Prepping for Bahamas

Preparing to move to Freeport actually went very smoothly. Dr. S in Dominica does an EXCELLENT job helping students transition to the new campus. Below you'll find everything I had to do to prepare to move to Freeport.

Shipping and Barrels

As some of you know (and if you don't, refer to my crazy packing list), I moved A LOT to Dominica. Therefore, I had A LOT to move when I left. Thankfully, Ross foots the bill for the cost of one barrel and its associated transportation costs from Dominica to Freeport. A few days before my final exam, I went to Alexis' Shipping and Taxi office located across the street from Ross' main gate. I filled out a paper for my Freeport barrel and I filled out another paper for the barrels I was sending back home to Miami. As I mentioned before, Ross paid for the Freeport barrel. Then, I paid an additional $270.00 US (or $135 US per barrel) to ship two barrels back home to Miami. Pricey! The good thing is that the price includes Tropical Shipping's fees (ocean freight fee and whatnot) and Alexis' fees as well. Once you pay, Alexis' service takes care of everything. All you have to do is bring a photocopy of your passport [or they will copy it there in the office for ten cents (US?) if I remember correctly] and the money for your barrels. Once you pay, agree on a date and time for them to pick up your barrels from your apartment and that's all you have to do. Alexis' service will pick up your barrels, take them to Roseau, and make sure they get on Tropical Shipping's ship. Once you get to the Bahamas, Ross will deliver your barrel(s) to your apartment on a specified date for free. If you're not home when Ross comes to deliver the barrel(s), they will be stored in some warehouse somewhere and you'll be responsible for picking up your own barrels at your own cost. So, it works out pretty well. Ross pays for the cost of one barrel and it's shipping and then they deliver to your apartment in Freeport. And, it's all free. Not a bad deal, eh?

"Ross University will pay for the purchase and shipment of one (1) barrel of shipped goods from Dominica to Freeport, Grand Bahama, for each student attending the Freeport PAcE program. A barrel is 75 gallons and can be filled with anything from textbooks to furniture. To see an example of a shipping barrel or to obtain a barrel visit Alexis George’s office (located right across from the Main Gate) or call him at 767-235-5326 or email georgealexis@hotmail.com. You will be allowed to ship additional barrels at your own expense. All payments for extra barrels should be made to Alexis. We will be providing updates as we get closer to the move date.

Please note that the Bahamas Customs Department is allowing a duty exemption on the first entry into Freeport for each student’s personal belongings (including barrels).  This means you will not be charged duty for barrels or personal belongings in your luggage when you arrive at the airport or harbor."

Immunizations

Just like Domincia, the Bahamas requires a record of your vaccinations and titers. Click here to view information on what vaccinations and titers you need. If you don't have all of the necessary titers and vaccines prior to your arrival in Freeport, no worries. Just get them done ASAP once you arrive and submit the records to Student Services. If you choose to get any of the necessary vaccines or titers at the Lucayan Medical Center (closest medical center to Ross) in Freeport, I've posted their costs for Ross students. 

Visa

Again, just like Dominica, you have to submit a series of documents prior to your arrival in Freeport so that you can receive your student Visa. The Bahamas requires a ton of documents in order to process your visa! Click here to view what is required of you for your visa application process. Again, Ross covered the cost of processing our visa applications. They really did not drop the ball on this one. Ross takes care of bringing a notary and photographer on campus and all you have to do is show up to have your application notarized and have your photo taken for your application. Ross will also take care of generating your financial aid letter and reference letters (also needed for your visa application). You're just responsible for setting up your appointment at the health center for your physical. I really applaud them for basically taking care of the whole visa process. What we're responisble for is minimal. They really do a great job of facilitating this whole thing.

Housing

Housing in the Bahamas is great! The apartments are really nice. They are also really expensive. The cheapest rent I saw was $625US per month for a studio. I believe rent is about $800 US - $900 US on average. This is certainly higher than what a lot of people pay in Dominica. Consider it one of the fews cons if you just look at the price. However, the apartments here are much nicer than 90% of the apartments in Dominica. And I believe all of the apartments here come with laundry facilities and just about every amenity you may need. And the internet is really fast! But, I will talk about housing and apartments in greater depth in a later post. If you're wondering how to search for housing in the Bahamas, read the following excerpt from a Ross e-mail:

"Ross University has created a housing website to assist PAcE students who will be moving to the Bahamas. This site will allow you to search through a large variation of housing types (e.g., 1, 2, and 3 bedroom) and levels of accommodations.  You will also have the ability to search by specific criteria, view photos of the accommodations and find out details regarding location, rent and amenities.  Ross University’s Bahamas Housing Department has inspected and approved each property listed on the website, and will continue to maintain and update the information contained on the site.  In the near future, you will receive information regarding accessing the website and the terms and conditions of usage."

