24.25 Semester at Sea Program Safety and Operations Update 2

Sep 11, 2026

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Program Safety and Operations Update for the Semester at Sea voyages supporting student travel aboard the MV World Odyssey and in selected ports. Provides a high-level overview of program mission and strategic priorities, then details how itineraries are created and governed with safety as the first priority and each port’s educational value as the second. Outlines voyage preparation scope, including safety and security planning, port-of-call preparations, and academic partnership elements, for forthcoming Spring 2026, Fall 2026, and Spring 2027 itineraries.

LanguageEnglish

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Pages10

Reading Time4 min

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Mission, Strategic Priorities & Learning Outcomes

Voyage Overview: SP26, FA26 & SP27

Itinerary creation and management

26-27 Program, Safety and Operations Report Dear partners, The Institute for Shipboard Education | Semester at Sea’s mission is to offer students voyages of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges. Our 61-year-old program takes a global comparative approach to study abroad and deliberately introduces students to 10 or more countries across three continents. It exposes them to places, people, cultures and issues that only a small fraction of U.S. students ever experience. We are proud of our program and our safety record. The services and support we provide to students ensure they have both a challenging and safe, up-close and expansive, semester aboard the MV World Odyssey and in our ports of call. This document is intended to provide a high-level overview of our program and outline our preparations for the Spring 2026, Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 voyages of Semester at Sea, which will be our 137th, 138th and 139th. This document includes: itinerary overviews, how our itineraries are built and managed, safety and security planning and services, port-of-call preparations, our academic program and partnership and more. Thank you for all you do to support your students and international education. We’re proud to work with and alongside you! Sincerely, Scott Marshall, President and CEO of the Institute for Shipboard Education Laura Stroh minger, Chief Program Ofﬁcer and Vice President of Student Affairs Amanda Davidson, Director of Student Affairs Sara Arlin, Vice President of Academic Affairs Fabiola Ehlers-Zavala, Senior Academic Ofﬁcer and CSU Professor of English Jason Hughes, Vice President of Marketing and Recruitment Amy Lepp, Director of Enrollment and University Relations Bruce Middleton, Vice President of Operations and Risk Management Mission, Strategic Priorities & Learning Outcomes Semester at Sea takes 500+ students each fall and spring to 10 or more countries on three continents. Our independent 501(c)3 nonproﬁt is registered in Delaware and headquartered at Colorado State University, our academic home since 2016. (More on CSU is included below.) Our mission is to launch “journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges ” Semester at Sea teaches students how to interact with a wide range of cultures and people from varied backgrounds, belief systems and more. Our program ultimately helps students become global citizens who are prepared and motivated to take on the world’s most pressing issues. Our four strategic priorities align with this mission and extend it. These aspirations challenge us to: ● make our program accessible to all students who wish to participate ● to achieve carbon-neutral operations ● to cultivate rich learning communities among our students and alumni ● and to make our program better known. In 2023, we updated our Voyage Learning Outcomes, which reinforce and extend these priorities. Voyage Overview: SP26, FA26 & SP27 The Spring 2026 Voyage will take students to 10 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe. It will embark from Bangkok, Thailand, on January 5, 2026, and then sail to Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, and Spain. Voyagers will disembark on April 20, 2026 in Bremerhaven, Germany. The full itinerary, including diversionary ports, is available on the Semester at Sea website. The Fall 2026 Voyage will travel to four continents while calling on ports in Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia. Embarking in IJmuiden, Netherlands on September 9, 2026, and disembarking in Bangkok, Thailand on December 22, 2026, this 138th expedition combines engaging onboard coursework paired with hands-on cultural activities at each port. The full itinerary, including diversionary ports and a faculty and staff listing, is available here. The Spring 2027 Voyage will embark from Bangkok, Thailand, on January 5, 2027, and sail to Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Mo

FAQs

What is the mission and overall learning goal of Semester at Sea in this update?

The program’s mission is to launch “journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges.” It prepares students to engage across cultures and become global citizens ready to address pressing world issues.

Which voyages are covered by the overview in this document?

The update provides a high-level overview for Spring 2026, Fall 2026, and Spring 2027 voyages, including itinerary route descriptions and embark/disembark locations.

How does the program manage itinerary creation and what priorities guide it?

The Institute for Shipboard Education drafts, maintains, and updates itineraries in consultation with operational and leadership stakeholders. Safety is the first priority, while the second priority is each port’s educational and cultural value as a learning lab.

Sep 11, 2026

Uploaded by Sage