#PCTImpact: Night One Recap

It’s close to midnight as the fathom Adonia sails into the open waters south of Florida, headed for the Dominican Republic. As the first day of our cruise comes to a close, here are some of our thoughts on what we’ve seen and experienced so far.

We boarded the ship around noon and embarkation was a breeze. The staff at the terminal made check-in easy and the boarding process was done by the deck on which your stateroom was located. We’re on “B” deck so we were the second group to board. Once on the ship, we headed to the Lido Deck and the Conservatory restaurant, which is the ship’s buffet and had lunch.

After lunch we had our first meeting with our Impact Guide. fathom separates travelers into groups of about 20-25 people and each has a leader or Impact Guide. Ours was Michigan native Paige, who spent the short “get to know you session” letting us know what to expect over the next seven days. She told us about the onboard enrichment activities we’d participate in both before and after our on-the-ground programs. Plus, she answered our questions and gave us some great tips about how to get the most out of our cruise.

The muster drill was well-organized and our assembly station was thankfully inside one of the lounges. fathom is one of the few cruise lines left that requires you to bring your life jacket to the drill, which made for some interesting photo opportunities after the exercise was completed. We were done in plenty of time to get back up to the lido deck for the sail away party.

The sail away party featured great music and drinks, but there was something else that made it unique. Each of us was given a passport and told we could earn up to six stamps by participating in various enrichment activities around the party deck. These interactive stations featured activities like writing your hopes and dreams on the ship’s windows, sending inspiring messages to other passengers or crew via a “zip line” and even marking your hometown on a giant map. Although the Adonia does offer many entertainment options found on a typical cruise, many of the activities are focused on enrichment and getting you to step out of your comfort zone and let loose.

After the sail away party we all gathered in the Pacific Restaurant for a delicious dinner. Our conversation focused on our first impressions…

Michelle commented that although the dress code is casual in the dining room, she almost felt bad wearing shorts in such a beautiful room and while dining on such exquisite food.

Both Megan and Scott also commented on the quality of the food, with Scott being especially impressed with the grilled okra that was part of his main dish.

Lou was impressed by the variety of the food on the menu and the extensive wine list.

Melissa, our first-time cruiser, admitted to finding the entire day a bit overwhelming, although she was quick to add that it was “in a good way” and that all of her experiences had been exciting and fun.

Chris was very impressed by the activities at the sail away party and how they “set the tone” for the days to come.

And everyone in the group raved about how beautiful this ship is. She is, quite simply, stunning.

After dinner, we gathered in the Crow’s Nest, an intimate lounge on the top deck facing the bow. The house musicians, The Crave Band, entertained us with a nice variety of fun songs and even had the dance floor full of folks during most of their numbers.

Tomorrow is a sea day and we’ve got a lot planned, including more enrichment activities, a 4th of July lido deck barbecue, and even a night of wine & painting similar to something you might find at a place like Pinot’s Palate or Painting with a Twist.

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