Semester at Sea Is Right to Push for Crew Continuity on Ambella

Semester at Sea raised keeping World Odyssey’s crew early in negotiations for its next ship. I’d put that high on the list, too. Moving a floating campus means changing enough already without also replacing the people who know how it operates.

The Institute for Shipboard Education wants to bring as many current crew members as possible onto Ambella when it replaces World Odyssey in fall 2028. According to ISE president and CEO Scott Marshall, Ambassador Cruise Line was receptive because it does not already have a crew for the additional vessel.

The agreement also gives ISE a substantial role in selecting captains. The program plans to retain its current fall and spring masters, who are employed by the ship’s technical management company. That is meaningful continuity on the bridge.

Marshall outlined the plans during a “State of the Institute” webinar for alumni, days after Ambassador announced its purchase of Oceania Cruises’ Sirena from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

The charter agreement runs for 10 years, with an option to extend, and gives ISE use of the ship for about eight months annually. The first period runs from September 2028 through April 2029, preserving the seasonal structure of the current arrangement.

Two jobs for one ship

Sirena will continue sailing for Oceania under a leaseback through spring 2028 before becoming Ambella. Between academic voyages, it will operate German-language, adults-only summer cruises from Bremerhaven and Kiel for the new Ambassador Kreuzfahrten brand.

Semester at Sea’s seasonal handovers, however, will move from Bremerhaven to IJmuiden, near Amsterdam. Those transfers will take place before the fall academic voyage and after the spring program.

“Amsterdam is really the major city with a great airport and a very short trip up to IJmuiden, so it’s actually a win for us,” Marshall said. IJmuiden’s Felison Cruise Terminal is about 25–30 kilometers from central Amsterdam.

Where the voyages go

The program is also keeping its preference for longer stays in destinations rather than restoring a circumnavigation within a single academic voyage. Marshall said that return is unlikely, citing the higher speeds and fuel spending required, the possibility of late port arrivals and the commitment to more time ashore. Voyages will continue to cover at least three continents and as many as 11 countries.

Marshall put current fuel prices above $100 a barrel. ISE hedges its exposure through a broker, collects an upfront fuel fee from voyagers and sometimes adds a surcharge.

ISE has asked Ambassador about occasional U.S. port calls, and tentative plans exist for alumni voyages. Neither has been confirmed. The fall 2028 itinerary is expected in March or April 2027.

The campus still needs building

Ambella has a gross tonnage of 30,277 and an advertised cruise capacity of 670 passengers, compared with 520 for World Odyssey. Those cruise figures do not settle how the academic population will be accommodated. Dividing cabins among students, faculty and lifelong learners is still part of the planning.

Marshall said the incoming ship offers more cabins and balconies, plus a wider choice of accommodations for lifelong learners. Facilities include a fitness center and running track, and Starlink internet service will continue aboard the new campus.

A small ISE team inspected the ship over two days in February. A larger delegation is due to meet Ambassador onboard this week to plan teaching spaces and cabin allocations.

“These are cruise ships; they’re not built for the academic experience,” Marshall said. Some vessels cannot accommodate the alterations the program requires.

Extra cabins are welcome, but classrooms are not an optional amenity for Semester at Sea.

The selection followed a two-and-a-half-year search led by ISE’s Future Ship Task Force, chaired by trustee Marisa Huber. World Odyssey, the program’s campus since 2015, will continue through the spring 2028 voyage.

The charter secures the ship. Bringing crew members over from World Odyssey would preserve something the charter alone cannot provide: familiarity with the campus that ship has to become.