Fall 2024 | European, African, and Asian Adventure
Family Port
Your Virtual Destination for Resources and Tools for your students’s upcoming voyage. Regardless of language or geographic location, we know Semester at Sea Families are partners in this amazing experience of growing global citizens.
Familie, família, family, أسرة, familia, obitelj, οικογένεια, aile, familia, family, परिवार, ಕುಟುಂಬದ, കുടുംബം, कुटुंब, परिवार, ପରିବାର, ਪਰਿਵਾਰ, குடும்ப, కుటుంబం, خاندان
Families as Partners
Our Mission — journeys of discovery that spark bold solutions to global challenges.
Over the next several months, we look forward to working with voyagers on this amazing journey spanning oceans, countries, and cultures. Families make the experience possible through emotional, financial, and logistical support for many of our voyagers. We’ve gathered information often requested and provided it on this site.
Our professional staff is available Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mountain Time. You may reach us at (800) 854-0195 or email familysupport@semesteratsea.org for questions or concerns.
Growing Self Advocacy
Our team works to grow self-advocacy and autonomy skills in our voyagers, especially in the pre-voyage preparation stages. We will almost always insist students are included in individual meetings, emails, and calls. Questions that can not be answered in the portal are handled by our team of professional advisors prior to the voyage. As the voyage embarks, our Voyage Staculty (faculty and staff team) and the Crew join our home office team to create global citizens with greater confidence and self-advocacy.
Looking for Voyage Preparation Information?
Your voyager has access to a very thorough student community portal with all of the pre-voyage preparation information. This includes course information, payment and funding options, travel recommendations, health and safety, technology at sea, field programs, and more! You may ask your voyager for access to their portal if they haven’t shared it with you.
Embarkation & Disembarkation
Please note that additional travel information can be found in the student community portal, including airport and hotel recommendations.
Embarkation on September 9, 2024:
Felison Cruise Terminal
Cruiseboulevard 10, 1976 AB
IJmuiden, Netherlands
We encourage travelers to arrive in IJmuiden or nearby Amsterdam at least 1-2 days prior to embarkation to allow for possible travel or luggage delay. Students will be assigned an embarkation time between 8:30 and 14:00 roughly two weeks prior to embarkation, and should arrive at the port at their assigned time.
Disembarkation on December 22, 2024:
Bangkok Port (ท่าเรือกรุงเทพ), also referred to as Khlong Toei Port (ท่าเรือคลองเตย)
Khlong Toei Subdistrict, Khlong Toei District, Bangkok 10110 (แขวงคลองเตย เขตคลองเตย กรุงเทพมหานคร 10110)
Do not book a flight prior to 1700 on December 22. The clearance, disembarkation, and luggage retrieval process can take the entire morning of December 22. Bangkok’s primary airport, Suvarnabhumi International Airport, is located approximately 19 miles from the disembarkation port. In normal traffic, this trip can take between 1 and 1.5 hours.
Supporting your Student after Embarkation
If your student is struggling during the first few days of the voyage, remind them of the many resources they have available to them. Below are some great questions to ask, depending on their situation:
Dates & Deadlines
Date | Details |
---|---|
March – June 2024 | Health Clearance Process – All health history forms and questionnaires due June 27 |
February 2024 | Scholarship Portal Opens. Need and Merit Grants are reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis. |
March – July 2024 | Work with Study Abroad & Financial Aid Offices at home institution to ensure approvals for financial aid and credit transfer. |
April 2024 | Book Travel to the Ship |
April 26, 2024 | Scholarship Deadline |
May 6, 2024 | Scholarship Awards Announced |
June 2024 | Visa Information Released |
May 22, 2024 | Course Registration through CSU Opens |
June 11, 2024 | Final Payment Deadline & Deadline to Enroll in Payment Plan |
June – August 2024 | In-Country Field Program Registration |
June 2024 | Deadline for many voyagers to enroll in Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Trip Interruption (IFAR) upgraded insurance coverage through Education Insurance Plans. Additional information located in Finance & Money tab. |
July 2024 | Learning Accommodations Due |
Voyage Updates & Information
View all important communications to students and/or emergency contacts below. Feel free to check back here often to learn of any voyage updates.
