Fathom isn’t your average cruise line
Carnival brand has mandate to attract compassionate guests with a love of ocean travel
It’s officially a new year, which seems the appropriate time to write about an entirely new cruise line that’s set to debut an entirely different style of cruising this year.
Announced by Carnival Corporation PLC in June of last year, Fathom isn’t your average cruise line. They have just two destinations; the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
They only have a single ship, and don’t have plans to add additional vessels anytime soon. But it’s the way in which Fathom wants you to travel — and cruise — that is making waves for the better throughout the cruise industry.
Debuting from Miami this spring using the nimble, 704-guest Adonia that currently sails for P&O UK, Fathom wants to debut the first “social impact travel” cruise on the high seas. The company’s mandate: To attract guests with a love of ocean travel who have the desire to make a difference in the world.
To that end, Fathom has designed specific cultural immersion experiences ashore in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Coupled with longer-than-industry-average port calls, a typical day ashore might include a visit to a local elementary school to see how education works firsthand, followed by a discussion with teachers and administrators to discuss the challenges faced by the education system.
In the afternoon, guests might tour a site of cultural significance or a UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by a ship-wide dinner in privately-owned restaurants or private homes — all of which contributes more directly to the local economy than other forms of travel might.
“At Fathom we are creating purpose-driven impact experiences for our travellers that will make a lasting difference in the lives and the communities in the Dominican Republic,” said Tara Russell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation.
“At the same time, we want our travellers to know there also are many opportunities for them to explore, unwind and recharge during their free time.”
Your time aboard the Adonia is also designed to be suitably educational, albeit relaxing. Guests can enjoy beach getaways in Puerto Plata’s Amber Cove, go ziplining or discover other historically-significant sites.
There’s a bunch of business-speak about how Fathom will leverage the expertise and marketing muscle of Carnival Corporation (the parent company, not the cruise line) in order to create a sustainable business model and build better relationships with its partner countries, but what excites me about Fathom is that the company seems genuinely dedicated to giving back to the areas in which it sails.
The company estimates that more than one million North Americans are seeking social impact travel experiences.
The thought that Adonia, through her new operators at Fathom, could become a global ambassador for sustainable travel wherever she sails is an enticing one.
Fathom — Carnival Corporation’s 10th and newest brand — is set to debut this spring.
Fathom’s first voyages to Cuba will set sail in May; their sailings to the Dominican Republic begin on April 10, 2016. Bookings are open for both at fathom.org.