While we were enjoying Mauritius, ISE/SAS leadership were closely monitoring the world health situation. Using the best intelligence they had at the time, it became clear that the ship should not stop in Ghana and Morocco. An email was sent from ISE CEO, Scott Marshall, informing voyagers that we would extend our stay in South Africa, then sail to the Canary Islands. Las Palmas had always been on the itinerary only as a fuel stop, but the new schedule would allow voyagers to spend two days there before sailing on to Amsterdam. Europe had begun to limit entry, and it was believed that if we were arriving there from another European country, it would improve our chances of ending the voyage at the planned point of disembarkation. The email also announced that Scott would be sailing with us to South Africa and would be available to voyagers as needed.

Scott arrived just in time to join us on the Traditional Mauritian Barbecue and Dance program, fun because he too had been diverted from Mauritius in the spring of 2017. He was there on official business and the gantlet that lay ahead was daunting, but selfishly, it was so good to see my dear friend. It’s hard to imagine how exhausted he must have been. Already sleep deprived, as the team in the home office had been diligently monitoring the coronavirus situation since January, he was coming off a multi-day flight to Mauritius and into a polar opposite time zone. Yet, he hit the ground running, addressing the entire community in the Union as soon as we were all on board. For over two hours, he responded to students’ questions, then held similar sessions for staculty and lifelong learners. The majority were respectful, seeking to understand; a few criticized and threatened. Scott was patient, kind, and direct, a stance he continued for the remainder of the voyage.

The latest announcement set the stage for the biggest challenge yet for the academic team. Eliminating Ghana and Morocco meant we had six days to create 30 field classes to be executed in South Africa. Through ship to shore phone calls and shifting email and Google Doc systems, Sara, Kaley and I developed a plan. Though a bit overwhelming, I was excited to see if we could pull it off. One after another, I met with faculty outside the Fritz. What an honor it was to walk this path with them. Their commitment, determination, flexibility and compassion kept me going. I was humbled by the love and support that was continually offered by our shipboard community. There were, of course, times when the stress and tension hijacked interactions, and I was so grateful for the refuge of our academic dean’s office. Through his own exhaustion from meeting with students and staculty sun-up to sun-down, bookended by leadership meetings and phone calls with the home office, Gene was a pillar of support whether I needed to laugh, cry or just sit in silence. At the end of the day, I was also lucky to be able to go home to my mom who loved me unconditionally through it all.

Our South African tour operator was working miracles, and emails were circulating almost faster than I could read. The morning of March 12, two days before we were to arrive, I told Mom we had plans in place for 27 of the 30 classes, and we had some options in the works for those. I wasn’t sure when or if Sara and Kaley were sleeping, but they had been steadfast.