SST Updates    

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Howdy! We are excited to start our weekly updates for Summer Sea Term 2024. Please check back each week for new information regarding events, reminders and more. 

  • SST '24 Forum and Q&A will be hosted on Tuesday, April 16 at 5:00 p.m. Please submit your questions prior to the meeting. A Zoom link will be provided on Monday, April 15. 

ARCHIVES    

SST 2023
SST 2023

Updates by date

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Please see the Master Order.

Saturday, July 15, 2023

We will be delayed in our departure from Puerto Rico due to boiler repairs. On Monday, July 17, we will move across the channel to the alternate cruise ship terminal to complete repairs and inspections.

U.S. Coast Guard, MARAD and ABS are working in consultation with the engineers. Once all inspections are complete, we will depart for New Orleans on Tuesday, July 18. 

There are no expected delays for our New Orleans arrival. 

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

In anticipation of repairs while in port, we took the starboard boiler offline today to begin cooling. As a result, our speed has been reduced, and our arrival will be delayed by several hours. Our anticipated arrival has been adjusted to approximately 1500 tomorrow, July 13. At this time, there are no additional adjustments to our schedule.

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Howdy! This Sunday we arrive in Tampa, Florida! Join us at our Dock Party Monday, July 3rd to tour our training ship and enjoy delicious Texas BBQ & Blue Bell Ice Cream. Find more information about this and other upcoming dock parties on our Events page.

To learn more about this leg of the journey, check out Captain Howell's latest Captain's Log.

 

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Howdy! Today we are sharing details for our BBQ and Blue Bell Dock Parties in Tampa, San Juan, and New Orleans on our Events page.

Check out Captain Wade Howell's first Captain's Log since the TS Kennedy has set sail.

 

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Howdy! Thanks again to everyone who helped us send off the cadets, crew and faculty aboard the TS Kennedy!

To track the progress of the TS Kennedy on its journey to Curacao, visit our Ship Tracker.

 

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Howdy! Today we are releasing our first two Captain's Log entries for Summer Sea Term.

This Saturday, June 3rd, is our Galveston Dock PartyJoin us in wishing fair winds and following seas to our cadets, crew and faculty.

 

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Howdy! This week, we’re announcing a change to the dates for our stop in Tampa, Florida, for SST ‘23.

See the latest schedule for more details.

 

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Howdy! This week we’re announcing a change to one of the ports of call for SST '23: Tampa, Florida.

See the latest schedule and check back regularly for updates. Please remember that details are always subject to change.

 

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Howdy! This week we've welcomed the TS Kennedy to campus and have updated the Cadet Ship Operations Manual and Cadet Packing List for SST '23.

Additional information to help prepare for this summer can be found on our FAQ page.

 

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Howdy! We're excited to bring a Taste of Texas to Savannah, San Juan and New Orleans this summer with our Texas A&M Presents: BBQ & Blue Bell Dock Parties! This week we've updated the schedule with details for leadership and cadets reporting & checking in for SST '23.

 

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Howdy! Today we are announcing our Galveston Dock Party and Sail Away Flotilla to kick off SST '23. Additionally, we are going to once again offer a Taste of Texas at three of our ports with Texas A&M Presents BBQ & Bluebell Dock Parties. Information can be found on our Events page, and more details will be updated in the near future, so save these dates!

 

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Howdy! As we get ready to set sail for SST 2023, please visit the Schedule page to see this year's ports of call.

Please keep in mind, all maritime operations are fluid and subject to change with little notice. This information should be used for planning purposes only.


SST 2022
SST 2022

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Howdy! We have a new Captain's Log entry to share today - check it out!

 

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Howdy! Two updates for you this evening: 

Captain's Log

This week's Captain's Log has been published. Morale is high and all on board are excited to see the northern Atlantic. Read more online

Letters & Packages 

The addresses for letters and packages have been updated based on our ports. Letters and packages should be mailed directly to the port. Any mail or packages sent to the Maritime Academy Offices in Galveston will be delivered upon return to Galveston. 

Reykjavik, IC: 
TS KENNEDY
[CADET NAME]
MS Armann Shipbrokers ltd
Harbourbuilding - Tryggvagata 17
101 Reykjavik. Iceland

New York, NY:
TS KENNEDY
[CADET NAME]
Norton Lilly International
26 Papetti Plaza 2nd Floor,
Elizabeth, N.J. 07206

There are a number of variables that the Academy cannot control in each port and therefore cannot guarantee delivery. Effective SST 2023, we will no longer be accepting packages on campus or in port. We encourage you to coordinate with individuals who are visiting ports of call to deliver letters or packages to cadets. 

Gig 'em! 

