Pirates and Pollywogs

Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.

Captain Jack Sparrow

Since 1963, fall 2022 is Semester at Sea’s 130th voyage around the world. The MV World Odyssey is a fairly small vessel with seven passenger-accessible decks and carries around 650 passengers and 200 crew members. Built in 1998, the ship is decorated in a Titanic-like 1920s style and was featured for fifteen years on the German television show Das Traumschiff (“The Dream Ship” and similar to The Love Boat). Semester at Sea began using this ship in 2015 with Captain Kostas at the helm since 2005.

Early in the voyage as we left the Atlantic Ocean to enter the Mediterranean Sea, we passed the Rock of Gibraltar and were welcomed by dozens of dolphins. Along the way, we’ve seen whales, flying fish, jellyfish, different birds, and many more ocean creatures I’ve since forgotten their names.

For the first time in Semester at Sea history, we encountered and responded to a small boat in distress on our way from Spain to Croatia. A student saw the emergency flares and notified the bridge. We turned around and began approaching the boat. As we got closer, we counted approximately ten men, two women, and a baby. Two men were bailing buckets of water from inside the boat. Maritime laws are quite complicated, so we had our lifeboats ready but waited for the Spanish Coast Guard to arrive. After about an hour, they appeared and cheers erupted from all decks on the Odyssey!

Each month, we are required to have muster drills. We wear closed-toed shoes, long sleeves, long pants, a jacket, a hat, and our life jackets. We all line up on deck next to the lifeboats until everyone’s name is called and all are present. This usually works without a hitch, except a few weeks ago when we were in pirate territory and had to postpone muster drills until we exited the dangerous area. For several days as we passed through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, all the windows on the ship were covered with paper, and our shades were closed. The crew heightened 24-hour security, increased ship speed, and had fire hoses ready for defense. When I boarded the Odyssey, I never thought I’d be abiding by pirate protocols – COVID protocols, perhaps, but pirates? We made it out safely.

Because of my staff position on the ship, I’ve been fortunate to be given special opportunities not provided to most voyagers. I’ve met with the captain on numerous occasions that included private bridge tours, blowing the ship’s horn, steering the ship, two catered meals in his private garden, and a special invitation to tour the engine room (something that has never been done on a SAS voyage since Captain Kostas has been at the helm). My “job” has actually been a lot of hard work, but it didn’t come without some pretty awesome rewards. Unfortunately, about halfway through the voyage, Captain Kostas had to leave the vessel, leaving Staff Captain Petros (on right) in charge. He has been a delight to work with. Recently, he was on the dock dancing with the locals upon our arrival in Kenya.

There is a maritime tradition for those who cross the equator for the first time. Semester at Sea celebrates the passing with Neptune Day which took place on November 24 – Thanksgiving Day. Early that morning, we were awakened by the crew marching up and down the halls pounding drums. The announcement came on the loudspeakers instructing all pollywogs (those who have never crossed) to put on our swimming suits and join King Neptune and the shellbacks (those who have crossed) on the pool deck to begin our initiation ceremony. What fun! King Neptune (Captain Petros), painted green from head to toe, appeared as the entire shipboard community gathered. The pollywogs were each greeted by members of King Neptune’s court (shellbacks) who shot us with water guns, while crew members poured green “fish guts” over our heads before we jumped into the salt-water pool and swam to the opposite side. As we stepped out of the pool, we had to kiss three dead fish and King Neptune’s ring. That morning, the temperatures were in the 90s with few clouds in the sky, so those brave new shellbacks who shaved their heads (women included) got quite sunburned. I chose not to shave my head; however, I officially became a shellback later that night when we passed the equator in the Indian Ocean at exactly 21:21:21 (no kidding). I think the best part was that Sarah was already a shellback and got to help initiate her mother!

Currently, we are nearing our final port in India before disembarkation in Dubai. For the first time throughout the voyage, we have had a COVID outbreak, which means we may not be allowed to leave the ship for the five days we are in port. We have been asked to take extreme precautions for the next few days so that our numbers decrease, enabling us to visit one of the most highly anticipated port cities/countries on our itinerary. We have six more days en route to India, so we are hopeful that those testing positive will be out of the woods and no new cases arise. Additionally, the tradition of Sea Olympics is taking place in just three days, which involves every voyager in some capacity or another competing in a variety of challenges that vary from synchronized swimming, basketball knock-out, sudoku, relay race, scavenger hunt, backward spelling bee, bread-roll-eating contest, tug of war, ping pong, etc.

Life on board the MV World Odyssey has been hectic, challenging, and rewarding. I will miss my tiny home in cabin 7016, but I sincerely hope and pray I am granted this opportunity again someday. Until then, I’ll join Captain Jack as “I have a rendezvous beyond my beloved horizon.”