Monday, August 30, 2010

Ship Life Update

I have been on the MV Explorer for that past 4 days. I have been so busy I have not had anytime to update my blog. The first day I got on the ship I walked straight to my room and my bags were already there. I opened my door and found a letter on my bed from my roommate welcoming me. I knew from right then that we were not going to have any problems at all. Her name is Emma and she is so nice. We kind of never see each other because we are always on the go and are on different time schedules. 

WALL IN MY ROOM

After I was done unpacking, I headed up to the 7th deck to see what was going on. Kayla and Amy were having lunch with some people they had already met. I sat down and we have not had a meal apart. Our group is always together and we are planning trips together. The first night me and this guy named Marcus, decided to sleep up on the top deck. Kayla, Amy, Ed, and Tom tried to, but they did not have a sleeping bag like us. 

So we were the only two that stuck it out the whole night. It was so nice waking up outside. Sleeping outside is definitely on my list to do again. Yesterday we laid out by the pool and just relaxed. We played some cards game and had class. Today we had class then had a break and now we are about to head to class again.  Kayla, Amy and I, are signed up to work out tonight form 9:00pm to 10:30pm. I am so excited to finally start working out again. The seas have been rough but they are calming down now. Nothing like they were the first night, they were horrible! Well I am off to class I will update everyone soon. I love it here!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

This one is better!

http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/halifax/pier-21.html#axzz0xkvPugGy

Live web camera from Canada

Watch the ship leave Canada tomorrow! Here is the link=)
http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/#axzz0xkluv6kF

We made it!

We are in Canada. The weather is not very good. It is really muggy and wet! But they say the weather should get better as the day goes on. We are 4 hours ahead from California time. Well we off to see the ship!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

It's finally time!

The time is here. We leave tomorrow at 5:45 to fly to Canada! Yay! The adventure officially starts tomorrow I am so excited and nervous all at the same time. Amy has some people over tonight and they are saying good-bye... I am getting all myself packed and ready to go. Tomorrow I will have no phone services  only internet and on Friday I will have nothing=( Well I will keep you guys posted as soon as I can email on the ship.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Getting ready to leave the US

Today Kayla, Amy, and I went to Walmart at 8 in the morning to get the last minute stuff we needed. We got everything packed and in the suitcases and brought them to Amy's dads. Her dad and Lisa will be driving them to Canada. Kayla, Amy, and I will leave Thursday morning at 6:00. We will be spending one night in Canada and then board the ship on Friday morning.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sending mail!

Sending Mail to the Ship

Important Reminder: Mail to those aboard ship should be addressed as follows:
MV-Explorer - Fall 2010 Voyage
ATTN: Name of Recipient 
Port Agent Address (from list below)

