Our Fantastic Horizon tour of the ABC’s! Sept 17-25

[lesters]

Well we are back from a great trip to the ABC’s – as always after learning so much from everyone on here I am back to tell our tale and hopefully provide some help to you along the way!

 

I always like to start these reviews with a big about us – helps you understand our perspective on things 😊 This was our 7^th cruise with Carnival, first time cruising without our daughter!!  DH and I are in our late 40’s and love to travel – All inclusives to Mexico and Cuba, Vegas, NYC, Disney, Europe … we want to see it all!

I am going to break my thoughts into the bigger categories, rather than a day-by-day situation, and try to post some pictures along the way as well – which will be a first. 

[lesters]

Starting out our Adventure

We travelled from Saskatoon to Toronto with a plan of having a full day, overnight and then a mid morning flight to Fort Lauderdale to make the trip smooth and easy.  Well… we were fogged in to start our trip for almost 4 hours… we ended up in Toronto 4 hours later than planned which had us arriving quite late for the Jay’s game that we had corporate suite tickets to.  So that was a disappointing start.  Other than that, we had no problems in Pearson with luggage at all.  Hopefully the horror stories of summer are over!!!

 

The next day we travelled from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale and then an Uber to Miami – South Beach 😊.  The Uber was a bit of a gong show.  Was to arrive in 3 minutes… 25 minutes later he finally found us.  His GPS was sending him to the wrong arrivals location and he didn’t speak English, we didn’t speak Spanish so that was much harder than it should have been.  Alas we were found and transported safely to the Courtyard Marriot Miami Beach.   Uber cost due to surge pricing with a tip  - $107.87.

 

Time for a shower rest and then off adventuring and touring we went!  What a great spot.  Found some amazing restaurants, bars and great places for people watching.  I would start out my cruise from this location again in a heartbeat.  I’d also like to spend some more time in Miami and Miami Beach.

[lesters]

Embarkation Day

I tried to sleep in LOL but I was a bit too excited.  So we were up and off for a walk, breakfast and Walgreens for our two bottles of wine to bring along.  Knowing that we wanted to enjoy a bit of time in the area that morning I had chosen the late arrival time – 1:30-2:00.  However, we were unable to get a check out later than 12:00 at our hotel.  After seeing the bags starting to pile up in the lobby and it filling up with folks either heading to their cruise or checking in to the hotel we decided to take our chances to head to the port a bit early.  Another Uber – this time no problem – well sort of… he followed his GPS even though the sign said Terminal D, he went down a wrong way but eventually we were sorted out…sigh….  We left the hotel at 12:00 and were walking into the line up at the port around 12:30 -$35. 

 

This worked out so well.  We dropped our bags with the porter, got into the early arrival line and didn’t stop walking until we were on board!  Maybe 40 minutes from start to finish.  I meant to take better notes on this timing but it worked great.  I used the Verifly app for our vax info and that seemed to help.  The staff were yelling for everyone to have it ready – so they seemed to really be wanting you to use it – didn’t feel “optional”.

 

We arrived on board and we were able to drop our carry ons off right away  - the rooms were open!  We were on Deck 2 so this was nice and close by to check and get done.  After that – straight to muster and our first beverages in the Pig & Anchor.  We did our best to avoid the heavier crowds (with some exceptions) so Lido was not on my radar as a place to be at all. 

 

Even though we were not that long since a great breakfast we shared a plate of the great offerings at Pig & Anchor – really enjoyed this spot and the free lunch.  We didn’t go for a paid meal in the evening.  Might try that on a future cruise as we did like the items.  I had a watermelon margarita and DH tried out the beer flight – which I was happy to learn could be had on the Cheers package!  

After that a bit more wandering and then back to the room and our bags were there!  After unpacking we spent the sail away up on the Serenity deck.  A great location to watch everything going on but from a bit of a distance.

 

A few drinks later it was time for a chill out in the cabin.  We were on Deck 2 in a Cove Balcony.  This was our first time in a Cove.  I wasn’t sure what I would think of it at first but I ended up really enjoying it – I liked the shade and feeling of privacy.  I really loved the location – 2310.  We only ever used the elevators for going to Serenity.  Everything else we needed was just a few flights of stairs away!

 

Our first night meal was in the Steak House.  We enjoyed it  - it was a really nice way to start the cruise.  We were offered the free bottle or a ½ off and were thinking about buying a ½ off at the end of dinner but with Cheers and 2 bottles in the room already we really didn’t need another one.  For dinner we selected the wine pairing – which again was happy to learn could be used with Cheers.

