Introducing the crew and staff

MV Explorer has been traveling the world this semester under the direction of Captain Jeremy Kingston, Staff Captain Korniff Polikarpov, Chief Engineer Rumen Fudolov and Hotel Director Stefan Heuser. 

Akin Akargul (right), a Turkish national, is in charge of waiters

The purser's desk is open 24 hours a day. The ship's personnel are friendly and helpful, hailing from 21 countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Nepal, the Netherlands, Panama, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, St. Lucia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

Executive Dean Tom Jelke, Academic Dean Sharon Hostler 
and alumni Amy and Matt Schamroth toast Lifelong 
Learners and the faculty  at the Glazer Lounge

The day-to-day activities for the voyagers are sponsored, conducted and supervised by several deans. Tom Jelke is executive dean; Sharon Hostler, a pediatrician from the University of Virginia's medical school, is academic dean. Craig Hauser and Jim van Arsdel are assistant deans, and Maggie Harden is registrar.

There are additional administrative personnel including a librarian, technical staff and residential directors, or RDs, for every 60 or 70 students. The medical clinic is managed by Dr. Micah Rosenfield, a physician's assistant and several nurses. The spa has a sauna and a steam bath and offers massages, facials, hair and nail treatments.

Classes start at 8 a.m. and go until 4:30 pm.  There is a writing center that is open long hours to help American as well as foreign students with their essays, resumes and more. Announcements throughout the day include half-dozen extracurricular programs scheduled each evening as well as the location of the Explorer, the depth of the ocean, the air and water temperature, the daily water usage per person and birthday wishes.

Each cabin has a television that shows documentaries and movies that are associated with the countries we are visiting on the "Loop" as well as news from Aljazeera that does a good  job reporting international news. Voyagers can also watch, via closed circuit TV, the fireside chats or lectures that take place in the union during the evening. 

The two dining rooms serve buffet-style meals that are rich in fruit, vegetables and protein. For breakfast we can choose from three different kinds of eggs, sausage or bacon, as well as hot and cold cereals, fruit and rolls. Lunch and dinner include salad fixings, two meat dishes, pasta, two vegetarian choices, dessert and always peanut butter and jelly. In addition to water and iced tea, we can have fruit juices. 

The dining room on the sixth deck has outdoor seating. Deck 7 has a swimming pool, ping pong table, weight machines, chaise longue for sun worshippers as well as a fast-food stand that sells hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, ice cream, smoothies and fancy coffees. Snacks such as chips, candy bars, apples, muffins are also for sale near the piano bar where many students sit with their laptops to study or chat. 
  

Juan from Mexico City, Betsy from Winnetka, Ill., and Sierra from Idaho were 

members of my "extended family." Missing from photo is Bradon from Texas. 

Lifelong Learners "adopted" students so they could have someone to lean on. 

 

There also are two shops selling clothes as well as articles such as memory sticks, school supplies, books and toiletries. To avoid spreading germs the temperature inside the ship is kept low, and the janitors  are constantly wiping railings, door handles and elevator buttons. There are sanitizer dispensers in strategic spots.

A large lounge at the bow of the ship surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and a deck is for the enjoyment of the faculty, staff and Lifelong Learners. It is quiet until 5 p.m. when the bar opens for cocktails before dinner or catered receptions from time to time, often there is music and dancing late into the night.

Life is good aboard the Explorer.

Four Lifelong Learners enjoy a five-course  steak and lobster

dinner with champaign (at $29.95) in the special dining room