Dear friends of Semester at Sea,
Due to a strong cyclone forming in the Indian Ocean, the Spring 2024 voyage of Semester at Sea is diverting from its planned port in Port Louis, Mauritius, and is now bound for Mozambique. The ship will arrive in Maputo, Mozambique, on the evening of Friday, Feb. 23 and depart on Sunday evening, Feb. 25.
The MV World Odyssey will then sail to Cape Town, South Africa, arriving on March 2 – two days earlier than originally planned – and will depart as scheduled on March 9. The voyage left Mombasa, Kenya, on Tuesday, Feb. 14, and had planned to be in Mauritius Feb. 22-25.
ISE officials in consultation with the captain, voyage leadership team, and ship management company determined a diversion was in the best interests of the voyage based on forecasts showing a strong cyclone forming in the Indian Ocean. The storm is expected to arrive in Mauritius on Feb. 23, one day after the ship was scheduled to arrive. Given this forecast, and the ship’s current position and heading, the decision to divert was made this morning. The shipboard community was informed of the news at approximately 10 a.m. MST (9 p.m. ship time) today, Saturday, Feb. 17.
The ship will arrive in the capital city of Maputo on the southeastern shoreline of Mozambique. The region is known for its history, white sand beaches, and growing tourism industry, in addition to its large port.
Classes will continue onboard until arrival. Field programs and classes planned for Mauritius have been canceled. ISE and the field office are identifying field program options in Mozambique and more information will be provided to voyagers in the days ahead.
The original Spring 2024 Semester at Sea voyage itinerary is available online. The Semester at Sea website will be updated on Monday, Feb. 19, to reflect this diversion.