Financial Aid

Unfortunately, the Bahamas campus is not set up yet to receive US federal financial aid. So, you won't be using US federal money via Sallie Mae or whichever lender you have while you're in the Bahamas. Instead, Ross offers their own loan that is available to all students going to the Bahamas. The loan does not require a co-signer and is given to students regardless of whatever credit score they may have. Click here to see the terms of the loan and how it compares to the federal loans. I think you'll find that the loan offered by Ross is on par with the loans most students normally receive through the government/FAFSA. The only negative is that this loan is not available for federal consolidation.

Also, "Ross University will be offering you an emergency loan of $1,500.  Please note that this loan must be repaid. This is to aid you in your relocation costs such as purchasing a plane ticket, paying your lease deposit, etc. You will be eligible for the loan once your visa application is complete."

I did not take this emergency loan but I believe that Ross just deducts $1,500 from your financial aid refund check and this is how the loan is repaid. So, if you take this emergency loan out, just expect your financial aid refund check to be $1,500 less than what you normally get.

Transportation

"Airlines

- The following airlines fly to Freeport-American, USAir, Continental and Delta. Both American and Continental have multiple flights per day to Freeport. Others such as USAir and Delta arrive daily.

- When booking your ticket, please do not book a ticket for a flight that arrives in Freeport after 7pm. If you arrive before 7pm, you will be met at the airport by Ross University representatives and transported to your living accommodations. 

- Arrival after 7pm will result in you being responsible for your own transportation to your apartment.

- Please be sure to book your flight into Freeport and NOT through Nassau and into Freeport as Immigration in Freeport is prepared for your arrival.

- It is IMPERATIVE you book a roundtrip ticket."

As we all know, the roundtrip flight for Dominica is ridiculously expensive. I mean, I'm from Miami and it used to cost me roughly $1,300.00 US roundtrip from Dominica. Well, let me tell you that you will save a ton of money in transportation costs. To get to Freeport, I took Discovery Cruise Line. This is one of those day cruises that goes from Ft. Lauderdale to Freeport and then back to Ft. Lauderdale on the same day. Well, you can use Discovery Cruise Line as a means of transportation. For example, when I went online to book my ticket, I put my departure date as May 7th and my return date as August 22. So, with Discovery Cruise Line, you can choose your dates. The best part is that the cost roundtrip is $119.00 TOTAL! If you'd like to pay extra (about $40-$50) for a cabin, then that is up to you. Or you can just pay the $119.00 total roundtrip and hang out in the casino or in a lounge or outside by the pool, etc. Also, included in that price is a breakfast buffet on the way to Freeport and a dinner buffet on the return trip. Additionally, the ship leaves Ft. Lauderdale at 7:45 AM and arrives in Freeport at 1:00 PM. The return ship leaves at 5:00 PM and arrives in Ft. Lauderdale at 10:00 PM. While I loved the price, I didn't really like the ship all that much. The pool is small and the water is green. I didn't see a single person go into the pool. Actually, the ship is small overall and it's not very pretty or modern. The food and drinks, however, weren't bad at all. If you choose this form of transportation, enjoy the price but don't expect the grandeur of the current large cruise ships. 

Another really affordable option is Spirit Airlines. I went to book a roundtrip ticket today for when I visit home after Mini 1 and the cost was $170 total. That's nothing compared to the $1,300 I was paying to fly to and from Dominica!

Bottom line, no matter where you're flying from, I guarantee you'll pay less than what you pay roundtrip for Dominica. Also, there are flights going to Freeport and leaving Freeport every day - unlike Dominica. 

Well, I hope I've given you all a lot to think about. I know the prep seems like a hassle because of the barrels and the visa and finding new housing and so on. I also see why some students feel like they don't want to go through the hassle of relocating to another island yet again. I was actually one of those students that didn't even consider moving to the Bahamas because "I didn't want to move." And I only considered it now for my fourth semester because I didn't want to stay in Dominica by myself (because the boyfriend and cousin moved back to Miami for 5th semester). The only other reason I considered moving to the Bahamas is because it is so close to home and the travel so inexpensive that I can travel home after every Mini and I can have friends, family, and the boyfriend easily visit me. But I am honestly so much happier here! I am really glad I moved here this semester and I'm kicking myself that I didn't move here sooner. It's really NOT bad at all to move here. It's not that complicated because Ross does a REALLY, REALLY good job of helping you relocate. All the information above that is in red and in quotation marks comes from multiple e-mails sent to us throughout the semester. Every few weeks, Ross sends a "Bahamas update" e-mail with all kinds of information on EVERYTHING Bahamas related. The e-mails also tell you what to do next in this whole relocating process. So, as long as you read the e-mails and follow their instructions as they come, then you'll slowly be completing the relocation process throughout the semester. Before you know it, the semester is over and you've completed every application and you've met every deadline. Then, you'll be ready to go home for break and then start the next semester in this beautiful, beautiful country. It's really worth it, guys and gals.

Well, I've written about what it takes to get here. In the next post, I'll write about my experience upon arrival and I'll post lots of pictures of where I live and of the island itself. Check back soon!