Hello,

Your departure date for the Odyssey Expeditions S.E.A. Advanced Adventure voyage from July 16th to Aug 5th is very near. We hope you are as excited as we are.

We are very excited to have you joining us for some excellent adventure and learning! I hope this guide can help you prepare a bit. We will be visiting three beautiful and charming countries on a northerly journey from Grenada to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and finishing in Saint Lucia.

There is a lot of information here. We tried to make it as comprehensive as possible. Please share this letter with your parents. Yes, it is a bit long, but the information is for your best benefit.

I will be posting voyage updates on some social media, but I can't tag anyone on facebook that is not a 'friend', so I invite you to friend me over there as well as like and follow Odyssey on Facebook Follow Odyssey on Instagram
You can do a friend request with your Captain:

• Jason Buchheim Captain Jason Buchheim @ Facebook
• Jon Buchheim Captain Jon Buchheim @ Facebook

Please Note: Our Summer Office address after June 1st is:
AIRLINE FLIGHT LIST: A copy of the current student flights is available here: Odyssey Voyage 3 Flight List

If you do not see your flights, it is because we do not have your itinerary. (Hint, hint)

Some of you are traveling long distances and have more than one flight leg. Check the list to see if you are sharing a flight. E-mail the other shipmates and form a travel team. This is where the red shirt makes it easier to find one another at the gates. If you are one of our older shipmates and younger ones are at your gates, please act the big brother or sister. Delays can happen and it is so much nicer to share the trials of the day with another person.

1. Absolute MUST HAVE THIS FORM FILLED OUT For our Customs and immigration purposes, please fill out this passport information form so that we can have your vessel's paperwork prepared for departure - Please fill this out ASAP
   Marine Customs & Passport Immigration Form
   
2. All travelers are strongly encouraged to complete the Saint Lucia arrival info form online prior to arrival to avoid delays on arrival.
   The form should be submitted no more than 3 days before travel to Saint Lucia.
   Saint Lucia - Electronic Immigration Form
   You should state that you are here on vacation purpose and that you will be staying on a sailing vessel from SunSail/Moorings, which is in Rodney Bay, Choose a vessels name: 'Amity'. You will be departing Saint Lucia on the 13th to a port of final destination of Martinique. Do not declare anything for duty import to St Lucia.

If you have any outstanding paperwork or releases, you will NOT be able to come aboard.

THINGS YOU NEED TO TRAVEL WITH:

• Passport and a COPY of the page that has your photo and information (in separate bag)
• SCUBA certification card or a copy of it
• Dive insurance card or information
• $100 Emergency money (in US$ cash) in a sealed envelope with your name on it. Preferably not a $100 bill but $20's
• A carry-on with essential items (bathing suit, toothbrush, shorts, shirt, dive booties and anything else you can't live or dive without)
• MONEY -you will need some spending money for airport transfers, souvenirs, restaurants, gratuity, and a Odyssey Rash Guard shirt.

About Money

ATM'S ashore
The official currency in the islands is the Eastern Caribbean dollar. You can obtain this at ATM's located ashore at most ports of call. You will need an ATM card for this. The EC is $2.71 to the $1.00 US. This is the best way to pay for purchases at restuarants or ashore.

Restaurant Money
We will have the opportunity to go out to eat for dinner at least twice and lunch at least three times, eating ashore is a great way to get a feel for a place and experience the culture. Meals ashore are not included in your tuition, please bring funds for this or plan on obtaining from an ATM, plan on $20-$40 for each dinner ashore (1-3) and $10-$20 for lunches ashore (1-3 or more).

Spending Money
$50- $100 per week should cover souvenirs and miscellaneous purchases ashore not including the Restaurant, Rash-Guard, and Airport Transfers. I suggest obtaining this in the islands at an ATM, or bring it with you in three weekly installments in separate sealed envelopes, labeled with the students name, week number, and amount enclosed.

