No. Odyssey Expeditions students come from 50 states and many foreign countries, and it is therefore not possible to include airfare in the prices of our programs.

We suggest the TUI Moorings Travel Service (from North America) but you are not required to use them.
Our direct air agent is Soun Saysonvang may be reached at 866.649.2003M-F EST, or email. Leave her a message if she is unavailable, and she will return your call. The TUI Moorings Travel service works exclusively with charter boat guests and they are happy to give you a quote and can help arrange for students to travel together.

Valid passports are required now to any travel outside the US, a birth certificate will not suffice! If you want to get a passport, applications are available at the post office. US citizens can find downloadable passport applications and other helpful information on the State Department website. It normally takes six weeks to process a passport application.

No visas are required for US or Canadian citizens participating in the British Virgin Islands and Windward Islands. If you are not a US or Canadian citizen, please refer to VISA INFO for the British Virgin Islands requirements and or VisaHQ or contact our office for more information. Passports are required for all voyages.

For many Odyssey shipmates, this is the first time they have taken flights without friends or family. Airlines can arrange for students to be met in the connecting city and to be escorted to their connecting flight. Fees vary for this service, but generally the airlines charge around $100 each way for "Unescorted Minor". As well, it is possible that there will be another Odyssey Expeditions shipmate on your flight, especially if you are coming from a major city. If you would like to co-ordinate travel plans with another Odyssey Expeditions shipmate, please call our office and we can let you know if there are other students coming from your area on travel day.

Your travel days are the first and last days of your program. You should arrive on the first day of your program and you will depart on the last day. For example, if your trip dates are June 18 to July 08, you will fly to program on June 18th and home July 8th.

You can arrive from early in the morning until late at night. We recommend that you book the earliest flights available to ensure that any flight delays allow for rebooking on later flights that day. On your return home you should also depart early to avoid overnight delays.

Yes, you can make travel arrangements using your frequent-flier miles.

Unaccompanied Minors (UMs) are young travellers, defined by the airline as being too young to travel without direct supervision. The airlines designed these programs to help provide additional security to your student while they travel. If your participant is originating from points outside of the US, this may not apply.

Airliness have various rules and policies and they can vary widely. Even within the United States, fees range around $100 each way, some airlines don't accept unaccompanied minors at all, some require the service until a child reaches 15 years old, while others will not offer it at all once a child reaches 12 years old. Some airlines let you connect on international itineraries to other airlines and some only permit nonstop domestic flights. The rules and fees for unaccompanied minors are truly all over the place.

The following is a general overview of (UM) requiremets:

• Your child must take (UM) status if they are defined as such. It is mandatory based on age unless the student is flying with a family member who is older than the designated (UM) age, or a non-family member over the age of 18.
• You must pay for (UM) status for BOTH the outbound and return flights while checking in for the outbound leg. If your student becomes “of age” during the program then this will not apply for the return leg.
• You will need to provide the name and contact details of Odyssey's Representative in the arrival airport during the check-in process. We will post this to you a few days prior to the program start date.
• You must ensure that the entire trip uses a single airline carrier on both the outbound and the return itineraries.
• You must confirm with the airlines that your student is not flying on the last flight of the day. Airlines will not take responsibility for an Unaccompanied Minor overnight.
• If joining a BVI program, understand we can only accept (UM)s flying to St. Thomas because we will not have a staff representative in the San Juan airport.
• (UM)s flying from St. Thomas must have flights that depart no later than 3:30pm.

Links to specific airline policies:

American
Delta
JetBlue
Spirit
United

If you have any questions regarding UM status, please feel free to give our office a call at+1.727.619.6246.

Flight Arrangements General

We suggest the TUI Moorings Travel Service (from North America) but you are not required to use them.
They may be reached at 800.535.7289, or Soun Saysonvang, our Tui Air Agent, direct number 866.649.2003.
The TUI Moorings Travel service works exclusively with charter boat guests and they are happy to give you a quote and can help arrange for students to travel together.

Click Here to see detailed Flight information in our For Parents section

It is not necessity to obtain any special inoculations or vaccinations.
The Caribbean islands of the Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada have opened to travelers of all COVID-19 vaccination statuses.

