Location

CocoCay, Phillipsburg, San Juan, Miami, Bahamas, Saint Martin, USA

Program Description

This is a field course designed to acquaint students with the process of operating a cruise ship with multiple international destinations. The course will take place on a Oasis-class ship of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, one of the largest ships in the industry. Oasis-class ships offer more services than most cruise ships and Royal Caribbean is considered to be one of the market leaders in terms of service quality. Purpose of the Course: To provide students with basic knowledge necessary to work in the cruise line industry. Topics to be covered include: Who Cruises and Why, The Anatomy of a Cruise Ship, The Cruise Experience, Who's Who in Cruising, The Pre-, and Post-, and Off-Ship Cruise Experience, The Geography of Cruising, Profiling the Lines, Selling Cruises, and Cruise Marketing, Groups and Incentives.

Students will study about the cruise line industry to include cruise sales, marketing, and operations. Students will prepare for the in-person trip portion aboard the cruise ship by participating in one synchronous meeting during the Fall semester and approximately ten hours of asynchronous content the week prior to the cruise to learn the basics, such as terminology, concepts and history. Once on the ship, students will take behind-the-scene tours and meet with more than a dozen ship personnel to learn first-hand about what it is like to live and work on a cruise ship. While in port, students will participate in shore excursions that include sailing, snorkeling and beach activities, during which they will meet with local tour operators.  Following the course, students will complete a final exam and group project covering the in-person trip portion of the course (plan for this taking approximately five hours and to be completed on your own time).

Location Description

Students will gather in Miami, FL on Day One prior to boarding Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, on Day Two on an Eastern Caribbean cruise to CocoCay, Bahamas, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Phillipsburg, St. Maarten.

Director

Stephanie West | westst@jmu.edu | Hart School

Accommodations

While onboard the ship (Day 2-end of the program), students will be in shared interior cabins with 1-3 other students depending on 1) the availability of cabin space after the trip is full and 2) the age of students (as each cabin requires someone over the age of 21). Housing descriptions and photos can be viewed on the website RCCL.com. Housing on Day 1 will be at a hotel in Miami where students will stay 2-3 in a room at a hotel similar to a Holiday Inn Express.

Most meals will be provided as a part of the program. While onboard the ship, all meals will be provided by RCCL (Sunday lunch on Day 2 through Sunday breakfast on the last day). Breakfast on Day 2 will be provided by the hotel. A group dinner will be provided on Day 1 as part of the trip. Students should plan to spend their own money to cover meals while traveling to/from Miami (Day 1 lunch and lunch on the last day)

Please note that the cruise ship is able to accommodate all dietary restrictions.

Additional Items to Consider

A passport is recommended but not required. Students who do not have a passport may travel with a drivers license and endorsed birth certificate.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

Open to all class levels and undergraduate majors. Open to graduate students.