All aboard. ISU students are sailing around the world in the Semester at Sea study abroad program.

Semester at Sea took 629 students from 267 different universities to voyage around the world. Every voyage has a different theme. The fall semester theme was “Atlantic Exploration” and spring semester — the current trip — “Around the World.”

“Students can sign up to do field components in each place,” said Monica Ernberger, program coordinator for the Study Abroad Center. “If not doing a field study, you can sign up for field trips or [students] can explore on their own.”

Semester at Sea is open to students of any major, but is also available to “lifelong learners” and retirees. Semester at Sea has grown in popularity since it’s beginning in 1926. While students are doing field studies in different countries, others are working on projects on the ship.

“I coordinated the middle passage project,” said Amber Carpenter, junior in biology, who participated in Semester at Sea in the fall semester. “We did the same voyage as the slaves from Barcelona to Brazil.”

The Middle Passage is the path that was taken during slave trade from West Africa and Barcelona, Spain to Brazil. During the passage, slaves who were going to be sold in Brazil were chained together at the bottom of the boat and were fed very little for the three to four months that it took to travel across the ocean.

“Many people think that the United States has the most slaves, but it was actually Brazil,” Carpenter said. “They were also the last to abolish slavery, only about 140 years ago.”

Because of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, students were not able to go to Senegal or Ghana.

“It really hit me hard that we couldn’t go there,” Carpenter said. “When we crossed the Atlantic, I was able to see the African heritage and how it is woven into the culture.”

Students on the fall trip stopped at 10 different ports throughout the Atlantic Ocean in Europe, Africa, South America, Central America and ending in the United States.

“One thing I gained was knowing that I have it great in the United States,” Carpenter said. “We visited orphanages in Morocco and slums in Brazil. Now, I know I want to give back to people who don’t live in the United States.”

During the Semester at Sea program, students take classes on the ship and they have class seven days a week, except for days when they port.

“The ship isn’t like a Disney Cruise,” Carpenter said. “We have a pool, but it’s small. At night, we have movie nights, but mostly people are studying because we have class everyday.”

The current Semester at Sea is taking a different route with boarding places in Asia, India, Africa and ending in Europe. Students will not be returning to the United States until the end of the semester.

“I haven’t been homesick yet, but I do miss Hilton Magic a lot,” said Mark Rissmann, senior in management, in an email because he is currently on a voyage. “I got a lot of strange looks when I was screaming as loud as possible when I found out we beat [Kansas].”

Because the students are living on a ship, harsh weather affects their living conditions more than it would on land.

“My favorite memory so far would be the day we hit 20-25 foot waves,” Rissmann said. “The ship was moving all over and trying to walk in a straight line doesn’t exist. In certain classes, your chair would slide to one side or people would fall out of their seat.”

Life on the ship for students is similar to being at the university. People are taking classes, studying and living in dorm style living. Both Carpenter and Rissmann lived in cabins called outside triples that bunk three people. When students were off of the ship they got to experience the different cultures each place has to offer.

“I only know a few things about the major countries we are going to, but as far as some of the smaller countries, I have no clue what it has to offer and that makes me excited,” Rissmann said. “I like not knowing what I am going to experience or going to places most people will never go to in their life time.”

Studying abroad is expensive and every program has a different fee. Students interested in going on the trip have options to apply for scholarships, raise money or use the help of financial aid through university billing.

Every study abroad program can cost a different amount because different amenities may be covered in a package. Some more expensive packages for study abroad may include housing, while some less expensive may require that students find housing on their own.

“Keep in mind it is like apples to oranges what is covered by the program fee,” Ernberger said. “Semester at Sea is bundled and is a set package deal.”

Students who go on the trip are provided with housing — dorm styles may range in price — and with meals on the ship.

“Financially, it is not easy, but if you really want to do it, you can do it,” Carpenter said. “Apply for scholarships and save your money so you can do this trip of a lifetime.”

The Semester at Sea requirements are the same as all of the study abroad programs, requiring the general study abroad qualifications.

Students who are wanting to study abroad or are interested in learning about the Semester at Sea program should contact the Study Abroad Center.

“What is wonderful about this trip is that the destinations come to you,” Ernberger said. “You get the benefits of the travel program, but they come right to your doorstep.”