About Us
Meet Education at Sea and the people and partners behind it
Education at Sea is an Australian business founded by experienced nurses who wanted to offer a better way for Australian health professionals to complete meaningful Continuing Professional Development (CPD) while seeing the world.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is essential for nurses and midwives to maintain and expand their professional knowledge, stay up-to-date with current practice, and meet regulatory and AHPRA CPD requirements for ongoing registration. Registered nurses and midwives in Australia are expected to undertake and document relevant CPD hours each year as part of their professional obligations.
At Education at Sea, we help you earn Nursing CPD and Midwifery CPD hours through unique travel experiences. Our CPD cruise conferences and immersive CPD study tours are designed to combine high-quality, expert-led education with exceptional travel in relaxed and inspiring environments. Whether you’re cruising beautiful seas or visiting engaging destinations on land, our programs focus on structured learning, meaningful networking and professional growth.
We partner with industry leaders to deliver sessions that support evidence-based practice, enhance your skills, expand your professional confidence, and help you build your CPD portfolio. Our programs provide face-to-face contact hours and documentation to support your annual CPD evidence.
Founded by nurses, for nurses and midwives, Education at Sea offers a fresh approach to professional development — one that blends real education with travel, adventure and lifelong learning.
Our Team
Jason Dawson
Jason Dawson is from the Gold Coast, Queensland. Whilst studying his Bachelor of Nursing at Southern Cross University he developed an interest in mental health and has worked in this field of nursing for many years since completing his studies in 2008. In this time, Jason has undertaken varied roles including Acute Inpatient Nursing, Community Nursing, clinical facilitating and Nurse Unit Manager positions. In 2012, Jason combined his passion for nursing with his love of travel and founded CPD Cruise Pty Ltd with the view to providing Nurse’s, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals and Teacher’s/Educator’s the opportunity to update and improve their skills in diverse and unique locations.
Samantha Kennington
Samantha is our dedicated Travel & Events Manager who combines her passion for travel and vast experience within the events industry to help you with your every need. She works around the clock to provide the very best travel management you can find.
No matter how many details there are to take care of, she has them all covered. She has sky high standards in everything she does and gets the same from everyone around her.
Samantha came to us from the Isle of Man and brings with her not only a true northern work ethic, but also a dry northern sense of wit and fun.
Aaron Armstrong
Please join us in welcoming Aaron Armstrong to the Education at Sea team. Aaron brings a strong background in the education sector and is also our Flight Specialist, supporting guests with flight planning and travel logistics across our tours and conferences. From helping you choose the best flight options and connections, to assisting with travel timelines and coordination, Aaron is here to make the journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Outside of work, Aaron loves travelling and is a total hot shot at quizzes. We’re thrilled to have Aaron on board and can’t wait for you to connect with him.
Our Partners
Travel Direct Australia
Travel Direct Australia is a sister company of Education at Sea. So while Education at Sea organises all conference and seminar events (in conjunction with the Nurses for Nurses Network) Travel Direct Australia books all your travel needs for your study tours, cruise seminar and cruise conference events.
Travel Direct Australia is an established travel agency based in Kingscliff, New South Wales. They are committed to providing the highest level of customer service, professionalism, and value in travel to customers. Travel Direct Australia provides a wide range of travel services for those travelling for business or pleasure. They can arrange airfares, pre- and post-cruise accommodation, travel insurance, and more – and not just for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events, either. For more information, please see our Other Travel page.
The Nurses for Nurses Network
Education at Sea now proudly operates in an exclusive partnership with the Nurses for Nurses Network for course delivery.
The Nurses for Nurses Network combines great education with fabulous travel adventures. We have taken a holistic approach to Nursing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to ensure you get the most out of your education-travel experience.
Their sister organisation, Nursing CPD, provides nurses an affordable, accessible, stress-free and fabulous way to meet their Continuing Professional Development requirements – and so much more – in one small, tax-deductible annual membership.
NCI offers an impressive range of activities to assist nurses in meeting their Continuing Professional Development requirements with AHPRA. NCI provides: webinar, video, and quiz CPD activities; 24/7 Access; Online Professional Portfolio to present to AHPRA or complete for a resume; up-to-date information to stay informed on all the latest nursing topics; a range of downloads such as eBooks and info sheets; task demos showcasing a range of nursing practices. For information and membership details visit the Nursing CPD Institute click here.