Fathom, Carnival Corporation’s 10th cruise brand, returned to PortMiami on Sunday after a successful inaugural cruise to the Dominican Republic. I would like to thank Fathom for inviting me on this inaugural cruise and experiencing first hand what impact travel is all about.
Hundreds of passengers (including myself) boarded the Adonia for a week long social impact cruise to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. While docked in Amber Cove, passengers participated in six different impact activities that made an immediate impact in the local community. Here are the results from week 1 of Fathom Impact Travel.
Nearly 650 students and community members took part in foreign language interaction with native English speakers. Being proficient in English is the #1 driver of employment success in the Dominican Republic.
Fifty water filters were produced with the help of Fathom passengers. More than 3 million residents in the Dominican Republic do not have access to piped water. This will help provide a significant reduction in waterborne illnesses which will improve work and school attendance.
Two families will no longer sleep on dirt floors after Fathom passengers help pour concrete floors in two homes, positively affecting 20 people. These new floors will help the families have a healthier and safer living environment as dirt floors are a genuine health risk.
More than 2,400 trees were planted including an incredible 1,373 trees on the first day. With time, this will lead to more nutrient-rich soil, reduction in soil loss, improved localized air and water quality, an increase in localized biodiversity, and higher agricultural yields.
Nearly 600 sheets of recycled paper were produced that will help provide critical income to the local women. This will not only allow them to expand their business, but also helps overall employee morale.
More than 200 pounds of cacao nibs were cleaned and 6,000 chocolate bars were wrapped at the Cacao and Women’s Chocolate Cooperative. By helping improve production and increase sales, it allows the organization to hire more local women, and provide critical income in a region with limited employment opportunities.
This is just the beginning for Fathom. As time goes on, facilitators will find more efficient ways to work with the passengers on Adonia to achieve even greater results.
What is Fathom Impact Travel all about? Follow Cruise Fever this week as we give a first hand account of the world’s newest cruise line and the impact it will have on not only the Dominican people, but also on the cruise passengers. Yes, take a cruise on Fathom and it will have an everlasting impact on your life as you help those in need. Life is too short to not help others.
