Hello,
Your departure date for the Odyssey Expeditions Discover Adventure voyage from June 17th to June 30th is very near. We hope you are as excited as we are.
There is a lot of information here. We tried to make it as comprehensive as possible. Yes, it is long, but the information is for your best benefit. If mistakes are made, you may not be able to attend.
How to Navigate Your Pre-Voyage Responsibilities & Gain Permission to Travel to the British Virgin Islands
We will keep it updated. All parents and students should prepare at least 2 weeks prior to the program’s start date in the BVIs. The purpose is to provide an overview of all of the resources that we have created to help you successfully navigate all of the Pre-trip COVID-related forms and logistics.
Please Read over and understand the Protocols for the Testing, the BVI Gateway Application.
There are Timelines, Cheat Sheets and other self help resources to assist you in this process.
Failure to follow the directions will result in your non participation!
The Island Governments won't let you in, it is outside of Odyssey's help and influence!
Sorry, no refunds for failure of entrance.
Okay. Now the rest of the message.
Please Note: Our Summer Office address after June 10th is:
Odyssey Expeditions
1959 Riveredge Dr
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
AIRLINE FLIGHT LIST:
A copy of the current student flights is available here:
www.odysseyexpeditions.com/covid19/flights_bvi_1.pdf
If you do not see your flights it is because we do not have your itinerary. (Hint, hint) We will try to update daily.
FLIGHT SCHEDULES:
Some of you are traveling long distances and have more than one flight leg. Please look at the linked list to see if you are sharing travel gates with others. E-mail them and form a travel team. Please, if you have one, wear a RED shirt on travel day. Our staff person will have a sheet with your photo (half of you are still missing photos) and travel itinerary (hmm). Also when you are looking for another Odyssey shipmate at a gate it is easier to find and approach each other. Delays can happen and it is so much nicer to share the trials of the day with another person.
Please check your flights and your contact info on the attached flight list. Please e-mail any corrections or changes. When checking in your luggage it is a handy trick to take a picture of your airline luggage tag. If it gets lost you have all the info on your phone.
SCUBA - PADI E-LEARNING:
Your Discover Adventure Voyages starts with your PADI E-learning course: Open Water Diver.
We want you to complete these knowledge development sessions of the course BEFORE you arrive! (can we make this flashing?) . There will be many distractions from the island atmosphere that can make the reading and study of the course easier if you complete it at home. You can start today. As of June 1, many of you have not yet even logged in and created your PADI Account. Do not put this off. It should not be done the day before you leave. Your dive instructors are watching your progress through the app.
ABOUT THINGS TO PACK:
PACKING FOR THE TRIP:
Many airlines have cut down on the number of and size of carry-on bags a passenger may bring. Please pack the following in your CARRY-ON BAG: A change of clothes (shorts - T-shirt), something to sleep in, bathing suit, dive booties, medications. In case you are the lucky one this summer that has lost luggage, we don't want that to affect your diving. You can borrow almost everything from your shipmates except for the dive booties and they cannot be economically purchased in the islands(socks can work). Be sure you have good tags on your bags and can describe your bag (know what your bags look like and how many you have. A hint is to take a picture of your luggage with your phone at the airport)
- PASSPORTS:
Please make a copy of the info and picture page and pack it with your clothing. The copy may get you home in case of a lost passport. The captain will collect your documents upon arrival and keep it safe for you.
- MONEY:
In the Pre Voyage Guide we outlined the monies needed and an envelope system to keep it organized. The U.S dollar is the official currency. The Ferry tickets need to be pre-purchased due to Covid restrictions so cost of the tickets can be deducted from the suggested amount. You will still need funds for the taxi transfers remember small bills.
- DIVE BOOTIES and WETSUIT
If you have not purchased yours yet, please do so now. If you wait until the weekend before you leave, you might not be able to find what you need. We do not have either of the above items aboard and they are difficult to purchase on the island. Your booties should have a gripper sole but do not need to have a zipper, short ones are fine.
