Safety in Country

How We Prepare for World Conditions

• We are a member of the U.S. State Department's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). As such we receive safety and security briefings regularly and we are able to consult directly with a Senior Security Analyst for each region of the world we visit.
• We receive detailed, daily reports on world conditions from ASI Group, a non-governmental risk assessment organization. ASI Group provides crime activity maps (down to the neighborhood level) that we distribute to participants at mandatory pre-port safety briefings.
• We receive daily travel advisories and announcements about the countries we visit from the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs.
• We notify the U.S. Embassies and Consulates at each country on our itinerary prior to our ship's arrival. U.S. representatives are provided with a list of all of our participants as well as a description of our field program.

Boarding and Dockside Safety

Much like undergoing a series of essential security checkpoints before boarding an international flight, Semester at Sea promotes a multi-level security plan to make certain that only our participants and registered guests gain access to our ship.

• At the Gangway

  To enter or exit the ship, all participants must scan their voyage ID and pass through a metal detector staffed by our ship's officers and crew. Personal belongings are searched when participants return to the ship (ensuring prohibited items are not brought aboard).

• At the Port/Pier

  Semester at Sea has a contractual agreement with each country's port agent to provide security at the port entrance and to patrol the pier area where the ship is docked.

• On the Ship
  MV Explorer personnel patrol the ship 24/7. In addition, SAS program staff is trained in safety and security procedures. A conduct officer is part of every voyage and this trained professional patrols the ship nightly in a community policing capacity.

Preparing Participants for Safe Travel

• Before the ship's arrival in each port, all participants are required to attend a mandatory pre-port briefing. Briefings cover travel logistics, immigrations and customs procedures, and health and security information.

• At the pre-port briefing, all participants receive a green sheet providing critical information (duty deans, port agent, hospitals, consulate or embassy) in case of an emergency.
• Upon arrival in each port, a representative from the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate boards the ship and is invited to share information on safety, local conditions, currency, and travel. Participant attendance is mandatory.
• We intentionally appoint international faculty, interport lecturers, and international students who have expertise in each port of call and who can speak to a variety of safety issues from a host country national's perspective.
• We select tour operators who are known for quality in the travel industry and for providing good services to travelers in their country. We send each operator a statement that outlines our expectations of their role in the safety of Semester at Sea participants.
• In the event of an accident or medical emergency, the Institute makes available to all participants a premium insurance policy that includes emergency medical care as well as emergency medical evacuation coverage.