Family Port

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.SP25@semesteratsea.org (i.e. jane.doe.sp25@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.

Previous Event Recordings

Finances and Financial Aid – September 17, 2024

Academic Course Registration Preparation – September 24, 2024

Health and Safety Webinar – October 15, 2024

Cultural Preport Webinar – November 13, 2024

Logistical Preport Webinar – December 4, 2024

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 October 16, 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:
  1. SAS sends an invoice to the 529 company
  2. 529 company sends a check to CSU
  3. CSU receives the check and direct deposits it into the student’s account (you will have to set up a direct deposit with CSU)
  4. 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:

• ISE Scholarships
• Understanding Tuition, Cost, & Value
• Pell Grant Match
• Monthly Payment Plan
• Additional Funding Options

Semester at Sea Trip Protection Insurance Options

A Semester at Sea voyage represents a major investment for students and parents in both time and money. We want to be certain that parents and students have an opportunity to protect their financial commitment. In an effort to minimize any potential financial loss, Semester at Sea strongly urges that travel insurance is obtained. To assist with this, Semester at Sea has identified a third-party provider of trip protection plans, Education Insurance. You will need to work directly with them to secure this protection.

• To be eligible for optional Cancel or Interrupt for Any Reason coverage, you must purchase the plan prior to the Semester at Sea final payment due date, October 16.
• You are not be eligible for the optional Cancel or Interrupt for Any Reason coverage (CFAR or IFAR) if you enroll in the insurance plan after Semester at Sea’s final payment due date (October 16), however, the base plan will still be available.
• You have the option of enrolling in the base plan any time prior to the day before departure (January 4).
• If you enroll in the voyage after October 16, you will have three weeks from deposit date to enroll in optional CFAR or IFAR coverage. The base plan will still also be available to you up until the day before departure.
• This plan has a maximum trip cost of $25,000. If your costs exceed $25,000, please use the maximum, otherwise you will receive a message that states no plans are available.

View Plan Information and Get a Quote

We urge parents and students to carefully consider this option for your family since Semester at Sea’s program fee is not refundable for any reason (including forced withdrawal for medical and/or mental health reasons) after the semester commences at initial embarkation. Please direct any questions about quoting, enrollment, coverage, etc., to Semester at Sea’s partner Education Insurance Plans and they will assist you. Please call or email them at:

David Galvin – dgalvin@educationinsuranceplans.com
Michael Galvin – mgalvin@educationinsuranceplans.com
Phone: (401) 227-8455

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. To help them stay on top of pre-voyage tasks, make sure to ask them for their login and password for their student portal. This way you can get access to all of the information they have, see who their advisor is, and have access to making payments on their account. Also, make sure they have you (and anyone else they want to receive information) listed as an emergency contact so you will receive emails from us. 

Want to know more about being a gap year student on our program? Check out these short videos:
Gap Year After High School?
A Day in the Life of a Gap Year Student

Academics:

• GAP students may enroll in either 9 credits [New Student Seminar (3 credits) + Global Studies (3 credits) + 1 other course] OR 12 credits [New Student Seminar (3 credits) + Global Studies (3 credits) + 2 other courses].
• Gap year students can only enroll in 100 or 200 level courses that don’t require prerequisites. We strongly recommend only taking 9 credits as a gap year student.
• For more information, review the Academic tab of your voyager’s student portal.

Financial Aid:

• Gap year students are not eligible for federal financial aid (i.e. Pell Grants, federal student loans) because they are not enrolled in an accredited 2 or 4 year college/university program that leads to a degree.
• Gap year students are eligible for our scholarships and should research applying for other private scholarships.
• Filling out the FAFSA is still useful. 1) It can be used if they have plans to attend a college/university after attending SAS. 2) The summary report that includes the SAI (Student Aid Index) can be used to apply for our scholarships.
• If needed, private school loans are also an option.
• For more information, review the Funding Your Voyage tab of your voyager’s student portal.

Webinars: There will be a health and safety webinar geared for parents and family members a few months before the voyage. Part of the webinar will be specific to parents of Gap Year students, so be sure to attend if you are able. If not, a recording will be shared here and on your student’s portal.

Have questions or concerns?

For many gap year students, this will be the first time they are away from home for such a significant amount of time. Your voyager may experience homesickness, worry or anxiety. Just know that this is normal and we’re here to support you. Please feel free to reach out to familysupport@semesteratsea.org or medical@semesteratsea.org if you or your voyager have concerns or would like to speak to a counselor.