Horizon cruisers..... really that bad??

[Gettys84]

17 hours ago, dcruisers said:

We are considering a cruise on the Horizon because of the itinerary.  We are well seasoned cruisers  ( over 30 cruises) having cruised on a variety of cruise lines including Carnival.

After  checking reviews I am wondering...... from service to food....is it really that terrible?   

We have  enjoyed our previous Carnival cruises but this is giving us second thoughts about booking the Horizon.

We would  appreciate hearing from Horizon cruisers..... should we stay away from this ship?

TIA!

This is my live review from April 8th. We did the 8 day sailing. Take a look!  

 

[emm126]

I was on the Horizon last November and loved it. I had my 1st cove cabin and really enjoyed it. I thought the crew was excellent, didn't come in contact with 1 person who wasn't smiling or wasn't friendly. The food was really good, including the specialty restaurants we did. I can see how the elevators could be annoying but didn't really bother me. I also understand the issues with the theatre and seating however I don't shows so.... you will have a great time!

[Tyhunt]

Seasoned cruiser also have sailed on the Horizon   Service was very good considering the number of people on board vs number of crew. no problem there.  Do not count on getting into the comedy club unless you go at least 30 to 45 min early.   30 min for showroom.

 

We are dropping back to the dream class ship mainly the Magic.   nearly the same itinerary, less expensive and not as crowded.

 

JMO

[stanrock22]

Went on the Horizon in Feb. Best ship and service we have had on Carnival. You will enjoy it!

[mets07]

7 hours ago, dcruisers said:

We usually travel with 3 other couples. so I can see where it would be  confusing making sure you tap the screen 8 times- not sure if everyone in our group would always remember to to that😜

what time are the shows in the theater? Most of the recent cruises we have been  on (Celebrity most recently) the shows are 7 and 9

7:30 and 9:30.

[funtexascruiser]

15 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The only downside I found on the Horizon was the sight lines in the main showroom.  Other than that, we had a fabulous time.  Of course this was enhanced by staying in the Havana area.  Anytime we stay on a Vista Class ship in the future, it will be in a Havana inside.  We're back doing the southern route this August.  Havana area is great, with plenty of room in the pool and no kids in the hot tubs.

We are doing a Havana Interior in October.  Was there good bar service during the day by the pool?

[BIGREDIOWAN]

The only things I noticed were the same issues in the auditorium as the Vista, the pool was crowded and it was tough to find a place to sit and eat on lido during normal eating times. Other than that we loved her! Just got off yesterday morning from an 8 day southern. It was glorious! 🙃

[CoolOne56]

11 hours ago, dcruisers said:

We are interested in the 8 day with Aruba, Curaçao etc- we’ve been to all the ports before but not in a few years.

What is the deal with the elevators that many have mentioned?  

Thanks for the info!

 From the YouTube presentation, the directions are above the elevator.

 

 

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

18 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The only downside I found on the Horizon was the sight lines in the main showroom.  Other than that, we had a fabulous time.  Of course this was enhanced by staying in the Havana area.  Anytime we stay on a Vista Class ship in the future, it will be in a Havana inside.  We're back doing the southern route this August.  Havana area is great, with plenty of room in the pool and no kids in the hot tubs.

 

would you say you can get better seats sitting in the balcony or the non tiered seats on the floor?

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

would you say you can get better seats sitting in the balcony or the non tiered seats on the floor?

In general, it all depends where you are because there are both good and bad seats in both locations.  We sat upstairs for the Love & Marriage show hosted by John Heald, which was funny and run differently than normal.  The sight line was not that good though.  On the other hand, we did enjoy the floor seats we had for Quest and Celestrial Strings.

[Jenjer]

We have been on 14 cruises, Carnival will be our 5th cruise line. We like to sail the new "mega" ships because of all the amenities, water slides, flow rider, skydiving, bumper cars, ropes course. Basically stuff to keep the teens busy and happy.    DH and I want a quiet calm pool to get a drink and relax. So the Havana area was perfect for us. I do not mind paying more and getting more. I was sad to see the newest Oasis class don't have a pool in the solarium. Also I am tired of the normal ports we have been to over and over so excited to get to sail a southern route from Miami as opposed to Puerto Rico( longer more expensive flights). Aruba, Grand Turk and Curacao are brand new locations for us. 

 

Having read many negative reviews about Horizon at one point I questioned our choice of ship.  As you know having sailed more than I have. So much of a cruise is in your attitude. Look for positive and you will find it look for negative and you will find it.  Look for dishes not cleaned up immediately and you will see them. 10 years ago I never saw a dirty dish left behind, but this is the day of maximizing profits by having less employees.  

 

To address two of the most complained about issues. No mega ship has enough pool space there are just to many people to do that on a ship. Way to many people all want to cool off in the postage sized pools on a hot sea day for it to be pleasant.   The elevators need some Carnival attention. A simple software upgrade that asks FIRST "how many people in your party?" before you select a location would do it so simply. I have no idea why that is not done it seems like simple code. If someone has a idea why they don't do that please chime in. 