Our yachts are equipped with cellular phones as well as radio communication equipment. Parents can call Odyssey Expeditions office throughout the summer to relay any emergency information. Shore visits at selected points allow participants to call home.

All non-personal necessary equipment is provided, including scuba gear, safety supplies, and sporting equipment, science equipment and other items required for program activities. Only a wet-suit, dive booties and diving manuals need to be purchased. Upon signing up, you will receive a list for packing your Sea bag. You probably already have most of the personal equipment needed, such as clothing, a rain jacket, hiking shoes... If you have your own SCUBA equipment you are welcome to bring it.

The voyage experience is 'unplugged' and as such, cell phones, tablets, etc., and personal electronic usage is not part of the program. Breaking free from the clutches of technology overuse isn’t just a nice idea; it’s something that is achievable. Humans have always escaped to nature as an antidote to a hectic life. No constant screen time & endless scrolling, Tic-Tok, Instagram, email, Facebook, IM, Spotify…
When shipmates meet their Odyssey staff at the start of programs, they are to call home and let their families know that they have arrived safely. ALL CELL PHONES are collected, even if the phone doubles as a shipmate's alarm clock, camera, music player, address list, gaming system, etc. 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.
We have times scheduled for phone calls home throughout the program (typically about every 3-5 days). Every voyage itinerary is different, and schedules and locations may affect access to phones and internet.

Put it on a thumbdrive and the stereo can play it. No earphones are allowed.

Yes, the preferred method is to hand wash your dirty clothes in a soapy bucket before we come into port, then rinse them with fresh water at the port and hang them out to dry. There are some locations with laundry machines, but do you really want to watch a laundry machine while in port?

We suggest approximately $100 per week for personal items, smoothies, postcards, souvenirs, etc.

Participants are required to bring $200 (cash) that will be deposited with the yacht's captain to be used in the unlikely event of an emergency. The money is returned on the last day of the voyage. There is also a departure tax at the airport of $20

Your travel days are the first and last days of your voyage. You should arrive on the first day of your voyage and you will depart on the last day. For example, if your voyage dates are June 23 to July 13, you will fly to program on June 23rd and home on July 13th.

Absolutely! When you sign up for a voyage, you will be sent information which outlines when we would like you to arrive and depart. Once your family has made your travel plans, we ask you to send all of your flight information back to our office. This information is then given to your Odyssey Expeditions leaders who will be sure to meet you at the airport when you arrive.

When you get off the plane at your final destination and have claimed your luggage, you will be met by one of your Odyssey Expeditions leaders. you will call your parents to let them know that you arrived safely and met your Odyssey Expeditors group.

If you are traveling from the United States you will go through immigration when you arrive at your destination. Then you will claim your bags and go through customs. The governments of the BVIs, St. Lucia and Grenada welcomes your visit to their islands and this is just a minor informality. On the way home you will go through immigration and customs at your first US airport most likely in St. Thomas, Puerto Rico or Miami.

The Odyssey Expeditions office will assist you and keep your parents informed. You will have a printed travel information card with our number that you should carry with you during the travel day.

Odyssey Expeditions offers several different types of voyages to fit your individual skill level. Our Discover Adventure Voyages are for students who have no previous scuba diving experience. The Advanced Adventure Voyages are for students who already have their Open Water certifications. The Divemaster challenge is for those students who are looking to join the leaders of the pack. The PADI Divemaster program is your first step leadership level in the PADI professional system of diver education. Our staff would be happy to discuss which trip is right for you. Call us and we would be pleased to answer your questions and guide you to the appropriate Odyssey Expeditions Voyage.

Enrollment is limited on all Odyssey Expeditions voyages. Many families make summer plans early in the winter, and some trips fill by the middle of January! We encourage you to call our office when you have decided on a trip and dates. We can notify you of trip availability and save your spot.

Since many trips fill by mid-January, there is a chance that your first choice will already be full. We have a wait list for all trips, dates, and age groups. Many students sign up for their second choice trip and put their name on a wait list for their first choice trip. The trip deposit and balance are transferable between trips. There is a surprising amount of movement among students throughout the spring, and it is not uncommon for participant to enroll in a trip in January, only to learn in April that they need to attend summer school, or that the dates of the adventure conflict with a family vacation. If you are on a wait list, we will notify you as soon as a spot on a voyage opens. It is often difficult to predict if and when a spot will become available, so you'll have to be patient!