After that it was off to the casino – where we did spend a fair amount of time in throughout the cruise – so I will comment on that as a full section in a bit.

[lesters]

I see the pictures are loading in the wrong order LOL

 

Oh well start from the bottom then go up 🙂

[lesters]

Our Cabin - 2310

We were in a Cove, and while I have essentially said all I have to say about it – loved the location, the balcony – would book again in a heartbeat.  I wanted to comment on a couple things about our cabin and the location in general.

 

Our room steward Chito was lovely – he looked like he was working so hard anytime we saw him. BUT as much as the key areas were clean – bathroom and bed made, fresh towels – the other surfaces in the room had not been wiped in who knows how long.  The laps were dusty, the shelves by the desk were dusty.  I took my Clorox wipes and had to give it all a wipe down.  I think it was a matter of just not having enough time to do it all – so many rooms.  I had also asked for evening service but I could tell he didn’t want to do that.  The first day he came later morning anyway after that I just said fine later morning works.  But I did miss the serviced room to end my day for my final wine on the deck.  I don’t know why its different it just is to me.  But I didn’t want to be too much of a bother.

 

If you are travelling with smaller children this is the floor for you as well. We passed by the Family Harbour rooms and special area a few times.  Man, I wish that had been a thing when we were cruising and our daughter was little.  Super handy for breakfast and snacks.  No idea what people have to pay for those cabins but I am sure it is worth it for that convivence.  Especially now with the room service changes.  But I digress 😊

 

We had tons of hangers and loved all the closet and drawer space.  The space felt very roomy.

The one thing I will note about a Cove – DH has always struggled with motion sickness.  This cruise was no issues at all.  We felt very little movement in our cabin.  However, it took him a bit to get used to the water whizzing by if the curtains were fully open.  Being that low you see the water moving – like the horizon in a car window.  So that took a bit to settle in  but we got there.

[lesters]

Food & Drinks

Everyone’s favourite topic is the most subjective.  We all have different tastes and expectations.  What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.  But here is our take on all the offerings we enjoyed!

 

I will start with Cheers.  It worked for us.  100%  even with having free drinks in the casino for both of us while playing.  On our last sea day we actually sat with a coffee on a lovely chair on a deck and did the math for drinks “purchased on cheers” each day including waters, coffees and energy drinks – added up the value for all the ones we had, but not the ones in the casino.  Sure we had a day  or two where we didn’t break even BUT the overall cost of the package was lower than what we would have paid if we were buying each drink individually.  Not by a ton but enough.   The reality is as long as its breaking even or a bit better I am happy because I know myself.  If I am paying for each drink individually, I may not select the higher priced wine or try that fancy alchemy bar drink.  It provides a freedom and eliminates any worry about how much I am spending at the bar. Plus I loved being able to ask for a receive a bottle of water with each boozie beverage – in the heat the waters were very appreciated.

 

We enjoyed Red Frog Rum bar by the pool – great service team.  Same for the Atrium bar, Serenity staff, Pig & Anchor and in the MDR. 

 

We still enjoyed these next spots BUT had a few comments about them throughout the cruise.

Alchemy – have loved this bar on other ships, but its central location results in it being VERY popular.  It was always crowded and tough to find a spot.  It didn’t open until 4:00 even on Sea Days!  It could have easily had more tables or space. 

 

The Sports Bar – another spot that when a game is on oh my – it was PACKED.  On our Sunday embarkation it was impossible to get a spot or even a place to stand to watch the games.  The Pig & Anchor was showing one game – but not the one I cared to see.  So that was disappointing.  Later that evening we went back for the Sunday night game (after our steakhouse) and lucked into a table and made a few new friends.

 

We enjoyed a few drinks in the Havana Bar – and I found it so BIG for the number of people using it.  Not sure if people don’t know its open to anyone on Board but it was a ghost town anytime I popped in.  Which made it a nice quiet spot for a drink but seeing how packed other places were it seems to be a planning error.

 

Drinks in the casino were a bit hit or miss.  I swear I ordered at least 3 drinks in the casino that just never arrived.  I would wait and wait and wait and eventually give up and move on to something else or order another one. I didn’t think I’d miss the lack of a casino bar but I did – not a smoker but I would have just gone for my own drink many times if that would have been an option.

 

Now on to the food.  This is sooo subjective.  I almost hate commenting but I know it’s a topic people want to know about.  So here it goes.  

