Have you ever wondered….?

During an Explorer Seminar the other evening, voyagers were given a rare opportunity to quiz the four most senior officers of the crew on anything and everything having to do with our voyage, their jobs, and the MV Explorer.

There is a lot that goes into the daily operation of the ship; probably more than we’ll ever know. There are over 200 crew aboard the MV Explorer who work tirelessly to ensure that things run smoothly during the voyage. The ship was built as a cruise liner in 2002 by the German firm, Blohm & Voss, and then later retrofitted as a floating campus when purchased by Semester at Sea. It is the fastest passenger ship of its kind in the world, with a capability to reach around 30 knots and it is just under 600 ft. in length, with seven decks.

L to R: Chief Engineer Mario Penniello, Staff Captain Konstantinos Siamantas, Master Captain Jeremy Kingston, and Hotel Director Stefan Heuser

Now meet our incredible officers. Our Master Captain, Jeremy Kingston, has been on the sea since a young child. He joined the P&O Steam Navigation Company as a Cadet Officer in 1974 and then served on a number of vessels as he interspersed his voyages with studies at the Southampton School of Navigation at Warsah in the United Kingdom. It would take him about ten years of training before he qualified to be a captain and another twelve before he received a master position, but in that time, he achieved an exemplary record in the cruise industry.

Our Staff Captain is Kostas Siamantas. He began his career at sea as a deck cadet at the age of 18 for Niarhos Shipping Company and then attended the Merchant Marine Academy of Thessaloniki, Greece from which he graduated in 1985. In 1987, Siamantas began his career in the cruise industry and over the years, he has held the positions of 1st Officer, Safety Officer, and now captain.

This next person is arguably the most important member of our crew, especially considering the fact that there are over 700 hungry college students aboard the ship. Our Hotel Director, Stefan Heuser, runs the operations of the ship that are probably closest to us, such as the dining services and housekeeping. He was born and raised in Germany and started his professional career with a formal apprenticeship to become a chef. He began is career at sea in 1992, working on a small luxury passenger ship, and then he joined V. Ships, the company which manages the MV Explorer, 14 years ago. After a number of successful assignments around the globe for V. Ships, Stefan joined the crew of the MV Explorer in August 2005 and has been with us since.

Our fourth senior officer is the Chief Engineer, Mario Penniello. Mario oversees all of the technical aspects of the ship and literally keeps the engines running. He also is in charge of a number of other essential systems of the ship including our water and electrical systems.

Here are some of the questions that voyagers asked our officers. (Not exact quotes, I have paraphrased in some cases)

Q: How is water made aboard the MV Explorer?
Chief Engineer: The ship has a freshwater system that takes in seawater, which is then run through filters and chlorinated. In addition to the pure water used for drinking , we also have grey water and black water tanks. The grey water is water collected from the sinks, galley, laundry, and showers, etc…Black water comes from our sewage system. While we are at sea, both forms of water can be ejected (black water is treated with chlorine first) according to maritime regulations.

Q: How does our water usage compare to other voyages?
Staff Captain: Voyagers this semester are using the amount that is expected. Consumption is about 220-240 tons per day while we have the capacity to produce around 500 tons per day.

Q: How many pounds of potatoes are used during voyage?
Hotel Manager: We use about 500g/person/day at sea, which is about 400lbs/day. (That’s 43,200 lbs of potatos!!!)

Q: Where is the bread from?
Hotel Manager: All bread on board, with the exception of our bagels and English muffins, is baked fresh for every meal. We probably produce around 700-800 rolls per meal plus the toast at every meal and the pastries provided at breakfast.

Q: What is the ship’s fuel consumption like?
Chief Engineer: The ship’s fuel capacity is 1190 tons. We estimate that we will use about 700 tons to go from Hawaii to Guatemala.
Master Captain: We will probably get around 6 miles per ton. If we are going really fast, we may only get about 4 miles per ton. Our most efficient speed is probably somewhere around 14-15 knots but that is really debatable because the slower you go, the longer you are at sea, and you still consume a lot of fuel just to keep the ship going.

Q: How is electricity generated?
Chief Engineer: There are four generators on board that are separate from the main engines. Two are usually in use, sometimes three during maneuvers such as pulling into a port.

Q: What does it cost to be in port?
Master Captain: It really depends on the port. The cost is generally calculated by the gross tonnage of the ship. Sometimes, we are given exemptions though because we are an educational ship and prices can be reduced or even waived altogether.

Q: Do we have the capacity for green energy?
Chief Engineer: We try but there are no real alternatives to running the ship. All we can do is try to minimize consumption and be more efficient.
Master Captain: To give you an example of where technology is right now, there is now one ship being built with solar panels. All of the panels on board will generate enough electricity to be able to power one elevator.
(I also wanted to note Semester at Sea's Greening of the Ship initiative, which will be a phased $2.6 million project starting in Spring 2010. The plan will include improvements to the MV Explorer's water management system, HVAC, propellers, lighting, consumption, hydraulics, and other ship functions and will be integrated with a sustainability awareness program for voyagers.)

