UPDATE, JUNE 6: Madison’s Fathom cruise was rescheduled and he set sail yesterday, June 5, for the Dominican Republic.

UPDATE, APRIL 11: Due to unforeseen delays with the U.S. Coast Guard, the inaugural Fathom Cruise has been cancelled. Check out TravelPulse’s coverage of the story for the latest updates. We will keep you posted as to the possible rescheduling of the cruise and Madison’s trip.

Last June, Carnival Corporation made headlines with the announcement of their new travel brand, Fathom™. With the creation of Fathom™, Carnival also defined a new travel category called impact travel.
KHM Travel Group is fortunate enough to have a member of our staff, TravSearch & Special Projects Manager Madison Isom, on board the inaugural Fathom™ cruise. He’ll be traveling with the Young Professionals group from Vacation.com, KHM Travel Group’s consortium partner.

The sailing leaves from Miami and will take him to the newly developed Amber Cove port near Puerto Plata on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.

Fathom’s flagship is the Adonia, which was formerly a P & O Cruise Lines vessel. With a capacity of just of 700 passengers, it includes all the comforts and amenities guests would find on a leisure cruise ship.
Madison will set sail on Sunday. During Monday’s day at sea, guests will participate in activities and presentations designed to familiarize them with the Puerto Plata region, its people, and its culture. They’ll learn how to apply their skills to their chosen impact activity, and how they can best help the community.

Upon arrival in Amber Cove on Tuesday morning, Madison has another training workshop to lay the groundwork for the trip’s impact activities.

Fathom travelers have the opportunity to choose from a selection of impact activities each day in port, in four categories: educational, environmental, economic development, and special opportunities.

On Tuesday, Madison’s impact activity is Community English Conversation and Learning. This educational program is designed to help low-income adults develop their English-speaking abilities, with the goal of expanding their employment opportunities.

His other impact activities include Water Filter Production, assisting with the ongoing effort to bring clean, drinkable water to millions of Dominicans, and participating in the Cacao and Women’s Chocolate Collective, to cultivate organic cacao trees.

On the final day in Puerto Plata, he’ll visit a summer camp, where he’ll get to engage with local children in Creative Arts, Music, and Sports. It is a culturally immersive experience that’s intended to build confidence and help students realize their potential.

There’s time for fun in port too! Recreational options include a Top Ten Best of Puerto Plata, a tour of the region’s top attractions Madison will be joining on Thursday. He’s also planning on ziplining, and enjoying dinner and entertainment with locals the final evening in port.

Onboard events on the return journey include a sail away event, and sessions that will inspire reflection on the past few days’ events. These sessions, “Empowering the Next Wave of Travelers” and “Envisioning and Understanding Your Future Impact Story” aim to connect fellow travelers with each other, and also provide each guest with a chance to reflect on their experience.

It’s an adventure with a purpose! Stay tuned next week during Madison’s Fathom cruise to learn more about impact travel and the unique opportunities Fathom has created for travelers. We’ll be using our hashtag #KHMLive as well as Fathom’s hashtag, #TravelDeep.

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