Once you've picked an voyage, it's a good idea to call our office and double-check that there is availability. Fill out the enrollment form on our website and pay the $1000 deposit. Upon receipt of your application and deposit, you will be sent an enrollment package, containing more detailed information about your specific adventure, everything is electronic.

Yes we do. If two or more family members attend during the summer a 5% discount will to the second shipmate. Discounts are not cumulative, only the largest will apply.

Yes! Almost all of our trips have several start dates, making it easy to accommodate students who would like to take more than one trip. You can combine a Discovery Voyage with an Adventure Voyage for a six-week odyssey that would allow a person with no scuba experience to earn their Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, and six specialty certifications. A certified diver can combine an Advanced Adventure Voyage with our Divemaster Challenge and earn their Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster and eight specialty certifications. There will be some overlap in activities, but you would be welcome to share your new expertise as your second voyage unfolds. The North and South Advanced Adventure Voyages can be combined so that you can experience all that the Windward Islands have to offer. If you would like to discuss possible double-trip combinations, please call our office and we'd be happy to assist you. We offer a 5% discount on the second program tuition for double enrollment.

A $1000 deposit should accompany your application. The balance of your tuition is due April 1st. Applications are accepted after April 1st where space is available and remainder of the tuition is due three weeks from deposit. Berth deposits may be paid by check, Mastercard or Visa. Published tuition prices reflect a 4% cash discount. Final Tuition is payable by check, wire transfer, or money order; if paid by credit card, the cash discount is not applicable. Payment Plans are available to spread the cost over the year.

The deposit is refundable until February 1st in the year of your voyage minus banking fees; after that date the deposit and all subsequent tuition payments are non-refundable so we strongly suggest participants select the trip cancellation insurance coverage. Voyages are transferable to another eligible participant. Once enrolled, any request to switch programs in the same summer will be considered on a case-by-case basis. It should be understood that it is not our policy to allow program switches within 30 days of the program start date. See our Insurance page here: Student Deluxe. Trip Insurance is highly recommended.

You may come on an Odyssey Expeditions voyage with a friend, although we strongly encourage students to come alone. A major component of Odyssey Expeditions voyages is the group experience. If you do decide to attend with a friend, the leaders will encourage you both to interact more with the entire group than with each other.

Our past participants are our best testimony to a quality program, and we encourage you to call them. Please contact Odyssey Expeditions at any time for references. To protect each family's privacy, we do not publish their names openly, but are available here. with a password upon request.

No, but we do offer a Payment Plan.

Yes, contact our office and we will gladly resend our enrollment packet.

We have 4 cabins for shipmates, 2 for one gender and two for another, so the final ratio is about 50% one gender.

Students range in age from 13-20 and we strive to have a tight age range. We have multiple vessels on each voyage and will group students such that they are on a vessel with students near their own age by a couple years.

You will receive a roster of shipmates on your voyage a few weeks before departure. At that point, you will be able to call, write, e-mail, and possibly meet other shipmates before the voyage begins!

Participants arrive from near and far, mostly the USA, but also from many other points of the globe. Your shipmates will be a co-ed group. While most arrive alone, enduring friendships are built upon mutual experiences and cultural appreciation.

Our yachts are equipped with cellular phones as well as radio communication equipment. Our trip leaders are in contact with the office regularly. Parents should call the Odyssey Expeditions office to relay any emergency information. Shore visits at selected points allow participants to call home.

Program founder Jason Buchheim's intense interest in marine life led him to earn his scuba instructor rating at the early age of 18 and to study marine biology at Oregon State University. Addicted to the excitement of marine ecology research and intimately familiar with the dive industry, Jason combined his avocations in 1993 to share his passions with others. This season will begin Odyssey Expeditions 89th voyage.

Every yacht has to three staff members. On each there is a US Coast Guard licensed captain, a PADI scuba instructor and a biologist. At least one of the staff members is a certified Wilderness First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician. Staff are selected personally by us for their ability to prevent and solve problems in the field, their capacity to relate to and enjoy our travelers, and their knowledge and love of the places we visit. They take care of every detail, but more importantly, they take good care of you. Best of all, they're the kind of people with whom you'd like to spend your summer.

