mdin

4 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

Thank you for such a great review! I have Horizon Havana inside cabin 6470 on hold for this same itinerary and I was wondering if you might be able to answer a question for me. On the deck plans there is a stairwell right in front of this cabin. Do you happen to know if that stairwell goes down to the Havana Bar? 

Yes! This stairwell leads right into the back of the Havana Bar. We used that stairwell all the time to go from our room to Havana (and vice versa). We stayed in 7457, liked it so much we booked the same room on Vista for 2024.

3 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Your review was helpful, just booked this itinerary. Did you by chance notice how many and where the hot tubs were? 

On Horizon, there are 2 hot tubs in Serenity, 2 at the Tides Pool on deck 10 aft, and 2 in Havana (Havana guests only).

During afternoon hours, all the hot tubs in Serenity and Tides were pretty packed, at least when I walked by.

8 hours ago, beachgal58 said:

Thanks for the review, enjoyed reading about yr experience. I will be sailing on Horizon soon, same ports, the Ocean Oasis on Curacao and Beach Club at Amber Cove, no pool at either one? TIA.

Thank you!

Ocean Oasis was in Bonaire, but no pool there or at Amber Beach Club in Amber Cove.

1 hour ago, scoobysnacks70 said:

Thank you for the info on the drink package!  We have been going back and forth about it and had pretty much decided to do what you did...glad to hear that you came out ahead lol.  Everybody talks about how much the saved by getting it and I never hear anyone say it really wasn't worth it...Loved your review!

Thank you!

We found on average we were having about 5 to 6 drinks each on sea days. On port days, that dropped to about 2 to 4. That's where the difference comes in.

Now with the drink package increasing May 1, it's probably safe to say drink prices on board will also increase. We are again debating to purchase the drink package before the price increase for our next cruise. Got a couple weeks to decide lol.

To wrap it up, my wife and I had an amazing trip. It was our first cruise since the industry restarted, and it pretty much felt like any other cruise we've taken. 

The staff were constantly wiping down hand rails and making sure the ship was clean. Stefan was the CD filling in for Erin, he seemed to have done a very good job.

Overall, we are happy to be cruising again. The extra steps needed to cruise were not a big deal at all for us. It doesn't take away from any of the fun that we had and any minor inconvenience was absolutely worth it! We already booked Mardi Gras for February 2023 and a Havana room on Vista for February 2024. Looking forward to it.

Thanks everyone for following my first attempt at an extended review. If anyone has any questions about Horizon or this itinerary, I'll definitely try to answer them the best I can. 

Amber Cove, Friday (9am-5pm)

Our final port on this cruise was Amber Cove. A new port for us. Getting off the ship was much easier than the day before. For this port, we booked an All Inclusive Beach Day through Carnival. After finding our group, we proceeded to a large coach bus (3 total buses) that took us on about a 25 minute trip to the Amber Beach Club. Our tour guide Johan was awesome and gave us some history of the area on our drive. Once we arrived, we got to choose our own loungers and umbrella, which there were more than enough for everyone. Immediately, someone came around taking drink orders, and our relaxation for the day began.

The beach is on the Atlantic, so the water isn't turquoise and the sand isn't white or as soft, but nonetheless a very nice beach. Very private, no vendors, and the service is great. We ate at the served buffet and everything there was delicious. We didn't partake, but they had events going on throughout the day, including dance lessons that seemed popular. This excursion didn't have many reviews when we booked it, but it was excellent and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to relax. On our return trip, Johan broke out the homemade mamajuana and we enjoyed some shots before arriving back at Amber Cove.

We explored Amber Cove for a while before returning to the ship. A lot of shopping available as well as places for food and drinks. Very nice port, wouldn't mind visiting again.

La Romana, Thursday (11:30am-6pm)

Our next stop was La Romana. Our first time here we just walked around port and basically did a ship day. This time however, we booked the Soana Island Speedtour excursion with Seavis Tours. It was a somewhat short stop in La Romana, so we had to head out as soon as the gangway was open. Unfortunately, only the forward gangway was open this day, causing a major traffic jam getting off. It took about 45 minutes to get off the ship, with passengers pushing and shoving each other along the way. Not sure why people feel that would get them off the ship any quicker.

