{"id":88,"date":"2016-07-13T07:06:07","date_gmt":"2016-07-13T13:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/?p=88"},"modified":"2016-07-13T07:19:02","modified_gmt":"2016-07-13T13:19:02","slug":"fathom-travel-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/?p=88","title":{"rendered":"Fathom Travel Hacks!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We love to travel with friends, and one of the best trips for girlfriends, couples or families I\u2019ve found is the new Fathom Cruise line. It\u2019s a perfect pairing of relaxation, serving and getting immersed in a new culture. Oh, and the food\u2026the food is amazing.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t booked your trip \u2013 here\u2019s a link to a special coupon code to save some money on your trip.<\/p>\n

Now, this is one journey that makes it easy to travel solo. You\u2019re on a ship with a few hundred friendly people who love to help others. Let\u2019s just say making friends is really easy in the Fathom concept.<\/p>\n

Here are a few quick travel hacks to make your life easier!<\/p>\n

Before:
\nDon’t miss Miami! <\/strong> The last thing you need is a flight delay and the cruise ship leave port without you. We flew in the day before, and found an incredible deal on hotels right near the port. We got the Intercontinental for $79 on Priceline. To Uber from the Ft. Lauderdale airport to Miami was about $25. We found amazing, inexpensive restaurants right in the downtown area. So relieve a little potential stress. Come in a day early and enjoy a bit of Miami before you jump on the ship!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"shipAboard:<\/strong>
\nBring along a few little travel size toiletries<\/strong>. Your cabin will have a few really high quality products for you to sample \u2013 shampoo, body wash, conditioner, etc. All products are organic and fair trade and you\u2019ll love them\u2026but they don\u2019t refill them! They do sell incredible ethically sourced brands in the gift shop, but save some cash and bring a few along.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t over pack! There are washers and dryers on board, and after a few of the impact activities you will definitely want to use them. Make your life easier and bring along a few of those Tide pods and dryer sheets<\/strong>. They sell powder detergent in the duty free shop when the ship is at sea, but it\u2019s just easier to save the hassle and bring those pods!<\/p>\n

You\u2019re allowed to bring 1 bottle of wine<\/strong> when you board in Miami, per person! Stop by a drug store and pick up a bottle, wrap it in some bubble wrap and put it in your bag. You can\u2019t drink it at dinner (well, you can but you\u2019ll have to pay a corkage fee) so get something you\u2019ll want to sip on pool side or watching the sunset. You\u2019ll save a few dollars that way!<\/p>\n

Cruise ships are metal \u2013 and while there was plenty of storage in our room for two, if you\u2019re traveling with a family, likely you\u2019ll need a bit more space. Grab some magnets with hooks<\/strong> on them at your local hardware store and you\u2019ll have bonus places to hang swimsuits and gym clothes. Also, bring along a few refrigerator magnets to get schedules, tickets and other notes off your desk.<\/p>\n

There is a decent amount of space under the beds \u2013 great for stashing your suitcase, or better yet, using your suitcase as extra storage<\/strong>! Also we had more than enough hanging closet space and you can maximize by brining some extra hangers.<\/p>\n

There are interactive hallway signs for each room, but you need to have a dry erase marker<\/strong> to use them. Bring one along!<\/p>\n

The wind can be pretty strong and chilly at night, so bring a sweatshirt.<\/strong> Also, a light rain jacket\"IMG_0142 or poncho will likely come in very handy, especially if you\u2019re signed up to do reforestation.<\/p>\n

The Adonia is a British ship, so tea is plentiful. The coffee is good, but if you are a coffee-holic, you may want to pack a few instant Starbucks Via packets<\/strong> in your luggage if you\u2019re in a pinch<\/p>\n

Bring at least 1 powerstrip and a nightlight<\/strong>. We also brought along 3 external battery chargers<\/strong> for our phones, and we used them all. You\u2019ll thank me later.<\/p>\n

The library on the ship<\/strong> is completely underrated! There\u2019s a great selection of books, puzzles and board games that you can check out during the cruise.<\/p>\n

