Chapter 9: Study Abroad: Success of a Short-Term Study Abroad Aboard a Cruise Ship

This chapter is a case study outlining a short-term study abroad course on the fastest growing sector of the leisure travel market, cruise lines. Cruise ships are being utilized not only as pleasure vessels for tourists and educational spaces for industry leaders, but also as floating laboratories for a variety of academic disciplines. A short-term study abroad experience aboard a cruise ship can provide opportunities to expand industry knowledge and help students develop personal and professional competencies such as development of discipline-specific skills and intercultural awareness. While cruise ships have been used for study abroad, very little research has been conducted to describe their value and student learning outcomes. This chapter fills the gap in the literature by presenting a case study of a short-term study abroad course on cruise ship management focused on student learning outcomes.