- RASH GUARD PURCHASE:
If you wish to purchase a cool Odyssey Expeditions rash guard (they are great in the water have a high SPF with the Odyssey logo), they are available for $30.00. You will probably want one of these so bring extra money so you don't have to spend your spending money on it.
- SLEEPING BAG AND PAD:
Most students wish to sleep on deck under the stars. The nights can be breezy therefore a sleeping bag is recommended. But please bring a small fleece bag, not the monster thick polyester $15 Wall-Mart mart bag. Those Wal-Mart bags are so big they take up your luggage and expand to fill your entire cabin, and if it gets wet in the rain, it takes five weeks to dry out. Here is a recommended type of sleeping bag
EXAMPLE - GOOD CHOICE
EXAMPLE - BAD CHOICE - TOO BIG AND THICK!
An inflatable Thermarest pad or other camping pad is nice to sleep on out on the trampolines under the stars, but if you jump up in a rainstorm and do not bring it in with you, it will blow away.
- TOWEL:
Do NOT bring thick BEACH TOWELS, do bring a few cheap $3 thin ones- they dry in a few minutes in the wind rather than staying wet and stinky. The best ones are the cheapo tourist type towels you see for sale on the side of the road by the coast, If you can hold it up and see through it, Great! Thick towels and heavy duty beach towels will get salty and stinky, best advice is to not bring them at all, bring a few of the super thin cheapo towels instead.
- MEDICATION:
If you are taking prescription medications, please make sure they are well marked and make your captain aware of the dose and schedule. Likewise, if you have a food allergy - double check that your captain is aware (especially peanut). If you use an Epi pen for allergies, make sure your captain knows and that he knows where you keep it.
- TECHNOLOGY:
Please try not to bring laptop computers (we have one on board.) Bring a good book. As we only have a single 110 volt plug from an inverter, keeping all the cameras and cell phones charged is becoming increasingly difficult!!! The boats DO NOT have a continuous source of 110 volt power in the cabins but they do have usb outlets that can charge slowly. There is a 100 watt single plug inverter in the salon of the boat. We have one larger inverter but it can only be used intermittently as it drains the boats batteries quickly - we are not connected to shore-side power and have to generate electricity by inefficiently running the diesel engines. So camera's get priority over other things like phones, etc.
- CAMERAS:
You are welcome to bring any camera equipment you wish. Shots are uploaded to the computer and posted on FLICKR at the end of the summer for downloading. GoPro are great and I highly suggest the Waterproof case and an external red filter to increase the color at depth.
Please do not pack too much stuff, you will be sharing your cabin with two other students. There are NOT walk in closets, chests of drawers, or any semblance of excess space. Underneath the beds are not dust-balls but diesel engines in fact. There is no place to store non-collapsible bags. Even the semi-collapsible bags with wheels present a problem- we highly recommend you pack in a duffel bag without any wheels. We will have a big cart at the dock to transport your bags to the vessel, so you really do not need those wheels.
You don't need lots of shoes, we hardly wear them at all, just sports type sandals (Teva type) to go ashore. You may bring tennis shoes for hiking, not big hiking boots. You do not need shoes to wear aboard the boat, just shoes to go ashore with.
Remember DO NOT PACK IN HARD SUITCASES; use a duffel or soft-sided luggage that can be collapsed (not one with an internal frame and wheels!).70-100 Liter size
Do NOT need to bring jeans, definitely not more than one pair if you insist. Do bring a small white LED headlamp if you have one, they are very handy. Do not bring hair dryers, lots of makeup, lots of island wear (dresses, fancy shirts, fancy pants) Do not bring anything you can not stand to lose or destroy.
Please think of this as a backpacking camping trip. Everything will get exposed to very humid, moist tropical air, much of it will often get rained on, and you will have to lug everything around and live with it in small quarters. Some things will get stepped on, some things will have worse consequences. The less you bring, the less you will need to worry about! Live lite and free in a bathing suit or shorts and a t-shirt! Don't come down with your $300 Bose Noise canceling earphones, your 10 inch wide-screen surround sound high definition super duper dvd player, or other delicate or expensive things. We have really nice fins available for your use, you don't need to pack these down.
