Planning Your Own Travel
Outside of SAS-designed Field Classes and Field Programs, voyagers may arrange their own travel. Regardless of the type of in-country travel, Semester at Sea expects the following:
1. Know and follow the Responsible Travel Guidelines.
2. Know and follow the policies in the Voyager’s Handbook.
Note, all VH policies still apply even if not on an official SAS program! Specific policies to make note of:
- Intoxication is prohibited.
- Do not leave the country of arrival (unless on an official SAS Field Program).
- Do not travel to prohibited areas within the country of arrival; follow all other safety precautions in each country outlined by SAS.
- Do not operate motor vehicles (including motorcycles, scooters, and E-bikes) or watercraft.
- SAS-provided insurance does not cover Medical Expense Benefits for mountaineering, hang gliding, parachuting/skydiving, parasailing, bungee jumping, or racing by horse or motor vehicle/motorcycle. Do not participate in these activities.
- Do not act on behalf of any third-party individual or company to promote any activity or trip to other voyagers.
- (The above policies apply to students. Faculty, staff, Lifelong Learners and companions may have different policies. See Voyager’s Handbook.)
3. Have a plan for communication. All voyagers should have access to a reliable form of communication with the ability to contact on-call staff 24/7 in the event of an emergency or concern. (Before embarkation, SAS provides instructions on downloading “SAFEY,” an emergency communication smartphone app.)
4. Plan to accommodate potential schedule changes. Plan overnight travel to depart the second day in port. Plan to arrive back to the port city well before the scheduled on-ship time.
5. Take ownership and responsibility over your own experience. Do not blindly follow others. Do your own research on locations, providers, activities, etc., in advance, and make sure you feel comfortable with how safe the experience is. Organize travel for others with care and due diligence.
Don't Wait! Plan Ahead!
With limited resources available on the ship and many competing priorities, we advise voyagers to arrive at embarkation with a rough idea of plans for every country.
Step 1: Go inward first! Before making plans, reflect and consider your own personal preferences. Experiences designed with intention from this foundation set voyagers up for the most fun, impactful, and fulfilling experience.
Step 2: Pencil-in commitments as they are solidified. Use the planning worksheet (links to FA19 example) as a template and bring this worksheet with you to embarkation.
Step 3: Google away! Building off of steps 1 and 2, start researching, dreaming, brainstorming and budgeting! First, gather all your options. Then, prioritize.
Step 4: Connect with other like-minded voyagers. Share your ideas and ask others for theirs. But remember, consider your personal preferences (step 1) and don’t blindly follow others.
Step 5: Lock it in! Solidify your must-see/must-do experiences before embarkation.
Step 6: Repeat steps 2-5! Arrive at the ship with your in-country planning worksheet and a rough outline for each country. It’s okay to have some holes, but be prepared to discuss your plan with voyage leadership at the start of the voyage.
