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Fall 2010

Required Travel Documents, Vaccinations, and Port Information

Fall 2010 Visas, Inoculation, Travel Documents and Ship Locations

Important Information Regarding H1N1 Influenza

The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) is closely monitoring developments related to the outbreak of swine influenza (H1N1 Virus) in Mexico, the United States, and other parts of the world. At this time, no special requirements are expected for this voyage. As part of our Health and Safety Awareness program, students, faculty, and staff receive detailed information from medical staff and senior administrators about best practices for safe and healthy in-country travel. In addition, during situations of heightened alert, MV Explorer personnel will escalate efforts to ensure that all members of the shipboard community follow more stringent preventive measures. For additional information, please consult your physician, as well as the CDC and the WHO.

Required Travel Documents

The documents outlined below are required to participate on this voyage. Due to very strict international regulations, you will not be able to board the vessel without these documents.

A Valid Passport is required for all participants. Your passport must be valid until June 13, 2011 with 10 fully blank visa pages. Please be certain it is signed and keep a copy for your records. Please contact us now at [This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots; you need JavaScript enabled to view it] for assistance with first time or renewal of U.S. passports or to add pages to your existing U.S. passport. Note that the pages at the back of your passport reserved for amendments and endorsements do not count among the blank pages require for this voyage.
Entry Visas are required for Ghana, India and China for U.S. and Canadian passport holders. All other nationalities should consult directly with the consular agencies of each country on the itinerary.
Yellow Fever Vaccination is required for entry into Ghana. Please consult your physician and the Centers for Disease Control for assistance and for more information about this requirement.

Passports and Visas

Semester at Sea has retained the services of Pinnacle Travel Document Systems to assist participants with passports and entry visas. If you choose to use these services, please download the Fall 2010 Visa Application. For more information, please contact Pinnacle directly at 1-888-466-0620.

If you wish to apply for required entry visas on your own, please contact the consular agencies directly.
All Non-US citizens should determine visa requirements directly with the embassies or consular agencies of the countries on the itinerary. For general questions and assistance, please contact Pinnacle.

Note: Obtaining the proper visas in a timely fashion can be a complicated process and Semester at Sea strongly encourages the assistance of Pinnacle Travel Documents. Some entry visas have a short expiration, which means that they must be obtained close to the date of your departure.

Passport Information

If you do not have a valid passport, we strongly urge you apply for one as soon as possible, as you will need it to apply for entry visas.

If you wish to apply for a U.S. passport on your own, please find instructions on the State Department's travel site.
For lost or stolen U.S. passports, please see the State Department's travel site.
Non-U.S. citizens should consult passport authorities in their country of citizenship.

Special Note for Non-U.S. Citizens

Most of the information provided in this section related to entry visas is specific to U.S. and Canadian passport holders. Specific required may be applicable to passport holder of different nationalities. We urge non-U.S. or Canadian nationalities to inquire directly with the consular agencies of the countries on the itinerary, including the countries where the voyage starts and ends. Special attention should be given to those itineraries that include Hawaii as a stop on the itinerary. Please call our office for assistance.

Special Note for Partial Voyagers

Depending on which segment of the voyage you join, some of the travel documents requirements may not apply to you. Please consult our main office for additional guidance.

Traveler's Health and Vaccination Information

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), yellow fever vaccination is required for all visitors over the age of 1 to Ghana.

Semester at Sea recommends that you consult your physician and the CDC at www.cdc.gov/travel regarding your health condition and any vaccination requirements or recommendations specific to the countries you will visit. Please be advised that vaccination requirements may be imposed at any time by the governments of countries on our itinerary. The CDC provides health information and recommendations for foreign travel that is available 24 hours a day with the use of a touch tone phone by calling 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747). Callers may select any one or all of the informational messages by following the instructions which are given. The information will be updated as needed.

Disclaimer: The Institute for Shipboard Education/Semester at Sea cannot advise regarding the prescription of inoculations and cannot be held responsible for unannounced health requirement changes. Please be sure to discuss any disease prevention with your physician.

Discount Travel and Accommodations

Fall 2010 Voyage Departure

To reserve a discounted room as port of the Semesterter at Sea room block (Aug 20-22) please contact the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, in Norfolk, VA.

Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel
777 Waterside Drive
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
United States
Phone: (757) 622-6664
Fax: (757) 625-8271
Special Offers Reservations: (800) 325-3535

To reserve a discounted room as part of the Semester at Sea room block (August 24-27) please contact the Four Points by Sheraton, in Halifax, NS. Students need to be 18 years or older to reserve a room.

Four Points by Sheraton
1496 Hollis Street
Halifax, NS B3J 3Z1 Canada
Phone: (902) 474-3906
Fax: (902) 423-2327
Special Offers Reservations: (866) 716-8101

If the Four Points has no availability you may want to contact The Westin. The hotel is in walking distance to the ship.

The Westin
1181 Hollis Street
Halifax, NS B3H 2P6 Canada
Phone: (902) 421-1000, (877) 993-7846

Fall 2010 Voyage Return
TBA

Port Information and Ship Location

NORFOLK, USA (Faculty/Staff Check-in):

Name of Port: Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center
Address of Port: 1 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510
To airport: 18 minutes - 9.6 miles
Berth: Half Moone

HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA (Student Check-in):

Name of Port: Port of Halifax - Seaport Terminal
Address of Port: Marginal Road
Berth: Pavilion 23

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

Name of Port: Port of Casablanca
Address of Port: Downtown near the train station
Berth: TBA

ACCRA, GHANA

Name of Port: TBA
Address of Port: TBA
Berth: TBA

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Name of Port: Port of Cape Town
Address of Port: V&A Water Front
Berth: # 2 Jetty

PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS

Name of Port:Port Louis Port
Address of Port:Terminal No 1, Port Louis Harbour
Berth:Quay A or D

CHENNAI, INDIA

Name of Port: Chennai Port Trust
Address of Port: Rajaji Salai, Chennai 600 001.
Berth: West Quay

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIET NAM

Name of Port: Nha Rong Port
Address of Port: Map
Berth: M.2 Nharong port ( city berth )

HONG KONG, CHINA

Name of Port: Harbour City
Address of Port: Canton Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Berth: Ocean terminal, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Name of Port: Shanghai Port Int'l Cruise terminal
Address of Port: No.500 Dong Da Ming Road (Tai Ping Rd),Shanghai
Berth: Shanghai Port Int'l cruise terminal

KOBE, JAPAN

Name of Port:  Kobe
Address of Port:  Shinko-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-City, Hyogo-Pref., Japan
Berth:  Shinko Pier No. 4, Q-1 (Kobe Port Terminal)

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN

Name of Port: Yokohama
Address of Port: 1-1, kaigandori, naka-ku, yokohama ciry 231-0002
Berth: Oosanbashi Passenger Pier "B"

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Name of Port: Honolulu Harbor
Address of Port: Aloha Tower
Berth: Aloha Tower, Pier 10/11

HILO, HAWAII USA

Name of Port: Hilo Harbor
Address of Port: 80 Kuhio Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Berth: Pier 1

Important Notice Regarding Independent Travel In Hawaii

Due to travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. Passenger Service Act (Jones Act) and the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, Fall 2010 participants will not be able to debark in Honolulu, Hawaii and travel independently to Hilo, Hawaii to rejoin the ship. Please call our office if you have any specific questions in this regard.