Creating Global Citizens
Semester at Sea students engage with people of other cultures, learning how they live and what makes them unique. These experiences combined with academic context and a supportive community allow for lasting shifts in perception toward a global worldview.
Semester at Sea offers global comparative education in academic partnership with Colorado State University, integrating comparative experiential study, interdisciplinary coursework, and relevant field classes in multiple countries. Semester at Sea has served as a pioneer in multiple-country, comparative education for more than 50 years. Global comparative education is a form of international study that identifies and connects the world’s peoples, patterns, cultures and traditions. Throughout the semester, disciplines and thematic issues are viewed cross-culturally and from a global perspective.
Communicate, Celebrate, Let Go
Plan to have a discussion with your voyager before they leave regarding communication and DO NOT expect or encourage them to communicate with you a lot. The students will be very busy! In addition to their studies and their in-country travel, they will be very involved with a whole new community onboard with many opportunities to get involved and meet new people. The experience while away from home has lots to offer your voyager. Let them go!”
– Teresa, SAS Parent Council President 2022
Strategize Communication
Communicating with loved ones across oceans and time zones brings additional challenges. Your voyager will also be very busy with travel, classes, field programs, and working to form new friendships and relationships through the Semester at Sea community. Here are some tips and common strategies for communicating.
- Timing: The Academic Calendar outlines which days the students are on the ship and which days they are in port.
- Sending Mail to the Ship: Mailing information can be found here.
- Calling the Ship: Family members and friends can call the ship 24-hours a day by dialing the toll-free number: 800-305-9203. The caller will be asked to provide a credit card that will be charged approximately $3.95 per minute. Your call will then be connected directly to your voyager’s cabin. Voyagers can purchase phone cards on the ship to place outgoing phone calls.
- Email Communications: The best way to reach a voyager is via their SAS email address which is firstname.lastname.FA24@semesteratsea.org (i.e. jane.doe.FA24@semesteratsea.org).
Celebrations
You can still celebrate birthdays, admissions acceptance, moments of self-advocacy, and other milestones with cakes, massages, nail services, and much more. Please visit our shipboard services page to learn more about options and deadlines. We do not recommend placing any orders until after embarkation.
24-Hour Emergency Crisis Number
If you have a crisis related to your voyager, please call 1-602-693-0839. This is our 24-hour emergency crisis answering service staffed by our team in the U.S. who will work to relay messages and information to our colleagues abroad. This number should be used if your student is in crisis and unable the advocate for themselves.
Contact us with a Concern
A lost passport, an ER visit, or being a victim of theft are all difficult experiences, but not an instance where ISE will automatically notify an emergency contact. We understand families may be concerned and may want some extra care, so please feel free to reach out to connect with our U.S. team. Students are coached to reach out to their ship staculty (professional staff) who can help coordinate immediate support and longer-term academic, medical, and emotional care and resources.
If you need ISE staff assistance, email familysupport@semesteratsea.org. We will respond within 24 hours during the week and 72 hours over the weekend.
Health & Safety
Over the course of our 60-year history, we’ve continuously refined our health and safety protocols, implemented progressive preventative measures, and developed vital partnerships that enable us to make informed decisions and take quick action when needed.
Medical Care
Medical Care for voyagers includes a combination of services and systems on-ship and within each country. Our ship sails with a medical team who can address urgent medical concerns, similar to a visit to urgent care in the United States. Health Care systems in-port will vary by country and are updated at each pre-port lecture with information about emergency care covered by the CISI travel insurance program.
COVID-19 Safety
The health and safety of our voyagers and crew are the most important considerations on any Semester at Sea voyage. We are continually monitoring and adjusting our protocols to comply with best practice guidelines and global recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, U.S. State Department, European Medicines Agency, International Maritime Organization and the Cruise Line Industry Association.