 

We pre-booked the Steakhouse for night one - I like starting off cruises in this way – it just sets the stage for the trip. As we have been to the SH a number of times and my fav go to appetizer was no longer on the menu (the crab cakes) we both decided to try something few for our appies.  DH had the oysters, I had the bone marrow and beef tartar.  Both were beautifully presented, his was meh and mine was ok, the tartar was bland and not super cold.  We then had Caesar salads which were really tasty and for mains he had a big ole steak and I had the surf and turf. 

 

DH loved his steak – I tried it and it was very good.  My surf and turf was also good but it was also tiny.  Now I wasn’t starving as we had had a late lunch but let’s be real.  That was barely a 4 oz filet and it was ½ of a lobster tail.  For the $42 USD upcharge on the whole meal… I can get a larger steak and a full lobster tail back home – not the full meal mind you but for the plate absolutely.   I enjoyed but I will be selecting other options in the future. 

 

Other paid options we tried included JiJi's – which was hands down the best meal we had on board.  Loved sharing all the items and we loved the short rib.  You see lots about the other beef dish on here but was one of the best short rib dishes I have ever had.  I am actually sad that our next cruise does not have a JiJis on it. I will be seeking it out in the future when booking.

 

As well for lunch we tried the Bonsai Sushi and it was fantastic.  Shared the Sushi Boat – so fun!

Other dinners were in the MDR with anytime dining.  We always found decent items to try and overall the meal were pretty good.  Some items better than others but that’s how it goes on a cruise.  Most nights we selected the cheese plate to go for dessert and took it back to the room.  I really enjoyed a final glass of wine and a snack on the balcony each night.

 

For breakfast and lunch, we checked out the Sea Day brunch a couple of times, room service a few times (going to miss the free afternoon snacks so I made sure to enjoy it while it was still an option), Guys Burgers, Pizza and the Deli.  We did not eat from the Lido buffet once. 

[lesters]

Sea Days

I loved that we had 4 total sea days on this cruise.  I am all about relaxing – and boy did I need it.  These days were spent mostly starting out on Serenity, a couple sea day brunches and lunches throughout the ship, drinks at the Red Frog Rum bar,  a couple of bingo games and Deal or No Deal.  Along with afternoon naps and reading on the balcony.  Super laid back.

 

The chair hogs were out in pretty full force on Serenity and the main pool area but I was happy to see Carnival staff were tagging seats with stickers when they noticed they had been vacant for a while.  I was always able to find something that worked for us but often I was the last or near to last person to find a couple of loungers or a clamshell.  I was usually arriving between 8:30 – 9:00, fairly prime time so I get it. Again – trying to avoid seats that were super close to other folks as much as possible.

Overall loved the sea days – they continue to be my favs – with such a busy life at home I love sleeping as long as I want (even if that means I am still an early riser) and not having a schedule.

[lesters]

Carnival Activities – On Board

We are not really joiners LOL.  You would rarely have found us at a trivia game or a scavenger hunt (well when DD was younger we did) but these days our time on board is best spent in a lounge chair in the sun, on my deck reading, or people watching with a beverage in hand. 

We did partake in a couple of rounds of Bingo and the Deal or No Deal game.  They were fun – D or ND had a few confusing moments – tracking of winnings is a bit off.  But things were sorted out as best we could.

 

Loved the serenity deck, didn’t really spend much time at the main pools other than my morning in port (more below).  We gave the waterslides a run – they were fun!!!  And I tried the skyride – wow it was great!!!  Love the views.

 

The ship has so many lovely places to sit and relax or visit with friends.  We had a great final night listening to the band in the Ocean Plaza with a few final beverages! There is no shortage of something to do if you are wanting that.  We did not LOL – this was a much needed relaxation vacation.

 

And as this trip was just us (i.e. no daughter) we spent more time in the casino than previous time – that was our one activity LOL.  We do love Vegas and a good casino trip so this cruise provided us with the best of all the world.   I found it to be very busy and very smoky.  It was a Premier cruise – we could have booked this “offer” but we had $100 cabins with $200 OBC and $200 Freeplay (which after talking to some folks was very small potatoes this cruise)…. So not sure why would have given that up for a lanyard and a few prizes.  Happy we didn’t.  Back to the casino review – lots of slots, a good number of tables, had fun playing Let it Ride and Craps. 

