Latitude: 21° 27.9 N

Longitude: 70° 18.7 W

Today was our first day at sea!  We left the dock in Nassau at 8:00 last night, and have been sailing all through the night and all day today.  It feels very different to be on the ship when it is moving, because everything around you is rocking.  We are all having a hard time keeping our balance as the ship moves.  The ship passed Cuba today, and now we’re north of Hispaniola, the island where Haiti and the Dominican Republic are.  We will reach Dominica on Sunday morning, so we have another two days at sea.  Our classes start tomorrow; I’m not sure what they’re going to be like on a ship—I bet it will be very different from your classes at school.

The Bahamas was an interesting place, but very touristy.  In the area where the cruise ships dock there are lots of people trying to sell souvenirs, or offering to braid hair.  The weather was warm and sunny for most of the time we were there.  It was in the 70s during the day, but could get chilly at night.  It was a lot warmer than I’m used to it being in January, but I don’t think it ever gets much colder than this.

One of the main foods in the Bahamas is Conch.  Conches are crustaceans that live in big shells but people in the Bahamas like to eat them, and sell their shells.  I got to try conch fritters, which are similar to corn or clam fritters—they are doughy fried balls with bits of the conch meat in them.  It was interesting getting to see a new place, but I’m excited to be on my way to Dominica!

Our ship for Semester at Sea, the MV Explorer, was a cruise ship until it was converted into a “floating classroom” but although it looks huge when I am standing next to it, it is tiny compared to the other cruise ships that were docked near by.  It has been difficult to find my way around the ship at first, but I think I am finally getting used to it. 

Let me know if you have any questions, or want to know more about a certain part of my trip!  I’ll try to post again soon and let you know what it’s like to have class on a ship!