{Disclaimer: We have partnered with Fathom to bring you the following post. However, all opinions are our own!}
We’re excited to tell you about a really neat opportunity families can take part in when choosing to vacation! Fathom Impact + Travel combines fun, rest and relaxation with making a difference in communities that really need it.
What is it?
Beginning in the Spring of 2016 families can sign up for 7 day round-trip cruises with Fathom, part of the Carnival Corporation, to go to either the Dominican Republic or Cuba out of the Port of Miami. The trip consists of a few days at sea and the opportunity to work side by side with local residents in existing programs that focus on improving the lives of children, families and communities for up to three days.
Check out these travel details to get a better sense of the amenities on the ship, what your days at Sea can consist of and what your days in the Dominican Republic will look like.
Why do it?
I’ve been on a few cruises, including my honey moon with my husband, and love the fun and relaxation they offer. Once aboard you really don’t have to think about anything! As someone who went to the Dominican Republic as part of a service project during Grad School, I think this is an amazing idea! One of the things I had wished for after returning from the Dominican where I helped to build a school, toured orphanages and lived with local families, was that the people closest to me could have shared in the experience. It was so hard to put into words the impact the trip made on me as a person, that the idea of being able to share such an amazing experience with my family is exciting.
Impact activities that you can be involved in once in the Dominican Republic include a wide range of projects focused on education, environment, and economic development. Depending on what your passions and skills are, you and your family can spend up to three days working alongside locals and Fathom partner organizations on the causes that you really care about.
Some of the sample activities include:
- Economic Development: Help cultivate cacao plants and organic fertilizer at a nursery and assist a local women’s cooperative in producing artisan chocolates. This activity is designed to produce high-quality plants to increase farmers’ yields through sustainable practices and – importantly – create income opportunities for rural women. Work with a women’s cooperative to re-purpose recycled paper into beautiful paper products to generate revenues for the women. Over time, these activities will allow the cooperatives to increase their work forces so the cooperatives can achieve economic independence.
- Educational: Work side by side with Dominican school teachers in classrooms to teach English skills and help boost students’ academic performance; and participate in adult-learning programs to teach small groups of local community members conversational English to help improve their ability to qualify for jobs that provide a higher level of income.
- Environmental: Provide hands-on support to craft and build water filters – using clay, a natural resource found locally – and deliver those filters to families throughout the community to provide healthy drinking water. With limited piped water supply, this will make a meaningful difference in the quality of people’s lives throughout the region. Support reforestation efforts through the planting of coffee to protect the regions clean water sources.
In addition to the above activities, there are also a ton of memorable recreation, leisure and sightseeing activities available to Fathom travelers to experience in the Dominican Republic when not participating in social impact projects. You can explore ancient ruins, interact with the abundant marine life in the crystal clear water, or lounge along the sun-soaked stretches of surf and sand to name a few. 
So how much will this cost you?
Prices for the seven-day trips to the Dominican Republic start at $974 per person, excluding taxes, fees and port expenses. The price includes all meals on the ship, on board social impact immersion experiences, three onshore social impact activities and related supplies. Prices will vary by season. To secure a spot on future sailings, a fully refundable $300 per person deposit is required for all cabin categories and occupancy levels. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure.
Need More Incentive to book your trip?
Fathom is offering a special discount to all BurlingtonVT Moms Blog/City Moms Blog Network readers!
You can use code CMG and save up to $400 per person ($400 savings for suites, $300 per person for balcony cabin, $200 savings for ocean view cabin, and $100 savings for interior cabin) for the 1st and 2nd person in your stateroom to the Dominican Republic. If you bring the whole family or sign up with a small group then 3rd and 4th passengers sail free. You will also only pay 50% of the deposit at initial booking. Just call 855-932-8466 and give them the code and reference you are booking as part of the City Moms Group. This offer is only valid for cruises booked by the end of February 2016.
For more information, check out Fathom’s website, Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram pages.
