For some of these kids it may have been the highlight of their summer. Students from 4 city high schools and the Hope Center got to tour a Carnival Cruise ship today.
The ship accommodates 2,600 passengers - but it got 40 more today - looking spiffy in their school uniforms. It's an initiative made possible by the Belize tourism board and we caught up with the group after they disembarked at the Fort Street Tourism Village and they told us all about what they experienced.
It comes nowhere close to your average school field trip, but instead of taking a bus these kids took a boat out to the Carnival Paradise Cruise ship. It's an initiative organised by the Belize Tourism Board, and their officer for cruise relations told us it was an eye opener for the 40 students:
Kwame Scott, Cruise Relations, BTB:
"And I must say from the reactions that we got from both teachers and students all were amazed and they loved the experience and like I said we hope this is the first of many."
"Looking at the faces of the students from we left until we got back on the tender going on the tender leaving, of course when they were having the food of course touring the ship and seeing all of the amenities thinking that they were actually in a large 5 star hotel seeing all the amenities the data, seeing all the swimming pools and so forth and so forth looking at their faces is enough satisfaction that the Belize tourism board is glad to have initiated this initiative and at the same time we do hope like I mention that this is the first of many."
They selected 5 schools and each school brought 8 students that they picked based on good grades and behaviour. The students were in awe of what they witnessed upon boarding the cruise.
Jocelyn Sanchez, Student, Sadie Vernon Technical High School:
"It was very cool and mind blowing because every second was just getting better and there were so many things that were awesome on the ship."
Kaya Geban, Student, Nazarene High school:
"My experience on the carnival cruise ship was absolutely amazing. We learned many things through this process. It was fun and inspiring for us young students, we learned about the deck, the engine and the hotel, about the cruise ship members, their importance, their jobs. We learned about the applications that are provided to us as Belizeans and yeah."
Kyron Jones, Student, ACC:
"I like the food mostly the activities you can do on the cruise, you can also win some money in the casino and that's mostly all."
And the teachers who also made the most of this experience believe that these types of trips not only inspires students to work hard and dream but it also exposes their minds to all sorts of possibilities not just beyond their school gates but also beyond Belize and its borders.
Julian Mortis, Director The Hope Center:
"What I am excited about is that the kids had an opportunity to go on the cruise ship but also all the things they learned and how it can be possible if they would like to work on the ship they give them all the initiative of all the things that the need to do and how they need to do it and what the ship requires and also what the crew does on the ship. I think it was a great opportunity for the girls and boys to know that they have an opportunity not only to work on the ship but to travel the world."
Paulette Augustus, Principal, ACC:
"After High school the possibilities are endless and cruise ship tourism is one of those places that they can enter into that sector and become world renown and to visit different places in the world and try to get the experience of working on a cruise ship."
Samson Jacobs, Vice Principal, Sadie Vernon Technical High School:
"Personally it was an eye opener experience for me I have never been on a cruise ship but I have art on my retirement plan that I want to go on a cruise ship so just setting foot on that cruise ship was a lifetime experience one that I will cherish for the rest of my life."
Dr Abraham Flowers, Teacher, Nazarene High school:
"For me the experience was one intriguing, it is the first time I have actually went on this tour but at the same time it was educational as well ive never known that the tourism itself, the ship itself was divided into three departments which was the deck, the engine and actually the hospitality, the hotel and from there they need to work as an imperative unit to actually allow for that one ship to be possible and be a floating city as well."
