Semester at Sea is the easily the biggest adventure you can go on as a college student. It is also pretty damn daunting if you don’t know where in the world (pun intended) to start. I’ve had everyone from friends to acquaintances to total strangers reach out in the last year to ask about the What’s, Where’s and How’s involved with the trip. This list isn’t complete but it should help to give a clearer picture of what to expect from SAS in general. (I’ll also try to not be overly specific because everybody has different travel goals, clothing preferences, and tech that they may want or need. Feel free to reach out directly and I can help with those things.)
I’ll be focusing on What to Bring, In Country Travel- How to Plan, On Ship Life, and General Tips.
What To Bring:
Take a backpack full of just snacks- seriously it’s perfect for things you pick up in countries and you’ll want snacks way more than you think. (Especially if you expect not to bring any, you’ll buy tons in the first few countries like I did.) The essentials were peanut butter, honey, Nutella, tea, hot chocolate mix, dried fruit, candy and chips. They were what almost everyone picked up and became quick staples along with local snacks acquired from each country.
Clothing
Pack less clothing than you think you’ll need. I didn’t do this, but take everything you want to bring and then cut that by at least 1/4 because you will re-wear every item and you’ll buy clothing in a lot of countries- it serves as a much better souvenir than some trinket you’ll never touch again.
That being said, you will be bringing clothing so here are some essentials-
- Bring more jackets or long-sleeved tops for windy nights at sea, in warm countries after dark, and just to lounge in (at least 1 versatile jacket helps.)
- Also have a pair of shoes you’ll be willing to get dirty or even possibly throw away for hiking though the desert, mud, or cities with more smog/dirt. Same goes for clothing, have some things you plan to be okay with not bringing home.
- Pack some nicer clothes for fine dining, events, pictures, and going out in country. You can buy these things in a lot of countries. I have several friends who bought the majority of their clothes- nicer and more casual- in malls or at shops, but look at your voyage itinerary to determine whether this may be a good fit for you.
- It should go without saying, but a bathing suit is a must. (I also have a friend who didn’t buy one until a couple weeks in to the trip and he definitely missed out on some quality pool/beach time at the beginning.)
Bring an over the door hanging organizer. It’s perfect for shoes, money belts/purses/travel items, toiletries, extra socks/gloves/hats, and charges/electronic accessories. If you bring a circular one with a deeper middle and outside pockets you can hang it in your closet and it will easily serve as an extra rack for sweaters, pants, souvenirs, and even a spare backpack or two.
Pack or plan to buy seasickness bands.
Be ready to use mosquito netting and/or lots of bug spray for some countries.
Have a first-aid kit that travels well. Bring sunscreen and all the essential toiletries because the ship store will carry all of this, but there will only be 1 or 2 brands at a very inflated price.
There are malls in most countries where you’ll be able to find many of the items you could possibly need, but depending on your voyage itinerary these countries may not come until the last month or two of the trip. You never want to assume you’ll find what you need even if the odds are high; prepare accordingly.
Tech
- Have a European adapter ready for the ship at all times. This can be part of your universal adapter, with each type of prong for all the countries you’ll be in, or a separate adapter designated for ship-only use.
- Have a WiFi hotspot with you ($5-10 a day when it’s on- I used the brand Skyroam) or get an international data plan (I have Verizon so once it was added it was $10/day when I used data.) Otherwise keep cellular off so you don’t rack up mad charges. You can get a SIM card, which some of my friends did, but it’s not that worth it for only a week at a time.
- Bring a hard drive. Everyone will be sharing movies and tv shows and you won’t want to miss out because some stretches between countries can get a little long.
In Country Travel- How To Plan:
Don’t plan too much ahead of time. SAS week-long trips are worth it in busy places like India (and the Senase village trip in Ghana is life-changing) but most of the time they’re over-priced in comparison to what your fellow voyagers will pay to do the same thing independently. (I learned that the hard way). If you see a cool SAS trip, look it up to see if it’s something you can do yourself for a lower price. Then don’t book it until you’re on the ship and can see what other people plan to do.
*Also, I personally gave up a few day programs in one country to do an independent trip for the week. In another country I even gave up a 3-day trip because all my friends were going somewhere independently and I couldn’t stand to miss it. (I was lucky to be able to do those things but had not planned on it. That’s why having less scheduled ahead of time pays off- to avoid those scenarios.) There will ALWAYS be things to do and people who are down to do what you’re wanting to do.
No matter what your budget is, there is no shortage of things to do. In some countries we slept on the ship the entire time, even if we did things up to 5 hours away. There were also places that we flew across the country to do something on our own while renting AirBNB’s and hostels. Either way you want to go- there will be people doing the same thing.
Learn to pack in a backpack when you go into port (even for up to 6 days at a time.) You don’t need more than a backpack and by the end you’ll think you were crazy for ever thinking you needed a suitcase for a few days of exploring.
Go out in country and have the time of your life. (Because the clubs in every other part of the world go crazy.) Also go to temples and tour historical sites. Do things to have fun and to get wild stories but don’t overlook the chance to enrich yourself and truly experience the way other people live and the beliefs they hold. The mixture of culture and history with fun and partying is an interesting one that often ends up defining the ‘norm’ for young people in the area. (Although some clubs are definitely going to be more exclusive and give less of an ‘everyday person my age’ feel.)
