fathom (cruise line)

{{Infobox company

| name = Fathom Travel Ltd.

| logo = File:Fathom sm.jpg

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| type = Subsidiary

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| parent = Carnival Corporation & plc

| founded = {{start date|2015|06|04}}

| hq_location =

| hq_location_city = Doral, Florida

| hq_location_country = United States

| area_served = United States

| industry = Transportation

| key_people = Tara Russell
(President)

| products = Cruises

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| defunct = {{end date|2019|01|08}}

| fate = Brand Discontinued

| website = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.fathom.org/ |date=* |title=Archived official website }}

}}

Fathom was a cruise travel experience brand owned by Carnival Corporation & plc and a former cruise line. It was registered in the United Kingdom,{{cite news|url=http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/carnival-corp-launches-new-brand-focused-on-social-impact-travel.html|title=Carnival Corp. launches new brand focused on 'social impact travel'|date=June 4, 2015|work=Seatrade Cruise News|accessdate=June 12, 2015|publisher=Seatrade Communications}} and based in Doral, Florida. The line was designed to operate in the "social impact travel" market.{{cite news|last1=Sampson|first1=Hannah|title=Carnival launches fathom, a new "social impact travel" brand|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article23081625.html|accessdate=June 5, 2015|work=Miami Herald|date=June 4, 2015}} Fathom later used other ships within the Carnival Corporation to operate its cruises. In its short time as a cruise line, Fathom made history as they marked the return of cruises from the United States to Cuba following the improvement of relations with Cuba and the United States.

History

{{Quote box|width=23em|bgcolor=white|title=Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival|title_bg=blue|title_fnt=white|align=right|quote=Fathom will cater to an under served market of consumers who want to have a positive impact on people’s lives, and aren’t always sure where to begin.}}

Fathom was initially established by Carnival as a cruise line on June 4, 2015,{{cite news|last1=Sloan|first1=Gene|title=New cruise line to offer 'social impact' vacations|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2015/06/04/new-carnival-brand-fathom/28425453/|accessdate=June 5, 2015|work=USA Today|date=June 4, 2015}} to operate "social impact travel" journeys lasting seven days from PortMiami, Florida, to the Dominican Republic. The journeys included volunteer activities with established organizations on the ground. Carnival reassigned the {{MV|Adonia}} to Fathom as its first ship.

On May 2, 2016, Adonia docked in the port of Havana, the first port of her Cuban itinerary for Fathom. It marked the first time in over 50 years that a U.S. cruise line has sailed from the U.S. to Cuba. It was also the first time in decades that Cuban-born individuals were able to travel by sea to or from Cuba.Clary, Mike and Arlene Satchell. (May 1, 2016). [http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/cuba-cruise/fl-cuba-cruise-sails-20160501-story.html Cruise to Cuba: Travelers to 'make history' in Havana ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502121734/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/cuba-cruise/fl-cuba-cruise-sails-20160501-story.html |date=May 2, 2016 }}. Sun Sentinel. Accessed on May 4, 2016.

In November 2016, it was announced that Fathom would discontinue cruise line operations in June 2017, while the name continued as a branded experience on other Carnival cruise lines including AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and P&O Cruises. The MV Adonia, its only ship, was returned to P&O Cruises.{{cite news|last1=Sampson|first1=Hannah|title=Breaking: Carnival Corp. Is Pulling the Plug on Its New Cruise Line Fathom|url=https://skift.com/2016/11/23/carnival-corp-is-pulling-the-plug-on-its-new-cruise-line-fathom/|accessdate=24 November 2016|publisher=Skift|date=23 November 2016}} The last announced voyages with Fathom took place on six Princess cruises in 2018.{{cite web |title=Princess Cruises and Fathom Travel Add Impact Sailings to Caribbean |url=http://www.carnivalcorp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=140690&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2336110 |website=Carnival Corporation News & Events |publisher=Carnival Corporation |accessdate=10 February 2019}}

On January 8, 2019, the Fathom brand was quietly discontinued.{{cite web |title=Fathom Travel Ltd |url=https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/company/09608240-fathom-travel-ltd |website=Endole |accessdate=10 February 2019}} Upon the brand's discontinuation, the website was shut down and redirected visitors to Carnival's Global Impact page until the domain expired. No further announcements have been made about the future of Fathom.

Management

Fathom's president was Tara Russell, an entrepreneur who founded Create Common Good, a nonprofit enterprise that provides food service job training to help at-risk people become self-sufficient. Russell is the global impact lead for Carnival, working with its 10 cruise line brands on social impact strategies. In that role, she reported directly to Arnold Donald.