 

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Howdy, all! Thank you to everyone who joined us last weekend for the SST Dock Party and Flotilla. We hope you had a great time. We have two updates for you this week: 

Tropical Weather in the Gulf  

The T/S Kennedy is currently in the Gulf Stream approaching Key West. We have been closely monitoring the tropical weather system in the Gulf and Capt. McNeice has made a few adjustments to avoid potential impacts. Our current plan is to stay in front of the weather system and be north of the Florida/Georgia Line by tomorrow night. The system is currently forecasted to pass over 200 nautical miles south of the training ship on Sunday. We will be making a quick stop in Savannah, GA for fuel before arriving in Charleston on time. We will notify you if this changes. 

You can track the ship in (almost) real-time on the Ship Tracker.  

Charleston, SC Port Activities 

We're taking the SST Dock Party to Charleston on Sunday, June 12! If you weren't able to join us for last weekend's Galveston Campus Dock Party, you'll have another chance to do so at the Charleston Port Terminal. All information related to port stops and hosted activities is available on the SST Taste of Texas webpage and at calendar.tamug.edu

NOTE: The date has changed from Saturday (6/11) to Sunday (6/12) due to port logistics. 

Thanks and Gig 'em! 

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Howdy! 

The TS Kennedy arrived on campus today! Faculty, staff and crew are already onboard preparing for next week's departure. We have a few updates and reminders for you today: 

Check-In Details 

Check-in plans, company rosters, packing list and Plan of the Day for May 22 were sent to cadet university emails earlier this month, most recently on Sunday, May 15.

This summer, we have three Deck (A-C) and three Engine (D-F) companies. Check-in will take place at Sea Aggie Center on May 22 during the following times: 

  • Alpha/Delta: 0800-1000
  • Bravo/Echo: 1000-1200
  • Charlie/Foxtrot: 1200-1400 

Cadets should make arrangements to arrive during their assigned time with all required items and sea bags. For more information on check-in, refer to the POD. 

Deck and Engine watch will commence at 1200 with Alpha and Delta on May 22. 

Livestreaming 
Unfortunately, we will be unable to live stream the departure of the TS Kennedy on May 29th due to resource constraints. Look for real-time coverage on our social media channels (@texasmaritime). 

Track the Ship  
Track the ship in real-time throughout SST22. The ship tracker usually updates every 20 minutes, however, a number of variables may prevent the precise location from being shared more than once a day.  In the event of a full outage tracking information is available through the online resource Marine Traffic. 

Events
We're just over a week away from setting sail for SST22! We hope that you will join us for the Dock Party on May 28th and the Flotilla on May 29th. As a reminder, Texas A&M at Galveston is not providing vessels to participate in the flotilla, nor is launching or recovering permitted from the Galveston Campus dock. 

Captain's Log 
Captain Sean McNeice will be providing underway updates as connectivity allows. Follow @texasmaritime on social media to be notified when the log is published. 

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Howdy Texas A&M Maritime Academy Cadets & Supporters. We have an early update for you this week.

In line with the fluid nature of the maritime industry, we are announcing a port change for our third Summer Sea Term 2022 stop, changing from Bermuda to New York City. The dates for the stop remain the same, Monday, July 11 through Thursday, July 14. This change occurred as a result of draft restrictions and an unforeseen cruise ship conflict in Bermuda.

We look forward to docking at Pier 88 in Manhattan with its iconic New York City skyline views.

Thanks & Gig 'Em.  

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Howdy! This week we have a few updates for you in our FAQs pertaining to vaccines and the link to the SST Forum we hosted on Monday, April 18. 

  • The Cadet Ship Operations Manual is now live. 
  • The check-in process for vaccinated/non-vaccinated cadets is the same. 
  • The CDC defines fully vaccinated and up-to-date differently. This is important for cadets with shore leave in Bermuda. Learn more on our FAQs page. (Is a COVID-19 vaccine required?) 
  • The SST '22 Forum link is now available. 

Thursday, April 13, 2022

Howdy! Welcome to your source for all information related to Summer Sea Term 2022. Each week we'll be posting updates with new information, events, reminders and more. 

  • SST '22 Forum and Q&A will be hosted on Monday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m.  Register, submit questions and grab the Zoom link here.
  • We're excited to host the SST '22 Dock Party on May 28 at the Galveston Campus. This event is free and open to the public. Full details are available here. A big thanks to the Galveston County Aggie Moms' Club, Texas A&M Maritime Academy Parents Association and the Texas A&M University at Galveston Sea Life Facility for joining us in sending our cadets off in style. We hope to see you all there. 
  • We'll be bringing a Taste of Texas to ports this year with BBQ & Bluebell Icecream. Stay tuned for more details. 
  • Lastly, we're bringing back the Captain's Log, Shiptracker and more to help keep you in the loop all SST-long. 
  • Look for the Sea Term Manual to arrive next week. 
  • Check back for updates each Thursday.