Consider bringing $30 to purchase a Odyssey Expeditions Rash Guard (it's a waterproof shirt like surfers wear and is a great way to keep sun off you while sailing or getting ready to dive, you can put the $30 cash in an envelope labeled RASH GUARD)

Suggested Gratuity
Suggested US $75 per instructor (there are 3 instructors onboard - $225) for their very fine help and assistance and excellence in instruction they provide you with education and inspiration during your voyage. This suggested 1% gratuity on the cost of the voyage per instructor will go a long way in acknowledging them on the enormous effort they provide you with Marine Biology, SCUBA, Sailing, Freediving, Watersports and life instructional activities. Remember, you are still the 'crew' of your vessel and will have daily chores onboard, this is not a 'crew' gratuity that would traditionally be expected if the Odyssey staff were doing all the chores onboard (cooking, cleaning, dishes), such a gratuity is usually a 10-20% gratuity (The students are the crew so no gratuity necessary for that) This is not that, it is a thank you for the fine instructional interaction with your instructors and acknowledging them. We suggest to please have three separate labeled and sealed envelopes for this acknowledgement.

Safeguarding Monetary Funds
The captain will collect all arriving funds to be safeguarded when you come onboard the first night, it will actually be stored in an onboard safe! All funds to be safeguarded need to be labeled with the students name, purpose of the funds, amount enclosed, and sealed in individual envelopes. With all envelopes in a labled ziplock bag. Once an envelope is opened, it will be the students responsibility and will NOT be stored in the safe. (This is not in-and-out, just out) We plan to only open the safe when we are headed ashore. We can't tabulate balances, pay out partial amounts, or return monies to the safe unless it is still in the sealed envelope. Students will be responsible for safeguarding the funds they obtain from ATM's and funds distributed by the captain.

Airport Transfers
Airport transfers will be arranged for you, but the cost for transfers not included in tuition. Usually, a group of students will be arriving at or near the same time, so a taxi will be shared at a cost of about $10 US per person for the arrival Grenada leg and $25 for departure Saint Lucia, but if you are departing at a time or location different from everyone else, plan for $100 US for the St Lucia ride. We will have an Odyssey staff member at the airport to assist you.

If you are departing from the southern UVF airport at the conclusion of your Northbound SEA voyage, we have arranged to have the taxi driver stop for an hour and a half en-route to the airport so that you can go zip lining through the rain forest on a very fun tour. As the flights from UVF do not depart till the afternoon, you will have plenty of time for this adventure. Please have $75 US available to participate in this fun adventure. (this is for only those departing from the Southern UVF airport, the zip-lining tour is near the southern airport, not the northern SLU airport).

Restaurants and shops generally accept MC/VISA, but usually at a premium both by the proprietor AND your bankcard issuer (3% each and an exchange rate fee of 2%, so 8%) Some cards, like CapitolOne, do not charge these fees.

Using local EC currency ashore is best. You can get funds from an ATM machine directly into the local currency at an exchange rate of $1US=$2.71 Eastern Caribbean Dollars. Getting money from the ATM is probably best, but only full fledged ATM cards from a bank seem to work, those cards you can buy at Walmart, not likely. The ATM charges $5 US for a transaction and there is a $500 US a day limit (and your bank probably charges $5 for the foreign ATM transaction too). Using US dollars ashore is possible, but you usually get an exchange rate of $2.50 or $2.60 to $1 and you have to do the math when negotiating.

As a last resort, your Captain can go ashore and withdraw money for you from his ATM account if funds are pre-sent to PayPal account admin@OdysseyExpeditions.com, to cover all the transaction costs there will be a 4% plus $10 fee for each transaction, so its NOT your best option and highly discouraged as he is limited to the $500 daily withdrawl limit and needs these funds to pay for ongoing voyage expenses.

