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GradWeek Frequently Asked Questions

Before Registering

No, GradWeek trips are not chaperoned. However, a team of adult GradWeek destination staff members and an on-site manager are present at the same hotel as the students and are available to travelers 24/7 for support while at the destination. While our staff are not chaperones and do not do bed checks or set curfews, they are there to assist travelers at the destination and are present at all GradWeek-sponsored events and activities. We understand that a fully independent/unchaperoned trip may not be the best fit for everyone and would not encourage those to attend. However, if this trip setup doesn’t feel right for your family, we recommend that a parent attend the trip as well, so they can be there the whole travel process for their student if needed.

No, generally ISTours/GradWeek trips are not, or require school sponsorship. Although most of our trips are not school-sponsored, associated, or affiliated with the school, we enjoy great relationships with parents, teachers, and administrators who travel with us yearly.

Absolutely. GradWeek has local Event Coordinators who are happy to conduct an informative parent information meeting for the group. We appreciate that you may have questions and concerns and want to provide you with all the necessary information regarding our trips. To schedule a group or parent meeting, contact the on-campus organizer and have them set up the meeting with their local Event Coordinators. Adults/parents interested in being a part of a GradWeek trip informational meeting, please click here: Parent Travel Request

Co-Ed roommates are generally not allowed, but in special circumstances only, such as when there are not enough roommates, parents can request their student to room Co-Ed. For this to happen, all the parents of the students in that room must agree in writing. GradWeek will notify the parents by email and parents will have limited time to respond with their decision. *If even one parent disagrees, their student will be moved out, and they, along with their previous roommates, will be responsible for any extra hotel costs caused by the change. The removed student will need to tell GradWeek which other room in their group has space and is willing to take them. If they don’t, GradWeek will randomly assign them to a room (most likely as a single occ. with incurred fees), and no further changes will be possible. GradWeek is not responsible for any extra room charges or the new roommates (if any), they may end up with. Regardless of Co-Ed or not, every room must have the required number of people to avoid extra hotel occupancy fees.  Note: If a student is under 18 at the time of rooming, parents must still approve their room assignment, even if the student will be 18 by the time of the trip.

Departure dates are finalized after the final payment date (this takes place the year of travel typically mid-March to early April) and once the final size of your group has been determined. Travelers and parents will be notified of their confirmed travel dates approximately 30 days before departure.

Signing up early secures your spot on the trip, which is important because space is limited and fills up quickly. It also gives you priority for hotel options, the lowest available prices, and more time to make manageable monthly payments. Plus, there are often exclusive perks only offered for early sign-ups. The sooner you register, the more time you have to pay, making it easier to handle the final balance.

If you register late in the year before travel for a GradWeek trip, you might be placed on a Waitlist. This happens when airline (or bus), or hotel spaces are full. A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required to join the Waitlist when registering. However, if you register one month before the Final Payment Date, you’ll need to pay in full plus a late fee. Please note monthly payments are required to remain on the Waitlist if you registered during the deposit period. This ensures your spot on the Waitlist as we work to secure additional space. The Waitlist availability can change quickly—from overnight to up to 3 weeks. It’s your choice whether to stay on the Waitlist or cancel for a refund, but we encourage you to stay on as long as possible. If a spot does not open up, we will refund all payments made toward the Waitlist. GradWeek will notify you by email (or text) if a spot or alternate options become available, or if we must remove you from the Waitlist due to limited availability. Be sure to provide a valid email address and phone number you check often, so you don’t miss any important updates. If we’re able to move you from the Waitlist to Active trip status, GradWeek will send you an “Active on the Trip” confirmation invoice notice.

At ISTours/GradWeek we do not offer rock-bottom pricing. We do our best to keep our prices low but at the same time want to provide our travelers with a high-quality travel experience. Our on-site destination staff is second to none and we partner with high-quality name-brand hotels, airlines, and motorcoach tour providers. Travel with ISTours and you’re traveling with the best. Based on our over 40 years of experience in the travel industry, we can safely say that when you travel with a discount tour operator, you most often get what you pay for. Even so, if you find a lower price for the same package, please submit the package cost and travel details in writing and we’ll do our best to meet or beat our competitor’s price.

Before Travel

How do I log into my online account?

Once you have registered for a GradWeek trip, you will have an online traveler account that you can access 24/7. To log into your online account, go to WWW.GRADWEEK.COM and click ‘MY ACCOUNT’ at the top right of your screen. You must enter your Traveler ID# and Last Name (as shown on your GradWeek invoice), then click the Login button below. You will then be prompted to create and confirm a password (first-time use only) for your account. With your online traveler account, you will be able to make your required monthly payments, print digital invoices, and view other essential information about your trip 24/7.


