What I Wish I Knew Before Semester At Sea

What I Wish I Knew Before Semester At Sea…

Preparing for Semester at Sea will be THE MOST challenging and stressful part of the entire voyage. It can take weeks to make sure you have everything organized for your 4-month journey around the world.

As I was preparing for the Spring 2020 voyage, I spent hours upon hours searching for any little piece of information that would help me prepare properly for this once in a lifetime experience. I think I visited over 40 websites trying to gather all the information that I thought would be helpful.

By creating this guide, I hope to help any future voyager from spending hours researching like I did. This post is separated into 6 categories: Technology, Ship Life, Food, In Country, Money, and Personal. So with that being said, here is your ultimate SAS planning guide…

Semester at Sea Website

Technology / Communication

The use of technology is one of the most asked questions by anyone thinking of participating participating in SAS.

When it comes to internet, the WIFI on the ship is very hit or miss. Every 24 hours, you get a free 7 minute pass as well as a 50 MB pass that you use your login for. If you want to make your MB last, don’t even try to open any social media apps because you will get nowhere. Instead use your time to talk to your family on the phone. WhatsApp works best with the ship internet and you will get a good amount of time before you get kicked off (sometimes my 50 MB lasted about 2 hours on WhatsApp). I found the best spot for service to be outside on deck 6 starboard outside of Berlin.

Forget texting, email is the new iMessage. On the ship SeaMail will be your main form of communication. You will have unlimited access to this account and can use it to email anyone either on the ship or off the ship.

In the library, on deck 6, there are four computers that have unlimited access to the internet. This is where you can book flights, hotels, and purchase tickets for various attractions. The lines at the computers can get very long, like 3 hours long, and with the slow connection and 15-minute time limit, it is nearly impossible to do anything. I recommend going early in the morning while everyone else is still sleeping. There probably wont be a line and you’ll get to stay on for more than 15 minutes.

READ THE DEANS MEMO!!! This is how all ship activities, major announcements and schedules are communicated. This is also where the Rumor Ranger lives. On the ship, rumors spread like CRAZY!! If you are ever questioning a rumor, or just confused, check the rumor ranger because they have probably answered it.

Ship Life

During the first couple of days, make it a priority to sit with a different group of people during every meal (this includes students, professors, ship kids and lifelong learners). I loved talking to the lifelong learners and professors onboard. Many of them participated in SAS as a student and have so many awesome stories from their voyage.

Become friends with your professors and their families. This may seem weird at first, but you are not at a traditional university. SAS is a very close-knit community and it is 100% normal to have a meal or even a game night with your professors and their kids. I also recommend joining a ship family. Signups are usually within the first week and it’s a great way to meet more people. My friend group ended up being “adopted” by my marketing professor and we had many “family” dinners and game nights throughout the voyage.

The crew on the pool deck and the crew in Lido/Berlin will become some of your favorite people on the entire ship. They love talking to all of the students and will do anything for you. Say hi to Perry for me! #teamlido  

Sea Olympics and Neptune day are two of the most anticipated days of the entire voyage. I highly suggest participating in these events. They are part of the SAS tradition and are tons of fun.

Time changes will become your worst enemy. During the voyage, we went through every time zone in the world, (in air and on the ship) and almost very night at sea we were pushing our clocks back one hour. It may not seem like much but when you are at sea for 14 days it can build up. You will be exhausted!!

On the ship there is no such thing as Monday – Friday. Heck, you probably won’t even know what day of the month it is (I know I didn’t). While at sea, the ship runs off of an A/B day rotation. Classes are held every day that you are at sea, but besides global studies, your classes will only be every other day. Most students have two classes on A day and 2 on B day but it’s up to you. When in port, classes are put on hold with the exception of field classes (a class field trip that usually takes place on the first day in the professor’s country of choice).

Food

You do not need to pack a ton of snacks. I know this goes against what everyone else says but you won’t eat or even need them. I purchased snacks in every country and ended up eating those instead of the ones I brought from home. At the end of the voyage, I ended up having to throw away so many of the ones I brought from home because I didn’t have room in my suitcase to bring them back home.

The food on the ship gets old fast. Every meal consists of a main protein, some sort of potato, pasta, and vegetables, along with a soup and a salad bar. Get creative with your meals, you’ll be surprised what some voyagers come up with!

Finding good, fresh fruit on the ship can be a challenge. If you see an apple on the food line, take it, it’s like winning the lottery. Peanut butter is also one of the first things to go at every meal. I’m not sure why but being on a ship makes everyone consume an unhealthy amount of peanut butter and, by the end of the voyage, there will be no more. This is why I recommend bringing a jar that you can keep in your cabin. You’ll thank me later!