Laundry service opportunities are unlikely. We have hand washing laundry detergent on-board, you can do laundry in a bucket when we go to the dock mid voyage.
If there is something you absolutely cannot live without (gummy bears) - BRING IT WITH YOU! Your passion may not be available in the islands.
Remember the less stuff you bring the more room and space aboard you will have!!! Less is really more!!!
THINGS NOT TO FORGET!
- Personal Spending money, about $150 per week
- Transportation money. Small bills for change.
- Emergency funds $200.00 in cash. Do not count these funds as spending money. It will be collected by your captain and returned for your trip home. Should you have unanticipated expenses such as a doctor's visit, these funds will be used.
- Adventure Staff gratuities, about 1% for each - $150 total.
- Passport - Yeah people have forgotten.
- BVI Entry Authorization Certificate if needed
- Copy of you Negative COVID-19 Test
- COVID-19 Vaccination Card if vaccinated
- Proof of Health Insurance
- Sunscreen (high SPF 30+) (but no tanning oils, or spray aerosols - you are on a boat in the breeze)
- Camera (Pack electronics in plastic bags)
- If you wear contacts or glasses, make sure you bring a back-up pair. (Can be very hard to replace in port)
- Wet suit and dive booties.
- Water bottle (prefer non-metal) and backpack for hikes and at least one pair of socks for hikes.
- Also, instead of more clothes than the list has, bring less. Some students don't wear all that we list
- Hibiclens see below. Antimicrobial soap
- Mosquito Spray see below
ABOUT YOUR TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE ISLANDS:
TRAVEL DELAYS:
If you encounter delays in travel and your flight is changed, find out the new flight number and time, then call either your parents or this office (727-619-6246 or 727-942-1938) with the new information. If you call your parents, have them contact me with your modified schedule.
Remember your baggage may not be checked all the way to the BVIs!!
Please check with your carrier to see if there are luggage agreements with your next flight in the islands. Best to check BEFORE your departure date, not at the airport.
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
If you are flying through San Juan, Puerto Rico you will be changing carriers from jet service like American, Delta, Jet Blue, and United to the smaller commuter turbo-prop planes like Cape Air or Silver Airways.
If you booked the flights together in one ticket they will most likely forwarded to the next carrier and you will have to do nothing. Check the luggage tag on the bag when they label it at the airport is should say EIS. If it does not then ask then at this check-in.
If your baggage is not checked all the way through to Beef Island, your baggage may be waiting for you on a carousel in the San Juan airport to be checked with your next airline. It is usually your responsibility to pick up your luggage and take it to the next carrier if there are no luggage agreements between the carriers. Failure to do so will surely result in LOST LUGGAGE that can take days to track down. If you do not retrieve your luggage from baggage claim and bring it to the next carrier, it will go around and around that carousel and no one will take it to your next flight. We do not have staff at the carousel to rescue it. Please don't make this mistake. If you are flying down on American, Delta, Jet Blue, or United then you need to check with them (call reservations) to find out if they have an agreement with Cape Air or Silver Airways. If NOT, collect your luggage at the carousel in San Juan and bring it to the Cape Air or Silver Airways check in counter. Please check with your carrier.
- Saint Thomas, USVI
Pick up your luggage at the carousel in the Airport Terminal. Our Airport staff Yolande will have everyone gathering for transfers to the ferry terminal.
LOST LUGGAGE:
If you have any missing baggage it is imperative that you fill out a lost baggage claim with the airline while still at the airport. Please be sure to have luggage tags on your luggage and list your address as Sunsail/Moorings Base, Tortola BVI. You should absolutely keep your plane ticket stubs and luggage checked ticket number if you are missing any luggage, it will be vital for finding any delayed luggage. Remember that tip about taking a photo of your bag? Lost luggage usually turns up in a day or two. We do not recommend checking expensive electronic items, we do recommend carrying your camera in your carry on and leaving all other electronics safely at home, they will not be available for use aboard the vessels anyway.
