Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Fathom Travel, in exchange for my press coverage. All opinions are 100% my own.
A Fathom Cruise is a different kind of cruising experience. We had the opportunity to participate in a Fathom Cruise to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, a country known for its spectacular beauty but also a country with great needs. It’s a unique cruise line that integrates social good with cruising.
It’s not just about kicking back and relaxing – although there will be lots of downtime. Instead, a Fathom Cruise is about giving to yourself and to others.
They created a “special” experience for travelers who are interested in giving back to the community service in developing countries, while still enjoying the perks that most cruise lines provide.
Fathom cruises are all about doing good while you enjoy a break from your everyday life. My family was able to give back to some deserving communities in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Fathom Cruise – It’s a Real Cruise
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In 2016 Fathom Cruises was born as part of Carnival Corporation’s initiative with cruises to ports in the Dominican Republic and Cuba. These 7-day cruises aren’t part of an average cruise line. Their sole purpose was to transport passengers from Florida to the Dominican Republic to participate in social impact activities.
One amazing cultural opportunity for travelers to give back to the community and understand the area on a deeper level. Fascinating right?
A lot of people asked me when I told them I was going on a Fathom Cruise, was if it was a legit cruise. I guess they thought that since one of the objectives was to do humanitarian work while on the cruise that the ship itself would be lacking in some way. Not at all!
Fathom Cruise – 700-passenger vessel
All the Fathom cruises sail on the Adonia, a 700-passenger vessel owned by Carnival Cruise Line, one of the smallest ships that I’ve cruised on before.
The Adonia was remodeled for the inaugural sailing. While the Fathom ship is a bit smaller than other cruise ships in the fleet, it is by no means a dinghy nor did it feel uncomfortably small. It was the least crowded cruise that I’ve ever been on.
The size of the ship and amount of passengers was an intentional move on Fathom’s part, which makes sense as it brings the onboard “community” together.
Amber Cove – Port of Call
One of the Fathom Cruises stops in my native city: the Dominican Republic! Amber Cove is a Carnival Corporation investment worth $85-million. At Amber Cove, you will find a ton of amenities such as a huge pool with lifeguards, lots of lounge chairs, pool noodles, a splash pad for kids, two larger waterslides, and Wi-Fi, ALL included with your cruise rate.
You also use unlimited runs on a zip-line that flies above the pool, use pedal boats, kayaks, and paddleboards for an additional cost. Shady areas are very limited so umbrellas are highly recommended. you can rent them for $8. The waterfront cabanas are also available to rent for the day. Restrooms and lockers are also available.
The walk from the ship to the port is fairly far, we took the Pier bike Taxis available as soon as you get off.
The Full Cruise Experience – Mostly
It’s a full-on cruise experience while you’re on the ship – with a couple of notable exceptions. Because this cruise is geared more towards doing social good on extended excursions, there’s not a ton of activities for the kids other than the pool and a library. The check-in process was super fast and it never felt too overwhelming with people.
However, the friendly staff and the existing amenities more than make up for the lack of “kid” activities. In fact, I saw several younger people thoroughly enjoying themselves on our cruise.
Nor will find any Broadway-style entertainment or casinos. We got to eat Dominican-inspired food, listen to Dominican music, and film.
Carnival does not consider it a cruise, but rather a social impact travel experience that happens at sea on a small repurposed ship.
Services and Activities
The Fathom Cruise ship features fine dining, drinks, entertainment, a pool, and more! It combines the full features of a cruise ship with an intensely personal, community feel, which I think is so much fun.
- A full-service spa with hot stone massage and acupuncture treatment!
- Daily and nighttime entertainment which included a band, DJ, dancing
- Activities that were impact-related
The Food onboard was excellent! However, room service was not offered which honestly I did not miss! There is a buffet, quick-service station, and a couple of table service options available almost all the time, youth groups, and daycare.
We understand that a social impact cruising isn’t meant to focus on comfort, entertainment, and/or leisure it’s necessary to have these features to offset the hard work that is being made.
Accommodations
My family had the incredible fortune of getting a balcony cabin and it was fantastic, with a fulls size bed and a couch that converted to a bed, a desk area, the closets were pretty ample, lots of drawer space, and a decent-sized bathroom.
Our cabin felt big enough for all three of us. Very clean and organized. Our cabin housekeeper was very friendly and kept our cabin very clean and organized including a turn-down service every evening.
We were able to sit and relax while we took in the passing geography of the area and watched fish, sharks, and other sea life and as we made our way into Amber Cove. It was absolutely beautiful.
What is an Impact Activity?
The options will focus on educational, environmental, and economic improvement projects. These projects consist of helping certain impact activities that assist local social businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Examples of these are a women’s co-op pick cacao plants, practicing conversational English with school kids, and building a clay water filter. Passengers can choose which ones to participate in.
For our trip to the Dominican Republic, we chose the following:
Repapel. A Fathom-funded recycled paper and crafts initiative. Here we helped to separate paper, make crafts, and create paper. Boy was that an experience! Never did we imagine what the process entailed.
Other activities include reforestation and laying concrete floors, which I heard were WONDERFUL and incredibly rewarding.
Chocal. A small chocolate factory created by local women, created for income using cacao trees. Volunteers helped with sorting through cacao beans, chocolate production, and wrapping chocolate candy.
I was amazed to learn that we also had the opportunity to do social good onboard! The products with a purpose were offered for sale onboard, while the ship was at sea.
Fathom Cruise – A Wonderful Getaway
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of our Fathom Cruise experience. Our experience with this unique cruise was unforgettable, especially because we sailed to the country where I was born in! The Adonia cruise ship and its accommodations were superb. The excursions we took on our own (even though Fathom offers some) were amazing!
Loved the Fathom Cruise Experience
A unique cruise experience, a new form of travel! is that it opens doors to individuals who want to make a change in the world but aren’t sure how to or where to start.
These travelers want to do more than just write checks to sponsored programs overseas (which I still fully support, too) and really get their hands dirty in a tangible way. I respect Fathom’s mission to get people thinking about social impact in an entirely different manner and making this accessible to anyone.
Have you taken a Fathom Cruise?
