Enrichment Voyage

All Aboard

As alumni of Semester At Sea, Ashley and I were on the mailing list for shipboard opportunities. In December of 2007 we received an email announcing special pricing for a new program in May from the Institute for Shipboard Education:

Enrichment Voyages, a new and innovative style of cruising that focuses on the exploration and study of cultures around the world. Each voyage will include Enrichment Sessions led by college professors and other experts, plus unique Field Programs will be available that will take travelers ashore for first-hand experience of the cultures, people and places that make each region of the world unique. Passengers will enjoy modern cruise amenities combined with a unique perspective of different parts of the world.

This was a sailing between semesters to help cover operating costs, and the price was right! Ashley and I signed up, and convinced Lindsey and Jaclyn that it was a bargain as well. All that was left was go choose our excursions from the array of choices and we were off on a jaunt around the Western Caribbean.

The cruise itself took place on the newly adopted MV Explorer, the previous S.S. Universe Explorer that Ashley and I were familiar with having been sadly decommissioned in mid 2004.

Ports of Call

Follow along with the voyage as we visit these ports!

  • Nassau, Bahamas

    Nassau, Bahamas

    Back on a Boat We flew into the airport in Nassau and took a quick cab ride over to the port area to check-in with the MV Explorer for the…

  • Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

    Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

    The MV Explorer had no trouble making the transit around Cuba with a day at sea in between. We queued up in the theatre waiting to be called for our…

  • Belize City, Belize

    Belize City, Belize

    Our arrival in Belize came hot on the heels of our departure from Mexico. Once again we found ourselves anchoring quite a ways off shore and and tendering in to…

  • Puerto Cortez, Honduras

    Puerto Cortez, Honduras

    We arrived in Honduras the next day, continuing our back-to-back landfall. The ship docked in Puerto Cortez but we had signed up to visit the Lancetilla Botanical Garden which sounded…

  • Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

    Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

    After a day at sea spent recovering from our three day landfall streak, we arrived in Costa Rica. We would remain overnight this time, so it felt like less of…

  • Colón, Panama

    Colón, Panama

    We again find ourselves with an overnight port stay and two days to take in the local scene, this time in Panama. We were docked right in the center of…

  • Montego Bay, Jamaica

    Montego Bay, Jamaica

    We enjoyed our Enrichment At Sea day after leaving Panama as a time to rest and reflect. Just kidding, the hours were packed with activities, parties, dancing and the captain’s…

  • George Town, Grand Cayman

    George Town, Grand Cayman

    We arrived very early in the morning at George Town due to the high speed overnight transit from Jamaica. Our tour disembarked at the normal time and its first stop…

Below is a table of the itinerary from the initial email:

5/11Nassau, Bahamas5:00p
5/12Enrichment At Sea
5/13Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Disembark for Field Programs
6:00a7:00a
5/13Cozumel, Mexico9:00a7:00p
5/14Belize City, Belize8:00a6:00p
5/15Puerto Cortes, Honduras8:00a5:00p
5/16Enrichment At Sea
5/17Puerto Limon, Costa Rica8:00a
5/18Puerto Limon, Costa Rica7:00p
5/19Colon, Panama8:00a
5/20Colon, Panama6:00p
5/21Enrichment At Sea
5/22Montego Bay, Jamaica8:00a6:00p
5/23Georgetown, Grand Cayman8:00a6:00p
5/24Enrichment At Sea
5/25Nassau, Bahamas8:00a