Once we got off, we headed to the taxi location where Seavis set up taxi transportation to their location. The cost was $15 each roundtrip, paid only after the return trip. They packed us into a van and made the 30 minute trip to the Seavis headquarters at a marina. The cost was $146 for both my wife and I for this tour. It included transport by speed boat to a natural pool in the middle of the sea, where we were allowed to take a dip and given rum and cokes. After the 20 minute stop, we sped off to Saona Island.

Saona was nice. The water was warm and clean, but we did have to swim around the speed boats that were anchored in the water. The trip included buffet and drinks as well as beach chairs. Because of the short day, we spent only about an hour on the island before speeding back to the marina.

It was a fun trip, and the speed boat tour was good. That said, they did cram us into the speed boat, making the trip somewhat uncomfortable.

Ocean Oasis

Bonaire, Wednesday (7a-3p)

We arrived early in Bonaire the next day. This was our second time visiting Bonaire. The first time we did a Best of Bonaire excursion. This time we decided to venture off on our own. We booked a day pass at Ocean Oasis resort in advance ($18 each). We made our way off the ship around 8:45am and quickly found a taxi upon existing the terminal. It was $17.50 one way for a 15 minute drive from port to resort.

Ocean Oasis opens at 9am and immediately you can tell it's a good spot to spend the day. It's a beautiful resort. The property is well maintained, and the service is first class. After checking in, we were allowed to select any available loungers we wanted. They set them up with fresh linens and beach towels (no need to bring your own). There is free Wi-Fi available and using their website, you can request service anytime you need. We ordered some drinks and relaxed for the short amount of time we were there.

The water is beautiful, however it was very rocky with a lot of coral. There appeared to be a narrow passage into the water that avoided most of the rocks, but we opted out of swimming this day. There was also a small pond on the property that looked available to guests. Overall, really impressed with this location and service. I would not hesitate visiting again.

Ports of Call and Excursions

Tuesday, Aruba (9a-11p)

After two days at sea, our first stop was Aruba. We wanted to visit Eagle Beach, so shortly after 9am we made our way off the ship. Immediately there were taxi and bus drivers outside the terminal offering rides. A driver offered to take us to Eagle Beach for $5 each. That was good enough for us and a quick 10 minute drive later he dropped us off in an area that had a bar and grill with restrooms, food truck, and chair/umbrella rentals. We scheduled a return pick-up time of 4pm with the driver.

Unfortunately the free palapas were all taken, so when we rented our chairs ($10 each) we had to rent a large umbrella as well ($55). The vendors quickly dug a hole and set up our chairs and umbrella, and we got to enjoy the beautiful view.

The beach and water are gorgeous! Easily one of the best beaches I've ever been too. We took a nice stroll before going for a swim in the warm turquoise water. Just perfect! The beach itself is wide and long, so there was plenty of space for everyone.

We visited the bar and grill (Blue Beach Bar) to get some drinks. There was a little bit of line and service was kind of slow and little rude to be honest. They do take both cash and credit. We ended up ordering two Aruba Ariba's for $12 a pop. A bit pricey for 12oz drinks, however they were very good. We got picked up around 4:15p and dropped back off at the port. We did a little shopping in town before heading back to the terminal to meet up with our excursion group.

We purchased the Sunset Sail from Carnival. The meeting spot was easy to find. We were brought over to one of the two sail boats. We met the crew and received a safety briefing and other guidelines. Once we were off, we got to move around the boat and enjoy the open bar. Plenty of drinks were flowing, and they didn't hold back on the alcohol. Strong winds and strong drinks 😉.

The excursion was amazing. We traveled along the coast of Aruba from the port all the way to Palm Beach. Enjoying great views and a beautiful sunset. The crew was friendly, and all the guests were great to chill with. I highly recommend this excursion. My wife and I had an amazing time.