 

I will defiantly be doing a review maybe a live if I can post pictures because  many Royal and NCL cruisers wonder how Carnival compares. 

[rukkian]

17 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

I think there should be instructions by every elevator touchpad explaining how to request an elevator. The elevator system isn’t difficult to use, but it’s not intuitive either. The biggest problem is people don’t push the button enough times to correspond to the number of people in their party. I did an 8 day cruise on Horizon less than 2 months ago and groups of people were still pushing the deck level they wanted to go to only one time on the last day of the cruise. All these people aren’t stupid, they just never learned how to use the elevator correctly for one reason or another. 

Unfortunately, the people that didn't learn, probably wouldn't read the instructions either.  

[WashCoCruisers]

We were on the Horizon the end of March (Spring Break).  It was great!!!  Yes, the Pools and lounges were usually full, this is no different than any other ship that I have been on!  The pools are small on every ship, and there are never enough loungers for all of the chair hogs and others!  Yes, the theater is tricky, but if you get there early, no problems!!  The food was good, not great, but good!  And lots of choices, so if you didn't like the food, get something else!!  

The elevators were fine, once you learned to use them correctly. It is just frustrating because everyone doesn't use them correctly!  

The atrium was different, not bad, different!  We absolutely loved the different designs in the big funnels.  This ship was great!!

[Kcheine]

I was on Horizon last June and we loved it.  The pool is busy but we had seats on 12 overlooking the pool area.  I love the newer ships because they are more handicap accessible.  My son is in a wheelchair and I need to know he will be able to get around the whole ship.

[Illbcruzn4life]

8 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

In general, it all depends where you are because there are both good and bad seats in both locations.  We sat upstairs for the Love & Marriage show hosted by John Heald, which was funny and run differently than normal.  The sight line was not that good though.  On the other hand, we did enjoy the floor seats we had for Quest and Celestrial Strings.

 

thanks for the quick reply.

 

Much appreciated.🙂

[SNJCruisers]

5 hours ago, ronbe65 said:

My first choice will be a ship that does not need any "exclusive areas" to be enjoyable. 

If you enjoy going in the pool or hot tub, and if you don't wish to pay extra for the Havana area, then you're stuck with the usual results.  Adult soup in the aft pool and hot tubs overrun by kids. But of course everybody has their own definition of enjoyable.  I'm too old to put up with the adult soup and annoying rugrat nonsense and will gladly pay a little extra for the slice of heaven known as the Havana area on the 3 Vista Class ships.

[RWolver672]

On 5/13/2019 at 4:28 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

I think there should be instructions by every elevator touchpad explaining how to request an elevator. The elevator system isn’t difficult to use, but it’s not intuitive either. The biggest problem is people don’t push the button enough times to correspond to the number of people in their party. I did an 8 day cruise on Horizon less than 2 months ago and groups of people were still pushing the deck level they wanted to go to only one time on the last day of the cruise. All these people aren’t stupid, they just never learned how to use the elevator correctly for one reason or another. 

 

It would help if they would change the pad to ask how many passengers after you hit the deck you want.  It shouldn't be that difficult to add that in there.

[reno3]

Husband and I were on the Horizon in January and it was one of our best cruises! We had a balcony and ATD and loved our waiter for the week, our room steward was great also! Go for it and enjoy!!!!

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by reno3

[KmomChicago]

On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 6:56 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

The biggest negative for Horizon (Vista too) is the two theaters are way too small for the size of the ship.  The sight lines are also poor in a lot of seats as mentioned by the previous poster.  If you aren’t a fan of production and comedy shows, that eliminates a big negative. 

 

Another big negative is how crowded the pools get on Horizon. If you search this sight, including this thread, you will read countless posts recommending the Havana area, which allows guests to avoid the crowds associated with the main pools on the ship. However, if you don’t spend all day lounging by a pool, this eliminates another big negative. 

 

Personally I prefer Dream, Conquest and Spirit class ships, but I would still cruise on Horizon or Vista again if the price was right.   

 

This is so frustrating about the bad theater views.  I've only been on Fantasy class once and I thought the crummy sight lines in the theatre was one of the biggest drawbacks. We didn't have the same problem on Triumph, which has of course now removed a whole level.  I would think they would have learned how to design and build functional theaters by now!

 

We haven't considered splurging for Havana yet but it's something to consider.  Some people don't like the idea of separating Carnival into different "classes" of areas but really suites have always served a somewhat different customer base and spa cabins were early tests of this kind of concept. I like the option to still enjoy Carnival, its overall value and its vibe but get something a little upgraded and special with the Havana area or, for those who are the right fit and demographic, Family Harbor.  Clearly it's smart of Carnival to offer these; even at the upgraded price they seem to sell just fine for most sailings.

