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by ALYSSA BOYER
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
This summer a group of students from Appalachian State University will board a cruise ship for a week of snorkeling, sunbathing and diving into future careers.
This cruise takes place from May 17 through May 24 and is part of the cruise-line industry course held every summer. The course allows students to earn three credit hours as they learn the ins and outs of running a cruise ship.
Ports of call for this year’s cruise include St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the Bahamas, where amid activities like a rain forest canopy tour and sea kayaking on a private island, students will meet various representatives from all areas of the ship.
Junior
marketing and accounting major Ryan C. Maisenbacher went on the cruise
last summer and remembers meeting the cruise director, bar and food
services manager, head chef, concierge services manager, entertainment
coordinator, some of the captain assistants and the captain.
Maisenbacher
enjoyed the ship’s formal and semi-formal dinners, where he could catch
up and share experiences with the others in his cruise group.
He was also able to take advantage of the ship’s nightly entertainment opportunities.
“We saw
a comedian, a magician, an ice show, and I may or may not have spent a
few hours in the casino/club practicing ‘cultural studies and
statistics’,” Maisenbacher said.
While
the trip caters mainly to future business and recreation managers,
according to professor Stephanie T. West of the health, leisure and exercise
science department, students of all majors can benefit from the lessons
in risk management and will gain self-confidence for future travels.
This will mark the fifth year that West has been involved with the cruise course.
“Evaluations are off the charts,” she said.
The
cruise costs $1,975 plus the cost of tuition, a price which
Maisenbacher, as an out-of-state student, considers to be a value,
especially in view of what he gained from the experience.
“I
developed business contacts in a well known global industry that
employs people in almost any area imaginable,” Maisenbacher said.
“Furthermore I got a nearly unrestricted view into one of the most full
service vacation opportunities available.”
Opportunities
like these are what persuaded Junior hospitality and tourism management
major Megan M. Clark to sign up for the course.
“I can’t wait to meet some new people, spend time on a cruise ship, and do some exploring,” she said.
Before
boarding the ship students will be educated on a variety of cruising
topics, including: Who Cruises and Why, The Anatomy of a Cruise Ship,
Who's Who in Cruising, The Geography of Cruising, and Cruise Marketing.
When combined with the true cruise experience, these lessons are sure
to be remembered, making students savvy travelers for years to come.
For more information on the cruise course, contact Dr. West at
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