After Fathom, Where Will Adonia Sail?

For a few more months the Adonia will continue sailing for Fathom to Cuba and the Dominican Republic. In fact, it is newly featuring six hybrid cruises to both destinations before its time as an “impact travel” ship is up come May 2017. After that, the vessel will return to P&O Cruises from whence it last came.

That means the ship, which even under the Fathom brand has still essentially been operated by P&O, will lose its light overlay of design changes, with all interior decor reverted back. The livery will also surely swap out the Fathom logos for P&O ones as well. In fact, eagle-eyed observers can still spot most of the weld marks outlining the original one beneath the current white paint, so it won’t be difficult to bring back.

Meanwhile, the deck plan on the British cruise line’s website displays The Glass House wine bar opposite the Ocean Grill specialty restaurant as it is on Fathom now, but it’s now described as a place to dine for food pairings. Elsewhere, it will mostly be a matter of changing out some signage to once more make the Adonia a P&O ship, hopefully also with production shows returning to The Curzon Lounge.

READ MORE: TravelPulse On Board: Fathom's Adonia Review

The turnaround between Fathom and P&O Cruises will be a quick one. The last sailing to Cuba is scheduled on May 28 before voyages pick up again in Europe on June 16, 2017. Once there, the small ship will begin a program of off-the-beaten-path discovery itineraries in the Mediterranean, Iceland, eastern Atlantic Islands and eventually back in the Caribbean.

The June 16 sailing will be a 7-night roundtrip route to Bordeaux, St Peter Port and Honfleur followed by a longer 14-night Icelandic cruise to Killybegs, Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Heimaey, Klaksvik, Portree and Londonderry.

In a statement, P&O Cruises SVP Paul Ludlow said, “Guests love our bigger ships, but Adonia has always had a special place in the hearts of many of them, who enjoy the intimate and country house hotel feel, the discovery itineraries offered and the refined gentleness of the on-board experience. The new programme of P&O Cruises holidays on Adonia will rekindle that intimacy for our regular guests, as they explore destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean, Atlantic and the Caribbean.”

READ MORE: Fathom Receives Approval to Add Stops in Cuba on Six Additional Cruises

In fact, after a summer season in Europe, the Adonia will return to the Caribbean for six months in the winter. However, there are no plans to call on Cuba nor the Dominican Republic again, at least for now, but the Amazon is set to be specially showcased farther south.

Instead the focus will be on unique port experiences and UNESCO sites primarily in Europe such as river transits to Bordeaux and Seville, a maiden visit to Puerto Banus, Iceland’s þingvellir National Park, La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia and Seville’s Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias.

The transfer of the Adonia from Fathom back to P&O will certainly mark a loss of cruise experiences for U.S. citizens regularly closer to home, but the Fathom program is expected to continue is some form, likely software on other Carnival Corporation brands. Whether that will continue to include Cuba and the Dominican Republic is still to be seen, but it may very well be available on the Adonia for volunteer and cultural immersion opportunities wherever it next will sail.

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