Field Programs

One of the highlights of each Semester at Sea Voyage is availability of "field experiences" in each port. Unlike "cruises" that only stop in a port for part of a day, many of our stays are 4-5 day, allowing lots of time to experience the country.  Participants can take SAS sponsored trips, or they can simply go on their own, and there are advantages to each of these.

The list of Field Programs (link) is extensive, and this is the time before the voyage that most of us are finishing up our choices and paying the bucks to participate. The SAS trips are well-planned out and provide transportation as well as meals and overnight accommodations (when necessary).  They also include a Semester at Sea faculty or staff to be trip leader.  And a major factor is that if the trip is late returning to the ship on the last day of port, there will be no "dock time" if you arrive late.  I'll talk about "dock time" in another post.

So, Nancy and I have been pouring through the descriptions and schedules and making some choices to fit our budget.  In St. Petersburg, the SAS trips do not require a VISA, but independent trips do. The VISA for Russia is pretty pricey, so we have opted to just do SAS trips.  In Belgium, we hope to spend some time with an old colleague who lives there, so we will travel independently but also have him as a tour guide.  We do  have to make all of our own travel arrangements, and that can be time consuming, but it also allows for a lot of flexibility--we can go anywhere in Belgium or France. One of the trade-offs that we discovered from our Spring 2010 voyage is that you get to know the students and other faculty/staff when you do the SAS trips, and that adds immensely to the experience.

Trip planning is a mixed bag.  It takes a lot of time, but the time spent is well worth it.

We are certainly hoping to connect with our friend Fifi Quansah in Accra, Ghana to enjoy some local food and catch up on things.  Fifi is a super  bargainer as a shopping companion. See you soon Fifi..