It's been 20 years since the tour company Road Scholar first began offering educational voyages at sea. Since then, its products have always been organized as groups on small ships, sometimes full-ship charters. But starting in 2020, Road Scholar will have a ship of its own.
For the following four years, it will charter the 350-passenger Aegean Odyssey, enabling Road Scholar for the first time to regularly put its own itineraries and programs together on a ship.
James Moses, president and CEO of Boston-based Road Scholar, said the No. 1 incentive to do the charter was the freedom to create educational itineraries that work best from an academic perspective.
"Normally, we'd be looking at taking an existing itinerary and then trying to create the academic program around it," Moses said. "But this way, not only do we get the opportunity to have all Road Scholar people on the ships — and they're all learning together, which does create a university concept or campus — but we're also able to create new itineraries that we think make good sense from an educational perspective."
For example, on a Greek Isles & Ephesus cruise, expert lecturers will cover Greek history, culture and mythology. Two lecturers will lead small-group discussions along with book club discussions. Greek dancing lessons, cooking lessons, bridge and other games plus daily walks, yoga and stretching will also be offered.
Other summer itineraries will feature Croatia, Italy, France, Portugal and the British Isles. In the winter, the ship will do a 90- to 100-day World Academy cruise, similar to a world cruise but covering 20 countries.
Known as Elderhostel until 2010, Road Scholar is explicitly aimed at adult learners over age 50. Programs will be offered in three or four levels of activity, something that's easier on a ship fully controlled by Road Scholar, Moses said.
After traveling last spring on several cruises with more than 600 guests, Moses said he had no concerns about the ship's suitability for disabled guests.
"We had a number of people who had mobility challenges," he said, "and there were no problems whatsoever, so I believe the ship is really accessible."
The 12,000-gross-ton Aegean Odyssey was built in 1973 as a car ferry and was converted for cruising in 1988. This year and next, it is sailing for Voyages to Antiquity, based in the United Kingdom.
Moses said the size of Aegean Odyssey is a good fit for Road Scholar's 10-day cruises, and he noted that there are not many ships available in that size range. But after never having had to fill a ship week after week, he admitted he did not underestimate the challenge of selling out the 350 berths.
"That's something we're very aware of," he said. "Enrollment is doing well, given the fact that the baby boomers are certainly reaching the perfect age where they're looking to do more and work less. But we're not in any way complacent about being able to fill the ship for a year. We'll be working hard to generate enrollment for it."
Moses said that a particular type of client will be eager to see what the Aegean Odyssey has to offer.
"Any travel agent who has a client who's interested in a more in-depth learning experience should always consider looking at a Road Scholar program," he said. "It's what we do. We are an educational institution. Travel is really just a means to an end, for the learning."
Road Scholar will continue to put together groups on other lines when itineraries are not suited to the Aegean Odyssey.
"River programs, we're not going to do on the Odyssey," Moses said.