Booking MarineLab Programs

We are now taking reservations for 2012 & 2013! Most of the year, we take reservations over the phone. You can check our calendar availability above. Call (800) 741-1139 with your requested dates and the number of students you wish to bring, or email us at coordinator@marinelab.org. Please check on the group sizes listed below to make sure you are within our booking guidelines. When you make your reservation, we will give you a deposit deadline and send you a confirmation letter and information packet about coordinating your program. Want some tips on how to put a program together? click here!

Our busiest season is from mid-February through July, and again in October and November, and we are usually booked up a year in advance. After receiving the completed Reservation Requests, we hand-fill the calendar. Schools that have been attending MarineLab for years usually get their first choice of dates; after these schools have been scheduled in, the calendar is opened to all, usually around mid-March.

Because our programs take place primarily aboard our boats, we book the number of "boats" rather than a number of students. Each boat holds a minimum of 9 students and 1 chaperone, and a maximum of 11 people including chaperones. We have eight boats available and can take up to 80 students and 8 chaperones. Often, we'll have two or more schools here, one with 2 boats and one using 6 boats. We do not combine different schools on the same boat.

We require at least ONE chaperone per boat. That chaperone attends MarineLab free of charge for snorkeling programs. If school has four boats, they get four free chaperones. One additional chaperone (per group, not per boat) pays a room and board fee; all other additional adults or chaperones pay the full program fee and are subject to the same cancellation policies as a full paying student. Chaperones with SCUBA programs must pay the out of pocket expenses associated with the SCUBA dives.

Chaperones have duties and responsibilities while they are here with the students. While we will take care of all instructional and safety needs during the program times, the chaperones are responsible for monitoring student behavior during meals, free times, and overnight. Click here for a pdf document on MarineLab chaperone responsibilities.

Deposits are required to confirm your reservation. We require a minimum of 9 deposits per boat booked, and a minimum of 7 full paying students per boat in order to run a program. These deposits are 30% of the individual program fee and are non refundable.

For instance, if you have 9 students deposited, but one drops out and only 8 students are attending, you will pay the 30% deposit for 9 students but only pay the 70% balance for the 8 students who attend. If your group drops below 7 students, you'll pay the 9 deposits as above, but you'll still need to pay the full price for 7 students regardless of how many students attend.

Deposits can be transferred as deposits for replacement students or for full paying adults, but are not applied to your balance due. For a pdf file on our Fees and Payment Policies, including refund policies, please click here.

We can make arrangements for your group to be picked up and brought back to Miami International Airport or Ft Lauderdale International Airport for an additional fee. This is a flat rate based on the number of boats booked, and will be determined at the time you book your program.

For an idea of what ground transfers may cost your group, here are the estimated ground transfer fees for 2012.