Going on an upcoming voyage? Here is some info, based on my experiences, and sometimes lack thereof. They are all good ideas, though i am sure that they do not all agree with other pages out there with SAS tips. If you don't know what to do, don't worry about it. You are going to live through it.

Education

• All of my credit hours transferred, but i limited my list to classes that Miami would accept; you may have to check with your school before you leave to see what classes can transfer. Also, if your school doesn't accept a specific one, talk to a professor, they are often very understanding.
• You can graduate on the ship, as long as your home campus has no restrictions.
• Classes on the ship are educational, but you must realize that the real emphasis of this voyage is not class work, its the overall experience. Do not stress about classes.
• It is college, meaning.. books will be overpriced and not necessarily bought back.

Shipboard

• Be kind, tip. Your stewards work non-stop, so be generous. Tip forms are passed out during the trip... you will find that these guys deserve it. I tried to bring my steward (Francis) a gift from every country, on top of his tips.
• You CAN have packages sent to you... but that does not mean they will get there.. and if they do, there is a good chance someone will have had a look inside.
• A sleeping bag is not necessary, I didnt bring one.. but its nice to have if you want to sleep on deck.
• Assure yourself that you will not get sea sick. I did not get sea sick once... of course, thats just me. If you do feel sick, get outside, and watch the horizon. Its the best medication. Tell your friends. You will get used to the ocean in no time.
• There are many dolphin sightings, but if you want pictures, have a camera with you at all times.
• Don't hook up while your roommate is in the room. They are small rooms.
• You won't need quarters for the laundry, but consider the soda and snack machines...
• BRING MOVIES!!!!!! You can become quite popular, as the ship has a limited selection.
• Learn to take quick showers, and to live dirty. We had a water shortage approaching India, and we had to take on some water there. You do not even want to know the rest of that story.
• Books are expensive. It is college, after all.
• Bring some leisure reading.
• Give your address to MANY people. Mail is such a treat.
• I have a feeling that the pub is soon to be removed from the ship, due to some recent events...

In Port

• The cities are not as dangerous as you think, but be smart. I was scared to death of some, and they turned out to be the friendliest ones. Always keep your eyes open though, and be aware of your surroundings.
• Don't smoke... you cannot imagine how rude it looks to be a visitor dropping butts all over the place...
• Hand Sanitizer, Hand Sanitizer, Hand Sanitizer.
• I brought a bunch of Power Bars, in case i needed a safe meal in port. But i eventually decided to eat anything i could.. so i didn't miss out on anything. Always try the local foods.. at least once.
• Hidden pockets.. I used 2, though most of the time i only carried one in port. One attached to my belt, the other hung around my neck. There are several styles though. When i was flying to the Bahamas, i used both, to hide all of my money.
• I bought a pretty cool (i think!) "safari" vest; it turned out to be extremely handy. These things have countless pockets to hide money, extra film, or anything else in. Also, it was better than nothing in a brief downpour.
• Keep some extra emergency $ hidden somewhere on your body, in case you need it. Like, when that cab driver suddenly decides to drive an extra half hour!
• Learn to say "ship" and "port" in every language, in case you get lost. Natives will figure out what you want.

General

• Erase any mental images that were portrayed by that thing called Road Rules (see "The Problem").
• Have a significant other at home? I cannot say what you should do there!!! I could tell you a story though..
• Equipment... if i were to go again, i would bring: a laptop, binoculars, a video camera, a nice 35mm camera (i highly reccomend at least an 85mm zoom..), and a crappy 35, for those less than trusty places.
• Film... Bring nothing slower than 400 speed, for the best pics. I shot about 36 rolls (~1000 pics), though i know many who shot over 50. Just remember, all of those rolls have to be developed, and organized into albums. Also, bring some extra camera batteries. I killed 2 on my trip.
• Clothes.. bring what you want. Some say to skimp.. but if you can pack it, bring it. Especially for the Spring voyages... temperatures dipped into the 40's for a big chunk of our trip home across the Pacific. Laundry was a service, but i tried to keep that to a minimum... the key is to bring PLENTY of socks and underwear.
• 4 sticks of deodorant lasted the whole journey.. i think i used 6 bars of soap, and 1 bottle of shampoo. 1 toothbrush, 2 tubes of toothpaste.
• Music.. Bring it. Plenty of it. If you go the tapes route, bring as many as you can. CDs, too, of course. Batteries are key... i would have to say rechargables would be the best. Bring some little speakers, or a small system that you can play in your room.
• General medications.. for those illnesses that may eventually arise. Believe me, even the best of us sometimes can't make it through India...
• Bug spray... in the end, i hardly used any. Its good to have, just in case. But the bugs are not nearly as bad as they are made out to be. The worst don't give a damn about your DEET... if they want you, they will have you! The best protection, as you will be told, is clothing.
• Money... $2000 is plenty, but of course more will help. But you really should need no more than that, to cover on ship expenses, as well as in port. HOWEVER... you should be aware that this is a fairly unique opportunity, so again, do not skimp. I practically emptied my bank account. And keep in mind, ATM's sometimes do not accept your cards!
• Journals... I filled up 3 books. I brought 2, and bought the last in the ship store.
• Re-entry into the states is just plain shocking. Its not until this point that you will start to realize all that you have done and learned. I am sure that we will not FULLY understand all of it for some time.
• Returning to your home campus is a rather dizzying experience, but you will adjust well enough; you did it your freshman year!
• People will want to hear about your trip when you get back. But most will not want to listen to the extent that you want to talk about it.

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