Freewinds in port

Eagle Beach 

Sunset Sail

Entertainment/Activities
Spending most of our time in Havana, we didn't do many activities during this cruise. I skipped the SkyRide and SkyCourse this time (both were closed a couple days due to the wind). We enjoyed some of the other activities like mini golf, billiards, and foosball.

I did go to the water park a couple times. Surprisingly, there weren't any lines both times. Every time I headed up I went right to the platform. A couple days the tube slide was closed because of the wind, but the other one remained open.

We attended one comedy show at the limelight lounge. We got there about 10 minutes before the show started and there was no line to enter with plenty of seating available in the back. The rest of the seats finished filling up in those 10 minutes though, with some people having to stand.

We are not usual cruise production show people, but we actually enjoyed them the last time we were on Horizon. This time, we took in two productions, Vintage Pop and Celestial Strings, and once again they didn't disappoint. The performers put on an excellent show. Both times we showed up just as it was beginning and found plenty of seating available in the back of the theater on the 4th deck.

We also enjoyed listening to music in atrium (violinists), piano bar, and Ocean Plaza during the evenings.

FWIW, I suggest taking the 50% off offer. I had the free Santa Helena red wine and it was terrible. 

Breakfast/Brunch
We had breakfast or brunch everyday at the Meridian Restaurant. The service was excellent, unlike during dinner, the staff were very attentive and didn't seem as overwhelmed. The food was delicious with plenty of options. The only dish I repeares was the Port Day Express (in and out in 25 minutes). Our favorite breakfast spot on the ship.

Pancetta sceambled and huevos ranchero

Guy's Burger Joint
Good burgers and fries. Not much more to say that hasn't already been said before. Solid joint to get food. The fries were handcut. We both had it twice and both times the lines weren't too long. They move along well though, so the staff are knocking the food out pretty quick.

BlueIguana Cantina
Ate here once. Got a burrito after a port day excursion and it hit the spot. Long line that day so it was a bit of a wait, but worth it.

Pizzeria del Capitano
So we have some really good pizza in Connecticut, both in New Haven and other parts of the state with less famous, but just as good establishments. I have to say, the pizza on the ship was actually pretty decent. We had 3 or 4 times, both as a late night snack leaving the bar or late afternoon snack (even had it delivered using the app). It doesn't disappoint. There were very long lines though, with wait times between 30-45 minutes. Even ordering on the app was between 45-60 minutes wait. Fortunately being on vacation, we're never in a rush for anything.

21 hours ago, IloveOrchids said:

Great review !  The  free bottle of St.  Helena wine was also on the Mardi Gras February 2021.  

We  love love the Havana area on the Mardi Gras,  we are booked on the Horizon Havana February  2023.  Thank. You for the wonderful review !

Thank you. We loved Havana and will try to always book it when possible now. We have a February 2023 sailing on Mardi Gras, but not in Havana this time. Looking forward to that ship!

MDR
Another first for us this trip was anytime dining. Definitely something we plan to keep doing going forward. We only had dinner in the MDR (Meridian Restaurant) three times. Both elegant nights and the second sea day. We checked in on the app between 8:30-8:45p each time. The service didn't seem to be as attentive as they have been in the past. The orders seemed to take longer to come out then usual. They were also out of much of the wine from the wine list. The waiter one night mentioned they were low on wine choices due to inventory issues, which makes sense (explains steakhouse wine situation too).

Overall, the food was OK. Not great, not terrible. I did really enjoy the Indian vegetarian and filet mignon entrées. The prime rib was fine, however the potato and broccoli were smaller then I remember. I later found out the the ship was short staffed by 200 workers, which was most likely the reason for the slower service. The staff did the best they could given the circumstances.

Apps, prime rib, and linguine carbonara

5 hours ago, rolloman said:

Nice review...hoping for the casino report.

I'm not much of a gambler, so I only walked through the casino a couple of times after dinner. It was very busy though, with a lively atmosphere. Also, I noticed the smell of cigarette smoke was very strong.

