Last week was my first visit to Cuba, via the Adonia cruise ship from Fathom, the new impact travel brand from Carnival Corporation.
As a cruise aficionado (I’ve sailed about 60 cruises on nine different cruise lines during the last 22 years), I was curious to explore the Adonia cruise ship as soon as I boarded it in Miami. Let me give you a quick photo tour of this 30,277 ton ship with a capacity for 710 guests and 373 crew.
In the photo above, I’m on Deck 11, the Sky Deck, which is a terrific place for taking photos as you sail in and out of ports. You can also see the jogging track on Deck 10, the Sun Deck, and the Crystal Pool and hot tubs on Lido Deck 9.
As you can see from the deck plan photo above, the public passenger areas run from Decks 4-11.
Alternatively, see above a deck by deck diagram of the Adonia. This cruise ship dates to 2001, and has previously sailed as the R Eight, Minerva II and Royal Princess.
Cruisers who have sailed on the Pacific Princess, or Oceania’s Regatta, Insignia, Nautica or Sirena, or either of Azamara’s two ships will feel right at home, and recognize the Titanic-inspired sweeping staircase between decks 4 and 5.
The Adonia was built for Renaissance Cruises as the last of eight ‘R’ class ships. When the Renaissance cruise line declared bankruptcy in late 2001, the vessel was seized by creditors and laid up in Marseille, France where it stayed until 2003, when it became Swan Hellenic’s Minerva II.
In April 2007, the Minerva II was transferred to Princess Cruises and renamed the Royal Princess. In May, 2011, the ship was transferred to the P&O Cruises fleet where it was renamed the Adonia. The ship sailed with mainly British passengers until April, 2016, when the Adonia was reassigned within the Carnival Corporation to become the first ship for social impact brand “fathom” sailing on alternating itineraries from Miami to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Deck 4 is home to the reception area, the medical center, and many of the ocean-view passenger cabins.
Deck 4 is also home to the Explorers shore excursion office, but guests on the fathom cruise to Cuba have their “people-to-people” shore excursions included in their cruise fare. There are three optional excursions that guests may purchase for the evening in Havana, but you can also explore the city on your own under the “Self-guided” option on the U.S. Cuba travel affidavit that each guest must complete.
On Deck 5, the Curzon Lounge is used for lectures, movies and entertainment.
Mid-ship on Deck 5 is Anderson’s bar, a dark wood-paneled clubby gathering spot.
There are a few things on Deck 5 that are unique to fathom. This area is where you capture a memory from your travel experience on one of the provided postcards, and the ship will mail it to you. There is also a storytelling booth, and gift shops filled with unique, social impact brands such as Shinola watches made in Detroit.
At the aft end of Deck 5 you will find the Pacific Restaurant, the Adonia’s main dining room, that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with open dining seating on a single level.
Before you reach the dining room, you pass through Raffles lounge and espresso bar, where you can find freshly baked cookies and other treats, and check out the evening menu. Many of the waiters are from India, particularly from the delightful province of Goa.
One of my favorite features of the Adonia is its library on Deck 10, with a colorful painted ceiling, and hundreds of books for guests to check out during their cruise.
The library is also were the internet services was headquartered, although you could sign on and use the internet throughout the ship. For a cruise ship, I found the internet speed reasonably fast.
On Deck 10 aft, across the hall from the library, was the Ocean Grill speciality restaurant. It served Caribbean and Cuban-inspired food, for a $25 per person charge.
The Glass House wine bar took up the other side of Deck 10 aft. We found it a terrific spot to enjoy wine flights while playing cards during a leisurely afternoon at sea.
At the forward part of Deck 10, the Crow’s Nest provided a spacious location for classes, evening entertainment, a floor-to-ceiling windows to view where the ship was headed.
There’s much more to explore on the Adonia, from the Conservatory buffet restaurant on Deck 9 to the Lido Cafe where you could find a fresh-off-the-press Cubano sandwich to the card room, gym and spa.
Have you sailed on the Adonia, or one of it’s sister ships? What’s your favorite spot?
Other posts from my cruise to Cuba:
- Reflecting on My Visit to Cuba: People to People Interactions Were the Best
- Adding Cuba to My Travelers’ Century Club List of 325 Destinations
- 50 Interesting Facts about Cuba
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