UN-ESCORTED MINOR:
Airlines have changed their young adult requirements.
At this time:
- American Airlines - Young Adult is over 15 years
- US Airways - Young Adult is over 15 years
- Jet Blue - Young Adult is 13 and over
- Delta - Young Adult is 15 and over
- United - Young Adult is 15 and over
You are urged to check with your carrier if your participant is under 15. This is extremely important as students have been denied boarding that were under the Young Adult age. Apparently, the airlines do not consider it to be "their" job to flag a reservation so you can look up their rules. This has caught a few parents unaware as they tried to check in the student. The airports do not accept cash for this fee. See if the return trip fee can be pre-paid at the at home check-in or have the student travel with a credit card.
Students that are flying as Unescorted Minor - The airline will ask for the name of the person picking them up in St. Thomas.
Her name is: Maria Mercedes
Passport No.:590552142
340-44742858 mailto:MariaSamuel291@gmail.com
Address: The Moorings, Wickham's Cay II, Road Town, Tortola BVI
TRANSPORTATION:
- BVI - BEEF ISLAND ARRIVALS:
After you pass through immigration and customs, and the COVID-19 testing you will be met outside. PLEASE KEEP THE WHITE PAPER ARRIVAL SLIP THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER GIVES YOU TUCKED IN YOUR PASSPORT - you NEED this to exit the island and if you lose it you will have to go to the immigration office in person and fill it out again (argg).
Frank Ferrol is our primary transportation company will meet you and help you with the transfers from the airport to the marina (Sunsail in Road Town, Wickham's Cay II) this cost ($20)is not included. The marina is approximately 25 minutes from the Beef Island airport. If, upon your arrival, there is not a staff member to greet you at the airport, we apologize, something must have happened beyond our control as we are planning to be there- but please do not despair. First make sure we are really not there (maybe we are at the airline counter assisting another student), please wait near the airport exit or ask for "Frank Ferrol Taxi Service" or "Sunsail Transfers" and you will be directed to them and they will transport you to the Marina, everyone on the island knows where it is.
- USVI - SAINT THOMAS to BVI FERRY ARRIVALS:
You should already have your ferry tickets booked. We will have our staff, Maria Mercedes, meet you at the airport baggage claim carousel area and assist with transfers to the ferry terminal. The cost of the taxi is $10 per person +$2 per bag. Remember you have pre-purchased the ferry ticket. The ferry leaves at 5:00pm. We will meet you again at the Road Town Ferry exit. You will go through the Immigration and Customs then the COVID-19 test before we see you. From the ferry dock it is another short taxi ($10 per person) to the marina (Sunsail) where the Odyssey group is located on the dock. PLEASE KEEP THE WHITE PAPER ARRIVAL SLIP THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER GIVES YOU IN TUCKED IN YOUR PASSPORT - you NEED this to exit the island and if you lose it you will have to go to the immigration office in person and fill it out again (argg).
When you leave the ferry terminal an Odyssey Staff member will meet you and assist with the transfer to the marina (Sunsail in Road Town, Wickham's Cay II) this cost($10) is not included. The marina is approximately 5 minutes from the Road Town Ferry terminal.
Upon reaching The marina our vessels UnKnown Still and Also Unknown Still will be directly on the dock and will be flying the Odyssey flags. We will make every effort to have a staff person there to meet you.
Odyssey BVI Base at SunSail Marina
Road Town, Wichams Cay II
BVI Transportation by:
Frank Ferrol 284-543-1114
USVI Airport Staff:
Maria Mercedes 340-474-2858
ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS DURING YOUR VOYAGE:
We understand that family communication is important and we make available opportunities for communicating with your loved ones, however, the voyage experience while underway is 'unplugged' and as such, cell phones, Ipads, video players, MP3 players, and personal computer usage is not part of the program.
