When your senior comes home talking about a trip to the Bahamas with their friends, the excitement in the room usually comes from one side of the conversation. On the other side are a lot of very reasonable questions.
We have been running senior trips for high school students since 1984, and we have heard just about every one of those questions. Who is actually watching over them? How do I reach my kid? What happens if something goes wrong? What exactly am I paying for?
Here are straight answers to the things parents ask us most, so you can make the decision with real information instead of guesswork.
Who Is Supervising the Trip
Every Breakaway Beach trip is run by our on-site destination team, led by Breakaway Leaders. Our Leaders always goo through a full background check and a comprehensive training program before they travel. Our senior leaders have often been to the destination before, so they know the resort, the venues, and the area.
Our team is not just there for check-in and check-out. Team members are present at scheduled day events and nnight events beginning to end. They meet the group on arrival, run the welcome orientation, and help with check-out and the return trip home.
You can read more about us on our About page.
How You Can Reach Your Student (and How We Reach You)
This is one of the questions we hear the most, and it is a fair one.
During every trip, there is a dedicated emergency line available 24/7 for both parents and students. Every traveler also wears a Breakaway Beach wristband for the entire trip, and that wristband displays our 24-hour emergency number. So even if a phone dies or gets lost, the number is always on their wrist.
On site, our Info Desk is the central spot for schedules, sign-ups, and questions. It is open every day from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. with a staff member there, and outside of those hours our staff are roaming or on call.
If an issue comes up with your student, we will contact you promptly. Otherwise, the honest answer is the one most parents learn on their own: no news is good news.
One practical tip: cell coverage works differently in the Bahamas than at home. Check with your carrier before the trip about an international data plan or day pass so your student can stay in touch.
The Rules Your Student Agrees To
Every traveler signs our Code of Conduct before the trip, and for travelers under 18, a parent or guardian co-signs it too. It is worth reading together. A few of the highlights:
- Wristbands are worn at all times. They identify your student as a Breakaway Beach traveler.
- Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in public hotel areas.
- Only registered Breakaway travelers are allowed in a traveler’s room.
- Zero tolerance for illegal drugs, fighting, and harassment of any kind.
- No renting motorized vehicles, and travelers are encouraged to use the buddy system.
When rules are broken, consequences range from a warning to a phone call home to removal from the trip, with return travel at the family’s expense. We take this seriously because it keeps the trip safe and fun for everyone.
About alcohol
We know this is on every parent’s mind, so here are the facts. The legal drinking age in the Bahamas is 18. Under our Code of Conduct, only travelers who are 18 or older may drink, they must do so responsibly. Parents cannot authorize a student under 18 to drink. Alcohol abuse can lead to loss of privileges or removal from the trip.
We do not promote, provide, or profit from alcohol on our trips. This is a great topic to talk through with your senior before they go, whatever their age.
Where They Stay and What Is Included
Our Freeport trips stay at the Viva Wyndham Fortuna, a beachfront, all-inclusive resort. Meals and drinks are included on property, along with the pool, beach, and activities like volleyball, kayaks, and paddle boards. Rooms usually have a safe, and we recommend using it for passports, money, and valuables.
Your student’s package includes roundtrip ferry transportation, private transfers to the hotel (our staff in Breakaway-branded shirts meet the group), a welcome orientation, and our themed day and night events. Our night events are closed to outside guests, and when an event is held off-resort, transportation is provided. You can see the full week on our Experience page.
Students choose their own roommates. We never randomly room travelers. Co-ed rooms require a signed Co-ed Rooming Form from everyone in the room, plus a parent or guardian signature for anyone under 18.
Has your senior’s grade not booked yet? Signing up early reserves a spot, locks in the lowest pricing, and gives your family more time to pay before the final balance is due. Book a spot or start planning a trip for your student’s school.
How Payments Work
A deposit reserves your student’s spot. After that, payments are made monthly, with the remaining balance due about 60 days before the trip. Autopay is set up by default so you do not have to think about it, and you can view your payment history and download invoices anytime in your online account. If you need a different schedule, our team can talk through a personal plan with you.
For spending money, cash in US dollars is the best option in the Bahamas, since ATMs can be hard to find and pre-paid cards may not work.
What Happens If Your Student Gets Sick or Hurt
If your student needs medical care during the trip, the first step is letting our on-site team know. It is also important to know that, as with most international travel, medical costs such as clinic visits, treatment, and medication are paid upfront at the destination, and then reimbursed through your insurance provider after you return home.
That is one of the biggest reasons we recommend travel insurance, ideally comprehensive coverage that includes trip interruption. You can review the options on our Insurance page.
What Your Student Needs to Travel
International travel to Freeport requires a valid passport book. A birth certificate or REAL ID will not work. If your student does not have a passport yet, or theirs was issued before they turned 16, now is the time to check. The US Department of State notes that its slowest season is October through December, which makes this the easiest time of year to apply.
Before departure, families receive a Know Before You Go email about two to three weeks ahead, and travel documents become available to print from your online account shortly before the trip once the account is paid in full. Our Forms page has the Code of Conduct and other resources in one place.
How You Stay in the Loop Before the Trip
You will not be left guessing between booking and departure. We hold student and parent information sessions throughout the year, send monthly update emails, and every traveler has an online account with trip details, payments, rooming, and documents.
If you have a question we did not cover here, our Parent Info page and FAQ page go deeper, and our Customer Care team is happy to help through our Contact page.
The Bottom Line for Parents
A senior trip to the Bahamas is a big milestone, for your student and for you. Our job is to make sure the only thing they have to think about is having the time of their lives, and the only thing you have to think about is the photos they send home.
Background-checked Leaders, a 24/7 emergency line, a clear Code of Conduct, and a team on site from start to finish are how we make that happen.
Book your senior’s spot or learn more on our Parent Info page
