CASTINE, Maine (AP) Maine Maritime Academy students are preparing to embark on their first trans-Atlantic training cruise since the pandemic struck.

The training ship State of Maine is set to depart Wednesday for Portugal with 180 students aboard.

Joining the crew will be MMA President Jerry Paul, who took office this spring and is making his first trip with the academy since he was a student.

Ports of call include Charleston, South Carolina; Bermuda; Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; Reykjavik, Iceland; and Portland, Maine.