ABOUT PACKING:

Pack your carry-on - Have your copy of your passport in your carry-on, as well as your dive booties, wet-suit, bathing suit, toothbrush, medicines, some shorts and t-shirts and anything else you need to be comfortable for a couple days in the event your main bag is lost or delayed. You can borrow most everything else from your shipmates, but dive booties and wet-suits cannot be economically purchased in the islands. Think of your carry-on as being the bag for essentials. The other bag can be for everything else, don't put stupid stuff in your carry-on, you will regret it if your bags do not show up for a day or two, and as we leave St. Lucia a couple days after your arrival, if it is not located by our departure time we can NOT wait around for it, so you could be with what your brought in your carry-on for the whole trip.

Your main bag needs to be a duffel bag without wheels or hard sides. DO NOT BRING ANY OTHER TYPE OF BAG, HARD SIDES, ETC.

Seriously!!! We do not have room to store your hard sided bag or bag with wheels and a frame. We don't have room, we can't leave it ashore. PLEASE do not bring anything but a soft sided duffel that does NOT have wheels!

Upon boarding, we will have everyone unpack completely and store all the bags inside the biggest bag - this does not work with bags with wheels, frames, hard sides, or the like. There is NO place on-board to store hard-sided luggage or luggage with rolling wheels, etc. Please do not bring these hard bags or bags with hard elements! There is no under-bed storage(that is where the vessels diesel engines are, in fact) Bring ONLY completely soft-sided duffel bags without ANY WHEELS OR ROLLERS. If you bring a roller bag, IT WILL BE YOUR BED.

Please put any liquids or creams in a double zip-lock bag (those sunblocks and shampoos have a way of opening up while you travel). There is a grocery store at the charter base, you could just purchase these items upon arrival and not risk a messy spill in transit.

Please know what your bag looks like (take a photo of it and email it to yourself) and be able to describe it, and have identification tags attached. Seriously, bags DO get delayed and lost. It is also important NOT to lose those claim tickets you get when checking in.

Please do not bring an excessive amount of things, there is little storage space in the cabins (no walk in closets, chests of drawers, etc.) and you will be sharing your cabin with three other shipmates. The less you bring - the better!

Bring only what you really need! What is that, you ask?

Think of this as a backpack camping trip that just happens to be on a sailboat, NOT as a luxury yachting voyage (it most certainly is NOT the latter!)

THINGS YOU REALLY NEED TO BRING:

• A FLEECE sleeping bag - NOT a big fluffy one, NO PLACE TO STORE A BIG SLEEPING BAG.
  Please bring a sleeping bag like this one:
  EXAMPLE - GOOD CHOICE
  EXAMPLE - BAD CHOICE - TOO BIG AND THICK (DON'T BRING THIS)!
  Most students choose to sleep outside under the stars on the vessels trampolines on the front of the boat. Nights can be breezy, so you will want the sleeping bag. A sleeping pad is nice, but if you are the type of person who will leave it behind on the trampoline when it starts to rain and you run inside, it is guaranteed to blow away.
  
• Three thin-towels. They should be thin, lightweight towels, NOT thick, heavy beach towels. You want a few thin towels. The thick towel is a bad idea (it does not dry, it mildews instead, yuck STINK). Think, "Will this dry quickly in the wind?" The nicer the towel seems at home, the worse it will be on the boat. Threadbare towels are BEST.
• Toothbrush and toiletries
• Medication: If you are taking prescription medications, please make sure they are well marked and make sure your captain is 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. If you need an Epi-pen, bring it!
• Four bathing suits
• Dive Booties (our dive fins require you to have dive booties, thin ones are fine, no zipper required, needs gripper sole)
• We supply the Dive logbook (to log your awesome dives!)
• Wet Suit (a 1-3 mm long or shorty is all you need, I like full suits for abrasion and jellyfish protection, but it is not cold, thin is best as it is easy to get on)
• Four pair of cotton shorts
• Seven T-Shirts
• A casual outfit to go ashore in at night.
• Ample Sunblock - not the aerosol kind. (They don't work in the wind, and it is always windy in the Windward Islands, it is kind of like spray painting in the wind), look for reef friendly sunblock (stuff WITHOUT oxybenzone as it kills the coral!).
• Hat
• NON Metalic Water bottle for hikes ashore (Please NO METAL WATER BOTTLES, they fall on the teak floor and destroy it, yikes, lesson learned, not needed to be repeated, bring a PLASTIC water bottle only.)
• Sunglasses
• A dive watch this one is cheap and great! GOOD WATCH
• Another dive watch possibility (this one a bit more but seems legit!) NICE FREEDIVE COMPUTER WATCH
• Shoes with socks to go hiking through mud for hiking. (The shoes will be likely get very muddy - bring a pair you are ready to toss.)
• Sandals or the like for shore visits
• Waterproof, windproof rain-jacket if we hike the highlands in (its actually cold at 4000 feet with 40 knot winds!)
• Backpack to carry stuff ashore in
• Couple big zip locks or garbage bags to pack up your stinky stuff for your return home
• Camera of some sort (waterproof best)
• Swim-Ear supply (2 bottles)
• Prescription Antibiotic Ear Drops (like Neomycin or polymyxin) for the inevitable Otis External ear infection
• Hibiclens see below. Antimicrobial soap
• Mosquito Spray see below

