Photo courtesy of Fathom
As Carnival Corporation's newest cruise brand Fathom continues to make history sailing to Cuba as well as the Dominican Republic, it has now teamed up with Ashoka, the biggest international social entrepreneur network, to elevate the "social impact" experience in both destinations even further.
The partnership will result in new onboard programming that cultivates "changemaking," or making a positive impact in communities. It will also include training for the cruise line's Fathom Impact Guides and program leaders, and Ashoka members will come aboard to help and oversee the experience occasionally. This marks the first time Ashoka and its 3,200 "Fellows" have endeavored in the cruise industry to impart their vision of "empathy, teamwork, leadership and problem solving" onboard.
READ MORE: Fathom Arrives in Cuba
"We love our partnership with Ashoka as we share similar visions of everyone being a changemaker," said Tara Russell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation. "They have a history of social innovation and education and are a respected impact organization, which will play a vital role as we continue to develop our onboard programming to enhance our traveler experience."
The kind of programming that passengers can expect to experience from Ashoka, on the one to two sea days leading up to the destination arrival, is outlined here:
• Change Making Acts - one-hour discovery workshops that explain what it looks like to make a difference, ranging from playful family scavenger hunts to storytelling and social problem solving.
• Changemaker Workshops - two-hour team exercises that focus on community impact and personal development ashore via Ashoka's signature storytelling.
• Parenting Changemakers - family-focused sessions where parents and grandparents, as well as those who interact with children, can learn to instill changemaking in their lives and train them in necessary skills such as empathy, problem solving, leadership and teamwork.
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Tia Johnston, Senior Change Manager, Ashoka, said, "Fathom has developed an exciting opportunity by not only giving travelers the experience of giving back in a local community, but also preparing them to take what they learn and apply it to their life at home as a changemaker. Fathom's goal with each traveler is a long-term engagement, not one that ends in the confines of seven days. Fathom is doing something that we hope will one day be the norm for businesses - helping travelers and employees recognize their own changemaking potential and giving them opportunities to practice it. That is a journey worth taking - for everyone."
The new programming comes shortly after Fathom historically became the first U.S. cruise line in decades to be granted permission to sail from Miami to Cuba. Rates for seven-day cruises to the Dominican Republic begin at $499 per person and to Cuba at $1,899 per person. Costs vary by season.
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