Know Before You Go

Princeton Journeys strives to work with the best tour operators to make available interesting and enriching travel opportunities for the Princeton family. Please note that the University does not conduct tours, nor does it act as an agent for guests interested in tours. Princeton Journeys acts as a facilitator with tour operators, with whom tour participants make arrangements for completing travel. Princeton Journeys encourages you to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the tour operator’s cancellation and refund policies, and to investigate available services such as trip cancellation insurance. The University is not responsible for changes to trips or travel arrangements due to COVID-19 or for losses or additional expenses resulting from travel.

Enrollment Eligibility

While Princeton Journeys programs are designed primarily for undergraduate and graduate alumni of Princeton University, enrollment is open to all members of the Princeton community and any enthusiastic travelers seeking an educational travel experience. Registrations are taken on strictly a first-come, first-served basis.

Princeton Journeys and its tour operators reserve the right to accept or decline any person at any time, or to require any participant to withdraw from a program at his or her own expense when such an action is determined by the operator or Princeton Journeys to be in the best interest of the participant's health and safety, or the general welfare of the other participants. All participants are required to sign a statement of waiver and release; parents or legal guardians must sign these for travelers under the age of 18.

Program Rates

Unless otherwise stated, all rates listed on this site are per person based on double occupancy and do not include international airfare. Further details on program inclusions can be found in the individual program brochures on the Princeton Journeys web pages or are also available upon request at 609-258-8686. All prices quoted are based on prevailing fuel prices, airfares (when applicable), and currency exchange rates in effect as of the date of brochure publication and are subject to change without notice.

Pre-Registration

In order to assure that you will not miss out on the opportunity to travel to the destinations that most interest you, we do offer pre-registration for those programs that do not yet have a brochure available. Pre-registration forms are available on each of the individual program web pages and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If a brochure is already listed for a program (in the section “Download Brochure” ) pre-registration is not possible; when making a deposit for these programs, your reservation will be confirmed (space permitting), and you will be subject to the cancellation policies set forth for each program.

Pre-registration does require a deposit. By depositing early, you will be assured a spot on the trip, provided it is not already sold out by the time your deposit is received by Princeton Journeys and the minimum number of participants necessary to run the program register. However, your deposit will be fully refundable up to the time normal registration opens — that is, when the trip-specific marketing (print or electronic) is launched, normally eight to ten months prior to the program s departure. If, for any reason, you wish to relinquish your spot prior to receiving the brochure, or within two weeks of the brochure being available, your deposit will be refunded with no penalty. After that time, your pre-registration deposit will become a fully-registered deposit and will be subject to cancellation policies governing the particular program in which you are enrolled.

Types of Travel Experiences

Princeton Journeys presents a boutique collection of travel experiences, meticulously crafted to be as unique as the individuals who embark on them. Our educational travel programs span multiple journey styles and activity levels. While most of our adventures are exclusively tailored for Princeton travelers, from time to time we also embrace collaborations with other universities and like-minded organizations, cultivating a community of passionate explorers.

To help you select the program that best aligns with your travel aspirations, consult the following key.

Journey Style

• Land Programs – Our signature overland tours are designed exclusively for small groups of 12 to 26 Princeton travelers. To ensure the utmost comfort and convenience, we select outstanding accommodations that strike the perfect balance between location, quality, value, and ambiance. Travel between destinations is mostly in climate-controlled vehicles, ensuring a smooth and pleasant transition from one captivating place to the next.
• Small Ship River – River cruise journeys provide an opportunity to unpack once and wake up each day in a new spectacular location. With capacities ranging from 40 to 150 guests, these programs are often co-sponsored with like-minded organizations. Participants enjoy luxurious amenities, excellent cuisine, and an informal yet sophisticated sensibility onboard, while the ever-changing scenery along the banks of the waterways captivates the senses.
• Small Ship Sea – Small ship sea cruising is where comfort, style, and adventure converge to offer an extraordinary maritime experience. As on river cruises, our small-ship sea programs combine exploration and relaxation, allowing Princeton travelers to unpack once and experience new destinations each day of the voyage. Our partner vessels range from 36 to 180 passengers and are often co-sponsored with peer universities, fostering friendships among travelers.

Activity Level

Princeton Journeys understands that each traveler's desire for physical engagement varies, which is why we carefully categorize our programs based on activity levels.

