More and more, travelers want to positively impact their destinations. Trouble is,  choice has mostly been limited and stark: Commit to a full-fledged mission trip, buy a tour package with a token community service project, or hope the money you spends gets around to the local people who need it.

The Pepper Project promotes U.S. importation of fine Kampot pepper as a way to support Cambodians and the country’s economy. Its great pepper that was used in the finest French restaurants during the colonial era.

A couple of new choices have arrived for 2016. Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, is launching a line focusing on social impact cruises and Orange County’s Expedia center is partnering the Pepper Project for a deep tour of Cambodia including significant interaction and opportunities to connect, learn about, support and aid locals in their quest to rebuild the country’s pepper farms and other parts of the Cambodian economy.

Carnival’s Fathom will take guests on 7-day cruises from Miami to the Dominican Republic for 3 days of social impact work along with some time for preparation and relaxation in transit. It is supported by Carnival’s relatively new CEO, Arnold Donald, whose personal passion, belief in corporate social responsibility and interpretation of consumer research all played in the decision. 

I will post more details on each of these. For now, I want your opinions. Would you consider a cruise that included 3 days of volunteer work?