Fathom is a new Carnival brand designed for “social impact travel,” offering families the chance to work alongside local in the Dominican Republic to tackle community needs and enjoy immersive experiences in Cuba. The 700-passenger trips will be designed to offer parents and kids as young as eight opportunities for voluntourism, hoping to attract many who have never cruised. About half those on board are expected to be families.

There will be activities on board including conversational Spanish and the chance to choose activities focused on education, the environment and economic development. You might help a local women’s cooperative producing artisan chocolates, work in a classroom or help with a building project.

Besides the volunteer options, in the Dominican Republic, there will be the chance to take scuba lessons, snorkel, zip line and relax on the beach.

There also will be what you’d expect on board any cruise ship: a games deck, spa, pool, fitness center, musical performances and in this case, regionally inspired foods. The idea is while on board, the programming will prepare and inspire cruisers for what they can expect on shore

The Cuba trips, from Miami, will be more focused on immersive activities visiting particular neighborhoods, an organic farm meeting artists. On board activities will focus on Cuban history, culture and more.

In this series

• Family Cruise Guide (main article)
• Family cruises on Holland America (next article)

Note

Since this article was published, Carnival has discontinued its Fathom program.