Semester at Sea: Study Around the World

Is there sea sickness? yes. Are there days you are going to wish that you could see land? Yes. Is the first sight of Japan on horizon the most exhilarating celebration on the deck with classmates? YES.

Great aspects are that you will make friends on this voyage that will you will stay in contact with forever. There is something spectacular about traveling to any city in the United States and knowing someone who lives there from your voyage or another SAS voyage. SAS Alumni stick together.

This isn't just a study abroad program its a life altering, life long friend gathering, mind blowing, cultural immersion. You will be witness to some of the world's poorest populations and some of the most successful alum and lifetime learners.

What other program allows you to have your own cabin/room, which is your home base, all while traveling to 10 uniquely different countries? Living on a ship for 3-4 months is an experience you will not be able to capture with any other program.

You will sleep under the stars, celebrate the equator crossing, have Thanksgiving dinner with your professors, learn from instructors who are industry leaders or the forefront of creativity. There are clubs to join, grandparents/life long learners to adopt, and children to mentor.

On my voyage we had the opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro. Being in the presence of world leaders and Nobel Prize recipients can't be put into words. I went skydiving in South Africa over Table Mountain, whale watched, drank wine, sailed across the harbor in Hong Kong, toured the worlds largest copper buddha/wooden buddha/tallest buddha etc, spent 3 days in a beach chalet in Malaysia, saw anti-american propaganda still present at historical Vietnam war sites, smelled some of the worst smells at local markets, witnessed a boy with elephantiasis of both legs, went on safari, booked a hotel room in Rio that overlooked Ipanema and Coco Cabana Beaches, saw the biggest spider that should ever be allowed to walk the planet, ate an ostrich burger, sang songs with friends, bare witness to genius, debated and chatted with instructors over eggs, watched a Maasai warriors offer a welcome dance, stood at the base of the Taj Mahal and was in awe of this wonder. Setting foot at some of the most momentous and oldest historical sites in the world, that you've only viewed in pictures, changes EVERYTHING.

This program imprints on your soul and your wanderlust will never be stronger after stepping off the ship for the last time.

Semester at Sea is an absolutely amazing opportunity to see the world and have educational experiences in the classroom at sea with on site activities during port stops. Anyone who has ever taken a journey with this organization can attest these were the best days of their lives! Coursework is interesting and matches the destinations with on-site activity opportunities. Locations visited allow students to broaden their horizons and become a member of the global community. I have no negative comments about this program or experience. Highly recommend!!

Semester at Sea is the ultimate travel study abroad. You take amazing classes while at sea and have free time in port. While you will have a few small projects to do at a variety of different countries they are never overwhelming and most of them are things you would take in anyway. This is true global education with learning from experiences. The professors are amazing and you spend so much time with them, they become a part of your family. You'll make amazing friendships and have amazing experiences. Yeah the wifis a little spotty, and at times, you might long for land on the longer stretches between countries but a deck side dinner will make you realize what an amazing experience it is. The second you leave you'll be trying to figure out how to go again. Worth every penny.

You will leave Semester at Sea without the right words to describe your experiences. You will not have another opportunity quite like this one. Though you may not be fully immersed in one single culture, you will learn a lot about a lot of cultures and develop you own ship culture with your peers on your voyage. This unique group of students will become some of your best friends for life!
The hardest part was getting the paperwork done for visas and your home university. Once you're past that, it's smooth sailing..... (well sometimes!)

I would (and do) highly recommend this study abroad program to anyone! I had the most amazing time and it opened my eyes to so many new experiences. I never thought I would be comfortable experiencing this journey alone, but I met the most amazing people with the same passion--traveling!

Semester at Sea is an incredible, global comparative study abroad program that allows participants the ability to interact and experience many different countries and cultures all within one semester. While the voyages change a bit each semester, many of the same countries are visited, allowing for feedback and tips from alumni and program staff. For example, my voyage in Spring 2012 left from the Bahamas, then traveled to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, China (Hong Kong and Shanghai), Japan (Kobe and Yokohama), Hawaii, and ended in San Diego. We spent 1 to 7 days in each country. Students take classes on board the ship while at sea, but have great freedom within each country to explore and do independent travel. This freedom allows you to create your own unique semester at sea experience. While some of the major highlights of each voyage involve the incredible sight-seeing, the truly amazing aspect of this program is being able to interact with different cultures and people all around the world. You also form life-long bonds with your fellow voyagers and develop better friendships than you may have ever had with people back home. The food on the ship can get monotonous, but I always found it perfectly fine (lots of potatoes, pasta, and pork). One other major criticism for the program is the fact that you don't really IMMERSE yourself into any particular country or culture, due to the short duration of time spent in each place. However, this is not the intent of the program; rather, the program puts a higher emphasis on the global comparisons and helping to expand students' minds to think as global citizens. So, if you really only want to focus on one country or culture, this program isn't for you, but if you love to have incredible experiences, see the world and travel, and see multiple countries in one semester, you should sign up! My voyage was truly life-changing and has somewhat defined who I am going forward in my life. My Semester at Sea experience almost always comes up at some point in conversation with new people. It helps make me more marketable in any area of life I choose to pursue, as I have demonstrated that I have an understanding of other cultures from my own and have experienced different ways of thinking only possible through the first-hand interactions that are part of the Semester at Sea program. If you are able to go on a Semester at Sea, the world will truly be at your fingertips.

Today is my birthday. As I reflect on past experiences, I realize that the greatest gift I have ever received was the chance to travel around the world with Semester At Sea. It literally changed my life in a way so comprehensive that it's not explainable with mere words. SAS is a mentality, it's a perception, and it's a sense of purpose. It's the best thing to happen in my life so far.

There is nothing like it elsewhere in the world. Your eyes are opened up to a multitude of experiences that make you a more insightful and caring person...a person that is on track to change the world in very big ways.

I mean...you're on a freaking ship! It's a community full of people that you study, sleep, eat, play, travel, (and definitely stink, as we did in Brazil) with. It's the pinnacle of any travel adventurer.

But the even more amazing thing is is that it doesn't have to be the end, and it certainly hasn't been for me. It's the greatest foundation of a life well traveled, and a life that is prepared to take on the world's myriad challenges.

I studied abroad on semester at sea's spring 2012 voyage around the world. I can not say enough good things about the program. It exposes you to various cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, and unmatched experiences that you will not find on any other study abroad program. We travelled from the Bahamas to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Japan, Hawaii, and debarked in San Diego, California. In what other study abroad program can you wake up to some place new every single day, while living on board a cruise ship for 4 months? I have seen more and done more than most people will do in their entire lives, thanks to Semester at Sea. GO SAS!