*I spent one country doing a meditation retreat and the next on a booze cruise, it’s all about balance.
On Ship Life:
Make friends the entire time. I never stopped meeting people, I literally had conversations with fellow voyagers for the first time no less than 4 days before leaving. The atmosphere on the ship is like no other- people are so kind and open and genuinely want to get to know you and stay in touch long after the voyage ends. Once a ship family, always a ship family.
Be ready for an irregular sleep schedule and to have a more open living space. People will come and go and be in your room at any hour of the day or night. You’ll learn to sleep with lights on, people around, and lots of noise. You’ll also get used to being woken up at any time- especially when friends stop by your cabin at 9 am and 3 am alike. (For that matter you’ll learn to sleep in airports, on busses, on trains, and you’ll obviously get accustomed to the rocking of the ship lulling you to sleep.)
Get to know your steward. Your steward is your new best friend- ours gave me extra pillows and fixed every issue we had and gave the BEST performance at the crew talent show- shout out to Edwin. We have the best crew in general on the ship. From stewards to the chef and dining staff to the captain and security to the reception desk staff they were all so personable and truly amazing to talk to when we got the chance.
Talk to your professors, unlike ‘normal’ school they are on this adventure with you 100% and you’ll be so surprised to see how often you end up having lunch with them or traveling in country with them. It helps you to put in perspective that they’re all real people when you’re living in close quarters 24/7.
*I have multiple professors from my voyage that I consider friends and mentors alike.
Take a bridge tour- you’ll get to see where the captain works and learn a little about how the ship is controlled. It makes for some sick pics, too.
Don’t think you’re too cool to participate in literally everything. Go to the 7pm talks and the movies after and join every single club you can, from early risers and seeing each sunrise coming into ports (or as many as you can- I definitely slept through a few) to conversation tables for maintaining language skills to groups for photography or different cultures or anything else that’s offered. Clubs vary based on who wants to start what each semester- start something if you’re passionate about it.
Join an extended family- you meet enough to get close but not too often that it gets in the way of other activities or just laying at the pool with friends. They’ll become great connections post-SAS and the dinners are a really awesome place to go once in a while on the ship to connect and reflect on recent sections of the voyage. Each family is different and will set meeting times or sea-mail you the day of for an impromptu dinner or ice cream party at the pool bar.
Speaking of the pool, go every single chance you get. Nothing beats watching the water splash out of the pool as the ship rocks (other than being in the pool while that happens- what a trip.) Study there, hang out there, eat there. Do it all on deck 9 by the pool because you’ll miss it every single day after the voyage ends.
Get festive; buy holiday decorations in port. It makes for a fun way to celebrate and it’s interesting to see how things vary in different countries in that sense.
Tutor a ship kid. They’re the best and it’s a nice way to spend an hour or so each week on the ship. You can do anything from help with a language to whatever level math, science, history, etc. they’re at.
Be ready to disconnect, play so many card games, talk, get creative-write, draw, bring an instrument, take up photography. This is a great time to try something you’ve been putting off because there are no true distractions.
Go to astronomy night. The ships outer lights are turned off and if weather permits you’ll see the most stars you’ve ever seen.
Expect to buy at least one cake or platter of cookies from the kitchen for someone’s birthday.
Fine dining is a must. You’ll get it for the Alumni Ball at the very end of the voyage, but splurge at least once and dress up with your friends for a nice 5-course meal.
Again, it’s bound to be at least one of your close friends’ birthdays while you’re in between countries and stuck on the ship.
Be ready for shitty wine and beer- but make the most of drink nights anyway (you’ve gotta take those 2 glasses when you can.)
-Drink nights usually end up coinciding with some sort of dance party, talent show, open mic, or other event.
Eat in Berlin or Lido at least one time while the ship is in port, they bring in chefs and the food is amazing (at least three times better than usual, and it’s never truly bad to begin with.)
Eat as much fruit as you can while it’s around because there will be stretches where there’s none at all. (The ship can only replenish the food supply in certain ports.)
See as many movies as you can in the Kino Cinema. It’s sort of like having a private movie theatre with a hundred or so of your best friends.
Don’t sleep on the gym- running on a treadmill while watching the waves is pretty crazy and another must-do.
Go to yoga as much as possible, even if you’ve never tried it. It’s beyond worth it.
Watch every sunset you can- and take pictures and videos because you won’t ever want to forget those moments.
General:
No joke, take so many pictures and videos that it feels ridiculous. That still won’t be enough to capture half of what you felt or did during this time.
Learn from everyone. You’ll all have very different backgrounds- coming from different countries or regions, having different life experiences and ways of seeing the world. You’ll come home with such a different worldview after this.
Say yes. To trips, to staying up until dawn, to getting up before dawn, to getting out of your comfort zone physically and mentally. Do every single thing you can and then do more.
Be open to everything. Realize that you’ll be changed after this experience and that it’s going to go by faster than anything.
If there’s one thing to take away from this going into your voyage, it’s this- Be Flexible. You’ll hear the phrase just about every day and for good reason. Things may be different than expected. They may go wrong or exactly right, but odds are they won’t be exactly what you’re expecting. People and places will surprise you, on and off the ship. It’s important to take it all in stride and learn from every experience.
Hopefully these tips helped, I disembarked about 7 months ago so it’s all pretty fresh still but if I think of additional advice I’ll add it below here.
Good Luck!
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