Currently on the Horizon

[Gettys84]

60 days until our next live review.... "currently on the Sunshine".  We will be leaving out of Charleston and headed on a 7 day cruise to Bermuda and Princes Cay.  Also wanted to bump this thread incase someone was looking for a Horizon review.  Have not seen one posted in a while!

[beshears]

I just seen your posing, and thought I would start reading your review, and see your pictures, which are so helpful.  Actually, up till just today, I had planned on doing the Carnival Sensation ship next spring, but when I seen the date, I knew I we would be coming home around Easter time, and I didn't want that.  Yes, as someone said, most of the reviews I have read, they say the Horizon is so crowded, and long lines, and that is why I had turned it down quite some time ago, but you seen to say that they are not that bad for such a big ship.

 

I was hoping to get "4" Port Hole rooms, but I don't believe this ship has more than 2 of those rooms on each side of the ship.

 

I'm looking forward to reading MORE information about the Horizon ship here.

[beshears]

Thanks for answering another persons question about Gelato, if it was free. Can you or someone else that has eaten it, give me an idea of what it taste like?  I would like to try it, but don't want to get something and then waste it by not eating it.  That is why I ask "ahead" of time. 🙂

[lensonlife]

22 minutes ago, beshears said:

I just seen your posing, and thought I would start reading your review, and see your pictures, which are so helpful.  Actually, up till just today, I had planned on doing the Carnival Sensation ship next spring, but when I seen the date, I knew I we would be coming home around Easter time, and I didn't want that.  Yes, as someone said, most of the reviews I have read, they say the Horizon is so crowded, and long lines, and that is why I had turned it down quite some time ago, but you seen to say that they are not that bad for such a big ship.

 

I was hoping to get "4" Port Hole rooms, but I don't believe this ship has more than 2 of those rooms on each side of the ship.

 

I'm looking forward to reading MORE information about the Horizon ship here.

We were on the Horizon over this last 4th of July holiday- I imagine it was at full capacity. We booked our cruise before the Horizon ever set sail, and after reading several negative reviews I started to worry that I might regret the decision we’d made. All that said, we were VERY pleased with our vacation!!! The crowds did not impact our vacation at all- she never had to hustle for a chair on deck (we mostly were over in the Tides area), were able to utilize the pools and hot tubs frequently, entertainment, etc. We really had a GREAT time! 

[lensonlife]

On 5/21/2019 at 5:28 PM, Organized Chaos said:

How long does it normally take to go all the way around on the Skyride?

 

Choosing the deck and number of people for the new elevator system seems slow. I don't mean the time it takes to get to actually get to the destination deck, but the touch screen system. You touch it and it seems like the system is pretty slow to speak the the deck number, the car letter,  and finally get back to the touch screen. Doing that for a larger group is going to be a pain. They need to speed up that transition or something.

 

My only suggestion is to avoid vertical videos (taken in portrait mode) because they only look good when viewed on the phone. But you only had a couple of those moments, so that's not so bad. And one of them was the lobby funnel thingy, so I think you were trying to get the whole thing in the shot.

 

Do you feel like you're taking up a lot of your cruise making the reviews and videos? I've seen some that are so involved and include dozens and dozens of photos that it has to take up a big chunk of a person's cruise just to do these things. There was a time in my life when I spent so much time on our vacations or whatever looking through the lens of a video camera and/or taking photos. I reached a point where I had to force myself to ease up. I'd still capture the moment to have for our own keepsakes, but then put the camera down and actually live it and see it through my own eyes. So I'm always curious how others feel who spend a lot of time on their cruise specifically creating review content.

 

 

I actually left my DSLR and lens’ home this trip, shooting exclusively with my iPhone so that I could enjoy the trip and not be confined by my equipment, settings, etc. I totally get what you are saying. 

[Organized Chaos]

59 minutes ago, lensonlife said:

I actually left my DSLR and lens’ home this trip, shooting exclusively with my iPhone so that I could enjoy the trip and not be confined by my equipment, settings, etc. I totally get what you are saying. 