Health Clearance
Each voyager completes a Health History Form which allows key medical determinations and information to be shared with providers on the ship and, when necessary, in-country providers. Please help us in ensuring all medical history information is shared so that your student voyager can receive accurate and timely care no matter the clinic, country, or condition. In addition to a completed Health History Form, there is also a mental health questionnaire and supplemental forms for any medical or mental health specialists.
Global Conflicts & Peace
Semester at Sea is a member of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and routinely communicates with U.S. State Department officials to avoid potential conflict areas. Global Studies courses, Seminars, In-Port Lectures, and other opportunities provide an opportunity to examine and better understand global conflict and the work many are doing to create peace and change throughout the world.
Family Events
We hope you’ll engage in one of our virtual events designed to reach families throughout the world. If you are looking to engage through social media, you can like and follow us at our links at the bottom of this page. Our active alumni community also organizes a number of in-person and virtual events which are open to families and future voyagers.
Upcoming Virtual Events
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Family Health and Safety Webinar – for parents/family members/caregivers of students
1:00 PM Mountain Time
Register Here
Finances & Money
Semester at Sea invoicing systems are individualized to each student and contain sensitive information. Each student can access their financial expenses, credits, and updated bills through the Student Portal. Questions about finances can be answered by a Student Services Advisor.
Program Costs & Budgeting Tools
The opportunity to experience college aboard a floating university is something most of our students and families must include in their financial planning well in advance. As questions arise, we encourage students and their families to connect with their Student Support Advisor for personalized guidance. For an estimated breakdown of costs, please download the voyage budget sheet.
How to Make Payments
Family members or emergency contacts do not have access to directly make payments as accounts are linked to the online account each student creates to utilize the online portal. Payment options include:
- Monthly Payment Plan: Students may break the program fee balance into chunks with more time to pay. Students will enroll in an interest-free payment plan by emailing saspaymentplan@semesteratsea.org. The benefit includes having three additional months to make final payments. More information can be found on the SAS Payment Plan FAQ. The deadline to enroll is June 11, 2024.
- Managing Incidental Costs: During the voyage, students will bill expenses on the ship to an account. Students receive a monthly itemized statement and provide a credit card for mandatory expenses such as fuel surcharges along with incidental expenses like laundry and snacks. Families and voyagers will often need to establish mutual expectations and budgets to manage costs of these incidental expectations.
- 529 Plans: State 529 plans can generally be used, with approval of the 529 organization, for study abroad. However, they will only release the funds to a Title IV institution so the check has to be sent to our academic partner, Colorado State University (CSU). CSU cannot disburse funds directly to Semester at Sea (SAS), so the process is lengthy and goes like this:
- SAS sends an invoice to the 529 company
- 529 company sends a check to CSU
- CSU receives the check and direct deposits it into the student’s account (you will have to set up a direct deposit with CSU)
- The student then pays their bill to SAS directly.
Keep in mind this process can take weeks or months. Students should reach out to financialaid@isevoyages.org as soon as possible when hoping to use 529 funding towards the voyage.
Increasing Access Regardless of Income
Semester at Sea is committed to increasing access to our program to all students regardless of income. Students should work with their advisor to understand their expenses and need, how and when aid like loans and grant transfers, and what opportunities unique to Semester at Sea for which they would qualify.
Additional links which may be helpful:
Parents of Gap Year Students
We know that Gap Year students experience the voyage a little differently and Semester at Sea is here to support them from deposit to final disembarkation.
Helpful Links and Contact Information
Please be in touch with us should you have an questions or concerns. Our professional staff is available Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mountain Time. You may reach us at (800) 854-0195 or send us an email.
Recent Voyage News
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AlumniSAS Alum Writes Memoir About Voyage titled “Seas the Day”
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NewsISE President and CEO Scott Marshall Launches New Leadership Podcast, “AS UNEXPECTED: Leading in an Uncertain World”
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AnnouncementsNew CSU certificate will help distinguish Semester at Sea students as “uniquely well prepared to respond to global challenges”