Yes, payment plans are available depending on how early you register.  Once you have registered for a GradWeek trip, you will have an online traveler account that you can access 24/7. With your online traveler account, you can make your required $50 minimum monthly payments (under “Payments” on the menu bar) to keep your traveler account “Active”, hold your spot on the trip, lock in your registration price and help avoid going into an unconfirmed pending status and incurring late fees. *Auto-Billing: Upon registering you are automatically enrolled in auto-billing unless you selected to opt-out during trip registration. To check if you are enrolled in auto-billing, log into your online GradWeek account or refer to the auto-billing section of your most recent monthly invoice statement.

When traveling internationally (Mexico or Bahamas), all U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport booklet (with a minimum of 6 months left before expiration, if traveling to Mexico). International travelers under the age of eighteen (18) at the time of travel will need to check with the airline to see if they require a letter of permission from their parent(s) or guardian(s). Non-U.S. citizens should contact their appropriate consulate for specific documentation requirements. If traveling within the United States (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or Florida), travelers will need to provide a valid government-issued photo (REAL-ID UPDATE: Starting May 7, 2025, every state and territory resident will need to present a REAL ID compliant license/photo ID, boarding commercial aircraft for domestic travel). If you do not have a valid passport booklet or government-issued photo ID, we highly recommend applying now; refunds cannot be given to those who cannot travel due to a lack of proper/required documentation. We strongly recommend visiting www.travel.state.gov for the most current travel documentation requirements. Need more help regarding passports? Please visit – U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Due to the high volume of travelers, we will communicate everything via email (and occasionally via text message). Therefore, it is pertinent to have two valid emails (and valid cellphone numbers) on your account (one for the traveler/student and one for the parent/guardian), so that the participant receives all the information sent out regarding the trip. We highly recommend refraining from using a school email address, as this may not get checked as often as a personal one—use whatever emails are most frequently checked.  Invoice statements are sent out once at the beginning of each month. The months closer to the trip departure date will hold even more detailed information about what your destination requires, what to expect next, your travel itinerary, etc. We highly recommend that every traveler follows the monthly payment plan and utilizes the auto-billing option to ensure you maintain an Active status/spot on the trip. *Please note, that many helpful trip informational documents are available to you 24/7 within the online traveler account, located under ‘Trip Documents’ at the top right of your screen/menu and under our ‘Resources” page on the website.

Approximately 2-3 weeks before your confirmed departure date, your Departure Packet (travel documents) will be sent to the home address listed on your traveler account, as long as your account is paid in full, including any owed hotel occupancy fees. Your trip itinerary will also be posted on your online account as soon as it becomes available. Once your Trip Itinerary is available, you will be able to access it 24/7 online via your traveler account.

Finding friends/travelers to room with for the trip is the responsibility of each traveler (regardless if you’re a student or adult/parent traveler). Per our trip documents and Terms & Conditions, GradWeek is NOT responsible for finding roommates or filling rooms or groups with either a small number or an odd number of travelers to room with. We recommend that travelers start talking with their fellow travelers/friends to ensure they have their roommates figured out when registering and again before the Final Payment Deadline date. Shortly after the final payment has occurred, it is the traveler’s responsibility to contact their group’s Campus Organizer for information on WHEN and HOW their group’s rooming will be handled. GradWeek highly recommends that each group’s rooming be collected either in person or virtual (group text, Zoom, group chat, email, etc.).

  • Each traveler is responsible for choosing/finding their own roommates for the trip and having the required number of people in their room to avoid the additional hotel occupancy fees.
  • GradWeek strongly recommends that students choose their roommates wisely. Roommates must be of the same gender and with travelers who are listed as Active on the trip.
  • If their group/organizer fails to submit the finalized GradWeek group rooming form by the late March deadline the group will be randomly roomed automatically by our system. GradWeek will not be responsible for any rooming charges you incur, nor the roommates you end up with. GradWeek is NOT responsible for finding roommates or filling rooms.
  • Student package price is based on quad occupancy (4 people per room, 2 per bed) for destinations such as the Bahamas, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Panama City Beach. For Cabo San Lucas, it’s based on triple occupancy (3 people per room).
  • Parent/Adult hotel package price is based on double occupancy (2 people per room, sharing 1 bed) for all destinations.
  • If a traveler’s room does not meet the required number of travelers for their hotel/trip, the travelers in that room will all incur the additional hotel occupancy fee that must be paid in full no later than the end of April.
    • *Please note, that paying a hotel occupancy fee (for being in an under-occupancy room), does not mean or guarantee that the traveler(s) will have their own bed.
  • Traveler accounts are not considered “Paid in Full” until all rooming is complete.

