Horizon 7/23 - short review

[AdG15]

Hello,

 

 

In preparation for our trip I read all available reviews on the Horizon. I appreciated the information, so I thought I`d post a short summary of our experience.

 

 

We had a fantastic time - I would rank this cruise as one of the best we ever had, and everyone in our group agreed. However, we were also very lucky ito be able to book cabins in the Havana section. Whilst I think we would have also had a great time if we hadn't done that, I am not sure if it would have been as special as this trip was.

 

 

Embarkation/Debarkation in New York: We were notified of a short delay, but had already scheduled to arrive late. Embarkation process was very easy and quick, debarkation was efficient too.

 

 

Cabin: We had an aft balcony in the Havana section on deck 7. Very spacious, loved the balcony. Great view. Nicely decorated cabin with plenty storage and the standard bathroom. Fantastic cabin steward, funny, friendly and attentive.

 

 

Havana area: This was a special trip for us, so we booked Havana cabins. It will be hard to go back :(. We absolutely loved this little oasis. There was always plenty of seating available (if you specifically wanted a clam shell or lounger in the sun you could be out of luck, but there was always something available), the pool was not crowded and we had the jacuzzi's to ourselves quite often. Nice bar, nice staff, good cocktails. Loved the music and the volume that also allowed for a conversation. Loved everything about this area.

 

 

Crowds: That was my major concern ahead of this trip, reading other reviews. The ship was full, but it wasn`t as bad as I feared. The Lido deck felt very crowded, but we were never in line for more than a few minutes for food, and the wait time for the skyride was also less than 30 minutes. We did make sure we arrived in time for the shows, usually 30 minutes in advance, but that is also when the doors open, so we'd just find a seat and order a drink.

 

 

 

Shows: We went to the Cuban show and to Celestial Strings. Both were great, we all really loved Celestial Strings. Comedy (only went once) was ok. Some in our party went to another comedian and thought he was great.

 

 

Food: Another concern based on the reviews I read. I should not have worried at all. MDR: great food (and always warm!), great service. Dining room team gave us several recommendations each night and these were usually spot on. Bonsai Teppanyaki was a lot of fun, Cucina del Capitano also very good. We never ate at the buffet, but we did get a sandwich from the deli, which was nice. We liked blue iguana's cantina and the seafood shack, burgers were good too. We did not try any of the other places. We had one vegetarian in our group, both in the MDR and in Bonsai Teppanyaki they provided ample vegetarian alternatives, which was very nice.

 

 

Casino: Well, they took some of our money, so I guess that was not very nice, but we had lots of fun playing. Yes, you can smell that smoking is allowed, but it wasn`t as bad as I expected. Not enough to keep us (all non-smokers) out anyway.

 

 

Other: Some in our group tried the thrill ride and loved it, sky ride was fun too. Not open a lot. I found the Carnival Hub App very useful. We mostly used the stairs, but the new elevator system seemed to work well, except for day 1.

 

 

 

Staff: Loved the staff. Dining room team and room steward were great, and all of the staff was very friendly and open.

 

 

Ports: We went to Gibbs Key in Grand Turk (other provider) and loved it, just walked around on our own in San Juan and did the catamaran and snorkle in Amber Cove (via Carnival). All were great.

 

 

I think this has become a very boring review :D, as we clearly liked just about everything. Weren`t there any negatives? The gym was very crowded in the morning and I would have liked to spend a bit more time in each port. Oh, and the self service wine bar in the library does not work very well, nor does it provide any value for money. But all of these were so minor relative to all the amazing things we experienced this week.

 

 

I'd be delighted to answer any questions.

AdG

[Jenjer]

Thank You very much.

 

We are looking forward to our first Carnival cruise in the Havana next summer.

 

Some posters have mentioned Havana is not enforced as much as it should be, what was your experience with that?

 

How does towel service work? since there looks to be special Havana tan towels

 

Might not be able to answer this one but are the Cuban sodas in the Havana bar included in the bubbles beverage package. And or how much do they cost.

[AdG15]

Thank You very much.

 

We are looking forward to our first Carnival cruise in the Havana next summer.

 

Some posters have mentioned Havana is not enforced as much as it should be, what was your experience with that?

 

How does towel service work? since there looks to be special Havana tan towels

 

Might not be able to answer this one but are the Cuban sodas in the Havana bar included in the bubbles beverage package. And or how much do they cost.

 

Hello,

 

There is a towel station at the Havana deck, which distributes and exchanges the tan towels. On our cruise, the rules were enforced and people were asked to leave the area. I don`t know about the Cuban sodas.

 

You'll love it!

[BENHANDEL]

Thank you for posting this review! I have read some of the same reviews as you did prior to your trip and those things make me nervous before we sail Horizon in December. I love hearing these positive reviews!

[sb4ever]

Thanks for the review. We sail away tomorrow and are also in the Havana area.

[NYcruzzer]

Thank you for taking the time to write a fair, balanced, and informative review. I'm on the 8/28 sailing..Three weeks it will be my turn to relax in the Havana area !!!

[Joebucks]

Glad you had a great time! As someone who hates spending more on a room than an interior, the Havana sounds very tempting. Perhaps I will save that for a special occasion.

 

It's also a shame how much negatives this place can put into someone's head. Then you get there, expecting the worse, and it turns out to not be that way.

[JaniceB]

Thank you for the well thought out review.

[RHilla619]

Thanks for the positive review! Sailing on her tomorrow, glad to hear you enjoyed your trip.

[cccer]

I was on the same cruise as you and also had a great time. We were also in the Havana area and enjoyed it a lot. I think I spent more time by the pool on this cruise than all my other cruises combined. It is really nice to get away from the crowds.

[LizzieTrowbridge]

Havana area: This was a special trip for us, so we booked Havana cabins. It will be hard to go back :(. We absolutely loved this little oasis. There was always plenty of seating available (if you specifically wanted a clam shell or lounger in the sun you could be out of luck, but there was always something available), the pool was not crowded and we had the jacuzzi's to ourselves quite often. Nice bar, nice staff, good cocktails. Loved the music and the volume that also allowed for a conversation. Loved everything about this area.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write a review, AdG! Glad to hear you had a fantastic vacation on Horizon. No need to feel your review is "boring"- I like your positive attitude :) I will be in a Havana cabin in November and am wondering about chair hogs. You mentioned that you might not always be able to get a lounger in the sun and I am wondering if that is because they are being used or do people "save" chairs in the Havana area with a towel/magazine the way they do on lido.

[AdG15]

Thank you for taking the time to write a review, AdG! Glad to hear you had a fantastic vacation on Horizon. No need to feel your review is "boring"- I like your positive attitude :) I will be in a Havana cabin in November and am wondering about chair hogs. You mentioned that you might not always be able to get a lounger in the sun and I am wondering if that is because they are being used or do people "save" chairs in the Havana area with a towel/magazine the way they do on lido.

 

I don`t think so, but I haven`t really paid attention to it. We really liked the other comfortable chairs in the area and spent most of the time in the pool or jacuzzi anyway, so we weren`t looking for loungers in the sun. In the afternoon, there were usually many loungers and quite often also clam shells available.

[AdG15]

I was on the same cruise as you and also had a great time. We were also in the Havana area and enjoyed it a lot. I think I spent more time by the pool on this cruise than all my other cruises combined. It is really nice to get away from the crowds.

 

Hi! We probably "met" in the pool or jacuzzi then. Glad to hear you also had a great time.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.