Onboard Life

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What about your work hours?

It was originally decided that the LRC would be open 15 hours per day, from 8:00 AM until 11:00 PM. I thought it was extreme (9 am -10 pm sounded fine to me) but went along with it. However, we were basing 15 hours of service on having student workers to assist and help cover meal times. We soon realized we were also constricted by the very short meal times (12 Noon – 1:30 for lunch and 5:45 – 7:30 for Dinner). However, the student workers were not readily forthcoming and the LRC Director and I had a challenging time covering 15 hours between us and fitting in meal times. When it became apparent that it would be quite a while before student workers were assigned to us, we cut back the hours, closing at meal times. Currently the LRC is open 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM. I work the morning shift, Grete works the evening shift and in the afternoons, I work 2- 5 and she works 3-6. We were notified two days ago that very soon we will have student workers and then we’ll revert to the original plan and Grete and I will work 6 hours per day each.What about the students, how many are there and what nationalities are they? Do all of them speak English?

There are about 205 students aboard and the come from countries throughout the world, including the US, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Croatia, China, UK, Italy, France, Latvia, Morocco, Ghana, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iran. English is the language of instruction and all the students speak and understand English to one degree or another, with most having a very good grasp of English, certainly better than the majority of students at UAEU!

What kinds of classes are the students taking?

Students are enrolled in classes that fall under their choice of one of five Learning Circles: Conflict Studies, Sustainable Development, Global Studies and Social Change, Worlds of Art and Culture, and International Business and Communications. Class topics include Intro to International Business, Business Organization and Management, Society and Development in the World, Contemporary Latin America, Marketing Fundamentals, Global Studies (required core course), Intercultural Communication (required core course), Terrorism, Islamic Civilization, International Television, International Security, World Literature, Human Geography, Cross-Cultural Management, etc.

Are they all more or less on the same schedule, or are there different schedules for them to take?

Classes are held on a Blue Day/Green Day Schedule. Class times are: 8:30-10:10, 10:20-12:00, 12:40-2:20 (Blue Days only; it is an Activity time on Green Days), 2:30-4:10, 4:20-6:00, and 8:00-9:30 (Green Days only; it is an Activity time on Blue Days). I think each class meets on either a Blue Day or a Green Day but not both. Instructors teach three courses each; students take four courses. The overall academic schedule is interesting; it is usually Blue Day, Green Day, Blue Day, Green Day, No class day, then blue, green, blue, green again. This happens irrespective of the day of the week. For example, yesterday, Thursday, was a Blue Day; today is a Friday and is a Green Day; Sunday (tomorrow) will be a blue day; and Monday a green day, followed by a no class day on Tuesday. The day before we arrive in a port is a Port Preparation Day when no classes are held and the day after leaving a port is a Port Processing day, also with no classes. While in port in Lisbon, every student was required to participate in their Learning Circle’s Academic Field Program (AFP), which was 5 full days of lectures, visits, touring, etc., related to their learning circle. All students will participate in two more AFPs of their choice during port calls. In other ports, they will be free to do as they choose, including Shore Excursions (tours especially formulated for TSS, for which one pays a fee) or Independent Travel. Of course, they can just go into town each day to see sights or do whatever and return to the ship each evening. In Lisbon, the ship was open 24 hours a day so one could stay out all night if desired. (In Panama, we will dock off shore and a small boat will ferry us between ship and shore; it will run every half hour but the last run will be at 9:00 PM. I know one staffer who is going to stay overnight in a hotel, at her own expense, in order to go salsa dancing, which doesn’t really get going until 11:00 PM.)

Do the students share rooms? Are the males and females kept separate? What are their ages?

Students share cabins with an assigned roommate of the same gender but different a nationality. Males’ and females’ cabins are intermixed as far as I know but I’m not certain about that. I assume that a certain amount of “co-mingling” has/will take place, but that’s typical of university life in many places these days. Both staff and students are assigned to cabins on all residential decks. Most senior staff have individual cabins unless their spouse or significant other is onboard, in which case they share a cabin. 9:00 PM – 9:00 AM is supposed to be Quiet Time but it’s been a bit iffy among the students since we left Lisbon and I think some of us “old fogies” (staff) will be complaining about that! There are both graduate and undergraduate students onboard. I think about 60 are grad students. Undergrads are required to have completed at least one year of college, so I suppose the general age range is about 18-22 for undergrads and up to about 35 for grads.

Are the bars/nightclubs open? What other entertainment is there on board? Pools? Movies? Recreation? Salons? Spas?

The Student Center is open all day and all night, as are most of the public spaces onboard but alcoholic beverages are only available there on designated evenings. Student policies specify a limit of four drinks per student per day. I’ve been told the students think that is way too low a limit; I personally think it is excessive. There are video games, a large screen TV, and some foosball tables, etc., in the Student Center. The Staff Lounge sells all sorts of beverages including alcoholic ones after 5:00 or 6:00 PM each day. I’ve twice gotten ice water from the bar, without charge. There are three swimming pools, none very large, two workout gyms, male and female saunas, a whirlpool, massage facility, hairdresser and a gift shop that sells Scholar Ship items and basic sundries. Students are organizing various interest groups that will meet and do things together. The Activity times, held daily, allow for group meetings in the two types of student Communities. There are Residential Communities, based on cabin assignment and overseen by an Intercultural Residential Counselor (IRC) who is a young adult aged probably between 25 and 30, that meet at specified times and there are Learning Circle communities based on what they are studying; those groups meet at specified times, also. All in all, students’ time is pretty well scheduled so they really let their hair down when they do have some free time.

So, how are you adjusting to life on the open sea? How are you and Grete getting along? How are y'all getting along with the students? Are they respectful of you guys?
Life on the open sea is fine. I got a bit queasy one day when the Mediterranean was a bit rough and the LRC was pitching but I think it was not the motion that did it. Rather, maintenance had just installed a piece of carpet to cover a bare spot right behind the reference desk where I was sitting and the fumes from the adhesive were awfully strong. The combination of motion and smell did it but it wasn’t severe. Beyond that, I’ve felt fine. I absolutely LOVE not having to cook meals and the variety of dishes served at each meal is fantastic. I’m eating too much, but so is everyone else! It’s also great not to have to commute to work! I walk a few steps down the hall, up a flight of stairs to the Reception Desk to pick up the LRC key, then up one more flight of steps and through the International Lounge and – Voila! – I’m at the LRC! It takes 2-3 minutes.

Grete and I are working out our respective duties and getting used to working together. She is from Guatemala and has a rather different outlook on library work than I do; it’s part of the intercultural experience we’re all having. So far the relationship between the librarians and the students has been fine; students are respectful to us and visa versa, and we do our best to serve their information needs. No one has been unruly or disrespectful or obnoxious in the LRC. I hope that will continue. Not all students onboard come in the LRC, however; almost everyday I see at least one student somewhere onboard whom I haven’t seen before.