Q: Can you explain how the ship’s stabilizers work?
Master Captain: Stabilizers are basically like an aerofoil, which extend about 4 meters on each side when they’re out. They are controlled by a gyro sphere that automatically deploys them when it detects the ship leaning in one direction or the other. The effect on speed is debatable. I estimate we lose about half a knot when they’re out but if the ship is zigzagging a lot, you may use more fuel.

Q: How much can the ship roll? How far below waterline is the ship?
Master Captain: The MV Explorer is able to roll to about 67 degrees and come back without a problem. The ship extends about 24 ft below the surface.

Q: If you’re all here, who is driving right now?
Master Captain: I really don’t take the controls except for what is essentially parking the ship. There are three people who take turns steering and they work in shifts.

Q: What are the crew’s facilities like?
Staff Captain: There is a crew mess as well as an officer’s mess. There’s also a gym and a crew bar in the evenings where we hold events. Deck 4 aft is also available to them. In addition to the facilities on the ship. We also often organize trips in ports of call.

Q: How many washing machines are aboard the ship?
Hotel Manager: The ship has two large washing machines and 3 dryers. (I have to say, this really surprised all of us!)

Q: In case of an emergency, what is the estimated time to get everyone into lifeboats?
Master Captain: By law, we need to be able to get everyone safely off of the ship in 30 minutes or less.

Q: If there is a medical emergency while at sea, is surgery possible?
Master Captain: We have the capacity on board to perform surgeries but the ship’s medical facilities are generally designed to stabilize a patient’s condition until you can get them to shore. If necessary, we could also call for a medivac.

Q: Captain, in your opinion, what's the coolest room on the ship?
Master Captain: The meat room. (Get it?)


Photo by SAS Photographer John Weakley

Hawaii FDP

Our visit to Hawaii was fairly short but it gave all of us some much needed time to stretch our legs off of the ship after about a week at sea. It was also a nice place to transition back into America. For two days, we didn’t have to think about exchange rates, deal with any language barriers, and our cell phones actually worked! Hawaii is the most diverse state in the country though and the culture there is a wonderful mixture composed from the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands, the American mainland, and other Pacific peoples.

One of the representations of this diverse culture that I was able to experience along with a group of about fifteen other SAS voyagers was a trip to a Korean Buddhist temple in Honolulu. It may seem surprising that a number of students chose to visit a Buddhist temple in Hawaii when we only had two days there, especially given the fact that we had just finished with a whirlwind trip through Asia. I can’t even count the number of temples I visited during the different excursions I went on.

However, our visit had a very specific purpose. The temple was a beautiful sanctuary in the hills overlooking Honolulu. Built with strong architectural influences from Tibet and Korea, the complex is actually quite large and we were told that it is among the largest in the world. It was founded in 1982 with a message of world peace. Monks from all over the world visit for up to ten months at a time to study there.

That was not why we were there though. We came to this spiritual center in the hills of Honolulu to talk about killing, or more specifically, how to work towards a “nonkilling world.” The term “nonkilling world” was coined by Dr. Glen Paige, our discussion leader and the founder of the Center for Global Nonkilling as well as the author of Nonkilling Global Political Science. He defined a nonkilling world for us as one where people did not kill one another, where there were no weapons, where there was no justification to kill another human, and where there was no fear of being killed.


We all wrote down whether or not we thought a world like this would ever exist and listed a few reasons to support our conclusions. Then we traded note cards amongst ourselves and read the opinions in anonymity. The ensuing discussion was largely a philosophical one that debated the possibility of a nonkilling world. Most of us felt that it a nonkilling world would be impossible to realize, however we all agreed that it was something to work towards.


This FDP was created by Professor Mark Shadle, who joins Semester at Sea from Eastern Oregon University. He teaches three courses aboard the MV Explorer on topics relating to literature, writing, and media. He brings extensive experience with him and expertise in multiple fields and his full bio can be found here.



Photos by SAS photographer, John Weakley

Arrival in Honolulu

The MV Explorer will be pulling into the island of Oahu and docking in Honolulu in just about seven hours. Our crossing of the Pacific has gone great so far, but I don't think anyone will be complaining about getting off the ship for a few days after over a week at sea.

Oahu, known as "The Gathering Place" to Hawaiians, is the third largest of the Hawaiian islands and the most populated. The island is home to Honolulu, the state capital and Hawaii's largest city, as well as Pearl Harbor. I know everyone is looking forward to returning to U.S. soil, even if it's only for two days!