Our office will be closed Thursday, November 24th (all day) in observance of Thanksgiving Day. We will reopen on Friday, November 25th, at 8:30 am.

800-926-3775

University at Sea®

5700 4th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL 33703

E-Mail Us

Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm EST
Saturday
10:00am - 2:00pm EST
Cruise Conference Planning For Your Association

Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine; Emergency Medicine and Leadership in Healthcare

8-Night Italy, France & Croatia Cruise
from Venice (Ravenna), Italy to Barcelona, Spain September 13 - 21, 2025
Royal Caribbean's <em>Explorer of the Seas</em>
Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas
14.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
14 ACPE Credits
14.0 Contact Hours
Course Fees
$995 for Physicians, Attorneys, Psychologists, Doctors of Pharmacy, & Dentists
$795 for Physician Assistants
$595 for Nurses, Residents, Students & Others

Target Audience
Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists
Program Purpose / Objectives
Topics and Objectives Under Development
Conference Sessions generally take place on days at sea (as itinerary allows), giving you plenty of time to enjoy your meals, evenings and ports of call with your companion, family and friends.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All conferees, their families, and guests must book their cruise within the University at Sea® meeting group through University at Sea® at 800-926-3775 or by registering online. This ensures our company can provide conference services and complimentary social amenities to all meeting participants and their guests. Thank you for your cooperation.
Faculty

Tracy G. Sanson MD, FACEP, CEO

Tracy G. Sanson MD, FACEP, CEO
Tracy Sanson MD LLC
Emergency Physician
Public Speaker
Recipient of the 2020 Judith E. Tintinalli Award for Outstanding Contribution in Education from the American College of Emergency Physicians, and American College of Emergency Physicians Honorable Mention Outstanding Speaker of the Year for 2023
Educator, Coach, Consultant, Founder TracySansonMD, LLC
Lutz, Florida Dr. Sanson is an Emergency Physician with more than 20 years of experience in emergency medicine education, emergency department management, and leadership. She is a consultant and educator on Leadership development and Medical education at TracySansonMD.

Dr. Sanson has served in several and varied leadership positions with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), the Council of Residency Directors (CORD), and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). She is a member of the ACEP Speaker's Bureau and the 911 network. She has been a member of the ACEP faculty for many years, including the ACEP Teaching Fellowship and the Emergency Department Directors Academy. 

Dr. Sanson completed her medical degree and residency training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has held director positions in the US Air Force, the University of South Florida and TeamHealth during the past 20 years. Dr. Sanson heads her own consulting firm, specializing in leadership training.

Stephan Alkins, MD, FCCP, FACP, FAASM

Stephan Alkins, MD, FCCP, FACP, FAASM
Medical Director, Internal Medicine, Crouse Medical Practice, Syracuse, New York
Voluntary Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY Dr. Alkins received his BA degree from Dickinson College in 1989 and his medical degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse in 1993. He completed his internship and residency in lntenal Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. in 1996. He completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1999.
Dr. Alkins served as an active-duty U.S. Army physician until 2004 with duty stations at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl Germany and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland.
Dr. Alkins is in clinical practice specializing in pulmonary and sleep medicine and is the Medical Director of Internal Medicine for Crouse Medical Practice. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.

Cruise Itinerary

DATE PORT OF CALL ARRIVE DEPART
Sat Sep 13 Venice (Ravenna), Italy
- 5:00 pm
Sun Sep 14 Dubrovnik, Croatia
10:00 am 9:00 pm
Mon Sep 15 Kotor, Montenegro
7:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Sep 16 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Wed Sep 17 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
8:00 am 8:00 pm
Thu Sep 18 La Spezia, Italy
7:00 am 7:00 pm
Fri Sep 19 Villefranche (Nice), France
7:00 am 7:00 pm
Sat Sep 20 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Sun Sep 21 Barcelona, Spain
5:00 am -
*Tentative course schedule, actual class times may differ.

Ports of Call

Venice (Ravenna), Italy - Located on the Adriatic coast in North-East Italy, Ravenna was briefly the capital of the Roman Empire and later the Italian capital of the Byzantine Empire. During this time, incredible mosaics were constructed throughout the city. Described as a symphony of color in Dante's Divine Comedy, Ravenna's well-preserved mosaics are some of the finest remaining in the Western world.

Dubrovnik, Croatia - Thick 16th-century stone walls encase the entire Old Town of Dubrovnik. But there are no boundaries on the endless adventures you’ll discover among its orange-roofed ramparts. With a made-for-TV appeal— Game of Thrones was actually filmed here— the city commands your attention with the perfectly preserved Rector’s Palace, elaborate Onofrio’s Fountain, and baroque St. Blaise’s Church, named after the city’s patron saint. You can browse museum collections showcasing Croatian artwork, period furniture and shipbuilding traditions. Stand in awe of the Franciscan Monastery library’s 30,000 volumes. Or to get your heart pumping, go cliff diving into the sea and kayak crystal blue waters, with the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ shimmering in the distance.