 

I didn't take my DSLR on our cruise last year. I wanted to see how I'd get along with just my iPhone and a new GoPro that I had bought. I only used the GoPro when we snorkeled. I got a great deal on it during Black Friday sales and I'm glad I bought it. I got by just fine without my DSLR, but I did miss having my zoom lens. The digital zoom on smartphones just doesn't cut it sometimes. But my photos still turned out good enough for my liking. I take them for our own keepsakes, I don't post to social media. Now for our March 2020 aboard Horizon, I probably will take my DSLR again because we'll be at Grand Turk during a time when the humpbacks are down there. Obviously no guarantee we'll see one, but if we did and I didn't have a good zoom lens, I'd regret it.

 

These live reviews can be a handy tool, but if I were to do something similar, I think I'd just answer questions at my own leisure instead of a full-on review. If someone asked me something that required going to a spot on the ship or taking a picture, I'd do it when I wasn't doing anything else. Cruise comes first.

[tinkr2]

2 hours ago, beshears said:

Thanks for answering another persons question about Gelato, if it was free. Can you or someone else that has eaten it, give me an idea of what it taste like?  I would like to try it, but don't want to get something and then waste it by not eating it.  That is why I ask "ahead" of time. 🙂

Gelato is just ice cream beat more slowly so it is silkier. It is also served 3 or 4 degrees warmer.

[lensonlife]

22 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I didn't take my DSLR on our cruise last year. I wanted to see how I'd get along with just my iPhone and a new GoPro that I had bought. I only used the GoPro when we snorkeled. I got a great deal on it during Black Friday sales and I'm glad I bought it. I got by just fine without my DSLR, but I did miss having my zoom lens. The digital zoom on smartphones just doesn't cut it sometimes. But my photos still turned out good enough for my liking. I take them for our own keepsakes, I don't post to social media. Now for our March 2020 aboard Horizon, I probably will take my DSLR again because we'll be at Grand Turk during a time when the humpbacks are down there. Obviously no guarantee we'll see one, but if we did and I didn't have a good zoom lens, I'd regret it.

 

These live reviews can be a handy tool, but if I were to do something similar, I think I'd just answer questions at my own leisure instead of a full-on review. If someone asked me something that required going to a spot on the ship or taking a picture, I'd do it when I wasn't doing anything else. Cruise comes first.

Agreed! I appreciate the energy, effort and skill set that goes into making the video clips (not anything I’ve ever tried to do), but I wouldn’t choose to spend a good chunk of my vacation doing it. No judgement towards those who do- we are all entitled to spend our vacations the way we choose. And I agree with you about the lens and the whales. I would bring mine too in that case. Hope you do encounter some and get some great shots. I went on a whale watch many years ago in Maine and saw some- would like to go again. 

[beshears]

Another question, while I'm reading your wonderful review and seeing the pictures.

 

What deck do we get on, and off of?

 

I'm not for sure if your cruise is 6 or more days, but if it is 6, is there one formal night, or two?  If either one, or two, what were the night/s? 

 

As there are 8 of us that plan to go, they "expect" me to get all the info ahead of time, so that is what I'm trying to do. 🙂

[beshears]

Thank you for the info in regard to the Gelato.  It sounds like something that I will have to try out. 🙂

[lensonlife]

10 minutes ago, beshears said:

Another question, while I'm reading your wonderful review and seeing the pictures.

 

What deck do we get on, and off of?

 

I'm not for sure if your cruise is 6 or more days, but if it is 6, is there one formal night, or two?  If either one, or two, what were the night/s? 

 

As there are 8 of us that plan to go, they "expect" me to get all the info ahead of time, so that is what I'm trying to do. 🙂

We were on an 8 day Southern Caribbean out of Miami- with two elegant nights: I believe it was the first full day at sea (Sunday as we boarded on Saturday), and the next to last day (Friday for us as we disembarked on Sunday). Someone will correct me if I’m wrong! 

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, beshears said:

I'm not for sure if your cruise is 6 or more days, but if it is 6, is there one formal night, or two?  If either one, or two, what were the night/s? 

 

As there are 8 of us that plan to go, they "expect" me to get all the info ahead of time, so that is what I'm trying to do. 🙂

 

1 hour ago, lensonlife said:

We were on an 8 day Southern Caribbean out of Miami- with two elegant nights: I believe it was the first full day at sea (Sunday as we boarded on Saturday), and the next to last day (Friday for us as we disembarked on Sunday). Someone will correct me if I’m wrong! 

 

Lensonlife has got it right. On cruises six days & longer, there's two elegant nights. Carnival's official policy is that they'll fall on the second or third night of the cruise and the second or third night prior to the end (two or three nights before debarkation day). But more often than not, I think they usually fall on the second night and next to last night. Often on sea days and they won't be on the last night.

