Can you Fathom out what is happening to Adonia?

Ha, well that’s my terrible pun for the post out of the way.

So what is Fathom cruises?

Never heard of them I hear you say.  Well most people haven’t. Fathom is the new brainchild of Carnival Cruises. It will operate out of Miami Florida initially and will give its guests an opportunity to give something back whilst on their cruise.

The Idea of these so called ‘Volunteer Vacations’, is say Carnival ‘To have a meaningful impact on the communities served’.

Due to start operating in April 2016 to the Dominican Republic the guests will take part in a range of Social Impact Activities both on-board the Ship and ashore.

Where does Adonia come into this?  Well This is the ship Carnival have chosen to use on this venture, hence that fact that some of Adonia’s previous schedules were cancelled much to the upset of the passengers booked on them.

Adonia was a perfect choice as it is a much smaller ship with just 710-passengers. As a P&O vessel, the ship has seven bars and restaurants, a spa, and a small pool. Cabins are divided into four main categories: suites, balcony, outside, and inside. It was always rated highly by cruise reviews and was a popular ship with P&O passengers who will miss this Small Adult only Gem.

It is not designed to be anything like a normal cruise and will certainly not be everyone’s idea of a cruise or of a holiday for that matter.

Increasingly more people are becoming interested in this type of ‘Social Impact Travel’ whether it is by taking part in something whilst away or just ensuring you are travelling with a company which gives something back to the communities it visits.

The experience is set to push the boundaries of this type of Working Holiday and will be very different than the typical Caribbean cruise.  A far cry from this type of image from the Glossy Travel Brochures.

The reality of life in some of these destinations is very different to what many travellers perceive.

Carnival disclosed ‘Guests will start with one or two days at sea, practicing Spanish and learning about the destination. Upon arrival in Puerto Plata, passengers can spend “up to three days” working on projects ranging from teaching English to schoolchildren to building filtration systems to improve drinking water. Guests will sleep aboard the ship during their stay in the Dominican Republic.’

The Week long Trips will start at approximately $1,540 per person or £995, including all meals aboard, volunteer activities, taxes, and fees. As with any cruise Carnival says ‘prices will vary by season and by cabin type, with additional recreational activities, cabin upgrades, and dining and beverage packages at extra cost.’

To compare a lead in Caribbean cruise leaving Miami in April 2016 aboard the Carnival Breeze starts at approximately £650 per person, including taxes and fees.

Here’s a sample itinerary on Fathom, per Carnival:

Sunday: Board the Adonia and depart Port Miami in the afternoon.

Monday: Travel day at sea with impact and community programming on board.

Tuesday: Arrive in Amber Cove, Dominican Republic mid-day. Impact activities and recreation in afternoon.

Wednesday: On ground, engaged in impact activities and recreation.

Thursday: On ground, engaged in impact activities and recreation.

Friday: On ground, engaged in impact and recreation in morning. Depart Amber Cove early afternoon.

Saturday: Travel day at sea, with impact and community programming on board.

Sunday: Arrive at Port Miami in the morning.

So what are your thoughts? I would love to hear from people who would like to do this sort of cruise and those who wouldn’t.

Will people want to pay for the privilege of working? Will the rewards be reaped in the satisfaction achieved by helping these communities?

I think we are all guilty of glossing over the reality of life in some of the poorer countries of the world which we visit, as we choose to only see the glitzy Hotels and the happy smiling well-dressed employees who then go back home to their families living in conditions that most of us would not let a dog live in let alone a human being.

You may argue that tourists bring in money to the economy and provide jobs which they do but is this just a cop out and is it enough?

The reality for some of the inhabitants in these countries is a far cry from being acceptable so maybe more projects like this should be introduced to do some real good.

Wouldn’t you want to put the Smile on these faces?

Where do you think the Cruise line will or should go next?

All Comments welcome.