Program Reviews

Signing up was a breeze, when I called all the people I talked to knew what they were talking about. The travel agent, Leah was especially helpful. Loved the smiley faces on portal for what needed to be done. Our son came back more confident and mature. With having to do things out of his usual box, he learned new skills, made new friends and had a great time. Great diving, our son did the Neptune and received his Advanced Open Water Padi and 5 other specialty diving certifications. So at 16 he is well on his way to being a Master Diver. He really enjoyed the crew, meeting new friends, and trying new food. He really didn't want to come home and is looking forward in the future to go back and do the Rescue Diver course. I just wish they did a program for adults!

Our 17 yr old son came back to us a changed young man. He matured in many ways, from his diet, to his speech, and how he spoke to others. He has commented many times on how must fun he had and that it has helped him be better prepared for college. He has gained more confidence in himself and what he expects out of himself. From the moment he returned, we noticed a significant difference in his mannerisms and interactions. To this day, he has not stopped talking about his time spent with AQ in the BVI. From his flight out to his time spent on the boat, to his return, we felt completely comfortable with AQ's system. Excellent communication, action pictures and updates were very helpful to us. We could see it in his smile and his eyes, how much fun he was having. As parents, we highly recommend AQ.

Action Quest is an amazing program that allows students to challenge themselves on a daily basis in every aspect from the diving, sailing, and even living in close quarters with others. Living on a boat and having to take on responsibilities is something you can't find at typical summer camps. It helps students gain a better sense of the world, people, and themselves! Summer at Action Quest is something I can never stop thinking about. The programs are so much fun. Although they do come with their challenges and sometimes your boat goes through rough patches, at the end of the day the low moments are what you learn from and are what make the high ones more memorable. Overall, it is something I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun adventure and a way to get out of there comfort zone!

My daughter had an awesome experience learning, exploring and engaging. The staff and adventurers (students) were supportive and attentive to each other delivering an outstanding, safe program. As parents, the blogs gave a glimpse or snapshot into an amazing daily log from the student's point of view. It was a true affirmation of their awesome experience vs a filtered or marketing polished story. It was really appreciated. I highly recommend this program for an experience of a lifetime!

“​Experiences are essential in helping our children successfully maneuver through life. This program is the poster child for this ideology. There was not one "thing" I could have gotten my daughter that would have replaced this experience. In addition--sign up, payments, flight booking, etc. was so smooth and everyone was very helpful. Living in New Mexico made the flights a little tricky, but it all went perfectly. I do not know of any disciplinary or medical emergencies. I expect bumps, bruises, and maybe a spat or two. It appears my daughter was on "The Love Boat" so they seemed to have worked all that out. I love, love, love the blog and Facebook updates. We all lived vicariously through her for those 17 days. It is a great way to update parents and I am guessing makes those who want phone calls more relaxed."

“Overall experience, from planning to return, was excellent. As rookie parents, my wife and I felt guided throughout the preparation stages and had any questions answered quickly. During the trip, we were updated with the blog as well as timed calls from my son. Both resources acted as guideposts to his development on the trip. He went from shy and homesick to confident and relaxed. At no point did I doubt this to be the end result. There is no better example of my son's experience than the group photo from day one where he's holding his head in his hand and not looking at the camera to the waning days where he's flying off the rope swing mid-flip. We are so proud that he conjured the fortitude to endure his homesickness (first camp and in the Caribbean no-less) and grow as a person. I applaud your staff for guiding this young man as this experience will have a lifelong effect. We really appreciate the cards written by counselors and fellow campers. This memento gives us a feel for the relationships developed and the impact the kids had on one another."

“When I asked my daughter to rate Action Quest on a scale from 1 to 10 she gave it a 20. Additionally, I quizzed my daughter on sailing; I raced sailboats myself as a teen and young adult. She was well versed in sailing. Madison was having trouble understanding the material for diving, the instructors spent extra time with her so she understood and she came back excited about diving, and explained it all to me and my wife. The entire program is amazing and a life experance for the kids they will never forget; travel outside the country, diving, sailing, hiking, community service, taking cell phones away. Its all good"

Our daughter not only had an amazing time with incredible experiences but she learned a lot about herself. She's gained a new confidence and continues to have a more clear picture of where she's heading in the future. ​The blog was the best part for us. It helped us know she was doing great and having fun. What a relief! Our daughter has gained a lot of confidence and self-awareness as a result of the experience. ActionQuest does an incredible job of getting kids out of their comfort zone. Staff was great. Equipment was top notch!

“Our son just completed his 2nd year with AQ and loves the program. I believe that your Participant Portal is an excellent resource. During the program our son had a few difficult days and when I reached out to AQ - Travis was most helpful and a good listener and we came up with successful tactics in how to approach our son. Once he worked out his feelings - he got right back on track and Loved his trip!!! We love AQ for our son. We appreciate the independence he must muster and the team work that results from every participant working to a common goal.

AQ truly is responsive in wanting your child to have a lasting and memorable experience. AQ cannot over communicate. it is good to hear from the "Powers that be". I really liked that there was more service involved in the islands this year. I believe in "many helping hands make for light work!" I do believe that a few hours of service is critical to these participants to see that they need to give back too - they "take from the community and need to give back"

Have a teen that likes traditional camps but is ready for something more? Action Quest was just the right next step for my adventurous son.

The depth of the program and the way to teaches important life lessons within a program that is both fun and rewarding for the students. I find that both years my son attended, he returned with such huge emotional growth! I love that expectations are clear. I look forward to reading the blog the whole time he's gone. I especially appreciate that the kids write them. That is just another great example of Action Quest empowering the kids to take ownership of their experience! I can't even put into words the confidence and broadened world view my son has both times he's returned from an Action Quest trip.

On Action Quest trips, the kids learn new skills and gain valuable insights into who they are. My son went on his first trip thinking that scuba diving was going to be his passion. Turns out, he's a natural sailor. He fell in love with the sailing experience and chose the longer (Minerva) trip that sails to the West Indies this past summer. He was able to get his advanced sailing certificate just a few weeks after his 15th birthday! Can't wait to see which trip he'll pick next summer.