Things you may wish to bring but are not essential or necessary:

• Your own regulator, dive computer, mask, fins, snorkel (we do supply all of these, and they are of high quality, but you are most welcome to bring your own)
• Hiking pants
• Underwater Camera
• USB Battery (to charge your cell phone with)
• Foam or inflatable sleeping camp pad

Things you do not need, please do not bring!

• Laptop or tablet computers
• Tanning-oils (they make the boat boat deck dangerously slippery)
• Blue Jeans
• Metallic water bottles
• Any vaping supplies or materials
• Any drug or non-prescription medications
• Any tobacco products
• Burner or dummy phones
• Underwater photography case for a phone
• Hair Dryer
• Curling or Straightening Irons
• Lots of shoes or any dressy shoes.

About Entertainment Electronics

This is a wilderness diving trip. We will gladly charge your camera, but do not have electricity plugs from the inverter available to keep 12 cell phones, 12 laptops or tablets and the like charged. Earphones are not used on-board (due to health, safety and social reasons). Cell phones will be collected and stored in a safe onboard and distributed to you when we go ashore. You can't charge it while it is in the safe and we won't take it out to charge it, so maybe bring a separate charging battery.

Remember once underway, electricity is only available for charging cameras (we only have a small inverter connected to the vessel's house batteries, only 100 watts and three plug sockets available). We can't charge cell phones or any other electronic devices while away from the dock. On the last night of the voyage, the vessel will be connected to shore power, so charging will be possible from all outlets on the vessel, so you can charge your cell phone before returning home. There is a generator onboard, but it is only used periodically, it is only on enough to keep the food refrigerators charged when we have not motored anywhere. Usually the transit engines are used to charge the vessel batteries as it is much more efficient.

Bring the USB cords you need to charge what you need charged, and maybe put a label on it to keep it yours.

TRAVELING TO GRENADA

There is one airport in Grenada. It is not far from the Port Luis Marina where the yachts are. As each airline has only one flight arriving per day, it is very important to try and not miss any of your connecting flights! Be sure to show up at your departing airport two hours early. We have had travelers show up with only a small window of opportunity and their bags were not able to travel with them and were delayed multiple days.

If you encounter a flight delay en route, be sure to find out any new flight numbers and departure times, and contact your parents and the Odyssey Expeditions office at 727-619-6246 with the new flight information, or email it to Sara@OdysseyExpeditions.com, at the office.

On the North SEA voyages, the vessel will be anchored off Molinaire Bay on day 2, also reachable by taxi. If you can't reach the vessel by day 3 you will need to make other arrangements for your time as the vessel will be moving on (you have missed the boat).

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 The Moorings/SunSail Base, Port Louis, Grenada 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. Lost luggage usually turns up in a day or two. Thefts of expensive items left in lost luggage is possible, so 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, the voyage is an unplugged wilderness adventure anyway. I ALWAYS TAKE A PHOTO OF MY LUGGAGE SO I CAN SHARE IT WITH THE AGENTS IF NECESSARY.