Think casual!<\/strong> You can dress for dinner if you want to \u2013 but don’t feel like you need to. We could have dressed for dinner once or twice, but chose to just have a great time with our people in The Conservatory. I brought fancy shoes, but never wore them.<\/p>\n

Bring extra money <\/strong>for shopping on the ship. The stores on the ship are filled with fantastic fair-trade, ethically sources products. Shinola watches, Krochet Kids clothing, Body Shop lotions, Proof Sunglasses. You\u2019ll want to take some of this stuff home with you.<\/p>\n

All of the wines <\/strong>on the ship are organic and delicious. The coffees<\/strong> in the coffee bars are also fair trade, organic and from the Dominican. Bring some extra cash and indulge in these yummy options!<\/p>\n

Here’s where to overpack – Bring enough sunscreen and bug spray.<\/strong>\u00a0You really don’t want to pay $27 for sunscreen, do you?<\/p>\n

Run by GoodWill and buy a cheap\u00a0insulated cup<\/strong> for cold drinks and a travel coffee mug<\/strong> for walking around the ship that you can throw out after the trip – or to help protect those delicious bottles of rum that you’ll be bringing home!<\/p>\n

Bring a journal<\/strong>. I found myself wanting to take notes at several of the events around the ship, and it\u2019s a great way to document your thoughts.<\/p>\n

WiFi <\/strong>is just ok on the ship. There are data packages that you can purchase. But note, if you are a big fan of sports in the US, you will likely use all your minutes trying to access ESPN! Again, this is a British ship so American sports aren\u2019t shown on board. WiFi is free and plentiful at the Fathom office in Amber Cove however, and it\u2019s a fun evening to watch a game with others from the ship.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have an international cell plan, but Sprint did have free data and texting<\/strong> while we were in the DR. Great way to stay in touch with people both at home, get updates from your dogsitter and track down your new friends on the island.<\/p>\n

Impact Activities:<\/strong>
\nBring a pen<\/strong> along with you every time you leave the ship. Every time. Every time.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re doing reforestation, concrete or water filters, you\u2019ll want to bring clothes that you \"repapelcan get dirty<\/strong>. You\u2019ll want to have closed toed shoes, bug spray, sunscreen<\/strong> and the people who brought their own work gloves<\/strong> were much happier! (You\u2019ll want bug spray for RePapel too.)<\/p>\n

Bring some extra cash <\/strong>if you\u2019re heading to RePapel. The ladies have a store where they sell paper, crafts and jewelry. They have gorgeous products at very reasonable prices. You can get all your Christmas shopping done in one stop while you help support these amazing women! We are using our paper as mattes for photos.<\/p>\n

People in the DR are very conservative \u2013 so ladies, be respectful. Cover your shoulders<\/strong> and have long shorts or knee length skirts, especially for teaching in the schools.<\/p>\n

Other tourist activities:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amber Cove<\/strong> has shopping waterslides, bungalows, hammocks, zipline\u2026it\u2019s great fun, and close enough to the ship to walk back and forth. There is no beach, but there are plenty of places to lounge around. Note that on Wednesday and Friday other massive Carnival ships will be docked at Amber Cove, supplying a few thousand sun-worshipping travelers. If you want to spend a few hours or a day at Amber Cove, shoot for Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday evening or Thursday.<\/p>\n

We found the Top 10 Tour to be not worth the money. The tour drove past sites before we knew what we were supposed to be looking at. Total bust. Here\u2019s the deal. Get a cab at Amber Cove for between $70-100 for a day. <\/strong>The taxi will comfortably hold about six people. This driver will be your guide all day, and will be honored to show off the sights and sounds of the DR. Just let the driver know what you want to see, agree on a price, and the cab companies will make sure you are well taken care of. Note \u2013 this is CASH. No cards accepted by these folks\u2026tip well!<\/p>\n