 

Well until Craps had an issue that would NEVER I meant NEVER fly in Vegas.  This had DH pretty fired up – long story short if you are a craps player you know – when dice are out no more bets.  As he’s throwing the dice a player at the other end of the table throws a last minute chip out for a bet (on who knows what) it clicks the die and it is “Seven Out” – which should have been a NO ROLL.  He had been on a tear and was one number from the “Talls” again if you play craps you know what this means.  He was fired up.  Pulled the chips and that was it for craps.  It just makes you have a lot less faith in the system – I know it’s a house advantage but there are rules and we aren’t in some 3^rd world country casino where you expect those kinds of things to go down.  It was very disappointing.  If Carnival wants casino players to choose them over Vegas they need to provide a Vegas level standard of gaming and staff understanding of the rules.

 

Again, slow drink service – at times, smoky and busy.  But other than the crappy craps moment we really enjoyed our casino play time and the people we met around the tables.

[lesters]

The Islands

The ABCs are special for a reason.  Wow is all I can say.  We had the best time on each – even with the rain on Curaçao.  A few quick hits of our days.

 

Aruba – Spent the morning at Eagle Beach, by Coco Loco.  LOVED IT.  Absolutely stunning beach.  $40 for two chairs and an umbrella.  I am so glad we went there straight away – took a cab around 9 I think it was – as when we left at 12 there were not to be had in this location – people were waiting under trees or just out on towels on the beach with no shade.   After the beach we showered and changed at Coco Loco and took a cab to the West Deck – gorgeous spot for lunch looking at the water!  Great food, great service – an amazing spot.  After lunch and some beverages we walked down to the Wind Creek Casino – wow is this a beautiful casino!!   Didn’t stay long – played for 30-45 minutes had a couple of beverages and carried on to the ship for a rest before our next event!   We booked the Sunset Cruise through Carnival and it was so great!  The views are amazing, decent drinks and you just can’t beat sitting in the front with the air flowing looking out over the water!  It’s a 2 hour excursion but by the time you get on board, do the safety briefing, get going it was just over an hour really on the water.  I would still go again.

 

Bonaire – DH has been dreaming of this location for years – ever since he was scuba certified in 2013.  So he spent the morning diving, I spent the morning on board exploring the ship!  It was great to hang out on an pretty empty ship!  Took some pictures, got a great spot by the pool for a while.  I had initially gone up to the Serenity deck but discovered there was no bar service that morning.  So hung out with a bottle of water for a bit but after making the trek for more water twice I decided that was it and went touring around before landing on the main pool deck for a while.

DH returned around 1:30 and after a quick refresh back to the port we went for some drinks and a late lunch.  We headed over to Karel’s which was perfect.  Had a dream spot overlooking the water and I could not believe all the fish you could see from your table!  It was a perfect spot to hear about this adventures from the morning.  If you are a diver it sounds like this is a must do.  Other folks we met had wonderful times snorkeling at Kline Bonaire – I will do this next time for sure.  After diving and lunch, we walked around the town /port area for a bit and headed back to the ship early.  It was nice not to feel rushed or a need to pack a bunch of stuff in.  We were happy with a low key afternoon.

 

Curaçao – We had really been looking forward to this port as we have looked at it as an AI destination for a while but were unsure as we didn’t know much about the island etc. and it’s a pretty big flight to go.  Our plan was always to just spend the day walking in the downtown and taking a cab to check out a resort or two.   So we did that BUT mother nature decided to add a little something special to our adventure day with a ton of rain and flooding in the streets.  So we had less fun and exploring than I would have like but we still check out a few resorts and YES we would go back as an AI, just not to the resort we almost booked so that was a good fact finding mission – despite my stress and worry of not getting back to the ship due to washed out roads.  We did make it back in plenty of time but I was a wee bit stressed.

[lesters]

Final Thoughts

I loved the Horizon.  Truly.  I will seek out this ship and class of ships in the future when booking our next trips.  We have the Magic in February 2023 and I am sad that we won’t have some of the amenities that we had on this one and I have never really felt that way before.  I have always just enjoyed whatever ship we were on, but the Horizon won us over.

 

Was it perfect -heck no – no vacation is.  But if you go with it and enjoy each moment in the best way possible its hard not to have a great trip.

 

Questions? Ask away and I will do my best. Before you ask,  I did not keep copies of schedules or menus as they are all here on this site already.   I only sought out menus in advance to validate when we wanted to book JiJi’s as it was one I really wanted to try and didn’t want to miss out on other good MDR items. 

