What Kind of Person Would Like Fathom Impact Travel? I had been trying to figure this out, so we went again…. This time we asked our fellow travelers why they had come, and tried to learn a little about each of them. We were really amazed to hear some fabulous stories, and to meet some people with unique life experiences. We even met Gordon Miller, a solo cruiser traveling with his harmonica, who told us of a time when he stowed away on a ship. I hope next time we go, there will be more independent travelers and fewer travel agents 🙂 It would mean that together – we got this thing off the ground!
What would you do on a fathom Cruise?
1. You might teach something.
2. You might learn something.
3. You will help someone.
All of these things might happen, while traveling deep into a culture and engaging with it’s people. When are you ever going to get a chance to do that? “fathom” makes all the arrangements and even gives you a comfortable ride there, on a luxurious ship, then an air conditioned bus. The best part is: all of the “impact activities” are included in the cruise fare which is an EXTREMELY great value!
In order to help you decide, if you would like this type of experience, I will tell you a little about us. If, after reading about us, you decide that we are like minded, you will know that you would enjoy it too!
I am a middle aged female, who loves to work. I have a desk job, but I would much rather be creating with my hands, and sweating. I come from a financially struggling family where I have not always had a clean home with modern conveniences. When I was a child, my family once endured about 9 months without natural gas service, meaning we had to cook in electric appliances and go to a friend’s house for a warm shower, yes in the United States…. For several years I lived in a very poor neighborhood, and now enjoy a high quality life, in a prestigious subdivision. Because I am a hard worker, and live in the United States, I was able to escape poverty. But I have great empathy, for those who are struggling. To me struggling means that you are trying, not sitting around waiting, or blaming someone else for your personal misfortune. I enjoy learning, doing, and I am not too special to get dirty, sweat or lend a hand. I love the people connection and making new friends in a different culture. This fathom opportunity is up close and personal. I love to immerse myself in culture, to eat, drink and rub elbows with the locals. But at the same time – I appreciate the floating hotel, that provides the standard of living I am accustomed to at home, while I give, play and grow. If you are like me, you would really enjoy a fathom Travel Cruise Vacation.
My husband is a “pk”. For those of you who don’t know, “pk” stands for “preacher’s kid”. His Father was a Lutheran minister, but we are not religious. fathom keeps telling us that this product would be good for “faith based” organizations, and it may very well be, but we think it is perfect for good people who want to give back without the religious component! Rob is an Architect, a service professional, who went in to Architecture because he liked construction. His favorite impact activity was Concrete Floors. You can read about it on our Architecture Firm website, click here. I can tell you that he also loved Student English, and the Musical Entertainment on the ship. Fathom hires local entertainers to come on the ship and perform during the time you are in the destination. Our favorite this time was a duet, Allison and Lardwin! So much talent in this Dominican Culture!
Since our daughters are grown and gone, we live in an empty nest. It was fun to spend some time with the Dominican children! We are known in our town as the Architect’s who get their hands dirty because we have personally renovated two commercial buildings and four homes. We have spent many weekends, doing the kind of work, that we only get to draw for our clients. If getting out of the office is a treat for you, you too would enjoy, a fathom Travel Cruise Vacation.
We just returned yesterday from our second fathom cruise to the Dominican Republic. This time we asked our fellow travelers why they had come. Four answers stood out, in order of prominence – they are:
PRICE – 2016 is fathom Travel’s launch year. They are brand new! Introductory pricing, that seems too good to be true, is available thru May 2017. A seven night cruise vacation for practically nothing, you really can’t go wrong on this one.
People teaching their children (and Grandchildren and even GREAT-Grandchildren) to give back and to have gratitude, for their own circumstances, in daily existence. What your children will see, will change them – all you have to do is bring them along. We sailed with two school groups of teenagers. Can you think of a student that would benefit from a Give Play Grow experience?
Men traveling together who’s wives stayed home. They enjoy the adventure associated with giving back in the company of their friends and colleagues. If they had known about the water-park at Amber Cove their wives may have come along. You aren’t required to work, and there is plenty else to do.
Retiring Public Servants, looking for a way to continue serving, now and in the future. People who have public pensions and have spent their lives helping others! We met a married couple who are recently retired parole officers. They said that just because they were retiring didn’t mean they would stop serving, and that fathom was a really nice opportunity!
I can tell you that initially, we thought we wanted to go to Cuba, and fathom was going. We booked our Cuba trip and later added the Dominican Republic because of the price. fathom sails to the two destinations on opposite weeks, see the schedule below. When all was said and done, we enjoyed the Dominican Republic more, partially because of the people we were traveling with. We really felt a connection to those who were genuinely interested in the non religious mission work! We loved the impact guides on the fathom ship, and the personal growth seminars they were facilitating. What a pleasant surprise!
The people that fathom is helping in the Dominican Republic are hard workers, who are struggling, because life is difficult there. They have to gather and save water, because it only comes out of the faucet at a trickle, something American’s can not even imagine. Not having clean water makes many things more difficult.
What can you think of that would be a challenge without clean water?
The three pillars of fathom are Social, Environment, and Economy which all revolve around the people. Fathom partners with two different Dominican non profit organizations. IDDI and Entrena, who manage the effort on ground, so that it meets the need, and fits into Dominican Culture. To learn more about the philosophy of the fathom brand, click here.
One of the problems, in the Dominican Republic, is that there is no welfare safety net for the people. The effect of this is that they are forced to work for a very low wage that is not enough to even buy necessities. It keeps them trapped in poverty, unable to escape. They can’t even take one day off to look for better work or learn new skills. I can not imagine having accomplished, all I have done in my life, without the safety net of Unemployment, and even Welfare. Both of my daughters were born on a State Medical Card. Even Rob was collecting Unemployment in the early days of Belles Architecture! Without a safety net our lives would have been much different! Can you even imagine?
Are you willing to help these hard working people
with at least one day of your impact travel vacation?
The things being done, really are helping the people. During our trip, we heard that Government officials recently visited Chocal, the women’s cooperative, that is producing organic chocolate bars. They stopped by to find out why Chocal had been able, to pay down a loan, so quickly. They were pleasantly surprised to learn that it was because of the fathom volunteers who were coming on a regular basis – boosting productivity!
If you can understand this – you would like it. If you are searching for a bargain, you would like it. If you have empathy for good people you would like it. If you enjoy work, you would like it. If you are not religious you would like it; and if you are religious you likely would too. If you like construction or children you would like it. If you like to help others you would like it. If you do guy trips (or girl get-aways) you would like it. If you like chocolate you would like it. If you are looking for multi-generational travel you would like it. In fact we didn’t meet anyone that wasn’t enjoying it!
Read more about the fathom Travel Experience at Belles Firm of Architecture’s website:
Oh oh!! I almost forgot – The Bungalows in Amber Cove are furnished and ready for your next Corporate Breakout sessions! This experience would be PERFECT for your next educational event or Corporate Retreat! There is un-programmed space on the ship, so there is room to customize for your organization. And ALL of the programming that is there, by Ashoka and Curiosity Atlas, is a perfect compliment to stimulate personal growth of your team on individual terms. Call us for help planning your next fathom cruise travel event! 815-516-0300 We plan events for groups large or small.
Your organization can even BUY OUT the ship! (Guest Capacity 704)
What will you do with this one wild and crazy
fathom impact travel opportunity?
Leave a Comment to let us know!
Comentarios