Unfortunately, no, you can’t check in early/online for your GradWeek flight. GradWeek books group seats, so travelers don’t get individual confirmation numbers or assigned seats ahead of time. Because of this, you’ll need to check in at the airline desk at the airport. To make sure you have enough time, plan to get to the airport at least 3 hours before an international flight or 2 hours before a domestic flight. Be sure to bring your valid passport booklet if you’re traveling internationally or a valid government REAL-ID if you are traveling domestically and your GradWeek flight itinerary.

Unfortunately, checked luggage isn’t included in the GradWeek trip price. You’ll need to pay for any checked bags directly with the airline when you get to the airport. Once you have your GradWeek flight details, check the airline’s website to see how much they charge (to and from your destination) for checked luggage.

Current departure taxes and fees are listed on our travel brochures (if applicable). Please review your pricing sheet for details. All student trip/hotel package pricing is based on quad occupancy (4 in a room, 2 per bed) for most destinations, parent trip/hotel package pricing is based on double occupancy (2 in a room, sharing a bed), all rooms are “Run of House” (standard room availability, unless otherwise specified), and travelers are responsible for finding their roommates for the trip. Should one of your roommates drop out of the trip, you are still responsible for finding a replacement or paying the additional hotel occupancy fee.

U.S. currency is accepted at most destinations. However, this does not necessarily mean that you will get the best exchange rate. We encourage traveler’s checks as they can be replaced if lost or stolen. Depending on your destination, we recommend you budget for spending between $400-$500 per week. GradWeek also highly recommends purchasing a meal plan and on-site destination activity package, if offered for your trip. Doing so will save you a lot of money, as most meals and activities will be covered in this cost-effective plan.

Suppose you registered under an all-inclusive hotel category. In that case, all your meals and drinks are included within the hotel property and all-inclusive will appear on your account at no additional cost. Some ISTours events may be included depending on when you registered and your registered destination. These inclusions would appear on your registration brochure. However, ISTours events can be purchased at an additional cost upon arrival at your destination. Detailed activity/event package information and inclusions will be provided to you in your Departure Packet before departure.

It depends on the trip destination. For example, Hawaii and Florida are destinations in the United States, where the legal drinking age is 21 and older. However, the legal drinking age in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas is 18. Unless alcohol is prohibited on a particular trip, if a traveler is of legal drinking age for the destination, then the choice is left to the traveler, whether or not they consume alcohol. ISTours does not promote alcohol consumption on any of our trips and does not profit from the sale of alcohol on any of our high school trips, including GradWeek.

If you no longer plan to travel, the student/traveler or parent/guardian will need to submit their official “cancellation” request in writing by either mail or email (note: the email notification must come from the same email address that is listed on the traveler’s account) to info@istours.com, and must also include Traveler ID Number (account #), First & Last Name of the traveler, and state their request to “cancel”. Once your cancellation request is received and processed, the traveler will be cancelled from the trip, and cancellation penalties will be applied, per the Terms & Conditions of the trip. If any refund is owed after the applied cancellation fee (per the terms and conditions), the funds will be issued back to the traveler listed on the account. Refunds are issued within 4-6 weeks (or 6-8 weeks if cancellation occurs on or after the final payment deadline date) of the approved cancellation date and returned in the same method of payment they were received (i.e., credit card payments = credit card refunds and check or money order payments = a check refund). GradWeek is not responsible for misdirected refunds due to a change of address, closed bank accounts, or transactions processed on pre-paid credit cards or gift cards. For full cancellation details and trip policies please refer to your trip’s terms and conditions.

During Travel

We expect all of our travelers to behave as civilized, respectful adults, and if a particular traveler or group cannot handle themselves appropriately, they will be removed from our program at their own expense. ISTours/GradWeek requires that all travelers abide by the laws of the state/host country of their trip. Rules and regulations specific to a particular destination and/or hotel are explained during the mandatory welcome orientation on-site.