UPON ARRIVAL
Customs will ask you where you are staying. Please say you are on the Moorings Vessel 'Amity' with Odyssey Expeditions, the vessels are in Port Luis Marina. You should declare that you are staying 6 days as a visitor for vacation/pleasure and your next destination is St. Vincent and our final departure is Saint Luica on Aug 5th.

PLEASE KEEP THE WHITE PAPER ARRIVAL SLIP THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER GIVES YOU 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 when the vessel checks out of Grenada bound for St Vincent.

After you pass through immigration and customs, you should be greeted by an Odyssey transportation representative wearing a blue Odyssey Expeditions T-Shirt. We will help you with your bag and arrange your transport to the Moorings/Sunsail Charter Base. Our yacht is a catamaran named 'Amity'. The transfer is about 20 minutes. If for some reason there is not a staff member at the airport to greet you, please do not panic, please look around for the Odyssey staff member and be sure we are not at the airline counter or sometimes helping another student. If you are sure there is no staff member, something must have caused our delay, we meant to be there! Please just take a cab ride to 'The Moorings/Sunsail Yacht Charter Base in Port Luise Marnia, there will be plenty of safe cab drivers at the airport, they are all licensed and insured. Please wear a red T-shirt to help us identify you at the airport.

ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS DURING THE VOYAGE

We understand that family communication is important and make available opportunities for communicating with your loved ones; however, the voyage experience while underway is 'unplugged' and as such, cell phones, personal music and video players and speakers, personal computers, tablets, etc. are not part of the program. There are multiple reasons for this policy, including a lack of 110v charging options on-board (only one small wattage inverter is available and dedicated to camera charging only - the cabins do NOT have 110v outlets when away from the dock). We also wish to engage the students with their immediate surroundings, shipmates, and physical environment opportunities and strongly believe that personal entertainment electronics are a detriment to this interaction with each other and the world around us. With the beautiful reefs, mountains, beaches, villages, and interesting students and staff around us, we hope to bring people out of their electronic shells and discover the world awaiting them. Also, the sharing of earphones promotes the sharing of ear infections. As such, all personal entertainment electronics are available only during shore visits and earphones are not allowed onboard (you can't hear a call for assistance if you can't hear because of earphones in your ears and music playing).

You may turn your phone on and attempt to use it if you need to, but we do NOT provide charging ports during the voyage for cell phones, you should bring a charging brick (external battery) for this purpose. I am sorry to be sounding as a broken record on this charging thing... Do know that the international roaming calls and data rates can be very expensive if your phone is set up improperly. Phones are collected and stored safely while on board. They will be made available ashore when a wi-fi signal is known to be available (usually about once a week) so you can communicate with your family and friends back home. Sure, you can sign up for international roaming with your provider and your phone and data may work in the islands, but it will work surprisingly poorly, usually like 3G H+ level service, it is honestly terrible. I have to buy a local prepaid Sim card and plan to have anything remotely good enough not to pull all my hair out! It is $100 US for every 15GB of data. (Which then gets eaten up by some setting of your phone trying to back up videos taken to the cloud...)

In several areas along the voyage, we will have a wi-fi signal ashore.

Upon your arrival, we will have you call home to inform your loved ones of your safe arrival. If your phone works at this stage, feel free to use it for this purpose, otherwise this will either be from the directors cell phone, so please plan on keeping this call short if using his phone as everyone will be trying to use the same communications device (remember it is up-to a two hour taxi ride to the base before you can make this call). PARENTS, please plan to accept phone calls from any of these are codes: 352 & 727 - Florida, 758 - St Lucia, 473 - Grenada, 596 - Martinique.

If a parent must send a message to a student on the program, you can attempt to message the captain (see facebook link above). I don't have a local number yet and we will update you with our new SIM upon arrival on the Whats up page . As we are often anchored in coves that are in a radio shadow, incoming calls and messages are sometimes not possible, but outgoing calls are always available by getting in the dingy and going out to sea a bit - so this can delay the retrieval of messages. You can also email messages to Odyssey@OdysseyExpeditions.com and they should be available to the director within 24 hours. .