Our leaders are intelligent, well-educated, genuine and mature adults ranging in age from 21-35. They are spirited, friendly, athletic, and well-traveled experts in wilderness adventure. Our leaders are professionals.

Odyssey Expeditions has a leader-to-student ratio of 1 to 4. This ratio means that our trip leaders have more personal involvement in your activities. This lets you learn at your own pace. Whether it is learning how to free dive, identification of wildlife, or water-skiing, our leaders are there to make sure that the voyage beats all your expectations.

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world?s largest recreational diving membership organization. The membership includes dive businesses, resort facilities, academic institutions, instructor trainers, dive educators, divers, snorkelers and other water sports enthusiasts. Professional PADI Members teach the vast majority of the world?s recreational divers, issuing nearly 946,000 certifications each year. PADI Professionals make underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service.

Odyssey Expedition's leaders offer positive reinforcement, assertive role-modeling and a sense of fair play. Rules are necessary in any organization and our disciplines are reasonable and well communicated at the start of the voyage. If penalties are involved for violations, they are applied quickly, fairly, calmly, and without undue criticism to students. Participants are expected to maintain an atmosphere of respect and consideration. Action or attitudes detrimental to group cohesion and spirit or to the healthy and pleasant environment aboard will not be tolerated. Students must follow PADI Safe Diving Standards and the safety rules created by Odyssey Expeditions and its directors.

The yachts are 'Dry' and 'Zero Tolerance' is strictly enforced. No alcohol, illegal drugs, smoking or inappropriate sexual behavior is allowed aboard. The Program Director reserves the right to dismiss anyone who in his judgment is detrimental to the program.

Safety of our participants is the PRIMARY concern of our leaders. As a result, we have an outstanding safety record. We believe this is a result of the level of training, the experience and the maturity of our staff and their constant supervision during a trip. We are extremely proud of this safety record.
Although Odyssey Expeditions takes the necessary steps to provide a safe outdoor experience, anyone participating in an Odyssey Expeditions adventure must understand that there are risks associated with the activities of our programs. While on the sea, almost any activity is potentially dangerous, whether it is cooking dinner for the group or simply taking a day hike. The unpredictability of life at at sea is something our groups contend with each day of the trip.

On our Discover Adventure voyages you will do around 15 open water dives plus five confined water dives for certification. On the Advanced Adventure voyages you will do around 30 dives. The number of dives that you do will vary as some of them are optional and if your group is pumped for diving you can do even more.

No, in fact, it's probably easier than you imagine -- especially if you're already comfortable in the water. Odyssey Expeditions teaches PADI's entry-level diver course. The course is split into knowledge development, confined water (pool) skill training and four scuba training dives. The course is "performance based," which means that you progress as you learn and demonstrate knowledge and skill. Our small group size allows for more personal instruction and less time waiting for others.

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world's largest recreational diving membership organization. Professional PADI Members teach the vast majority of the world?s recreational divers, issuing nearly 946,000 certifications each year. PADI Professionals make underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service.

No. Generally speaking, anyone in good average health can participate. As a precaution, you'll be asked to complete a routine medical questionnaire. If anything on the questionnaire indicates something to be cautious about, you'll check with your physician to make sure it's acceptable to dive.

No. All you need to be is a reasonably proficient swimmer who is comfortable and relaxed in the water. The swimming requirement for certification is an easy 200 yard/meter nonstop swim (with no time or specific stroke requirement) or a 300 yard/meter snorkel with mask, fins and snorkel followed by a 10 minute tread/float.

Your ears hurt because water pressure pushes in on your ear drum. In your scuba course, you'll learn a simple technique to equalize your ears to the surrounding pressure, much like you do when you land in an airplane, and they won't hurt at all.

Not really. Statistics show that recreational scuba diving is about as safe as swimming or bowling. Certainly there are potential hazards -- which is why you need training and certification -- but like driving a car, as long as you follow the rules and use common sense, it's pretty safe.