It is the responsibility of each traveler to find their own roommates/friends for the trip and to meet their destination’s occupancy requirements. It is also the responsibility of the traveler to reach out to on-site GradWeek staff or hotel staff regarding rooming/hotel issues and other on-site concerns while at the destination. Travelers are responsible for their actions on the entire tour, beginning and ending with air flights or motorcoach to/from the destination. GRADWEEK STAFF ARE NOT CHAPERONES. It is the traveler’s decision and choice to participate or not to participate in the trip and activities. Activities are not mandatory; they are voluntary. The traveler’s or parent’s decision to participate is not actionable against GradWeek or IST. Further, travelers are responsible for the consequences of their participation. Travelers and their parents should be aware of the risks and possible dangers inherent when traveling and during various water/resort activities in which you may, at your discretion, voluntarily participate. Traveler’s participation in such activities is entirely voluntary, and if they choose to participate in such activities, they do so at their own risk. Travelers who engage in inappropriate and/or illegal behavior can be cause for eviction from the hotel and/or the program without a refund or credit for the unused portion of the trip and can cause travelers to be sent home at their own expense.

Upon arrival at the destination airport, or upon meeting at the motorcoach pickup site, travelers will be greeted by trained ISTours destination staff to accompany them to their destination. Our destination staff will host a mandatory welcome orientation where travelers can pick up their ISTours wristbands and hear important information about safety, exchange rates, and event schedules. Location points will be assigned so that travelers will always know where to find ISTours staff during their trip, and additional contact information will be distributed. While ISTours destination staff members are not chaperones, they are available 24 hours a day to assist our travelers with any problems that may arise. Our destination staff members have the experience and know-how to handle just about any situation to ensure every traveler gets the most out of their travel experience.

As with all travel, unfortunate flight delays or cancellations can happen from time to time. And while delays and cancellations are disappointing and frustrating, it is helpful to know what to expect and how they are managed, especially with group travel. While GradWeek is the issuing ticket agent for the flight, once your group/flight is within 24 hours of departure, any changes or delays are fully managed by the airline agents at the airport. The airline’s airport team has complete control over any updates and will handle your flight changes if there is a delay or cancellation. Unfortunately, GradWeek isn’t able to influence these decisions or demand specific actions from the airline – so it is ultimately up to the airline to manage changes. In the event of a delay or cancellation while at the airport, you must communicate directly with the airline’s airport agents to obtain and understand your flight options. The airline’s airport staff are experienced in handling these situations (as they deal with them daily) and can provide the best information to travelers on the next steps and alternate flights. Since you, as the traveler, will be receiving updates DIRECTLY from the airline’s airport agents, we highly recommend parents keep in constant contact with their students, so they receive the latest flight information. GradWeek will also get real-time updates on flight changes and will share any important information with travelers through text or email if additional information and/or instructions are needed.

Most phone carriers offer coverage throughout the U.S. and Mexico, however, you should check with your mobile carrier before traveling. For those traveling to the Bahamas or Puerto Rico, check with your mobile carrier before travel about adding a daily data or coverage plan if needed. Each hotel’s phone number will also be listed in the Travel Tips section of the traveler’s Departure Packet. Since hotels don’t always list everyone staying in a room, you’ll need to know your students’ first and last names (in their trip itinerary and the traveler’s online account) to reach the correct room. Please note that our corporate office cannot call the hotel on your behalf, but our Customer Relations team is available for general questions Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (PST) at (800) 448-4444 or info@istours.com. During our GradWeek summer travel program, we also offer an emergency-only answering service for after-hours assistance if there is a medical or family emergency. Calls and texts to this temporary line are screened, and only true emergencies will receive an immediate response; otherwise, our office will return all other calls/texts during regular business hours.

When travelers arrive at their destination or hotel, they’ll attend a Welcome Orientation led by a GradWeek staff member. During this orientation, staff will check them in, go over scheduled events and activities, and explain basic guidelines to help ensure a fun and safe trip. GradWeek staff will also provide a temporary 24-hour contact number that travelers can call or text for help any time they need it while on-site. While GradWeek’s adult staff are not chaperones and are not there to communicate directly with parents on behalf of the travelers (a go-between), they are available around the clock from the moment travelers arrive until they depart. Rest assured, our staff will make every effort to assist your adult with anything they need during their trip—students just need to reach out to on-site staff for support.

When you purchase a GradWeek trip package, we provide all travelers with a Travel Protection Plan, through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). Which provides coverage for sickness and accidents for up to $25,000 (restrictions apply) and medical evacuation coverage for up to $100,000 for international destinations (restrictions apply). This travel protection plan also helps provide coverage for Medical Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Baggage Delay/Loss, and more. Please review the Plan Information Document under our Resources page for terms and coverage details. Note: The provided medical coverage from Cultural Insurance Services International does not cover sickness or medivac for travel within the United States (Hawaii and Florida). For medical cancellation, the participant must cancel with IST/GradWeek in writing first, before being eligible to contact Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) for claims assistance.

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