Program Reviews

Going into this program, I had very little idea of what to expect.
Although I had been on boats before, I had never been sailing, traveled out of the country by myself, and had never scuba dived. All these and more were just the beginnings of my firsts aboard the Ocean Star, and were completed within the first few days of the program.
Along with the unforgettable experiences of learning how to sail, dive, and experience living on a boat, I met some of the most amazing and inspiring young adults (and instructors) that continue to be a close and amazing resource for me today. I would recommend this program to anyone with an adventurous spirit and sense of adventure (and I have)
This program was absolutely amazing, and I could not have asked for a better way to meet new people, travel the world, and learn so much about myself and sailing.

This summer I had the life-changing experience of living on a boat for 40 days. The program itself was jam-packed, with scuba diving, first aid certifications and learning how to properly navigate a boat. It gave me skills I use in my everyday life and gave me a love for the ocean that I hope to have for the rest of my life. The beautiful landscapes and deep blue seas made an impression on me that will never fade. I wish i could go again. I would recommend this spectacular program to anyone who wants the adventure of a lifetime. The crew members were encouraging and also wanted to see you succeed in whatever you were doing. they challenged and aided us as we were sailing through rough waters or identifying types of coral in the ocean. truly amazing 10/10

This was an absolutely awesome trip. The Staff was just incredible in every way. They were supportive, friendly, and knowledgable about so much. They made you feel totally welcome and comfortable, and were awesome to talk to. Every place we were was unbelievable and the daily excursions were just great. The sights were so remarkable and super unique. We went biking, horseback riding, sailing, and hiking. We also got free time to explore the islands by ourselves. I learned so much about sailing, oceanography, scuba diving and marine biology. The staff was able to meet anyone at their level so that beginners to masters of any of the subjects could learn more. I also made lifelong friends and really bonded with many of the people on the trip.

My experience on the Seamester trip was nothing like I have ever done before. I have very mixed feelings about what I went through. If I am 100% honest I loved a lot of it and also strongly disliked a lot of it. I will start off with what I did not like. I was very out of my comfort zone the entire time which I know is common. I was expecting this and did not mind it. The main thing I did not like was the sailing which was of course a big part of the trip. I got very sea sick every time, and did not have any interest in learning about sailing like many of the other students did. A few things however that I loved were the things we did on land. I loved visiting the different islands and exploring them. My absolute favorite part of the trip was hiking the waterfalls in Dominica. That was something I would love to do again in my lifetime. Overall it was a fantastic adventure that I will never forget. I am very glad I did it because of all the great benefits that came from it as well as it helped me really grow as a person.

This trip changed my life in one of the most amazing ways. It allowed me to meet a new group of people and visit places I wouldn't have gone to on my own. This trip was definitely out of my comfort zone but I knew it was something that id be able to overcome and it was well worth it. A year ago today I never would have thought I would have been able to handle 40 days on a boat but after this experience I would do it all over again. The sailing was beyond fun and it was great to be a part of a crew rather than being catered to the entire trip. on top of that, the certifications we received are once that I am excited to have and are beneficial for what i see myself doing in my future. This trip also gave me to oppertunity to scuba dive in some very unique areas seeing shipwrecks and beautiful reefs

This trip truly changed me for the better. It sparked a love of travel and exploration that was so beneficial for me, I can barely put it into words. It helped me grow as a person on so many levels. I learned valuable skills and life lessons that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Given the opportunity, I would go back in a quick heart beat. There's nothing like living and working on a boat like Ocean Star. In fact, she was more than just a boat. Ocean Star was home to everyone aboard and we quickly became our own little family unit out there on the water. It's an adventure worth taking because it truly is unlike anything I've ever experienced before, and I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity to experience it all. I loved it.