The places in Puerto Plata you don\u2019t want to miss:\"IMG_9917\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teleferico Puerto Plata Cable Car up to Mount Isabel de Torres<\/strong> \u2013 Have you camera ready for incredible views as the cable car takes you up the mountain. I would recommend having one of the guides in the green shirts to accompany you on your ride (they do this for a tip-it\u2019s well worth the extra cost). They will give you the full history, walk you around the botanical gardens and share great stories of the region. Also \u2013 at the top, it\u2019s worth it to have one of the kids in blue shirts take pictures for you (for a tip or a purchase from their gift shop!). They do a great job, and while we were skeptical at first, these are some of our favorite pics from the trip!<\/p>\n

Brugal Rum Factory<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s rum. It\u2019s delicious. What\u2019s not to love? Note that the prices are great in their gift shop. ($4 for a small bottle of rum? \u00a0You’d be losing money not to take them up on that offer)<\/p>\n

Amber Museum<\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019re with kids and they like bugs, this is the place. The museum is small but oddly fascinating. Who knew that tree sap could be so interesting! They have a very large gift shop, and the prices for amber are very competitive.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9728\"Cathedral San Filipe<\/strong> \u2013 Beautiful church in a fun location just down the block from the Amber Museum. There are concerts on the plaza, mom and pop shops for souvenirs and a little place for some fantastic gelato. Also, make sure to buy some bird feed from a vendor and have an experience that rivals a Hitchcock film.<\/p>\n

27 Waterfalls<\/strong> \u2013 We ran out of time and weren\u2019t able to make it to the waterfalls, but everyone we spoke to raved about the trip. Apparently it\u2019s a gorgeous excursion. We were warned \u2013 first, it\u2019s pretty physical so be ready to walk. Second \u2013 only bring waterproof cameras! Best to get here by getting a crew of people and grabbing a cab.<\/p>\n

Beaches \u2013 <\/strong>Our cab stopped at Long Beach in Puerto Plata, at our request. This is a beautiful beach, but during the weekdays it\u2019s essentially deserted! \u00a0We also heard rumor of a great beach just to the west of Amber Cove.<\/p>\n

Grocery Stores<\/strong> \u2013 if you want to bring coffee, rum or chocolate home with you, ask your taxi driver to take you to a grocery store. Coffee and chocolate prices are much cheaper outside of Amber Cove! We become big fans of El Cibao coffee – sample a cup at their store at Amber Cove and then buy it at the grocery store! The rum prices are pretty similar between the Duty Free at Amber Cove, the grocery store and the Brugal distillery.<\/p>\n

Our other hack?<\/p>\n

Bring along a lot of business cards<\/strong> and make sure you start following your fellow travelers on social media early on the trip. We have great photos of many people from the ship, and we don’t know how to reach them.<\/p>\n

So go! Have fun! Prices are incredible (some weeks are $300 for an inside room, for a week!) \u2013 and if you use this link <\/a>you\u2019ll get an even bigger discount on travel.<\/p>\n

Have fun and if you decide to go, please post pictures so we can track your travel!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We love to travel with friends, and one of the best trips for girlfriends, couples or families I\u2019ve found is the new Fathom Cruise line. It\u2019s a perfect pairing of relaxation, serving and getting immersed in a new culture. Oh, and the food\u2026the food is amazing. If you haven\u2019t booked your trip \u2013 here\u2019s a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":92,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,102],"tags":[122,103,105,123,113,114,104,106,111,110,121,116,109,112,108,115,107],"class_list":["post-88","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-hacks","category-travel","tag-amber-cove","tag-budget-travel","tag-caribbean","tag-carnival","tag-cruise","tag-cruiseline","tag-dominican-republic","tag-fathom","tag-hotwire","tag-priceline","tag-puerta-plata","tag-travel","tag-travel-deep","tag-travel-hacks","tag-traveldeep","tag-vacation","tag-voluntourism"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8fdt8-1q","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wandertruenorth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/IMG_9676.jpg?fit=2446%2C2446&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=88"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions\/100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/92"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=88"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=88"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wandertruenorth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=88"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}