CEA - Cultural Experiences Abroad Reviews

Be warned of the crappy apartment. If you are one of the few students that ends up in the horrible apartment, as is the case every semester you will not be pleased. Imagine walking into your apartment in a foreign country for the first time and seeing that the nice chairs the have are water stained and look like they may have been peed on recently. Then walking into your room and seeing that the 'linens' they provided were so old that they were beginning to wear through. To top it off the dresser doors don't open more than a little because the room is so small that the bed blocks the drawers and cabinets. Oh and don't forget the light hanging out of the ceiling wires and all. After rearranging the bedroom so that you can put your clothes away you decide to take a shower, but wait the shower head is broken, too bad. I also want to go out but the metro stops at 1:30 and bars don't open until 12:00 so I want to find something close. Well that is too bad because there is nothing around your apartment but offices and old people and the City Center is 30 minutes away by metro. I just got here, this sounds like it will be fun!
I will say that the staff are very nice they just let some things fall through the cracks, which when those things are people it becomes a problem. I will make sure to update this after my five months here, but this is what I found when I first arrived.

I signed up to study abroad in Argentina with CEA, first the staff was extremely rude who signed me up. I signed up to stay in a residence hall because i was a little wary about a homestay. Upon arrival in BsAs i found out that i was staying at a hostel. This hostel was an open air hostel and it was the middle of winter. We were given little heaters that broke every few days and i always woke up shivering. We received minimal breakfast(maybe a bagel and coffee), and to top it off there was random locals in and out all the time. Later on the trip i found out there was another residence hall but it was full. This residence hall was much nicer every room had a TV and bathrooms were only shared with few people. I called the main CEA office to complain and ask for some money back and they told me they couldn't do anything for me. The one good thing about my program was the directors they were very helpful and nice.

I would just like to warn anyone considering studying with CEA--like a previous reviewer said, they are as nice as can be when taking your money; however, once they have your money... good luck if you have a problem. This was not only my experience, but also that of others who were with me on this study abroad experience. In my case, I was placed in an apartment that might well have been an all girls dormitory at a Catholic school. The landlord was Islamic and lived on premises, and she: 1) insisted that there be no boys in or around the apartment, ever; 2) insisted that there be no alcohol in or around the apartment whatsoever (I was 22 years old, so not only way beyond legal to drink in Europe but also legal to drink in the US as well); 3) treated me as well as others with great hostility and disrespect, as if it was completely unacceptable for college-aged students to be going out, having fun and friends, etc. When I tried to address these problems with the CEA program coordinators, they not only disregarded/ignored any complaints, concerns, or fears that I had, but also were quite indifferent, rude, and hostile regarding the entire situation. During this same semester, two friends of mine were placed in an apartment that would have been (and should be) considered condemned/uninhabitable in the US, as well as anywhere else. There was toxic black mold growing inches up the walls, and the entire apartment literally smelled like a dumpster. When these friends tried to talk with the program coordinators, they were essentially told that they were full of it and that if they had a problem they should have said something sooner. It wasn't until after multiple threats/demands from their parents that these two were finally relocated to another apartment, but with great resistance and hesitation from all of the CEA staff. Overall, I have found this staff to be completely unable to listen or compromise with any student's situation or problem, and I do NOT recommend studying abroad with this program. Not only do you pay WAY more than your money's worth, but you are also treated like a peon throughout the entire experience (after they have received your money, of course).

One of the best experiences I ever had. Its been a year now and I still miss being abroad. The staff was great, and made sure even the ones who were not very outgoing had a great time. Like I said a year has gone by and I still have many stories I havent told my friends and family. I still keep in contact with many of the Americans and Europeans I met and lived with over there. After going all I want to do is keep travelling. Wish I would have done this earlier in college, so Id have one more semester to study abroad. Anyway, Paris is definitely reccomended

CEA is the best for a study abroad provider in Spain, especially Barcelona. The staff is super helpful and in tune with the culture while also being sensitive and aware at how different and culturally shocking it can be for American students. Begonia & Curra are amazing to learn from and work tirelessly to make sure that their students needs are met.
The course work was wonderful and challenging in the immersion, and directly related to my major.
If you have the opportunity to study abroad I urge you to go with CEA.

My son signed up to study abroad in Prague.He is in a very small apartment with 5 other students, all are 6 feet tall and close to 190 pounds. What was described as a spacious apartment is in reality a closet with 6 kids. The full kitchen is in actuality a refrigerator that that you would set up in a dorm room. There is no place to hang clothes and the apartment is a sh**hole as all 6 kids describe it. All the kids were actually locked out of the building the first night and had to wait 30 minutes for a response. When called at their corporate headquarters in Tempe,AZ. I had to leave numerous messages to get a return phone call which resulted in nothing but indifference on CEA's part. The second in command there was also left a2 messages and has not returned the phone calls. I also called the director in Prague to try to rectify the situation, but again, I was met with indifference. To any who choose to use CEA after this review, I can only say BEWARE! They are very nice when taking your money, but once they have it they are absolutely no help!

CEA was undoubtedly the best organization in Sevilla. It was the best value for the money. It was very organized and the staff was amazing! I recommend this program to everyone!