Use The Buddy System
- Hang out in groups and ALWAYS use the buddy system
- Never allow a friend to leave an event alone
- Do not let a friend leave with someone you or they don’t know
- Always travel with a buddy in a taxi, bus, or any type of public transportation
- If you lose your buddy please find a GradCity Staff member to escort you home
- If you see someone who needs assistance, immediately notify a GradCity staff member. If it’s an emergency, call the emergency phone number located on your GradCity wristband
Always wear your GradCity wristband
- Do not remove your GradCity or hotel wristband. These give you access to exclusive entrances and quickly identify you as part of the GradCity group
- Please use the emergency phone number printed on your wristband in an emergency
Attend all scheduled GradCity events
- GradCity Staff is at every event to help provide a fun and safe experience
- Please look at your destination guide for GradCity Staff hospitality hours, the GradCity 24-hour Student Center location, and all important phone numbers and locations
- GradCity is there for you wherever and whenever you need us. So, you can rest assured you’re in good hands
Take care when using local transportation
- Check with the GradCity Staff for guidance on the easiest and most reliable form of transportation in your specific destination
- Use only licensed taxis
- Negotiate the fare before entering the taxi and always travel with a buddy
Be responsible
- Legal drinking age in Mexico, Punta Cana, and the Bahamas is 18 years of age
- Legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years of age
- Vacation responsibly
- Know your limits
- Be aware of your surroundings and the people you meet or travel with on your vacation
- Do not carry open containers in public
- Do not litter
- Be respectful of the local people and their homes
- Look both ways before crossing the street
- Remember not everyone in in your resort or destination is on their Graduation Trip. Please keep noise to a minimum and treat other guests with respect.
Follow these travel tips
- Be respectful to all citizens of the country or destination you are visiting
- Drink a lot of bottled water
- Wear sun block at all times
- Tip 15% on all bills
- Before leaving the United States, call your phone carried with your parents to determine what international options are available for both coverage and data. If you do not have an international phone plan in place, be aware there are typically always extra charges for phone use (text, voice, data) in international destinations
- Do not leave the tourist zone unless through a GradCity affiliated excursion
- Contact home and let your loved ones know you have arrived safely
- Leave a photocopy of your travel documents, birth certificate, passport and driver’s license at home just in case you may need it
Abide by the rules at beaches and pools
- Do NOT go on the beaches or swim at night
- No diving in the pools
- Follow all rules posted at the pool or on the beach
- Swim at your own risk when a lifeguard is not on duty
- Follow any flags or posting markers on the beach; these are used to warn you about dangerous tides, harsh water conditions, or any other condition the beach patrol determines to be risky
Follow these hotel guidelines
- Check your hotel room and report any damage immediately
- Do NOT hang out on the balconies of the hotel
- Secure any valuables in a hotel safety deposit box
- Do not damage any hotel property, including your room
- Make sure your hotel door and balcony door are locked AT ALL TIMES, whether you are in the room or not
- Don’t make calls from your hotel phone – use your calling card instead
- Check the GradCity hotel board for departure information, staff contact Information, and event schedule changes and additions
Do not rent motorized vehicles
- We strongly advise against engaging in or renting motorized water sports unless directly verified and offered through the resort or GradCity.
- Do not rent mopeds, bikes, or any other motorized land vehicle.
- This precaution ensures adherence to safety standards and guidelines set by reputable vendors.
Don’t buy, use or sell drugs
- Drugs are illegal in every GradCity Destination and such laws are strictly enforced
Professional GradCity Staff
In order to provide the Ultimate Travel Experience, GradCity staff makes it their mission to promote safety and ensure everyone has the time of their life. From the moment our students get off their plane, GradCity staff is there to greet them and coordinate their staff-assisted transfer to the hotel. Our hotel staff then provides an orientation, which covers the “ins and outs” and the “do’s and donts” for the week. During their orientation, each traveler is also given a GradCity wristband that identifies them as a GradCity traveler, and provides a printed 24-hour emergency phone number. In the event a traveler experiences an emergency and is not directly near a staff member, he or she will have the emergency phone number printed on their wristband for easy access. As GradCity has been operating trips in all of our destinations for many years, we are able to maintain great relationships with our hotels and vendors, allowing us to work together to provide the best experience for our travelers. All of our night events are fully staffed by GradCity staff members, as well as the establishment’s staff members. In addition, any event that is coordinated by GradCity will have staff members present at all times, from start to finish, whether it is a beach party during the day, a themed event at night, or an excursion.