• Moderate: Programs falling under this category may require walking on uneven surfaces and climbing stairs that do not have railings. Participants can anticipate walking up to three miles per day and being on their feet for up to two hours at a time.
• Active - Pace: If you opt for an Active - Pace program, be prepared for long periods of standing and walking (more than three hours) over rugged terrain. These programs may also include activities such as kayaking, hiking, or bicycling.
• Active - Environment: We designate Journeys that may feature extremes of heat, cold, humidity, air quality, or elevation (up to 9,000 feet above sea level) as Active - Environment.

Single Travelers

On all programs, a limited number of single spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. In most cases, a single supplement is charged. In cases when single travelers are willing to share a room/cabin with one another and a suitable pairing is possible, the single supplements will be waived.

Insurance

As a service to its travelers, Princeton University automatically provides Princeton Journeys participants traveling internationally* with basic medical, accident, and evacuation coverage under a group emergency travel protection plan. This specialized group policy, provided through Meyer and Associates as TripMate, Inc., underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, and purchased on behalf of each named traveler individually, is intended to provide minimal levels of protection while you are traveling on this program. The policy covers basic services up to the maximum levels listed below:

• Accident and Sickness Medical Expenses up to $5,000
• Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation up to $200,000
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment up to $5,000

This insurance does not include benefits for participant cancellation. It is highly recommended that travelers supplement this basic protection with their own additional coverage, as well as trip cancellation/interruption or baggage coverage. Meyer and Associates, the company from whom Princeton Journeys purchases the Emergency Assistance Policy, offer various travel and cancellation insurance plans for Princeton Journeys travelers. More information can be found at: http://meyerandassoc.com/princetonjourneys.

*Please note, only US residents are covered under the group emergency travel plan. Foreign national travelers should purchase insurance separately. Princeton Journeys does not purchase insurance for domestic programs.

Program Changes

Although Princeton Journeys and its operators make every attempt to offer the itinerary as outlined in program promotional materials, changes of conveyance, accommodation, or schedule may become necessary due to weather, inaccessibility of sites, or other restrictions or limitations. Neither Princeton Journeys nor its operators shall be held liable for changes to trips or travel arrangements, nor for losses or additional expenses resulting from travel.  Princeton Journeys suggests that participants refrain from making non-refundable travel arrangements until the tour operator confirms that the program will run as advertised.

Cancellations and Refunds

All cancellations must be in writing to Princeton University and will be subject to the cancellation policies set forth for the specific program by its operator. NOTE: Neither Princeton University nor the tour operators accepts liability for any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non-refundable ticket in connection with a tour.

Disclaimer

Princeton University is pleased to facilitate travel opportunities for its Alumni and Friends through Princeton Journeys. Princeton Journeys works with tour operators to make available interesting and enriching travel opportunities for the Princeton family. Please note that neither the University nor Princeton Journeys conducts tours, nor does either act as an agent for guests interested in tours. Princeton Journeys acts as a facilitator with tour operators, and tour participants contract directly with tour operators to make arrangements for completing travel. Princeton Journeys is pleased to act as a liaison with tour operators should you have any questions or concerns that may arise before, during, or after your tour.

Princeton University and Princeton Journeys assume no liability for injury, death, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with (i) the service of any aircraft, automobile, motor coach, launch or any other conveyance used in carrying out the tour, (ii) the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying tour participants, (iii) carrying out the arrangements of the tour, or (iv) tour participation generally.

Princeton University and Princeton Journeys accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses that may be incurred by tour participants due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, pandemic, force majeure or other causes beyond the control of Princeton University or Princeton Journeys. All such losses and expenses shall be borne by the tour participant. Baggage is carried at the tour participant’s risk.

Neither Princeton University nor Princeton Journeys accepts liability for any carrier’s or operator’s cancellation penalties or fees incurred by a tour participant’s purchase of a non-refundable ticket in connection with the tour. Princeton Journeys encourages tour participants to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the tour operator’s cancellation and refund policies, and also to investigate available services such as trip cancellation insurance.

Princeton Journeys reserves the right to make alterations to this published itinerary as may be deemed necessary. Princeton Journeys also reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour. Tour price is based on current rates in effect in and is subject to change without notice to reflect fluctuations in exchange rates, tariffs or fuel charges.

Due to the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), you should anticipate rules and restrictions to be enforced at airports, on flights, and at country entry points, as well as protocols in place during the program, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Updates will be provided closer to departure.

Study Leader Participation

Although we make every effort possible to run each journey with the advertised study leader, sometimes a need arises for the study leader to cancel. In these cases, Princeton Journeys will seek to find a replacement study leader. However, study leader participation on each trip is not guaranteed.

Contact Information

Email: journeys@princeton.edu

Telephone: 609-258-8686

Mailing address:

Princeton Journeys
P.O. Box 5256
Princeton, NJ 08543