We do NOT have continuous connectivity to the Internet or cellular service, we are on a sailboat, often sailing offshore or anchored in a cellular dead zone. Please do not expect continuous connectivity! We do check in daily or more but don't expect instantaneous and please don't abuse connectivity when it exists.

Parents, please remember that`no news` is `good news.` While we encourage frequent contact with home, if you do not hear from your loved one - they are safe and are most likely having the time of their lives. If a problem of any kind arises, we will be in contact with you.

Parents, please keep us informed if you will be away from home and please provide us with updates to your contact information, dates, etc. We too do need to know how and who to contact in the event of emergency or problem.

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
Important messages can also be received by subscribing to our Twitter Feed at www.twitter.com/odyex

POSTAL MAIL
Not possible.

The Moorings Base Customer Service is open 9am-5pm EST seven days a week: Saint Luica: 758-451-4357, Grenada: 473-435-6661

The above is the marina customer service, not Odyssey Expeditions customer service. They will NOT know if your child has arrived or is having a good time. Call Odyssey with Odyssey questions. 727-619-6246

INTERNET ACCESS
We do not have continuous Internet access. There will be a few opportunities to use the Internet ashore.

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.

If you think you might get seasick, a prescription of Transderm Scop works wonders!

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 and insurance does not cover medical costs, you will need to provide a form of payment. Odyssey Expeditions can only assist you on this. The staff will make every attempt to secure paperwork acceptable to your insurance company. (Dive Assure or DAN insurance takes over in case of diving emergencies).

EAR INFECTIONS
You will be in the water a LOT. Using Swim Ear properly will help keep ear infections at bay. Despite what most people believe, Otis external (ear infections) are not caused by bacteria in the water: instead, it's triggered by the bacteria normally found in your external ear canal being suddenly exposed to a continuous damp environment and wetness. Do not let your trip be ruined by believing you cannot get an ear infection. The trick is in the application of ear drops to displace the water with alcohol and glycerin. Before your first dive in the morning and 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.

If you can bring a bottle of PRESCRIPTION Ear Drops, GREAT, do so!!! I recommend Neomysin or Polymyxin. These are what you treat an ear infection with and if you have the bottle you can treat the infection.

Please do not do risky, daring, dangerous things, they usually wind-up injuring somebody and somebody does not have a great voyage. We are going to remote places with less than Mayo clinic medical facilities, lets NOT test how well they can put Humpty Dumpty back together!

Last summer we had a student show up with an open wound on his back from skateboarding accident a couple days before the trip. He fought infections on his back for three weeks. Things do not heal in a moist sea environment. Be kind to yourself and don't do risky things before your trip!

HIBI-SOAP
We also recommend a product called HibiClens or Hibiclens - Chlorhexadine Gluconate 4% it is an Antimicrobial 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.

MOSQUITO SPRAY: On-board, we do not have mosquito problems, but ashore, they are there awaiting you. They carry some nasty diseases too, like Chikungunya, Malaria, Dengue Fever. Bring some 30% DEET bug spray (not the 100%, that stuff eats plastic and melts everything) and be sure to pack this in a zip-lock. Never plan any trips ashore without applying bug spray!

YOUR BEHAVIOR RESPONSIBILITY

REMEMBER any drug, tobacco, vape, or alcohol use or possession, stealing, hazing, tormenting, harassing, sexual activity, profanity, refusal to do your crew duties, or disruptive behavior will result in your immediate dismissal from the program and your return at your parents' expense. The Captains of the vessels have the authority to inspect any article or person aboard the vessel at anytime or to search any part of any cabin or on-board baggage at anytime. Laws are strict in the islands and the vessels can be confiscated by governmental officials with even just one seed of illegal drugs aboard.

