The Short Life of Fathom Shows Cruisers Mostly Just Want to Cruise
Skift Take
As Fathom prepares to enter its new chapter, the brand needs to clearly identify its mission and experience to connect with the right travelers. If "social impact" wasn't a clear enough description, will "participatory" do the job?
When Carol Matulonis first heard about Fathom, a cruise line that offers volunteer-focused trips, she was on board with the idea immediately.
"I just thought it was amazing and I booked it that same week," the Fort Pierce, Florida resident said.
Matulonis, a travel agent who owns a Cruise Planners franchise, took the weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic with her 25-year-old daughter over Mother's Day last year and enjoyed the experience. They taught English and helped at co-ops that made chocolate and stationery products.
But despite her enthusiasm, Matulonis wasn't able to sell Fathom cruises to anyone — even clients who were intrigued by the concept.
"I wanted to. I tried really hard, I had a lot of people look at it," she said. "But if they had to do the time and money for one vacation of the year, they wanted to do something different."
That disconnect between interest and action was a persistent problem for the Fathom brand, and in late November, parent c
