What Does Semester at Sea Really cost?

What Does Semester at Sea Really Costs?

This is probably one of the most asked questions that every future voyager has, I know it was mine! Before I left for the Spring 2020 Voyage, I spent countless hours researching, just trying to get an idea how much this program was actually going to cost and I could not find ANYTHING.  

I went into the voyage completely blind as to what I would end up spending, and because of that, I decided to keep track of every single penny I spent before I even left my home in Florida.

Below, I have split this post into three different sections: Pre-Embarkation, On Ship Expenses, and In-Country Expenses. I hope this helps you get a better understanding of What Semester at Sea Really Costs…

Pre-Embarkation

• When you decide to apply for Semester at Sea, the very first purchase you will make towards your voyage is the application fee. As of May 2020, the application fee is still set at $50.
• Once accepted, you will then have to pay your $1,000 deposit to hold your spot and guarantee you the cabin of your choice. This $1000 deposit is then taken off Program Fee Total found on MYVOYAGE.
• Now that you have been accepted and paid your deposit, it is time to choose your cabin. SAS offers five different cabin types that all student voyagers can pick from and they each come at their own cost.

• • Discovery Triple Inside: $3,795
  • Discovery Double Inside: $6,795
  • Ocean Triple Outside: $6,795
  • Ocean Double Outside: $9,795
  • Adventure Double Bunk: (This is only offered on specific voyages and is normal the least expensive cabin type. If you are interested in this, I would contact SAS to see about availability.)

On the SAS website you will see prices that are significantly more expensive. This is because they add the costs of tuition and Fuel to the overall prices. Every student pays the same in tuition, $21,279, and fuel, $925 (Keep in mind this is based off of the Spring 2020 Voyage. Future voyages will be slightly different depending on itinerary). This leaves the total prices for each cabin type as follows:

• • Discovery Triple Inside: $25,999
  • Discovery Double Inside: $28,999
  • Ocean Triple Outside: $28,999
  • Ocean Double Outside: $31,999

All program fees are due 90 days before the voyage and are fully refundable up to that point. Remember to also check with your home university about the possibility of transferring scholarships/aid for the semester (SAS gives out around $5M in scholarships so apply for those also).

• Now that you have been accepted, picked your cabin, and paid your deposit, you need to get in contact with your home university. Many universities have their own study abroad fees so expect to pay a couple hundred dollars for that.
• Next on the list is visas. This WILL be the most stressful part of the pre-embarkation process so be prepared. SAS works with TRAVISA and I highly recommend using their services. Depending on the number of visas required, and the service you pick, expect to spend at least $700. I know it is expensive, but most do not expire for at least 5-10 years.
• Immunizations: For my voyage, SAS only required all voyagers to get the Yellow Fever Vaccine however, there is a list of “recommended” vaccinations. Since the yellow fever vaccine is only administered at Passport Health, and they do not accept insurance, this will cost you anywhere from $200+ (just for yellow fever)
• Field Programs: A field program is a SAS lead in-country experience that is 100% optional. Depending on the length of the program and how many you decide to participate in, this can cost you anywhere from $0-$5,000. Keep in mind, all programs include at least one meal, as well as hotel (for overnights) and flights (depending on itinerary). Although you can purchase programs on the ship, prices are cheaper pre-embarkation. Here are some field programs that were popular on my voyage just to give you an idea.

• • Ghana: 3-night Homestay & School Engagement (hotel, transportation and meals included) – $452
  • Malaysia: 2-night Labu Kubong Village Homestay (hotel, transportation, and meals included) – $226
  • India: 3-night trip to Jaipur, New Delhi, and the Taj Mahal (hotels, meals and two domestic flights in included) – $1,063
  • Vietnam: Mekong Delta (lunch included) – $60

• Flights: Depending on where you live, you will probably have to fly to the ship for embarkation day and fly home once the voyage ends. International flights are typically more expensive than domestic flights so expect to spend at least $1,000 to get to the ship, and at least $1,000 to get home.
• Textbooks: Since you are going to school, you will need textbooks. Many of the professors try their best to use a book that is on the cheaper side or one that has a free online PDF. Depending on how you like to purchase textbooks expect to spend $50+.
• Personal Items: This includes EVERYTHING that you will be bringing on the ship with you. Based on what you already have and what you still need to get, this can cost you anywhere from $100-$600. If you are not purchasing new luggage, I would lean more towards the middle/lower end of this estimate.

