So you are thinking about Cal Poly at Sea? Well I am going to do my best to provide you with the low down. Despite what I may say, keep in mind that I highly recommend this trip. It is an experience that is amazing!!!!

Ok, I guess we will start with the bad news first. In each port you do have limited port time. You have to wait for customs to clear you and CMA will be doing stuff that bothers you the whole time. Making you wear long pants and polo shirts while on the ship or circling islands for days at a time when you just want to get off the boat. Each port is really a half a day shorter than the itinerary says (3 = 2.5), so remember that. Every night you MUST come back to the ship to sleep. Special liberty is granted ONLY if you have family in the port. You spend the night on the ship (2 am curfew) and you will be detained on the ship until 8 in the morning the next day. If you are obviously drunk you will be tested with a breathalyzer. The limit on the ship is 0.04 and the punishment is loss of port time. Just stop drinking by 12-1230 and you will be fine. Don't complain about lack of port time because as a Cal Poly student you will be getting twice as much time as the CMA students.

In the mornings in port and every day on the ship you will have "clean sweep down", where you clean a designated place on the boat. It only takes 15-20 minutes and it is just sweeping, mopping, and washing the walls of a designated part of the ship. It is a fairly painless activity; you just get tired of doing it. You are also assigned CC, which is kitchen clean up. You get a couple of days of it during the whole cruise. It really isn't that bad, but it does take the whole day from you (not assigned in port, except for breakfast) so they won't take away any of your port time for it. Everyone has to do it and to tell the truth it felt as if those were the only days I pulled my weight on the TSGB. Now for the really bad stuff. Every morning you have to make your bed which (I am not going to lie to you) is a task different from any bed you have ever made before. You are expected to be at Quarters on deck in uniform after lunch everyday, and you will stand there aimlessly while CMA figures out what they are doing and then leave about 15 minutes later (you will become sick of it, just expect it). Breakfast ends at 8 and the next meal is lunch at 1130 so you can sleep in or eat, the choice is yours. The food has its highs and lows. The deserts are killer and become your main food supply. Most of the food, while ok, is on the greasy side. They do have a vegetarian meal every day and it goes from bad to good depending, but they always have rice and other stuff to much off of. There is always Pirates Cove, the student store that just sells candy, soft pretzels, mini pizzas, and ice cream bars (you'll fall in love with the place). The drinks during meals are limited to bad Kool-Aid, water, and coffee.

Classes require more time than you think, so take a light load. There are only 12 computers in the computer lab so contrast that with how many students will be going. If you have a laptop it will be helpful to bring it, if not you can survive without, but getting a computer can be hard. The classes are demanding while on the ship and it feels like all you do is study and sleep. The syllabuses don't look bad but you have to remember you are doing 10 weeks of school in about 6 weeks. Eventually, all you want to do is write in your journal that becomes very behind very fast. Everyone complains about CMA and makes them out to be the devil, but just don't act stupid, do what is expected of you and volunteer to do stuff; it is an experience you won't get anywhere else.

Ok, the good news. It is awesome. The sunsets are killer (don't take a class that may get in the way of watching them (1630 or later). The sunrises are amazing as well. The stars will blow your mind. The ocean will blow you away. You never get tired of looking at it, but land does become really exciting, just because it means port time! The water is amazing and so is the wind in your hair. It is truly amazing just to be out in the middle of the ocean. You sit and wonder how many people have seen what you have seen before right there. You see occasional marine life and then think that it is possible nobody else will ever see that animal again.

The ports are awesome. The best way to plan them is to look in the travel books in the ship's library for a while to get to know the area you will be visiting and plan out what to do the first day. Make calls that day too, arrange a rafting trip or reserve a car for the next day (most places you need to be 21). Don't worry about who is doing what. If you get away from the big group you usually have better experiences. There is no such thing as a bad port day. The bars are fun so make sure to go some of the nights but please do other things in ports. Be wary of classes that take a day of port time away. Some liked them, but I got the impression most of the students would rather have had the freedom to do the rafting and caving trips many of us were doing. Souvenirs take up lots of room and port time to shop for, so don't expect to buy a lot. Try for collections of things from each port like shot glasses or calendars. Bring lots of film. I thought 10 rolls would be enough and I am up to 20 now and I paid quite a bit for those last ten rolls in port. Waterproof and other disposable cameras come in handy when you go somewhere you would rather not take a good one.

While on the boat you become friends with both Cal Poly and CMA cadets. There is a sense of togetherness, you become close to everyone. There are movies everywhere every night, and you can rent them as well. There is never a lack of things to do, and if all else fails you can catch up on the sleep you are deprived of - but most likely you won't even have time to do that. It is an action packed couple of months and isn't designed for those who want a pleasure cruise. I got the distinct impression that some people didn't listen at the meetings and felt like they were cheated or tricked because they complained every time we had to wear pants or a uniform. They should have listened and asked questions of those who had gone before and of CMA about what you are expected to do.

Expect communication between CMA and Cal Poly will be absent. You will be confused and lost but that is ok - you get over it. If you need to know something the best place to ask is the CMA cadets, don't bother with the officers. Just keep your mind and ears open and you will have a wonderful time.

Oh, before I forget. Make sure to pack light. While on the ship you are required to be in uniform all day so pack only a few shirts and other leisure wear because you really won't have the time to wear it all. Keep your packing light and you will be happy. Ideally you should pack just the bare minimum and then cut that in half and then maybe in half again. You really don't need that much stuff. Washing machines are free on the ship and soap is provided so you can do laundry all you wish.

I know this letter sounds a bit negative in parts, but I had an awesome time and would do it again in a heartbeat. I just don't want people to get a wrong idea about the program. I would recommend everyone try it once, because living at sea for two months is awesome (one of the best experiences of my life). It will open your eyes to travel and give you a perspective on many different ways of life. It will also make you appreciate how simple life is. If you have questions about anything, feel free to email me at welnoan@hotmail.com. I will be more than glad to elaborate on any piece of what I said or didn't say. But I definitely recommend talking to 2 or 3 people who have done the trip before - grill them about it. Ask them to tell you everything and you will get a good idea about how life aboard the TSGB is. Have a great trip.