I had an amazing time sailing around the Caribbean. I would not have been able to complete all of my certifications at home or without the support of the amazing, encouraging, and patient staff. I was able to meet people from all over the United States that I would never have met without this program. Even though I initially struggled with scuba diving, the staff was willing to work extra with me so that I could conquer my initial fear until I was able to enjoy diving and eventually looked forward to. I got open water and advanced scuba certification, sailing certification, and first aid certification. I appreciate my time on the boat and have definitely learned a lot from it. After traveling to the various islands, I got a strong desire to help with pollution and have started looking for ways to help protect the islands from home.

This was the absolute trip of a lifetime and if you get the opportunity to go I highly recommend it. It will challenge you in ways you would never expect but also help you grow as an individual. Everyday you engage in new things that you would never expect and you visit amazing places that you will probably never see again unless you travel in the Caribbean a lot. Each moment spent on the vessel, on land, in the water, etc is very valuable. The friends you will make on your magical journey become family forever. I definitely would go on another semester trip in a heartbeat if the opportunity arises again. From anchor watches to watch teams to trying to scuba dive it is all amazing. Push yourself to the best that you can be and you will go far.

I can’t thank Seamester and their staff enough for providing the best summer of my life. Countless jokes and amazing experiences with the other crew members are something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Everything was amazing , from small boat sailing, to scuba diving, to exploring every island! I also can’t thank Steve, Tom, Amy, and Alex for always keeping us on our feet every hour of every day ! Some of my favorite memories include drinking seamoss, scuba diving in Saba, exploring the boujiness of Saint Barths, meeting all my new crew members/friends in the airports as we all flew to S/Y Ocean Star, the squeeze every night after dinner, sunrise watches sailing from port to port, Tom for always having a smile on his face, and the steel drums in Antigua !

The circumstances leading to my time with Seamester will never be anything short of hilarious to me. I was bored out of my mind during the summer of 2017, hurtling rapidly towards a number of dead ends, not sure what to do with my life - as most second-year college students feel. One night I was laying awake with insomnia, and a thought popped into my mind: Sail across an ocean. Why? I later asked myself, since I was terrified of the ocean at the time. I have no explanation, but the question didn't scare me, in fact I instantly latched onto it, and the following day I applied to and set up an interview with Seamester.

Obviously I was accepted, since I'm writing this review. My Fall semester was a bit of a blur, and I'm sure everyone could tell you I did little but talk their ears off about the upcoming voyage all semester long. When I finally got to Cape Town in January of 2018, I could hardly believe it was real. I boarded Argo late in the evening because of flight delays, but that hardly mattered; I was there, I had my bunk, I could sit out on deck in the evening and listen to the harbor seals, and adventure was waiting around every corner. Of course, I had no idea while it was happening just how important to me this experience would be.

This voyage was many things. It was incredibly challenging, sometimes scary, always fascinating, and absolutely worth it in every possible way. Crossing an ocean by sail isn't easy, in close quarters, standing watch almost every night - you're part of the crew, not just a passenger. We crash-jibed two days out from Cape Town during my watch shift, around two in the morning, and our main boom snapped in half. This was of course terrifying at the time, but in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise - how else would we have freed the top of the charthouse for sunbathing at every opportunity, or jury-rigged our fisherman sail upside-down as a "fishermain" jib? I look back on that with particular fondness. I'll never forget, too, when we reached the Equator, hove-to, and swam between the hemispheres in 15,000 feet of water after joining King Neptune's Court. I could go on, and on, and on. There's a memory, many memories, from everywhere we went, even from the middle of the ocean, when we saw 18 shooting stars in four hours, including what I've long thought was an air-burst meteorite, far off our starboard beam. I will never forget this journey.

I'm graduating college soon, and have thankfully had plans in place for what follows for a while now. Due almost entirely to my experience with Seamester, I'm setting my own course for a career in the maritime industry, hoping to myself become a captain one day. This voyage was THE formative experience of my college career, and I look back on it almost every day with gratitude.

Seamester will challenge you in every way, from how you comport yourself on and off the boat, to your worldviews and sense of self. There's nothing like spending three months at sea, and I recommend it to everyone I talk about it with. It will change you for the better.