{"id":3818,"date":"2023-01-06T16:28:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T21:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/?page_id=3818"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:57:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T13:57:49","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

What are the current plans for Cruise 2026?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Maine Maritime students, crew, faculty, and staff will board the ship in Portland at the Maine State Pier on the morning of May 3 and the sea term begins that day. The ship will depart Portland for Galveston on May 8 to pick up the Texas A&M Maritime Academy students and faculty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

How long is cruise this year?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Cruise this year will be 74 days long, which is the normal length for Maine’s summer sea term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

How will I be able to communicate with my student while the ship is underway?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

The Kennedy is equipped with Starlink technology, so you will be able to communicate with your student in whatever way you normally do; Facetime, email, text, etc. Many families find that WhatsApp is convenient. Do keep in mind that the ship will be in different time zones for much of the cruise, so your student may be asleep when it’s convenient for you to communicate with them, or they may be on watch. They will answer you when they’re able to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What if there\u2019s an emergency and I need to talk to my student while the ship is underway?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

In case of an emergency, please contact the Dean of Students, Blossom Thao, at (207) 326-2138 or blossom.thao@mma.edu<\/a>. Blossom will communicate with the Commandant’s Staff embarked on the ship with your students and the situation will be handled as expeditiously as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

How long is each port visit?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Each port visit is four days in length: arrival day, two in-port days, and departure day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What about communicating with my student when the ship is in port?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

You can certainly communicate with your student while the ship is in port. We recommend investigating a limited international calling plan with mobile carriers as that will help limit the amount of money spent on calls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

My schedule will allow me to be in the same port at the same time as my student, AND\/OR the port being visited is our home town. May I visit with my student during cruise? Will they be allowed to spend the night off the ship?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

You may visit with your student while the ship is in port; however, keep in mind that the company on watch is not allowed to leave the ship that day, so be sure to find out from your student what their watch schedule is before making plans. At this time, no overnight liberty for students is anticipated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Will my student get to spend all of the time in port on liberty?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Every student will be afforded the opportunity to spend at least one day on liberty in each port. The watch schedule rotates to make as equitable a distribution of liberty days as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

My student has special dietary restrictions. How can they get the food they need on cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Students with food concerns should email Ryan Blanchard at ryan.blanchard@sodexo.com to let him know about any food allergies, restrictions, or special diets\/requirements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

My student takes medication. How will their prescriptions be refilled during cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

We highly recommend that you make sure your student has enough medication to last the entire cruise before going aboard for the sea term. It can be very difficult to fill prescriptions in other ports and particularly in foreign countries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Can my student receive mail on cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

There will be no mail allowed to be delivered to the ship during port calls, which is why no mailing addresses are posted. If there is an emergency, and the student requires something which has to be mailed, they will be encouraged to discuss that with the Commandant’s Staff and a decision will be made at that time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What if my student needs to come home during cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

It sometimes happens that a student needs to go home during cruise. This can be for a variety of reasons including an illness\/death in the family, etc. Should this happen, your student will communicate that with you. They will be sent home from the next port. Costs for transportation for Maine students will be paid for by the Academy and then rolled into their student bill the following semester.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What will my student be doing during cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Days at sea begin with breakfast and morning formation at 7 a.m. followed by cleaning stations. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on days at sea, one company will be in the classroom (or out on the deck, or down in the engine room) undergoing training; one company will be serving as ship\u2019s maintenance, doing everything from plumbing repairs to painting; one company will be on watch; and one company\u00a0will be assigned as ship\u2019s utility, doing special cleaning or other projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What activities will be available for my student to do while in port?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

In conjunction with Texas staff, we are working on setting up an excursion opportunity in St. John’s, Newfoundland, which everyone will have the chance to take advantage of if they wish. In domestic ports, students will be provided with information about sights they are free to see on their own, such as local beaches, shopping, etc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What if my student forgets to bring something they\u2019ll need while on cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Maine students will have a week pierside in Galveston during which they’ll have the opportunity to leave the ship to shop for anything they may have forgotten to bring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Can I come to watch the ship\u2019s departure?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

While only personnel with a Transportation Workers ID Card are allowed to enter through the gated area to the pier, parents and family members are welcome to observe the ship’s departure from the Maine State Pier in Portland on May 8. There is a very limited amount of parking available at the pier, but Portland has lots of paid public parking. The departure will also be live-streamed on our website.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What about all my student\u2019s stuff that they won\u2019t have time to bring home between the end of the semester and the beginning of cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Due to the ongoing renovation of Curtis Hall, there will be a very limited amount of cruise storage available. Students with a considerable amount of things needing to be stored should consider getting a storage unit; storage is available in both Penobscot and Bucksport.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What should my student bring on cruise?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Students will need to bring uniform items, personal hygiene items, school supplies, a limited amount of civilian attire for in-port liberty, dryer sheets (but no laundry soap) if they would like them, a sleeping bag, pillow, and towels. Lists will be posted for the students in each of the Canvas courses for their specific sea term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

When and where will cruise end?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Current planning has the ship arriving back in Castine on July 12. Students will be released from sea term at noon on July 16. As a reminder, flights home should not be scheduled prior to 1600 that day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What are the current plans for Cruise 2026? Maine Maritime students, crew, faculty, and staff will board the ship in Portland at the Maine State Pier on the morning of May 3 and the sea term begins that day. The ship will depart Portland for Galveston on May 8 to pick up the Texas A&M […]<\/p>\n Read More...<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3818","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\r\nFrequently Asked Questions - TSSOM Training Cruise Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Frequently Asked Questions - TSSOM Training Cruise Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What are the current plans for Cruise 2026? Maine Maritime students, crew, faculty, and staff will board the ship in Portland at the Maine State Pier on the morning of May 3 and the sea term begins that day. The ship will depart Portland for Galveston on May 8 to pick up the Texas A&M […]\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TSSOM Training Cruise Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-27T13:57:49+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/\",\"name\":\"Frequently Asked Questions - TSSOM Training Cruise Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-06T21:28:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-27T13:57:49+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Frequently Asked Questions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/\",\"name\":\"TSSOM Training Cruise Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Frequently Asked Questions - TSSOM Training Cruise Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Frequently Asked Questions - TSSOM Training Cruise Blog","og_description":"What are the current plans for Cruise 2026? Maine Maritime students, crew, faculty, and staff will board the ship in Portland at the Maine State Pier on the morning of May 3 and the sea term begins that day. The ship will depart Portland for Galveston on May 8 to pick up the Texas A&M […]","og_url":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/","og_site_name":"TSSOM Training Cruise Blog","article_modified_time":"2026-03-27T13:57:49+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/","url":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/","name":"Frequently Asked Questions - TSSOM Training Cruise Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-01-06T21:28:33+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-27T13:57:49+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/frequently-asked-questions\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Frequently Asked Questions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/","name":"TSSOM Training Cruise Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3818"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6104,"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3818\/revisions\/6104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mainemaritime.edu\/tssom-training-cruise-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}