stargazer424

So if I buy the Cheers package, and I use it for water or soda...it counts against the 15 allotted a day. And at 15 I am not allowed to purchase any additional alcohol. Is that correct? If I have 2 specialty coffees, 5 bottles of water I'm down to 8 drinks and then if want a 9th I'm cut off completely? That's seems strange, if I have money and want to buy more Carnival will not let me?

No. Soda, water, and coffee does not count toward the 15...only drinks with alcohol in them.

From the Carnival FAQ:

"Program allows for up to 15 alcoholic drinks per 24 hour period (6:00am-6:00am); once the limit is reached, the guest will not be served ANY additional alcoholic drinks. "

https://www.carnival.com/help#section-1

I may be wrong but the 15 probably includes the spiked coffees and milkshakes.

Personal opinion: Totally worth it (for me). I woke up and grabbed an iced cappuccino (sometimes with a shot of Absolut Vanilla, or just one of the spiked coffees), start the morning with a light tropical drink and get into the heavier stuff later, having a vitamin water or coconut water every 3-4 drinks. With at minimum 6 alcoholic drinks per day + waters and coffee I got my moneys worth every day. If your ship has the Alchemy bar, each drink is 10.95 (pre-tip) and since Cheers includes tip, having just 5 or 6 of those a day is worth it. End the night by grabbing a bottled water.

We went to the food trucks a few blocks from the port and got something called pionono. It was fried plantains stuffed with meat. Greasy but really good!

I did not get a sticker, but it comes up when they swipe your card or type in your folio number. You will get a receipt to sign that says $0.00.

Just a note, while on board you can use the Carnival Hub app on your phone to check your account summary and see what each drink would have cost.

Thank You for your review. Just booked Horizon for our first Carnival cruise. How much is the typical cocktail drink? Thinking about the Cheers program. I did not see online a non alcoholic package for drinks like specialty coffee and virgin cocktails (specifically virgin mojitos). Do they have one?

 

What nights are formal nights on a 8 day?

FWIW: I convinced myself to get the cheers package, and it was well worth it (for me). Even on the day I drank the least, I still "made my quota". Most drinks are around $10. Alchemy is 10.95, cocktails at Pig & Anchor about the same (beer was about $6), cocktails at Havana Bar were around $8-$9. The most expensive drink I had was probably $14-$15. It was either the Macallan single malt or the Hennessy XO (note there is a Hennessy Paradis at the steakhouse that is $60 per glass!)

Best part of the Cheers package was trying new stuff. Never had a single malt scotch or cognac before! :)

Definitely worth it if you think you will have about 6 drinks per day plus specialty coffee in the morning ($2-$4), bottled water to go, vitamin water, coconut water, spiked shakes, etc...plus tip is included with Cheers. I assume the above prices were pre-tip. I did give some bartenders an extra tip as appreciation. Especially after repetitive visits when they started to know me by name.

Alchemy was great because the bartenders are mixologists. So if you tell them what you like, they will make something that is not menu. Pig & Anchor was great too. We generally spent our evenings between the two.

Wow...I actually didn't even realize the one I brought had a surge protection (despite the fact that the Amazon description specifically says it does). I'll remember that next time and bring something else.

The one I brought was rotatable, so yes we could use the other plug and the USBs. The 2 USBs that were in the room are on a different outlet, so there was plenty of room between.

But as pointed out, this one has a surge protector, so I would NOT recommend bringing it on board. That being said, it worked fine, and was not confiscated even though it was out in the open when the steward came by to clean...

I had an interior Havana cabin. There were indeed 2 standard and 2 USB plugs. Note, there was also one in the bathroom above and to the left of the mirror.

We brought one of these to give us more options:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

EDIT: Note the plugs were NOT next to the bed. They were at the desk/vanity mirror. Bring an extension cord if you want it next to the bed.

