Semester at Sea Parent Trip Spring 2018 Vietnam February 6 - February 14 Register today!
Dear Semester at Sea Parent or Guardian, Did you know that you have the opportunity to be a part of your child s Semester at Sea experience? The Institute for Shipboard Education coordinates two Parent Trips during each Semester at Sea voyage and we invite you the parents and family members of voyagers to explore a foreign country with your son or daughter and share in their development and understanding of our interdependent world. The Spring 2018 Parent Trip to Vietnam will be Februrary 6 14. The trip is planned around the voyage itinerary so that students travel with their parents during the time the ship is in Vietnam. The students will be part of the Parent Trip from the day they arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on February 8 until they return to the ship on February 13. Please note that some voyagers may have required, faculty-led Field Classes. If your student has a Field Class on February 8 or February 9, they may not participate in the day s activities. If your student has a Field Class on February 13, they may not participate in the day s activities and are required to stay on the ship the night of February 12. There are no refunds for hotel or activities missed due to Field Classes. As a Semester at Sea alumna, I cannot overstate the excitement you will experience by participating in this trip! The look on your son s or daughter s face, along with the big hug you will get when you reunite, will have you thrilled that you decided to join them for a part of their life-transforming voyage. If you have any questions regarding this trip, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Sara Leger Assistant Director of Parent & Alumni Travel Programs Alumna, Spring 2006
Parent Trip Itinerary Day 1 February 06: Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel is included. Spend the afternoon at leisure and then join us for an evening Welcome Reception at 6:00pm. Evening Reception Lodging: Sheraton Saigon Day 2 February 07: Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels In the morning, drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels in Ben Duoc. Synonymous with the Vietnam War, this network of passages creates an underground city of meeting areas, storerooms, living quarters and much more. The adventurous may go deep into the tunnels, but there is also much to see above ground. After our return to Ho Chi Minh City, you may spend the evening relaxing. Dinner is on your own. Meals: B, L Lodging: Sheraton Saigon Day 3 February 08: Arrival of the MV World Odyssey After a morning of leisure, luxury coaches take us for a short transfer to the MV World Odyssey. Spend time on the ship with your family or return to the hotel to check in with your voyager. You have free time until midafternoon when we meet our guide and head to a cooking challenge. Spend the afternoon discovering why many call Vietnam a food-lover s paradise! Teams will visit a local market and your Vietnamese chef will teach you how to prepare a meal and then will judge the best dishes. Sit back and enjoy your creations! Meals: B, D Lodging: Sheraton Saigon
Day 4 February 09: Ho Chi Minh City & the Mekong Delta Following breakfast, we will join our guide for a fantastic visit on the Mekong Delta. You will have the opportunity to experience the Cai Be floating market while relaxing on charming wooden boats. Further explore the local life with a visit to the town s business and craft factory. Lunch will be hosted at an ancient Mandarin house where Mekong specialties will be served. Enjoy a sampan ride before transfer back to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure with dinner on your own. Meals: B, L Lodging: Sheraton Saigon Day 5 February 10: Ho Chi Minh City & Vung Tau In the morning, check out of the hotel and join our guide for a tour of Ho Chi Minh City. Begin at the Bitexco Financial Tower, the tallest building in Ho Chi Minh City. Next, we visit Reunification Palace, where on April 30, 1975, the first North Vietnamese tanks rumbled past, signaling the Fall of Saigon. We will then visit the War Remnant Museum, which is primarily dedicated to the Vietnam War, but also includes exhibits dating back to the French colonialist period and the first Indochina War. After lunch, transfer to the seaside town of Vung Tau, known for wide boulevards, imposing colonial-era buildings and spectacular beaches! In the evening, explore the town and local fare. Meals: B, L Lodging: The Imperial Hotel Day 6 February 11: Vung Tau Sleep in, enjoy breakfast, the beach and tours of Vung Tau. There are optional morning or afternoon tours to Bach Dinh (White Palace), a 100-foot statue of Jesus, Niet Ban Tinh Xa (a hillside Buddhist Temple) and Whale Temple. Legend has it that the remains of a whale washed up on the Vung Tau beach more than 100 years ago. The carcass was so gargantuan that fisherman had to wait for it to decompose before pulling it to shore. They displayed the bones, which became a symbol of protection to the coast. Now when a whale washes ashore, the bones are ceremonially hauled to the mausoleum. Meals: B Lodging: The Imperial Hotel
Day 7 February 12: Vung Tau & Ho Chi Minh City In the morning, luxury coaches will take you back to Ho Chi Minh City. We will have lunch at a local restaurant and then stop to visit Cholon. Translating to big market, Cholon is the core of its Chinese community. Here we will find Mandarin speakers, ancient pagodas and Chinese script adorning shopfronts. We then continue with a stop at Thien Hau temple. Thien Hau is known as the Lady of the Sea and it is believed that she can skim across the high seas, locating and rescuing those in trouble. We will observe the busy streets as locals prepare to celebrate the upcoming TET New Year, including a stop at Tao Dan park to join the local flower festival. In the evening, enjoy a spectacular production depicting the transformation of modern Vietnamese society. Return to hotel and enjoy dinner on your own. Meals: B, L, D Lodging: Sheraton Saigon Day 8 February 13: Ho Chi Minh City After breakfast, enjoy free time on this last day with your voyager. An optional Tai Chi class will be available in the early morning where you may learn some of the basic techniques of this ancient art form, very popular amongst the locals. In the late afternoon we will offer transfers back to the MV World Odyssey. After saying goodbye to the students, we will enjoy our farewell dinner on a Bonsai Cruise. Meals: B, L, D Lodging: Sheraton Saigon Day 9 February 14: Ho Chi Minh City / Journey Home After breakfast, enjoy your day at leisure until check-out. Then transfer with your guide to the airport for your departure time. Transfers to the airport are included. Meals: B Register today! Questions? Email Sara Leger at sleger@isevoyages.org