UPON ARRIVAL We do require that each participant call home upon arrival, with no exceptions. Parents: this is not the day to be screening your calls for unknown numbers, answer! Phone batteries may die over this long day. For those waiting at home, we will let you know if your loved one has not arrived on schedule.
FOR PARENTS - REGULAR CONTACT PROCEDURES:
There are bound to be messages. Please call the office at 727-916-6246 or e-mail info@odysseyexpeditions.com with messages. If the office staff is not available, leave a short message on the answering machine. Messages will be relayed to the staff. This is not instantaneous, there can be a delay of up to three days for message delivery.
EMERGENCY CONTACT:
Call the office at 727-619-6246. We will contact the director with emergency messages. If office staff is not available, leave your message and note that it is an emergency. We will make every effort to contact the program in a timely manner.
Parents, please keep us informed if you will be away from home with your contact information, dates, etc.
THE "WHAT'S UP" PAGE:
In case of severe weather or a national emergency, have your parents or loved one go to the What's Up page on our website. In the rare event of an emergency, it is very difficult to get timely information to all parents. We will post information on weather or airport closures, etc., on the page. You may still call the office, but please check at this site first as it may answer your question and allow the office staff to efficiently coordinate actions. Remember, there are many students and only a small office staff in the summer. www.odysseyexpeditions.com/whatsup
ABOUT YOUR HEALTH DURING THE VOYAGE:
Cuts and wounds heal very slowly in moist tropical environments. It is best to behave with more caution than normal to help avoid them. We do have Wilderness First Responders on each program and can assist in treating accidents and illnesses, but prevention is definitely the best.
HIBI-SOAP
We also recommend a product called HibiScrub or Hibiclens - Chlorhexadine Gluconate 4% it is an Antimocrobial Skin Cleanser. Available at most drug stores. This prevents skin infections thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection. This skin cleanser has antiseptic activity and a persistent antimicrobial effect with rapid bactericidal activity against a wide range of microorganisms. We are living aboard a damp, close environment. We recommend using this about every 5 days.
If you think you might get seasick, Relief-Bands work well. They can be purchased here RELIEF BANDS. Some use the Sea Band with success.
www.amazon.com/Relief-Motion-Sickness-I-Trans-Wristband
IN CASE OF ILLNESS:
In the event you become ill (not dive related) and need medical attention, you will be taken to the nearest medical facility. Medical providers may not accept your health insurance card (Most don't.) Your emergency money will be used to pay for medical fees in that case. If emergency money does not cover medical costs, Odyssey Expeditions will bill you or your parents for any monies loaned. The staff will make every attempt to secure paperwork acceptable to your insurance company. (Your Student Deluxe Travel insurance takes over in case of diving emergencies.)
BUG SPRAY:
There is a new to the Caribbean mosquito borne virus spreading around called Chikungunya and also Zika. Catching it sounds miserable, high fever, severe joint pain. We do not generally have much of a mosquito problem on the boats, there is usually a gentle or strong breeze preventing the bugs coming out to see us, but on shore visits or on-board if there were to be the uncommon windless night, bug spray should be applied liberally (a strong DEET solution is safe and effective). There is also some pants and shirts that contain insect repellent. As this is new, I have no experience with how common or frequent it is to catch, but will be very vigilant in preventing catching it myself and highly suggest everyone be extremely proactive. Never plan any trips ashore without applying bug spray!
EAR INFECTIONS:
You will be in the water a LOT. Using Swim Ear properly will keep ear infections at bay. Despite what most people believe, otitis externa (ear infections) are not caused by bacteria in the water: instead, it's triggered by the bacteria normally found in your external ear canal. Do not let your trip be ruined by believing you cannot get an ear infection. The trick is in the application. After your last dive each night, here's what to do:
To properly use Swim Ear - The head is tilted to one side and the external ear canal gently filled with the solution, which must remain in the canal for five minutes. The head is then tilted to the other side, the solution allowed to run out, and the procedure repeated for the other ear. If the solution does not remain in the ear a full five minutes, the effectiveness of the procedure is greatly reduced.