Just got off the Horizon last week (June 13-20). We had the Havana section and I never found it to be too overcrowded. There were times where the large circular beds were all taken, but never had an issue getting a lounge chair to lay on. The hot tubs and the pool itself was never overcrowded.

I will agree that the Havana bartenders were not as attentive or innovative as I was hoping. One of them would come around to the pool or chairs occasionally to see if we needed anything, but that could have been b/c I tipped her big on the first day. They were, however, stuck on making drinks off the menu or more well known cocktails. One morning I asked for something that would be good for the morning and they made the special of the day right off the menu. And yes, Alchemy Bar is the place for innovation, but they weren't open in the mornings.

Our main complaint about Havana (which was rectified after several of us complained about it) was that when events were happening at the inside Havana bar, the audio was pumped outside. So when we were trying to lay down and relax, we were instead tortured by some pretty bad karaoke. After some complaints they were able to shut of the PA outdoors for indoor events.

Overall, the Havana section is well worth it. The main pool on Horizon is tiny compared to the amount of people on the ship. I can't comment on how crowded it gets at night b/c we were always off elsewhere.

Keep in mind each guest over 21 can bring one 750ml bottle of wine. If you are a wine drinker, that can help get past the first day. That's my plan for Wednesday!

Looks like you found the elusive $49.99+ drink! A glass of Hennesssy Paradis for $60! A 750ml bottle of it goes for about $750-$1000!

Whoo hoo!!! I'll be on the Horizon next week!

I get a Woodford Old Fashioned, which is a double shot of Woodford. After I tell my bartender a few times to hold the sugar, bitters, and orange - he catches on and just pours me a double Woodford.

 

Typically you can't get double shots with Cheers, but you can if the drink you order calls for a double shot - you can! :-)

Haha!!! Nice trick! Love me some Woodford Reserve!

Sid, Awesome posts. The chef's table looked AMAZING!

I'll be on the Horizon 2 weeks from today. I think it's the exact same ship. Can't wait.

Random question, if you have the time: Are there any decks that are open at night that are away from the lights of the main decks? I'm an avid stargazer (hence my screen name) and want to find a good, dark spot. If you happen to come across anything, let me know but don't go out of your way.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Thanks for asking this question! I am on the Horizon in 2 weeks and was also wondering about bourbons. Glad to see they have my standby Woodford Reserve, but I'll definitely be trying out the others!

Here is another photo I came across from Guy's Smokehouse. Same list, different photo

Source: https://www.cruisehive.com/10-things-about-the-carnival-horizon-guys-pig-anchor-bar-b-que-smokehouse/23939

jayowl: Thanks for that. I'll see if that is still open. something tells me it will be locked when sailing.

Cuervosar: LOL. Good think I'm a HP fan, otherwise that wouldn't make much sense.

smurfm: Thanks.

Pellaz: I'll definitely check out those decks.

Thanks all! Can't wait for my trip!

Going to be on the Carnival Horizon in a few weeks. I am curious if there are any of those "secret decks" that most people don't find.

Specifically wondering about night time access for stargazing. I was on a RC ship a few years ago and found a deck below the bridge that was open at night and very minimally lit. It was perfect.

I don't think it is mean to remind you it clearly states "must be in the guest's carry-on luggage."

Nope, I got it...wish I could edit my first post to say that I got my answer, or close this thread...

Bummer that Carnival is not as welcoming as some of its subsidiaries. Tape them up, slap on a luggage tag and leave it with the porter.

That would be nice. Doesn't sound like Carnival would do that. What cruise line was that?

You don't have to actually put it in your bag, you can simply carry it on.

What is the typical wait time until you can get into your room. I'm not sure I want to walk around carrying it for long.

Wow. Ya'll didn't have to be mean about it. I just didn't want to have a carton of soda in my backpack.

For those of you who weren't mean. Thank you.

Reading up on the FAQs it says:

"A small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, juice, and milk) packaged in cans or cartons may be brought onboard on embarkation day and must be in the guest's carry-on luggage. "

However can you put the soda in your CHECKED luggage?