Pig and Anchor
We ordered some apps and a shared the platter of meats (the whole smoker) and it was very good. I'm not sure how it compares to regions with a strong BBQ game, but I enjoyed it. The porter from Thirsty Frog was very good as well. We spent about $60 in all.

Dragon Chili Cheese Fries

The Whole Smoker

Mashed Potatoes and Mac and Cheese

Banana Cream Pie

JiJi Asian Kitchen
Excellent! First time we ever ate here for dinner, and we really liked it. For the amount of food you get, and quality, I think it may be the best bang for your buck on the ship. The service was superb. We enjoyed it so much, we ate there again on our last night of the cruise.

Dumplings, Duck, Braised Short Ribs, Creme Brulee Crepes

Cucina del Capitano
So we are spoiled when it comes to Italian restaurants. We live in an area with a large Italian community and lots of established restaurants. We did try Cucina for the first time, and unfortunately the food was not very good. At least the dishes we ordered. I probably won't be going there again. However, the service was excellent and very friendly as usual.

BTW, sorry for the screenshot pics. I can't get the normal pic files to upload here at the moment.

Fahrenheit 555
We ate here on the first day. We had reservations that we booked a few weeks prior. Food was very good overall. From the apps to the wagyu beef entrée we each ordered, everything was delicious. The cheesecake was big, but basic tasting. The service wasn't as good as we have received in the past. The waiter was friendly, but seemed to be rushing us from the start. I had picked a bottle of red wine, but it wasn't available and neither was the second. Meanwhile, she kept pushing us to take the free bottle, even though I mentioned I'd rather not. After being told they were out of the first couple selections, and feeling rushed, I gave in and took the free bottle. Now I know why it's free. Santa Helena. I suggest avoiding this wine if possible.

Kobe beef slider

Pork belly

Stuffed mushrooms

Wagyu beef

Cheesecake 

1 hour ago, atxlady said:

Is that a door? Did she move the tile and hang it from there?

It comes with hooks and is hung on the closet door.

1 hour ago, 2wheelin said:

Do you recall uber price hotel to South Beach?

Around $25.

Bars
We drink, but didn't have the drink package. We decided that we would calculate our drink cost totals at the end so we would know if the drink package will be worth it for the next cruise. We ordered drinks anytime we wanted one, never held back.

We never had to wait very long to be served at any of the bars. We patroned many, but not all of them. We stuck to trying something from the menu at each respective bar so that we could try some new drinks as well as drinks we already knew we liked. Not a bad drink was had lol.

The spot that there was ever more than a few minutes wait was Alchemy. It's understandable considering some drinks there take considerably more time to make, plus it's the most popular bar on the ship. Annamaria and crew were phenomenal and this continues to be our favorite bar.

Martini Seduction and Deal Closer 

P.S. Our combined drink totals with 18% gratuities ended up being $150 less than had we paid for the drink package.

Havana Area
So this was the first time staying in Havana for us, and we loved it. Easily our favorite area of the ship and where we spent the majority of our time this trip. There were always loungers or chairs available, while the pool and hot tubs were never full (only the 1st sea day was it somewhat busy in the area). The pool water was warmish, and the hot tubs were actually hot.

The staff were always friendly and very helpful. From handing us towels to taking our drink orders (the Cuban Iced Tea quickly became a favorite for both of us lol). Only the rotating door was working, and they had a staff member there checking for bracelets. Only Havana guests were allowed in. We will absolutely book Havana again next time on a Vista Class ship.

Cuban Iced Teas

Havana

Sunset as seen from Havana

58 minutes ago, postal2011 said:

Following this.  On the same cruise in May.  Can you tell me which nights are formal dining?  wanting to make reservations for Teppanyaki.  Thanks

 

 

Ours was Sunday (1st sea day) and Friday.

There were a handful of people who wore gowns and suits, but most were more business casual on Horizon a couple weeks ago. This was my first cruise I didn't bring my suit. Instead, I wore slacks with a button down dress shirt, no tie.