Arranging Your Trip
Reservations for a cruise aboard the Karma are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Except for official Texas A&M University holidays, the vessel operates year-round, Monday through Friday, with special events on selected Saturdays. Programs for student groups are offered September through May. Teacher workshops, youth camps, scout troops, etc. are scheduled throughout the summer.
Currently, the FCP has scholarship money to defray over half of the $1,000 per day operating expense and, while these funds last, has set the following fee schedule: $200 (one trip), $350 (two trips), $400 (three trips), only if all trips are on the same day. Scholarship availability, and thus participant fees, change with time and will be agreed upon at the time reservations are made. However, regardless of the fee schedule at the time the reservation(s) is made, a $100 deposit is required to confirm all trips.
Schedule your trip on the Karma well in advance by contacting Dr. Russ Miget via e-mail or telephone (361-825-3460). He or his staff can advise you about available dates.
Once you have an unofficial reservation, you will need to complete the following checklist:
1) Complete the reservation form here. (This is a Microsoft Word file that will download to your computer.)
2) Mail the reservation form and a $100 deposit made out to Texas AgriLife Extension Service to the address on the form. Reservations are not confirmed until the enrollment form and deposit are received.
NOTE: If your group needs to cancel a cruise, the Floating Classroom Program (FCP) must receive written notification at least 30 days before the scheduled cruise in order to refund your deposit. For weather/equipment cancellations initiated by the FCP, the $100 deposit will be refunded or the trip rescheduled.
3) Review the trip information packet that will be mailed to you after the FCP confirms your reservation. Carefully check the date/time on your confirmation. The packet also includes materials for your group to prepare logistically and academically for your cruise aboard the Karma.
4) Obtain permission for each child to participate in the activities aboard the Karma from parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Forms used for other field trips are suitable. The FCP assumes that permission has been received by the group making the reservation, and therefore does not supply parent/guardian permission forms.
5) If possible, teach or review materials in the Activities Aboard the Karma publication. Experience has shown that students retain information learned on the trip much longer if they are familiar with these concepts prior to the trip.
6) For teachers: Have your students complete the pre-test for their grade level. Please have students circle pre-test at the top and identify themselves, either by name or a designated number, and the school. This allows scores to be compared with the same student’s post-test. Bring the pre-tests with you and leave them with the Karma naturalist. Pre-/post-test scores are our primary means of obtaining grant money to help defray operating expenses and keep participant cost to a minimum, so please participate in this program evaluation!
7) Sometime during the week before your cruise, a Karma staff member will call the group leader’s cell phone to reconfirm the date and time(s) your trip(s), and to make sure the FCP has the correct cell number in case of a last minute cancellation due to weather or a mechanical emergency.
8) On the day of the cruise, make a list of all participants, youth and adults, and give it to the captain. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas A&M University System require a list of all participants before departure!
What to bring the day of the trip:
Teachers: Participant list and completed pre-tests.
All: Appropriate clothing! The temperature on the water can be considerably cooler than on land, so be sure to dress warmly on cool days. Dress in layers — you can always shed extra clothing! Caps, sunscreen, and cheap tennis shoes are recommended. Optional items: Journals, binoculars and/or cameras. The Karma provides cold water and rain ponchos if needed.
If you would like to save live specimens for your classroom aquarium, please bring a container and battery-operated aerator. For a spill-proof container, we recommend a 5-gallon bucket with a drawstring trash bag “liner.”
If a participant has special needs, please contact Russ Miget ahead of time.
9) After your cruise, please complete and return the teacher/leader exit survey, which will be provided as you depart. For teachers, have your students take the grade appropriate post-test — circling post-test at the top, and identifying each test by name or number and school. Mail these tests to Russ Miget, Floating Classroom Program, NRC 2800 - Unit 5840, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas 78412-5840. Thank you for taking the time to administer these tests. They are critical to the economic survival of our program!