Estimated pre-embarkation expenses (per voyager):  $32,500 depending on cabin type (I just took the average of all four cabins and added the other expenses).

On Ship Expenses

Everyone’s on-ship expenses will vary depending on what you purchase in the bookstore and from the snack bars (try to avoid the snack bar as much as possible if you want to save money). This is an average total based on what I spent and what other people I knew spent.

• Food: There is food, coffee and juice available to all voyagers in the Lido and Berlin dining halls (this is included in tuition). If you wish to purchase anything from the Lido Grill or snack bars (library and pool deck) it will cost you $$.

• • Fries/grilled cheese/small candy bars: $2
  • Cheeseburger/ grilled chicken sandwich, chips, smoothies, etc.: $3-$5
  • Pizza: $6
  • Ice Cream Cake: $30

• Bookstore: At some point on the voyage you will end up buying something from the bookstore. Prices in the bookstore range from $10-$150 depending on the brand. Here are some average prices of the most popular items on the Spring 2020 Voyage:

• • Voyage T-shirt: $20
  • “Sea” T-Shirt: $20
  • Semester at Sea Blanket: $36
  • SAS basic sweatshirt: $32
  • SAS embroidered Sweatshirt: $46
  • Semester at Sea water bottle: $16

• Field Programs: If you do not purchase field programs online before the voyage, expect to pay about 10-15% more on board.
• Reception:
  • Lost key: $50
  • Locked out of room: $1 (each time)
  • Postal: Post cards, $1-$2, Incoming packages, $10

Estimated on-ship expenses: $250

In country Expenses

This is where everyone’s total costs will differ the most. Depending on how many field programs you participate in (field programs tend to be more expensive than independent travel), your preferred type of travel, and itinerary, prices will very. Since the Spring 2020 Voyage was cut short due to COVID-19, we were only able to visit three countries on our original itinerary so I did not spend as much as I was planning. If you want to see a more detailed in-country list check out my posts on these specific countries. There you will find specific hotels, restaurants and transpiration companies that I used.

Hawaii:

This was a one day stop. Since it was such a short visit all students were required to stay with SAS in some way.  Field programs for the day averaged $25 but I happened to have a field class, so I did not have to purchase a program.

Japan:

• Japan Rail Pass – $280 (If you plan on traveling to multiple cities around Japan, this will save you money in the long run. You can purchase the JR pass ahead of time here and have it shipped to your house. If you wait to purchase in Japan, you will pay more.)
• Capsule hotel in Tokyo (2 nights) – $88
• Capsule hotel in Kyoto (1 night) – $27
• Borderless light Museum, Tokyo – $30 (there is a night pass that is a little cheaper)
• SIM Card – $32 (30-day, unlimited data)
• Cash used – $180 (includes money exchanged and from the ATM)

Total Spent in Japan for 5 days: $637

China:

Missed country #1 – Since I already had everything booked, this is what I estimated I would spend.

• Round trip train ticket booked through China Highlights (Shanghai-Beijing) – $180
• Hostel in Beijing – Leo Hostel (3 nights) – $38
• Airbnb in Shanghai (1 night) – $30
• Great Wall Tour – $25
• Forbidden City Tour : $11
• Cash exchanged – $100

Estimated total for 6 days in China: $384

Vietnam:

This was definitely the most affordable port on our itinerary. Most voyages only spend around 5-6 days in Vietnam but, since SP20 was a little different, we were there for 11. Your cost for Vietnam should be about half of this (if you want to see specific hotels, airlines, and companies click here)!

