<p>Is that like studying abroad or something?? What is it like?</p>
<p>Apparently you’re on a cruise ship that stops in at various ports of call. You have classes on board ship in between stops.</p>
<p>Is that dangerous?</p>
<p>Also, since it’s “semester” at sea, do you spend a whole semester on a cruise ship? Thanks!!</p>
<p>Well you’re on a boat at sea so there’s some inherent risk involved in that, but then again there’s a lot of risk just driving a car. As for the ports of call, I’m assuming they’re not stopping in any war zones and drug zones so you should be fine.</p>
<p>Ever seen the Disney Channel show, The Suite Life on Deck? On the show, the students live on a cruise ship and attend class. So I’m assuming it’s another style of learning…off land. It has its risks but eh, it’s just another experience.</p>
<p>Yes, you do spend the entire semester (or academic year, if you choose) at sea. That’s why it’s called “Semester at Sea.” The ship has a set course that circles the world. The voyage lasts 100-110 days, and usually includes 10-12 international ports of call. For example, the Fall 2012 voyage lasts from August 23 to December 7. You leave from Halifax, NS, and would travel to Galway and Dublin in Ireland; London, England; Antwerp, Belgium; Lisbon, Portugal; Cadiz, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Tema, Ghana; Cape Town, South African; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Rio de Janeiro and Manaus in Brazil; and Roseau, Dominica. Then you debark in Fort Lauderdale.</p>
<p>You are taught classes on board by professors from a variety of institutions. The program is sponsored by University of Virginia, but professors from many institutions can apply. They teach classes in a variety of fields - anthropology, art, biology, economics, English, environmental science, history, music, politics, psychology, even a few engineering classes from time to time.</p>
<p>As a note - my college did not accept credit from the Semester at Sea program. Our study abroad adviser (who was a well-connected woman with years of experience who sits on the boards of many study abroad programs) stated that because the program sails around the world with each stop in a port of call being only a few days, you don’t really get immersed in any one or two cultures. It’s not really like studying abroad - it’s like an academic cruise, more or less. I think students still tend to see the cities as exotic locations. Living in one place for a few months and getting to know the language and culture is completely different from visiting for a few days.</p>
<p>So you pretty much sleep and eat and study on a ship?</p>
<p>Is it worth it? Any opinions?</p>