General
What is the length of a typical Visiting Program?
Most visiting programs are one to two weeks. The length of a program can vary depending on objectives, goals, and planned activities. What kinds of non-academic activities could I participate in? Activities may include, but are not limited to: free-diving, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, sea-kayaking, morning exercise, camping, and research.
If I am not a school program, can I still use your facility for a retreat?
Yes, we accommodate visiting scientists, retreats, workshops, and other programs that focus on research, education, and community outreach.
Who can I talk to for specific questions?
Please direct all questions to Jake Pollack.
Facilities
How many people can you accommodate? Are males and females mixed in dorm?
Our two dorms have open style living spaces with several bunks per room. We can accommodate a total of 24 people in our two dorms with private bathroom for men and women. We do not have at this time spaces to accommodate couples. Depending on the availability of housing, instructors may be housed in separate, semi-private spaces.
Is food provided?
We provide three meals a day, seven days a week for all visitors. The meals are served buffet style in our dining hall. We try to make every effort to serve wholesome, nutritious meals that feature locally grown produce and imported organic bulk foods. We have a vegetarian option available at every meal and we request that you specify in advance if you have other dietary requirements or allergies. We do also provide snacks during the day in the eating area, but we ask that you do not prepare your own meals.
Are there boats available for use?
We have four bay boats and one large dive boat available for use. These boats are also shared during The Island School semester (March – June and September –December) and may have limited availability on a few select days. Please discuss your boat requirements prior to arrival with the Director of Visiting Programs.
Are there vehicles available for use?
We have several vans and a work truck that are available for use. During The Island School semester (March – June and September –December) vehicles are shared between the two campuses and might have limited availability.
Is lab space available?
Yes, we have fully equipped dry lab spaces and a 3000m2 wet lab area with a flow-through seawater system and a fresh water recirculating system. Tanks (in a variety of sizes) can be rented by the day, week, or month. Specific experimental tank setups that require specialized plumbing may cost extra.
Staff
Are staff and teachers available throughout the day?
Instructors that have been pre-assigned to a program are available throughout the day. Please discuss the use of Cape Eleuthera Institute personnel prior to your arrival with The Director of Visiting Programs.
Do you have staff available to guide us on expeditions beyond the campus?
Yes, our instructors are experienced and familiar with Eleuthera.
Do you have staff available to drive vans and boats?
Yes, we can provide staff members to drive vans and boats. Please discuss Cape Eleuthera Institute personnel use prior to arrival with The Director of Visiting Programs.
Costs
What are the approximate costs of the Program?
The current base rate is $100 per person per day. Depending on activities, facility use, and instruction requirements, this rate may increase. For example, a visitor requiring a full time Cape Eleuthera Institute instructor, wet lab tank setup and rental, and/or daily van and boat use will pay more than the base rate.
Do I need to pay a deposit?
We require 30% of the total cost of your program at least 3 months before your program start date. This will secure your dates and is a non-refundable deposit. The final 70% of your fee is due upon arrival. Unfortunately we cannot reserve dates for your program until we have received your deposit.
Travel
Do I need a visa or passport to enter The Bahamas?
All persons entering The Bahamas must have a valid passport, but a visa is not required. All participants will enter the country as students at The Island School on Cape Eleuthera. Your names will have been pre-authorized for entry by local immigration.
How do I go about making travel arrangements?
You can find information here to aid in planning your travel arrangements. We do not make travel arrangements for groups.
Is transportation to and from the Airport provided?
We provide transportation to and from the airport in Rock Sound, Eleuthera (airport code ~ RSD) which is 45 minutes from our campus. Please note we do NOT provide transportation to or from either Governor’s Harbour or North Eleuthera airports on Eleuthera – Rock Sound will be our only pickup. If for any reason you do arrive into Governor’s Harbour or North Eleuthera airports, please be aware that the cost of a one way taxi ride to our campus ranges from $100-200.
Communications
Can I bring my laptop or is there internet access?
Instructors or visiting scientists can bring their personal laptops. We recommend that students bring their personal laptops for academic courses, but students will likely not have access to the internet. This minimizes the risk to our network and also to your laptop. We have 12 computers that are available for e-mail when the Island School is not in session. We do not allow visiting students to use chat programs or skype, as these programs take up much of our limited bandwidth.
Is there a phone for use on campus?
We have made great efforts to have a reliable communication system, but it cannot handle the phone demands of a full campus of 80 or more people. Phones will, of course, be available for any emergency or administrative needs or by permission of a Cape Eleuthera Institute staff member.
Can I use my cell phone?
Cell phone service varies, and surcharges may apply. In short, do not rely on your cell phone on Eleuthera.
Am I allowed to send or receive mail?
Mail is sent out from campus several times per week. Mail, however, can take up to 2 weeks to reach the campus, so it may not be worth trying to have letters or packages sent down.
Medical
How are safety and medical issues addressed?
We are on a remote island and from a risk management perspective, consider ourselves to be in a wilderness setting. This means that we are more than one hour from a hospital and definitive medical care. Because of our wilderness setting, we try to minimize our visitors to risks without detracting for their research or courses. In addition, all staff are medically trained and at least one trained Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is on campus at all times. There is also a doctor on the island at a local clinic approximately 40 minutes away. In the event that an evacuation is required, we have a comprehensive protocol for air evacuation to either Nassau or Florida within several hours time. A realistic transport time, from the time a person becomes ill, to the time the patient is delivered to the emergency room, is approximately six hours. All Cape Eleuthera Institute staff are aware and trained about these protocols.
Are there any medical or liability forms that need to be completed prior to arrival at CEI?
We require all visitors to complete a medical history form and sign a liability release form. These need to be returned to us at a minimum of two weeks before arriving on campus.
What about Medical Insurance and Evacuation Procedures?
All foreign (non-Bahamian) visitors (students, instructors, visiting scientists, etc.) are required to have Divers Alert Network (DAN) BASIC MEMBERSHIP. This membership, which can be purchased for approximately $29, includes TravelAssist evacuation service.
24-Hour DAN TravelAssist
"As a DAN Member, you automatically receive DAN TravelAssist and up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage. Effective for both diving and non-diving injuries, this benefit is provided by MedAire, a world leader in emergency evacuation services. Your evacuation coverage begins when you are traveling at least 50 miles/80 km from home and call DAN TravelAssist to arrange your evacuation." For any visitor that is SCUBA diving, we request people buy the MASTER LEVEL MEMBERSHIP which includes enhanced benefits over and above the basic level. To sign up call 1-800-446-2671, or visit the DAN webpage at www.diversalertnetwork.org.