Edited May 15, 2019 by KmomChicago

[Organized Chaos]

3 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

We haven't considered splurging for Havana yet but it's something to consider.  Some people don't like the idea of separating Carnival into different "classes" of areas but really suites have always served a somewhat different customer base and spa cabins were early tests of this kind of concept.

 

In regards to a more "class-based" experience, I look at what they're doing now with Havana and what's to come on the Mardi Gras as being different than what's been the norm for many years. Yeah, people have been able to pay more for a nicer, bigger cabin. The big difference is, everyone has had access to everything on the ship, regardless of how much they spent on their cabin. But that's changing  now. Along comes the Vista class with the Havana area and Family Harbor lounge. Those who didn't "pay to play" are restricted from these areas, with the exception of being allowed into the Havana pool area after 7pm. With the upcoming Mardi Gras, it will be subdivided even further. Loft 19 will be strictly pay to play (Excel suites get complimentary access). It doesn't look like "regular" passengers will get an opportunity to use this area at all without paying. And on top of paying just to access the area, there's an additional fee to rent a cabana there. So, to me, it looks like a little bit of Carnival cruising is going back to the old times of separate classes on a ship, where you're not even allowed in an area if you can't afford it. To be honest, it's a bit disappointing to see it headed this direction.

[SNJCruisers]

13 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

So, to me, it looks like a little bit of Carnival cruising is going back to the old times of separate classes on a ship, where you're not even allowed in an area if you can't afford it. To be honest, it's a bit disappointing to see it headed this direction.

The only trail blazing that Carnival has ever done is come out with the first cruise ship to be 100,000 tons with the debut of the Destiny back in the day.  So, as usual Carnival follows while others lead.  Other lines have had the separate class thing for awhile now to different degrees.  Royal, Celebrity, Norwegian and MSC, which are the four primary competitor's with Carnival all have this in place already on some of their ships.  MSC takes it to the broadest level with their four tiers of service.  First Class (Yacht Club) Second Class (Aurea)  Third Class (Fantastica) Fourth Class (Bella).

I also don't consider Sky Bikes, IMAX theaters and roller coasters as being trailblazing items.  As usual, it all comes down to the almighty dollar and Carnival is just trying to come up with new ways to add coinage to the coffers and the Havana area and Loft 19 will do just that.

[Organized Chaos]

17 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

The only trail blazing that Carnival has ever done is come out with the first cruise ship to be 100,000 tons with the debut of the Destiny back in the day.  So, as usual Carnival follows while others lead.  Other lines have had the separate class thing for awhile now to different degrees.  Royal, Celebrity, Norwegian and MSC, which are the four primary competitor's with Carnival all have this in place already on some of their ships.  MSC takes it to the broadest level with their four tiers of service.  First Class (Yacht Club) Second Class (Aurea)  Third Class (Fantastica) Fourth Class (Bella).

I also don't consider Sky Bikes, IMAX theaters and roller coasters as being trailblazing items.  As usual, it all comes down to the almighty dollar and Carnival is just trying to come up with new ways to add coinage to the coffers and the Havana area and Loft 19 will do just that.

 

I'm not disagreeing with the money-making aspects of these concepts. I get why it's being done. I just don't care to see the beginnings of such a separation of classes on Carnival, which often set itself apart as being not a luxury cruising experience.

[SNJCruisers]

24 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I'm not disagreeing with the money-making aspects of these concepts. I get why it's being done. I just don't care to see the beginnings of such a separation of classes on Carnival, which often set itself apart as being not a luxury cruising experience.

Carnival is far from luxury cruising.    The bean counters are seeing how profitable it has been with their competitor's and now Carnival is just following suit.  They're using the Loft19 area as well as a la carte pricing at Emeril's place on the Mardi Gras to generate more money.

[clearwatergirl]

Sailed Horizon in February.  Beautiful ship.  Have sailed on most Carnival class ships.  The cruise met our expectations in cabin choice (deck 6 balcony), food quality, service and amenities.  I would agree the size of the theater is small in comparison to other class ships.  Had much difficulty with getting seats even getting there early.  Same for the comedy club.

I favor the Dream and Spirit class ships over the Vista class.  Neither felt as crowded in public areas and the flow of the ship was much nicer.

Go and give it a try.  Have a great cruise. 

[Organized Chaos]

I'm sure there was all kinds of research done and data collected as to why they made the main theater smaller. Did they come to the conclusion that the older, bigger theaters weren't filling up enough, therefore wasting space? Whatever it was, surely they had a reason for the smaller size. But you can't ignore the fact that so many people complain about bad seating and line of sight to the stage. That can't be a coincidence. These complaints started flowing in as soon as Vista set sail, then they repeated the layout on Horizon. Will they listen to their customers and make any changes on Panorama, or do they simply not care? What I don't get is, after decades of experience with over 30 ships throughout its history, how could they design it so poorly? You'd think they'd have designing a theater figured out by now.