Each summer we take students in for treatment and they have to forgo diving until they are well and that can be up to 10 days. Buy the Swim Ear and USE it.
YOUR BEHAVIOR RESPONSIBILITY:
REMEMBER: Any drug, tobacco, or alcohol use or possession, stealing, hazing, tormenting, harassing, sexual activity or disruptive behavior will result in your immediate dismissal from the program and your return at your parents expense. The captains of the vessels do have the authority to inspect any article or person aboard the vessel at anytime. Laws are strict in the islands and the vessels can be confiscated by governmental officials with even one seed of illegal drugs aboard. Stay Safe, Stay Happy.
So please plan on the following: NO DRUGS, NO ALCOHOL, NO SMOKING, NO VAPING, NO SEXUAL ACTIVITY. If you are expecting to be able to do any of these there will be problems and it will lead to your being sent home. Sorry, that is just the way it is. Please, we can have a GREAT time without this activity and do not wish to engage in any cat and mouse enforcement activities. The boat is big, but it is also small, people smell things and hear things and others talk. Secrets don't last long. So please arrive understanding that this is not part of the program and will not be tolerated and be good with being on a healthy experience!
Please be prepared to sleep at 11pm and wake at 7am. We all need 7 hours of solid sleep to keep healthy and active with all the adventures we are doing throughout the day.
You will be part of the crew in training. The shipmates are responsible for all sailing, anchoring, cooking, cleaning, and all other aspects of running the vessel. Please arrive ready to take part fully in all aspects of the voyage and understand that the vessel, your cabin, your bathroom, your food, and your good time is your responsibility to make happen. The staff are instructional/supervision only. They will teach you how to sail, cook, clean, and have fun, but will not be doing these activities for you. They are busy doing other important things like filling your scuba tanks, purchasing your fresh foods, checking the anchor is secure, driving the water ski boat, and much much much more. If you require of them to do what your job is, then you will have much less time to have fun as they will not be able to drive the water ski boat in the morning or teach you about oceanography, etc. This is NOT a pleasure cruise on a cruise ship you have signed up for. On a cruise ship or luxury yacht, guests are expected to tip the crew 15% of the price of the voyage for pampering services. As you are the 'crew' and the staff are the instructors (they are not the crew, you are), please do not expect pampering service from them, its not their job! So please remember, YOU are the crew, the staff are the marine biology, scuba, sailing instructors that facilitate your experience, NOT your cabin steward/chef/butler/concierge/servant! If you refuse to do your crew duties, you will be bringing the entire voyage down and your staff may get grumpy. Please plan on doing your share and have fun with it!
PLEASE understand that the Captain and Adventure Staff are there to provide a safe, healthy experience for all. We are not there to battle with you on this. We will be professional and friendly with you and expect you to be hardworking, honest, and trustful with us. We are not your parents, school principals, guidance counselor, therapist, or psychologist, we are your professional instructional adventure guides. Please do not test the rules as it breaks down the trust of a great experience to be had by all.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES
We will be conducting coral reef fish population surveys for project R.E.E.F., coral health surveys with REEF CHECK and Project Aware, beach and reef cleanups with Project Aware. You will have a sign off form for your participation and will be credited actual time spent toward environmental community service hours. If you work diligently, you can earn up to 10 hours of service credit, but you actually have to do the work to earn the credit. It is NOT automatic and you do not get credit for doing nothing. For each fish survey completed and uploaded to the R.E.E.F. database or REEF CHECK survey you earn two hours (one for the dive, one for the data reporting process), for everything else its actual time spent.
OK, air on, get ready to DIVE DIVE DIVE!
Please call if you have questions. We have enjoyed speaking with each of you or your parents. We hope this experience will bring you a lifetime of fond memories and lifelong friends.
Join us on our Social Media
Sincerely,
Your Captain and BVI Director
Jon Buchheim
Odyssey Expeditions
Summer Office Staff is:
Sara Buchheim
Sara@OdysseyExpeditions.com
727-619-6246
727-942-1938 (alternate summer number only)
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