The Pool bar and the Lido Grill can be dangerous. Yes, the fries are only $2 but it all adds up! I recommend not buying anything until halfway through the voyage. Not only will this will save you a ton of money, but it will also keep you from eating unhealthy foods for every meal!

Taco Day is the best day. Get excited

In-Country

While in-country you will have the option to either travel with SAS or travel independently. I highly recommend participating in a good mix of both field programs and independent travel. Since my voyage got cut short due to COVID-19, I was not able to do my overnight program but voyagers who did, loved it.

Look at all of the field programs that are available before you get on the ship. If there is a program that looks interesting, sign up for it ahead of time because they are discounted. If you wait until you get on the ship it may be sold out or you will end up paying more.

At the field office desk there is a buy/sell/trade folder for field programs that others are either trying to get rid of or searching for. If you choose not to purchase a field program ahead of time and it sells out, check this folder because I can guarantee you someone is trying to sell it at a discounted rate. This folder however is for day programs only so do not rely on this for overnight programs.

Accept is the fact that you cannot do everything. On average you only get about 5 days in each port, so you have to pick and choose your top attractions. I recommend doing some research before boarding the ship. This will give you an idea of what you want to see and will help you find a group of people to travel with who want to do the same. Do not be afraid to travel with different people either! Not everyone is going to want to do the same thing as you so find people that do. This is YOUR experience. If you want to do something DO IT!!

With that being said, I also recommend booking things in advance if needed. There are over 600 people on the ship that are probably wanting to do the same thing as you. If there is something that you are interested in and it requires a ticket, purchase the ticket in advance to avoid the chance of it being sold out when you arrive. This happens more than you think so just be prepared.

If you do not purchase a phone plan ahead of time, buy a sim card when you get to a new country. It can cost anywhere from $5-$30 for a 30-day unlimited card. I think I spent about $50 total and never had a problem finding a place to buy them or using them. Just make sure your phone is unlocked because if not an international sim card will not work for you.

Money

Order currency from your bank before you leave your home country. I had ordered and exchanged anywhere from $50 to $100 for each country depending on days in-country and the exchange rate. If you can, I would exchange more money than you think you may need because ATM fees out of your home country can get expensive. I ran out of cash a couple of times and ended up spending more money in fees then what I withdrew from the ATM. If you want to see a more in-depth post on what I spent click here.

If you can, try and get a travel card from your bank that does not have international fees. There are many travel cards available for students so find one that works best for you.

Bring a decent amount of USD with you (specifically $1, $5 and $10 bills). Many countries take USD so that will save you from going to the ATM if you run out of cash. You can also choose to tip the ship crew at the end of the voyage so having USD can come in handy for that as well.

Set up Venmo before you leave. This is how you and your friends will transfer money to each other since a lot of times things have to be paid for all together.

Visas are going to be one of your biggest expenses throughout the entire voyage. Depending on the voyage itinerary, you will be responsible to obtain the visas needed on your own (I had to get 3 visas before the voyage and 1 more while on the ship). To make the process a little easier, SAS works with a company called Travisa. I highly recommended going through the visa process through SAS and, although it is a little more expensive, you are almost guaranteed to obtain each visa and have your passport returned to you on time.

The ship is cashless and everything you purchase will all be added to your shipboard account. This includes the bookstore, field programs, food, laundry, etc. This account settles at the end of every month and is charged to the credit card that you give them on the first day of the voyage. If for some reason you get a refund on something, it will all be put on your account as a credit. If the credit is not used by the end of the voyage, you will receive a check in the mail with the credited amount.

Personal

Once on the ship, the first few days (possibly weeks) will be the hardest of the entire voyage. Not only have you put yourself into a very unusual situation by living with 600 strangers, but you have also chosen to disconnect yourself from the rest of the world. It may not seem like it at first, but it will get easier, I promise!

Do not spend too much time in your cabin the first week. This is when a majority of the new friendships are made so you don’t want to be left out. Voyagers spend a lot of time outside on the decks so find your favorite spot and hang out with your new friends there.

This voyage will change your life. You are going to see things and have experiences that only very few people get to have. Do not take it for granted, these will be some of the best months of your life. Enjoy every second!

Summary

I hope this SAS planning guide has helped answer any questions that have been on your mind or that you have been unable to find. Not only will the semester at sea allow you to grow academically, but it will also allow you to grow as a person and world citizen. Enjoy every second of this journey you are about to embark on, it will be the best 4 months of your life

More Semester at Sea posts HERE!