It is good tidings for the country’s tourism industry as the World’s largest floating university cruise ship, MV World Odyssey, docked at the Port of Mombasa with at least 500 students, 200 crew members, and 89 faculty members on Board.
It’s the ship’s third call to the Port of Mombasa in 15 months, a show of confidence in the country’s tourism sector.
The ship’s last Port of call was Cochin in India; it will stay at Mombasa Quayside for six days.
The vessel runs an education programme dubbed, ‘Semester at Sea’ administered by the Institute of Shipboard Education in partnership with Colorado State University.
The students are drawn from over 20 nations; the ship is converted to a college campus, and they spend between 100 and 105 days on the cruise ship, 50 per cent of the days in classes on the ship, and the rest of the voyage exploring different countries.
They will have exchange programmes with the Technical University of Mombasa and Kenyatta University, Mombasa campus.
“We are glad to receive the vessel; we are expecting more ships, hopefully in early March, so that we can have enough cruise passengers to improve our economy,” said Capt. Ali Abdille, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Harbour Master, when he officially received the ship.
Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), Head of Public Relations and Corporate Communication, Ms. Wausi Walya, says the calling of the ship for the third time is a big endorsement of Mombasa, as a favourite Port of Call.
“This time, different from paying tourists, the students are interested in a lot of knowledge. Each student on board takes a global studies subject. As they move from country to country, they try to absorb as much information as possible,” said Ms. Walya, adding that the students are interested in learning about the culture and history of the Coastal city.
She stated that cruise ship tourism has recorded 50 per cent growth this year; so far since January, two cruise ships have docked with over 6,000 tourists. Last year, 3,123 tourists came through cruise ships.
The cruise ships, Ms. Walya noted, are a big addition to the economy as they inject money when they tour different sites.
The campus Executive Dean, Ms. Marti Fessenden, said the floating university runs a unique programme, where they integrate learning and provide an opportunity for students to explore the world.
“We are very proud as Semester at Sea. Kenya is the first Port of Call in Africa; we will visit five more African countries,” stated Ms. Fessenden.
“The main idea is to bring students worldwide to explore different countries. Mostly we are six to seven days at sea, where the students already learn about the countries and, at a later stage, give them time to explore the countries,” added the Ship Captain, Jan Master.
The students were happy to be in the country. They will explore different sites, Kenyan cuisines, and cultures. They appreciated the warm reception accorded to them.
“I am going to visit churches, and orphanages and a three-day safari to Masaai Mara National Park. I am excited to talk and interact with the local people. I have heard many good things about Kenya. I look forward to making lifelong friends,” said Blake Moore, a student of Anthropology and Linguistics.
By Sadik Hassan
