January 21, 2008 Nassau Bahamas

From the Bridge......

Latitude= 25 degrees 4.94 north

Longitude= 077 degrees 20.29 west

Speed= 0.0 knots

Course=0 degrees

For those interested in voyage demographics....

This, the 95th voyage of Semester at Sea, is the largest voyage in the program's history- 852 participants including 733 students, 12 LifeLong Learners (oldest is 74), 29 faculty, 34 staff, 22 family members, and 22 partial voyagers. 70% of the students are women, 20% are students of color, 253 colleges and universities are represented. Students hail from 44 states as well as Norway, Brazil, Bermuda, China, Mexico, and Canada. The top 3 majors are Business Administration, Communication, and Psychology. Students live on eight Seas or residential communities (about 80 students per Sea), each having a full-time Resident Director. The oldest enrolled student is 69 years old.

About the MV Explorer...

The ship is 25,000 tons and was built as the fastest cruise ship in the world with the capability of sailing at 32 knots. Seventy courses are offered during the semester. 20% of academic credit is earned through port-based experiential field practica. While sailing, classes are taught in 9 classrooms and in the Union auditorium. There is a library, spa, medical clinic, two dining rooms, three snack and beverage bars, a pool, wellness center, on deck sports court, ship store, and computer lab. The ship is completely wireless as well.

Craig's List:

-We overpacked.

-Security is very tight.

-Safety is of paramount concern and much attention is given to all possible ways to manage the ship environment to protect all on board.

-The space is small but amazingly efficient and well appointed-a floating IKEA environment that is exceptionally well maintained.

-The food is very good and the service even better.

-Visited the bridge today. Quite impressive! Amazing collection of technology to manage and move the vessel.

-Made my first shipboard announcements as the "Voice".

-The faculty and staff are a very eclectic bunch of pretty interesting folk. In addition to courses in the liberal arts, we look forward to learning from faculty involved in ethnomusicology, Indian and Islamic art, alternative Chinese medicine, global warming, global mammal assessment, to name a few. Who knows what the lifelong learners will bring as well as the interport lecturers!

-Lots of orientation meetings. Anxious to board the students and get sailing!

Stacey's List:

If you did not figure out where we are from the longitude and latitude coordinates, we are in Nassau, on the island of New Providence, in the central Bahamas.  

History in a nutshell:  The aboriginal people of the islands (Tainos) did not last long after Columbus landed here in 1492 and subsequent exposure to European diseases.  Pirates (Blackbeard and such)  were in control until Captain Woods Rogers expelled them and fortified Nassau against the Spaniards and English who were competing for control of the seas and islands.  Before slavery was abolished in 1838, the African population grew as slaves were brought in to supply labor for the attempt at recreating the southern plantation agriculture.  

Bahama speak:  I'm now referred to as the "boss lady", at least when walking the streets with Eric and Kelsey.  Kelsey is "pretty girl".  If I'm too old to be a pretty girl, I'll take boss lady:)

Craig has been working since we arrived and I attended a full day of meetings Sunday.  The community dynamics are changing daily.  The energy and excitement on board is palpable.  What a fantastic, transformational voyage we are about to embark on.  How fortunate we are to have this opportunity.

From Kelsey and Eric:

    Well, we're here. We arrived at the airport with SEVEN suitcases and FIVE carry-ons. Mine was the heaviest: 69 pounds, 70 was the limit. =)

    The plane ride was only a hour and after going through customs, we got a cab over to the port with all the ships. Ours was the only one there and boy, did it look inviting. We got to our rooms and started unpacking. Eric and I don't have a window in our room, which was kind of a bummer. But the room is good size.  My parents who live right down the hall, have a window, but their room is smaller. I have figured out the advantage of no window though: it's pitch dark. I didn't believe my mom when she woke me up at 10:00, it felt like it was the middle of the night!

    Dinner was delicious! The service is not at all what I was expecting. They clean our rooms, just like any other nice hotel. They carry our plates to our table for us and they call us ma'am and sir. The food, oh my goodness, the food, is soooooo good! It's something different every meal and I have to watch myself so I don't get fat! I've been going to the work-out room everyday so far. We've made a special friendship with Marty, one of the crew members. He is really funny and taught us a secret handshake. =) 

    I slept well, but when I woke up we were surrounded by cruise ships twice the size of us! The town was packed with tourists and all the vendors had their stores set up. We went to go explore and came upon the "famous" Straw Market. It was the biggest market I've ever seen in my life. Stuffy, crowded rows of knock-off designer purses, souvenirs, and jewelry went on forever. All the ladies were saying "Hey pretty girl, how much you willing to pay for that necklace? I give it to you for 8." And that's how I learned the art of bargaining. I ended up getting $30 Chanel sunglasses for $12!! 

    In the evening, we sat on the deck and watched the cruise ships sail away. They only stayed here for one day and new ones came the next morning. The following day, we went to Paradise Island. The beaches were beautiful! The water was so crystal clear blue, you could see all sorts of fish. It was freezing, but once you got over the shock, it was quite refreshing. There was this guy selling drinks on the beach and he kept yelling "Let's get hammered!" Haha, I wish you guys could've seen it, I was laughing so hard. We spent most of the day there and then went to check out Atlantis, a huge resort on the island. There, we found the coolest aquariums, with all kinds of tropical fish, sharks, sea turtles and stingrays. That was fun and when we got home, I was proud to discover I got a tan. =) Isn't that weird, I'm already calling it home. 

    It had been pretty low-key and quiet around the ship the first two days, since only the crew and the deans were on board. But last night, the faculty arrived. And some of them brought their kids! We had a reception and met Bridget, a very talkative fourth grader, and the parents of these two brothers my age. I haven't met them yet, but their parents seemed nice. And then I met Cameron, a high school senior who has done SAS once before. He lives right next door to Eric and me.  

   

    I'm really anxious to hit the ocean! We've been in the same spot in the same port for 4 days now, I'm ready to get somewhere!! Although I will miss the nice Bahama breeze…

    I haven't started virtual school yet, I will when we start sailing. I'm really curious to see how they're going to teach me chemistry…?

    Hope everything is going well in Florida! I'm thinking about you all!