Currently the U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail at least two weeks in advance. Please keep in mind that mail service in other countries may vary. Letters should be sent Airmail only. Please do not send any mail to the Institute for Shipboard Education or to the University of Virginia to be forwarded. Do not enclose currency in the mail.
Please do not send packages to the ship - Excessive duty is charged in some countries. In many instances, packages are not delivered to the ship. Packages may be held in customs, or at a local post office, and the recipient aboard ship is never notified. If you send packages, you do so at your own risk.
Please note: The agents listed below are not contracted by the Institute for Shipboard Education, but by the ship's management company. Therefore, the Institute cannot assume liability for the actions, or lack thereof, taken by those listed below regarding receipt and delivery of mail and faxes.
When sending mail please mark "MV Explorer - Fall 2010 Voyage" on the first line and "Attn: Participant's Name" on the second line. The Port Agent's Address (from the list below) should be written on the subsequent lines.
PORTADDRESS OF PORT AGENTSUGGESTED AIRMAIL DATE
Cadiz, SPAIN 
Phone: 34 956 276 112
Fax: 34 956 276 766
Perez Y CIA S.L. 
C/ Ecuador, 2
11007 Cadiz, SPAIN
August 21
Casablanca, MOROCCO 
Phone: 212 61 29 8894 
Fax: 212 22 48 4793
LASRY MAROC S.A. 
30 Avenue des Far 
20000 Casablanca, MAROC
August 27
Takoradi, GHANA 
Phone: 233 22 300 894 / 5
Fax: 233 22 202 989
HULL BLYTH
Seatec House / PO Box CO 214
Akosombo Road
TEMA, GHANA
September 8
Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA 
Phone: 27 21 419 8660
Fax: 27 21 413 0290
JOHN T. RENNIE & SONS
19th FLOOR
No.1 Thibault Square
8001 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA
September 20
Port Louis, MAURITIUS 
Phone: 230 202 7399
Fax: 230 208 5814
Ireland Blyth Limited
Shipping Operations Department
No 8 Dr Ferriere Street
Port Louis, MAURITIUS
Sept 30 
Chennai, INDIA 
Phone: 91 44 252 12032 
Fax: 91 44 252 43813
J.M. BAXI & CO
3rd Floor, Clive Battery Complex 
4 & 4A, Rajaji Salai 
Chennai 600 001, INDIA
October 8
Singapore, SINGAPORE 
Phone: 65 6885 0510 
Fax: 65 6272 3850 
SINGAPORE V.SHIPS HANSEN                        
10 Hoe Chiang Road # 24-01 
Keppel Towers 
Singapore 089315, SINGAPORE            
October 18
Ho Chi Minh City, VIET NAM 
Phone: 84 8 6261 9602
Fax: 84 8 6261 9603
HO CHI MINH CITY CONTINENTAL CO LTD                
55 Le Quoc Hung street
Ward 12, District 4     
HOCHIMINH CITY, VIET NAM
October 20
HONG KONG CHINA
Phone: 852 2786 1155 
Fax: 852 2744 3240
INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES (HK) Ltd. 
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
NÂș 3 Lockhart Road 
Wanchai, Hong Kong - CHINA
October 28
Shanghai, CHINA 
Phone: 86 21 6323 1350 
Fax: 86 21 6329 1519
PENAVICO SHANGHAI 
3/F 13 Zhong Shan Road (E 1) 
Shanghai 200002, P.R. CHINA
November 1
Kobe, JAPAN 
Phone: 81 78 391 3046 
Fax: 81 78 391 3105
KOBE INCHCAPE SHIPPING SERVICES  
Kenryu Bldg, Room 502
6, Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku                                 
KOBE 650-0024, JAPAN
November 5
Yokohama, JAPAN 
Phone: 81 45 201 6991 
Fax: 81 45 212 1614
INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
2F Asahi Seimei Yokohama Honcho Bldg 
36, 4-Chome Honcho, Naka-ku
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 231-005, JAPAN
November 8
Honolulu, HAWAII 
Phone: 1 808 599 8604 
Fax: 1 808 599 1950
INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
521 Ala Moana Blvd
Suite 256 
Honolulu, HI 96813
November 19
Hilo, HAWAII 
Phone: 1 808 599 8604 
Fax: 1 808 599 1950
INCHAPE SHIPPING SERVICES
521 Ala Moana Blvd
Suite 256 
Honolulu, HI 96813
November 22

Time Aboard Ship

Based on Eastern Standard Time - the time on the ship is ahead EDT by the number of hours listed below:
  • Spain(+6 hours)
  • Morocco (+4 hours)
  • Ghana (+4 hours)
  • South Africa (+6 hours)
  • Mauritius (+8 hours)
  • India (+9.5 hours)
  • Singapore (+12 hours)
  • Viet Nam (+11 hours)
  • Hong Kong (+13 hours)
  • China (+13 hours)
  • Japan (+14 hours)
  • Hawaii (-5 hours)

Sending Cakes


Sending cake information: If you would like to surprise your son or daughter with a cake, please fill out the cake request form. We require a minimum of 4 days advance notice. The charge will posted to your son or daughter's shipboard account after the celebration If you would like to send me a cake you may go to semesteratsea.org

Update from Boston

Well I made it to Boston and am having an amazing time here!  I kinda do not want to leave but I know Semester at Sea will be way more amazing! I love Kayla and Amy they are so nice. We fly out on the 26th and we spend the night in canada and then we board the ship the 27th. Yay! Cannot wait!