Kotor, Montenegro - Looking at a map of Europe, you might be forgiven for missing Kotor — a tiny port in the already-tiny country of Montenegro. But from the moment your Kotor cruise docks, you'll enter a larger-than-life world of mighty forts and towering sea cliffs, the air filled with the refreshing smell of the ocean. On a Mediterranean cruise, you can explore the attractions inside Kotor's fortified Old City, one of the Mediterranean's best-preserved medieval towns. Don't miss the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, an ornate church first consecrated in 1166. Then, scale St. John's Fortress — the hilltop fortifications, dating back to the 6th century, offer the best views of the city, the harbor and the surrounding mountains.

At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - Extraordinary architecture, millennia of turbulent history, magnificent basilicas concealing unimaginable riches, and ornate fountains splashing at the heart of sun-drenched piazzas are just some of the many reasons to visit Rome. Art greets you on every corner, from elaborate statues to delicate frescoes. Stroll the ancient center and history comes to life as you explore the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. Enjoy Italian café culture in Trastevere, where you can wander the narrow streets and soak up a sense of la dolce vita, or throw a coin into the baroque Trevi Fountain to guarantee your return to this vibrant, intoxicating city.

La Spezia, Italy - La Spezia, Italy is a lovely Ligurian town not far from some of Italy’s most attractive sites, including Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terra and even Genoa. It is an ideal port of call for an overnight stay, depsite not being well-known outside Italy. Historically, La Spezia was a prominent trade center during the Roman Empire. Today it remains not only one of Italy’s busiest port towns, but also home to the country’s largest naval base. As a cruise port, La Spezia is convenient, centrally located and a little underrated. This is the region reputed to make the world's best olive oil; be sure to try a local focaccia to see for yourself.

The Cinque Terre are merely a short train trip from Stazione La Spezia Centrale (no roads), making it easy to explore the port of call and surrounding areas in a day or half-day excursion. Florence, home of the Renaissance, is just two hours away;start your day on the coast of the Ligurian Sea and end the day looking up in awe at the Gothic-style Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Genoa is also well within reach, a little closer than Florence really, and is a quite beautiful city.

Villefranche (Nice), France - Villefranche is your gateway to the one-of-a-kind French Riviera, home to Monte Carlo, Cannes and Nice. Shaded by jagged mountains touching deep blue shores, Villefranche offers sunny beaches, sophisticated resort cities, quaint red-roofed villages and spectacular views.

Barcelona, Spain -

Barcelona is a one of the world's great cities. Stroll down her tree-lined boulevards, the magnificent Passeig de Gràcia or the more touristed Las Ramblas. On the Passeig, shop a serious fashion district while marveling at examples of Mordenisme architecture, seemingly sculpted from the stuff of dreams (Gaudi's masterpiece of a family home, Casa Batlló is well worth a visit). If a trip on the Passeig hasn't convinced you of Gaudi's genius, a visit to La Sagrada Familia Cathedral will do the trick; this fantastic, soaring marvel will live on in your memory long after you've returned.

Not far from the Passeig and just north of Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter (the Barri Gotic) provides an abundance of shopping opportunities for all tastes, and a bit of European history to boot - check out the tranquil Cathedral of Barcelona. To see a bit of local life a visit to a food market is a quick, fun detour: try Santa Caterina near the Cathedral or Mercado de La Boqueria, right off of Las Ramblas.

Barcelona's food is also a highlight: stop into a tapas bar and try a variety of delicacies. "Standard" restaurants of every style are available, too. And, there's music, too! Visit an underground jazz club or the magnificent Palau de la Música Catalana; or stop by the Palau Dalmases for a stunning, flamenco performance (it's near the Picasso museum). Did we mention art? One of the largest collections of Picasso's art is found at the Museau Picasso, and a great collection of contemporary, figurative (i.e not abstract) painting and sculpture is housed at the European Museum of Modern Art just around the corner.

It's probably clear by now that you really can't get it all done in a day (even if all means "just the must-sees"). So, stay for a day or three in the Gothic Quarter or near Plaça de Catalunya and really get a feel for what makes Barcelona such a wonderful place. Partly it's the result of the "accidents" of its history and present: as the regional capital of Spain's prosperous Catalunya region, Barcelona has a "flavor" that is a bit of a mix between Spanish and French (it's located quite close to the French border). Yes, you can practice your Spanish here - it attracts Spaniards from throughout the country - but you'll also see and hear Catalan with it's own charm. You won't regret your time here.

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
Please note that our shore excursions are operated separately and
independently of those offered by the cruise line.
©2019 - University at Sea®