So please plan on the following: NO DRUGS, NO ALCOHOL, NO SMOKING, NO VAPING, NO SEXUAL ACTIVITY, and NO PDA. 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! We unfortunately DID send two students home for drug use from St Vincent in 2019. This made NOBODY happy, not the students, me, or their parents.

Please expect no PDA (public display of affection) as well. This includes massages, drawing tattoos on each other, holding hands, cuddling. Please do not do this, it is disruptive to the rest of the people on the vessel and is not tolerated. Not between same or different genders, not even if you really like someone or are a really touchy-feely person.

Please be prepared to sleep at 11pm and wake at 7am. This close to the equator and way over to the left of the time zone, the sun rises at 5:30 AM and sets at 6:30 PM. To not waste all this beautiful daylight, the vessels operate on 'Daylight Sailing Time', so you should set your watches to be one hour ahead of Eastern Time Zone. We all need 7 hours of solid sleep to keep healthy and active with all the adventures we are doing throughout the day, so please do be willing to actually sleep at lights out, 11PM.

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, 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 get the paddle-boards inflated 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 10-20% 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, it really is 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!

Living on a boat is quite different from living at home in so many ways. There are challenges and rewards to it. It can be hard as well as amazing. It is hard to live on a boat with 15 people, if we all don't behave well, it can get small and cramped, we have to go beyond ourselves and consider others and how our loudness in talking or walking or the messes we make may be affecting others. It is like growing up in the world a bit. Our parents are not here to watch over us and we have greater responsibilities, but the rewards can be profound. Use the opportunity to grow and don't fight it not being like home, its NOT LIKE HOME!

Every time you shirk one of your responsibilities you are either causing one of your shipmates to pick up your slack, or you are just degrading the experience for all. There ain't no magic, what we do is what gets done.

PLEASE understand that the Captain and 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 instructional adventure guides. We do not have degrees in psychology or medicine or law, we are coral reef fish behavioral biologists and shark biologists, SCUBA professionals and sailing captains, let us shine on our areas of expertise...Please do not test the rules as it breaks down the trust of a great experience to be had by all. Our job is to keep you safe and healthy, work with us on this, please!

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES

We will be conducting coral reef fish population surveys for project R.E.E.F., coral health surveys, beach and reef cleanups with Project Aware, and whale population and distribution surveys with the Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Monitoring Network. 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 survey, you earn two hours (one for the dive, one for the data reporting process), for everything else it is 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.

Thank you for your attention on all these matters and reading all of this, feel free to let me know your thoughts if something rubbed you wrong in my communication, feedback helps!

Sincerely,

Your Captains:
Jason Buchheim
Jon Buchheim
Odyssey Expeditions


Summer Office Staff is:
Sara Buchheim - AKA "Mom"
Sara@OdysseyExpeditions.com
727-619-6246
You are gonna love this!

Hello,

Your departure date for the Odyssey Expeditions Discover Adventure voyage from June 19th to July 2nd 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

Visit this page of our website --->>Get into The BVIs - Entrance Regulations

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, and the USVI Portals.
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!
We cannot accept late students, as quarantine times would be reset for everyone on vessel.
Sorry, no refunds for failure of entrance.

Okay. Now the rest of the message.

Please Note: Our Summer Office address after June 10th is:
AIRLINE FLIGHT LIST: A copy of the current student flights is available here: www.odysseyexpeditions.com/covid19/flights_sea_2.pdf
If you do not see your flights it is because we do not have your itinerary. (Hint, hint)

FLIGHT SCHEDULES:
Some of you are traveling long distances and have more than one flight leg. Please look 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 and travel itinerary. 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 e-mail and telephone numbers on the attached flight list. Please e-mail any corrections or changes.

