over your head, others because of the nature of sea life. If you just keep your head down and power through however, things will be fine. Just be warned that you'll have to exercise your bull***t shoveling muscles.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Helicopter parents, be soothed. This program is as safe as can possibly be on the sea. We observed full safety procedures at all times.

SOCIAL LIFE: A definite hit and miss at times. It mostly depends on your luck and the group you get. Some the people I was with were absolute knuckleheads and dealing with them day after day was aggravating--yet, I also met the kindest, smartest people I know on this trip. Just stay away from the former and stick to the latter.

PS: For the Caribbean trip, the list will tell you to pack wool socks. DO NOT PACK WOOL SOCKS. In fact, pack very little socks. You have been warned.

Let me start with a story: one night, while on watch my watch team had the pleasure of seeing Melon Headed Whales swim around the boat for the better part of two hours. They kept setting off bioluminescence as they swam, outlining them as they flowed through the water. We were able to hear them talking, and we fell asleep below deck to the sound of real whale calls. Sea|mester has given me some of the most formative and incredible experiences of my life. The 90 days I spent aboard S/Y Argo sailing around the Caribbean in the spring of 2016 were some of the best of my life. I would not have given up the time I had for anything in the world. In addition, I learned a lot, both about myself and in the Oceanography, Ship Handling, Student Leadership and the Marine Biology classes. I would like to thank Sea|mester for the opportunity to meet some of my now closest friends and see places that I had never thought I would have a chance to see.

Seamester was a life changing experience and I will never forget it. The journey I completed was Seamester's Caribbean Basin 90-day voyage. We sailed on Seamester's auxiliary sailing vessel S/Y Argo. We started at Antigua and made our way south toward Grenada. Than we started heading west to Bonaire and then eventually to Cuba. I learned everything from Marine Biology to Navigating the waters. I will miss seeing shooting stars every night and having dolphins swimming up at the bow of the vessel. I will miss my Argo family as well.

A few days before arriving in Havana where we would become Salsa dancers, watch Obama's motorcade speed by on the main Havana boulevard and explore an old military fort perched on a rocky seaside cliff, we arrived at La Isla de Juventud. The island is a secluded, coconut filled paradise just off the coast of the mainland. Here, by this beautiful island I fell in love. At first, the love was rocky and it felt like I couldn't breathe. Air was just a few short feet away, but that first breath didn't seem to hit my lungs for hours. This is where I learned to freedive. Initially, I could not even get down to 15 feet, but by the end of our stay off of the island, I had reached the one minute mark for a dive and I had reached depths of 45 feet to see a sleeping nurse shark.

These past 90 days were challenging, rewarding, disappointing, exciting, but above all, memorable. Thank You.