[CruzerDeb]

Thanks for your review! I’ll be in the Horizon in February 2024, so I took some notes! 

[cruisingguy007]

Great review! I made the mistake of getting the surf n terf for my steakhouse selection also lol, so I completely understand the underwhelming baby serving, like: "for real? Can I send this back and pick something else, I think you gave me an appetizer by mistake?" 🤣. I enjoyed JIJI's a lot also. Thanks for taking the time and sharing.  

 

PS Feel hubs on the craps, I'd have been livid, surprised the table stood for it and didn't challenge it with the pit boss.  

Edited September 30, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[J0urn3yman]

I was on that sailing as well and I enjoyed it as much as you did.

The itinerary was perfect with the ABC islands.

On Curacao, we rented a car and drove west! It didn't rain there and we spent a great time swimming with the turtles.

 

[lesters]

1 hour ago, cruisingguy007 said:

Great review! I made the mistake of getting the surf n terf for my steakhouse selection also lol, so I completely understand the underwhelming baby serving, like: "for real? Can I send this back and pick something else, I think you gave me an appetizer by mistake?" 🤣. I enjoyed JIJI's a lot also. Thanks for taking the time and sharing.  

 

PS Feel hubs on the craps, I'd have been livid, surprised the table stood for it and didn't challenge it with the pit boss.  

They pulled the chips back so fast and tried to argue but the person to tossed the chip took off and the rest grumbled with him but it wasn’t very full as it was supper time.  
 

Tried to argue but got nowhere 

[momof3cruisers]

6 hours ago, lesters said:

I see the pictures are loading in the wrong order LOL

 

Oh well start from the bottom then go up 🙂

Well bummer because I really wanted that dish with the berries! LOL

 

We are going to Aruba and Bonaire in a few weeks. Thinking of renting a car in Aruba and still haven’t decided what to do in Bonaire.  Thinking probably snorkeling. 

[pcvtmom]

12 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

Well bummer because I really wanted that dish with the berries! LOL

 

We are going to Aruba and Bonaire in a few weeks. Thinking of renting a car in Aruba and still haven’t decided what to do in Bonaire.  Thinking probably snorkeling. 

If you do snorkeling in Bonaire, let me HIGHLY recommend the Sea Cow excursion offered by Carnival.  It's the best snorkeling excursion we've ever done, both according to what we were able to see and by the Sea Cow staff's expertise.  Caution: It tends to sell out.

 

Thank to the OP for a fantastic, well-balanced review! We enjoyed the Horizon back in February, and we're taking the kids and grandkids again next June!

[RenoNanaOz]

We are on this cruise in May 2023, can't wait! Last cruise was 9/2019, so we splurged and booked an Aft Havana Cabin. We stayed in Havana before and loved it!

[lesters]

On 9/30/2022 at 12:44 PM, RenoNanaOz said:

We are on this cruise in May 2023, can't wait! Last cruise was 9/2019, so we splurged and booked an Aft Havana Cabin. We stayed in Havana before and loved it!

We will have to try a Havana one day!  We spoke to a couple of people on board who had them and they loved it!

[ninjacat123]

On 9/30/2022 at 1:58 PM, pcvtmom said:

If you do snorkeling in Bonaire, let me HIGHLY recommend the Sea Cow excursion offered by Carnival.  It's the best snorkeling excursion we've ever done, both according to what we were able to see and by the Sea Cow staff's expertise.  Caution: It tends to sell out.

 

Thank to the OP for a fantastic, well-balanced review! We enjoyed the Horizon back in February, and we're taking the kids and grandkids again next June!

We are booked for Horizon Jan 2025 to ABC's and I can't tell which snorkeling excursion Carnival has listed (and there are a couple) are with Sea Cow.  Any advice appreciated!!

[pcvtmom]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

We are booked for Horizon Jan 2025 to ABC's and I can't tell which snorkeling excursion Carnival has listed (and there are a couple) are with Sea Cow.  Any advice appreciated!!

Hmmmm...I just went to look, and Sea Cow isn't mentioned in the excursion names. We did book them through Carnival, but maybe they're going independently now. I was able to find them on several other sites.

[MEUB1112]

Great review and informative, we have this exact cruise next year. Now I really can't wait!!

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, pcvtmom said:

Hmmmm...I just went to look, and Sea Cow isn't mentioned in the excursion names. We did book them through Carnival, but maybe they're going independently now. I was able to find them on several other sites.

I found their website. I’ll probably book through that. Thx pcvtmom!!