ABOUT THINGS TO PACK:

PACKING FOR THE TRIP:
Many airlines have cut down on the number 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:
  The U.S dollar is the official currency. Traveler's checks are a good idea; denominations should be small. ATM's are available at our home port and a few others and credit cards are acceptable at many establishments. You usually need a photo ID to cash traveler's checks. EMERGENCY MONEY: Do not forget your $100.00 emergency money. SPENDING MONEY: Students can get by on $50 - 150 per week on personal spending money. All meals are provided aboard the vessels. However, there are opportunities to try the local cuisine at many ports we visit. Lunches range from $5-15.00 and are at the student's option. DEPARTURE TAX: A $20.00 departure tax must be paid at the airport or ferry in cash. Be sure to keep that amount of your spending money for departure. Your Emergency Cash can also cover this expense.
• 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. 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.

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 $100-$150 per week
• Emergency funds $100.00 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.
• Passport - Good for six more months
• Copies of you BVI Authorization To Enter letter
• Copy of your USVI Green QR code
• Copy of you Negative COVID-19 Test
• COVID-19 Vaccination Card
• Health Insurance information or card
• 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 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 lable 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. 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

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 Yolande Ferrol340-474-5579 mailto:ferroltonic@gmail.com

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 transportion 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 20 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 Yolande Ferrol meet you at the airport baggage claim 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 4:00pm. 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. 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 counter assisting another student), please wait near the 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.
  
  

Upon reaching The marina our vessels NEVER A BAD DAY TOO and ROUND TWO will be directly on the dock and will be flying the Odyssey flag. We will make every effort to have a staff person there to meet you.

Odyssey BVI Base at Sun Sail Marina
Road Town, Wichams Cay II

BVI Transportation by:
Frank Ferrol 284-543-1114

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. The reasons for this policy include the vessels lack of 110 volt charging stations for all of these devices (there is only one 110 volt outlet from a small inverter - the cabins do not have power outlets. We physically can not keep the potential multitude of devices charged up). We will allow camera batteries to be recharged during the voyage and that pretty much keeps the available power strip slots and wattage occupied. We also wish to engage the students with their immediate surroundings, shipmates, and physical environment opportunities and strongly believe that personal entertainment electronics are a detriment to this interaction with each other and the world around us. With the beautiful reefs, mountains, beaches, villages, and interesting students and staff around us, we hope to bring people out of their electronic shells and discover the world awaiting them. As such, all cell phones, portable electronic entertainment devices, etc. are collected at the beginning of each voyage, to be returned the day before departure. Cell phone communication in the islands is on a ROAMING basis and parents in the past have been very upset upon receiving a very large bill after their child's return home. Finally, we feel that cell phones are a distraction from the program, with the text messaging and calls to people that are not aboard the vessels and news of events that are not occurring locally, it is very much a distraction to the programs leadership training, personal growth, and educational goals.

The program director does have a locally registered cell phone for the necessary business contact with the home office- messages can be relayed through our home office to reach the students. The vessels are in motion and are not always reachable through cellular methods, sometimes it can take 24 hours to make contact (though not usually). The students can ask to use the directors cell phone to place occasional brief outgoing calls, the charge is $.50 a minute for this service, paid in cash at the time it is rendered. This is much less than the $3.00 a minute the phone would be charged on a ROAMING basis.

When the vessels are anchored near shore, they are often out of cell phone range because of mountainous terrain. While they may not be able to receive calls, they can always make outgoing calls by moving the vessel.

While in port (arrival days, departure days, and a couple times mid-voyage) when we are able to access the WiFi signals, the program director makes available a VOIP phone for communications. (the rate is so low, 3 cents/minute, so we do not charge for this unless it is abused). As there is only a couple of these available, sharing is required and messages should be kept brief. Shore-side pay-phones are usually no longer available at ports of call.

We encourage communications with home while the voyage is underway, but please step back a few years in the expectation of frequency for communications, think once every few days, not a text every few hours. If you do not hear from your loved one, do not worry. IF ANY PROBLEM ARISES, WE WILL CONTACT YOU.

If you have a cell phone aboard, the boats captain will make them available for use a couple times during the voyage for placing outgoing calls at your roaming expense if you desire, then they will be recollected. Their availability shall be entirely at the Captains discretion.

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 batteies 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.