Yes, Odyssey Expeditions recognizes certifications of other training organizations. Generally speaking, to enroll in a PADI Advanced Open Water or most PADI Specialty courses, one must have; an entry level scuba certification and documentation of at least four open water scuba training dives as part of the certification course completed. To enroll in a PADI Divemaster course, one must provide; a certification specific to scuba rescue and a CPR certification and a first aid certification from a recognized organization.

The PADI SCUBA certification course has three main sections: academic, pool training and open water certification dives. If you complete the academic and pool training at your PADI dive store and are unable to complete the open water certification dives, then that store can issue you a "referral" form for the completion of the open water dives with another PADI store or instructor. Odyssey Expeditions is able to complete your "referral" certification during the initial part of your Advanced Adventure voyage.

Odyssey Expeditions provides quality Sherwood SCUBA equipment. The only necessary gear not supplied are dive booties (neoprene type shoes), a dive watch ($25) and manuals($150). We recommend that you also have a thin wet suit or shorty (less than $100) to keep you warm while you're gliding over the reef.

It is your choice. Odyssey Expeditions provides quality Sherwood SCUBA equipment. If you are more comfortable using your own equipment, then definitely bring it.

Yes. All of our dive gear includes the most up-to the minute technology and the most user-friendly dive computers available today. In our Discovery voyages we begin by learning dive theory and the use of dive tables, but as you progress in your diving, the other safety features of computer use becomes apparent. A computer's ascent rate monitor helps you perform controlled, slow ascents and safety stops, which help prevent a number of diving maladies, not just DCS. Other programs will make excuses for not providing this safety feature, but we at Odyssey Expeditions will spare no expense with providing the safest equipment available.

No, there are very affordable watches available starting at about $25. You will want a watch that is water-resistant to 100 meters.

Not at all. If you wear soft contact lenses, you shouldn't have problems wearing them when you dive. If you wear hard lenses, you'll want the gas permeable type for diving. See your eye doctor about these if you don't have them now. Another option is to have prescription lenses put into your mask. Contact your local dive store for more information.

The Topic of asthma and diving has long been a controversial subject in the recreational diving community. Traditionally, divers with asthma have been excluded from diving, although those with certain kinds of mild asthma can dive with a doctors approval. There are several good articles on this subject at the Divers Alert Network web site and Sport Diver

The American Council of Education (ACE) recommends college credit for many of the PADI scuba courses that Odyssey Expeditions teaches. ACE represents all colleges and universities before the U.S. federal government and as such is the unified voice of higher education. The ACE credit recommendations for PADI courses may help you in receiving college credit at an American university or college - even if the courses aren't conducted on a university or college campus. The institution may apply the credit to your major replacing a required course. They may also use the credit as a general elective to possibly waive a prerequisite course.

Chances are YES we will see sharks in more than one place. The majority are Nurse Sharks and Reef Sharks and these sharks are quite docile.

We see turtles quite frequently during our dives and sailing. The turtles come closer to shore during the summer for nesting. Many of the shallow bays where we anchor have turtle grass beds.

No. If you refrain from touching, feeding or chasing marine life, use good buoyancy control and respect the environment you are in, then there is nothing to be afraid of.

Visibility is generally between 60 to 100 feet. The visibility varies around the Islands and we have found that the northern islands have lower visibility due to sea snow. But this is not something to fret about. The snow is rich in nutrients and the coral formations in these areas are extraordinary.

YES, in the event of a diving accident, medical expenses can be very expensive. Not carrying an insurance program means that you will be at the mercy of the local medical system and your credit card and bank. Medical treatment in some destinations and specifically diving related medical treatment can be very expensive. You may be required to pay out of pocket, sometimes upfront, and that could be a problem. Additionally, carrying a specific diving accident policy will allow you to have the expertise and experience needed to handle such a case, which a non-diving policy simply can't offer. Please See our page on Insurance here: Student Deluxe. Trip Insurance is highly recommended.

While your diving accident policy will pay the diving related medical costs such as hyperbaric chamber treatments, you may incur many other expenses or lose some or all of your trip investment through scenarios such as: non-diving medical situations, cancellation and interruption due to many reasons like inclement weather, personal or family issues, airlines delay and many other reasons. Student Deluxe. It also offers a Cancel for Any Reason option.