• Vietnam Airlines (Ho Chi Minh – Hanoi) Roundtrip – $120
• Ha Long Bay Sunlight Cruise (1 night, food included) – $95
• Transportation to/from cruise – $21
• Hotel in Hanoi (1 night) – $16
• Vietnam Airlines (Ho Chi Minh – Hoi An) Roundtrip – $102
• Hotel in Hoi An (3 nights) – $41
• Custom Tailored dress – $30
• Hoi An bike tour (lunch included) – $29
• Hoi An Market tour/cooking class (lunch included) – $30
• Ho Chi Minh Motorbike Food Tour – $23
• Vietnam War memorial tour – $17
• SIM Card – $16 (30 day, unlimited)
• Cash spent – $230 (this includes money spent in the market)

Total Spent for 11 days in Vietnam: $770

(if we were there for the 5 days originally planned, I would have spent around $350)

Malaysia:

Missed port #2: Since I already had everything booked, here is was I estimated. This port was a little different from the rest since the port city was about an hour away from the main city center. In this situation I would recommend doing field programs because you will save money on the shuttles!

• SAS Shuttle from Port Klang to Kuala Lumpur – $12 one way (I only planned on spending $24 on this)
• SAS overnight Field Program (2 nights) – around $200
• SAS Batu Cave /Petronas Tower Tour (lunch included) – $30
• SAS Rainforest tour (lunch included) – $60
• Cash – $75

Estimated total for 6 days in Malaysia: $390

India:

Missed port #3: Before embarking, I had pre-purchased an overnight field program.

• SAS 4-night field program (included meals, hotels and two domestic flights) – around $1,000
• Cash – $75

Estimated total for 5 days in India: $1100 (can be cheaper if you travel independently)

Mauritius:

Originally, we were only supposed to be docked in Mauritius for 1 day to refuel. With such a short stop, SAS required everyone to participate in a field program if they wished to disembark for the day (just like Hawaii). I had picked one for $25 and that would have been all I would have spent.

Since our time got extended to 6 days this is what I actually spent…

• 1-day SAS Field Program (lunch included) – $25
• 1-day SAS Field Program (lunch included) – $50
• Sim Card (14 day, unlimited) – $15
• Cash Spent (taxis, food, souvenirs) – $160

Total Spent in Mauritius for 6 days: $250

South Africa:

Missed port #4: I had not done any planning for South Africa since my family was supposed to be there with me for the week. From what some of my friends had booked, I would plan on spending around $500 for 6 days. Between safaris and adventure tours, South Africa is on the more expensive side and will be one of your biggest ports.

Ghana:

Missed port #5: This is what I had planned though…

• SAS 4-day field program (transportation, hotel, and food included – $450
• Cash – $30

Estimated total spent in Ghana for 5 days: $480

Morocco:

Missed port #6: I had not done any planning for this port since it was the last one. If I had to take a guess, I think I would have spent around $350 – $400 for the 4 days we were supposed to be there. Many voyagers had planned to participate in field programs and those were on average $400-$700 for all 4 nights.

Amsterdam:

Missed port #: The last one!!

Take the port of disembarkation into consideration when creating your budget. I had planned to stay in Amsterdam for about two days before flying home.

Total in-country expenses:

What I would have spent based on the SASSP20 original itinerary (11 countries):  $4,216

What I actually spent (3 countries): $1,657

After adding everything up, I would say the average cost of a semester abroad with Semester at Sea could cost anywhere from $35,000+.

I know this number is scary and overwhelming, but I hope this answered any questions you may have had about the overall cost of the semester.

There are numerous ways to reduce the overall price of YOUR voyage. Don’t forget to apply for ALL of the scholarships (through SAS and your home university), they can be worth thousands of dollars.

One of my biggest money saving tips is to sleep on the ship if you are staying in the port city, this alone will save you hundreds!

There are many ways to travel on a budget, you just have to be smart about your spending/saving and learn what works best for you. You can do it!!

More Semester at Sea Blog Posts HERE!