The Suite Life

UAE -> India

Hello from the Port of Mumbai! It’s been one week since I boarded the MV World Odyssey and later this morning, I’ll disembark for a Field Class in the heart of Mumbai; however, I’ll save all my Indian adventures for a blog post at the end of our time in country. This post is all about my first seven days at sea - spoiler alert: no sleep, one sunrise, and countless flights of stairs.

Embarkation Day!

Cabin 5019 is a nice little outside double with a port side view of the ocean. One of my favorite parts of life on board thus far has been seeing the sky wake up over the sea, all visible from my little couch-bed. My roommate Annakate and I both like to sleep with the curtains open, so we get some rather picturesque views. Plus, views of the waves!

Even though it’s only been a week, divisions have already formed amid the ranks, most prominently over 1 debate: Berlin vs. Lido.

I’m talking about our dining halls (restaurants?) of course. Berlin, located on Deck 6, gives off more of that classic cruise ship vibe, and has awesome staff - Bravo & Rod! Lido, located on Deck 9, offers outdoor seating at the stern of the ship, truly beautiful views. Despite serving the same exact food each day, the differences between the two create a popular debate. You’re either a Berlin person or a Lido person, and so far, I’m leaning towards Berlin. Lido does offer late night snacks, though, so my vote isn’t final yet. Regardless of where I eat, the food is a welcome evolution from the AGD kitchen. The nutritional content of the food is probably not something I want to look up, especially considering the prevalence of pasta in everyone’s diets, but the access to fresh fruit/veggies and overall taste variety is a welcome change from sorority meals. Fish is available at almost every dinner, as well as a variety of vegetarian options. There’s a small ship quantity of peanut butter to keep my sane; once that runs out, I’ll dive into my own personal stash. It’s a big test of willpower for me.

All my things for the voyage!

Sunrise close to Mumbai

the MV World Odyssey <3

welcome aboard!

Persian Gulf waters

no news is still no news

about to embark in Dubai

a beautiful sunrise

waving goodbye to Dubai!

Seas have been relatively calm thus far, but there have been one or two nights were the ship’s rocking was so pronounced, our water bottles were able to roll across the floor. Knock on wood - I haven’t gotten seasick yet, though walking on the treadmill during rough seas has been an added challenge.

On board the ship, we have both intranet and internet. The intranet allows students to access our ship emails, class materials, and important announcements; everything else falls on the internet, which I have 200 MB/day. In other words, I have internet in theory, in practice, not so much. Thanks to IUHPFL, the no-internet thing isn’t necessarily new to me, but it’s taking me a while to let go of my NYT crosswords each morning. And unlike IUHPFL, I can’t turn on the news and try my best to translate Chilean headlines. Our in-room TVs come equipped with a selective headlines banner, so I’ve reverted to elementary school, when I would eagerly eye the WISH-TV school cancellations, hoping to see a two-hour delay pop up.

Captain Nat

The DNA of Semester at Sea is unique in that it caters mainly to students, but also accommodates Life Long Learners, as well as Staculty (staff & faculty) and their loved ones. Consequently, we have a semi summer camp vibe, with “Seas” (I’m in the Red Sea!) and daily announcements, but there’s also a luxury spa and restaurant. Actual adults also have access to a bar, but students aren’t permitted. Our community programming tries to bridge the gap and appeal to all demographics. So far, we’ve had an interport lecturer from India speak to us about Environmental something-or-other (I didn’t go to that in favor of a ship-wide scavenger hunt) and a Cross Currents Lecture on travel journaling (which I did go to and really enjoyed). Bridge tours are also available, free of charge, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to “steer” the ship. At the time my tour group was there, the ship was actually making a sharp turn towards Mumbai, so it was kind of surreal to see in person.

For now, it’s time for me to disembark the ship and explore Mumbai! Later this week, I’ll make my way to the Golden Triangle and hopefully write something up to post before we embark and head to Kenya!