[beshears]

A couple things I noticed while you have been writing your review.  YES, I agree about Carnival's beds.  I tell "everyone" I feel like a baby when I sleep in their beds, as they are so comfortable.

You also showed some pictures of the breakfast, of what they serve.  I see they still serve "Borden's" milk.  The reason I say that, Borden's, Frito-Lay and Star Bucks are a few of the children of the large corporate  office I retired from. 🙂

[beshears]

I am NOT familiar with what is on "which" deck.  My question, is the Serenity area on the same deck as the Lido buffet area?  I know you mentioned about eating salad close to the Serenity, and that is why I ask.

[beshears]

Thank you for your wonderful post/pictures.  I always try to post once I'm back from a cruise as it helps others get an idea of the ship (yes your opinion), especially if they have not been on there.  My husband and I were with our son/d-i-l and grandson last night.  I was telling them ALL about the review you have been doing and the pictures, as I am planning on taking 8 of us in March!  Also, great picture of you and wife!

[CA_Cruzing]

On 7/29/2019 at 9:33 PM, tinkr2 said:

Gelato is just ice cream beat more slowly so it is silkier. It is also served 3 or 4 degrees warmer.

Actually, some bigger differences:

 

Citing gelato expert and author Morgan Morano, writer Linda Poon sketches out a few key differences:

Creaminess: Gelato is creamier, smoother and silkier, as well as denser and more elastic and fluid, than American ice cream.

Ingredients: While both gelato and ice cream contain cream, milk and sugar, authentic gelato uses more milk and less cream than ice cream and generally doesn’t use egg yolks, which are a common ingredient in ice cream.

Butterfat, air and flavor: Ice cream contains at least 10 percent butterfat and usually has between 14 and 25 percent. Meanwhile, Italian gelato includes only about 4 to 9 percent fat. Yet gelato also contains less air than American ice cream — that helps keep it dense, fluid and creamy. And having less butterfat to coat your palate allows the flavors to emerge more.

Temperature: Another flavor enhancer: Italian gelato is served about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than American ice cream, at about 7 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit, so your mouth is less numb and better able to taste it.

[Organized Chaos]

10 hours ago, beshears said:

I am NOT familiar with what is on "which" deck.  My question, is the Serenity area on the same deck as the Lido buffet area?  I know you mentioned about eating salad close to the Serenity, and that is why I ask.

 

Serenity is on deck 15 and evidently there's a salad bar there on sea days from 11:00-3:00. In case you missed it, Gettys posted some photos of it on page 11 (post #262) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2652747-currently-on-the-horizon/page/11/?tab=comments#comment-57253927

[mom2tcdx2]

Loving your review, though I haven't been able to read through all of it yet though.  We finally get to sail in October, kind of bummed though as we have a 6 day cruise.  Really wish they hadn't gone with the 6 and then 8 day sailing, and stuck with the 7 days, but oh well.  

 

We have booked a spa inside cabin for the first time, hoping to really try out the spa areas while in port etc.  We will be spending more time probably on the ship rather than getting off.  

 

Things really look great, just got to remember where everything is at and what all there is  to do.  

[tinkr2]

1 hour ago, CA_Cruzing said:

Citing gelato expert

lol sorry I got the exact specifics wrong. Its a silky ice cream.

[Eli_6]

On 4/7/2019 at 9:47 PM, CA_Cruzing said:

Those are specialty justices. IIRC you can still get grapefruit, orange, and other juices at SDB in the MDR. Just ask your server. 

What?  Pineapple juice isn't free anymore? 😳 I drank it every morning at breakfast in the mdr on my last cruise 9 months ago.  

[Organized Chaos]

59 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

What?  Pineapple juice isn't free anymore? 😳 I drank it every morning at breakfast in the mdr on my last cruise 9 months ago.  

 

Sea day brunches now have a fresh squeezed juice menu ($5 each). But it's to my understanding that they still offer the free kind, too. Just ask your waiter.

[sasha101us]

Is the fresh pressed juice available everyday on the Horizon?   Where do I go to get it?

[Organized Chaos]

9 hours ago, sasha101us said:

Is the fresh pressed juice available everyday on the Horizon?   Where do I go to get it?

 

They're offered during sea day brunch as part of the menu. As far as I know, that's the only place, but I could easily be wrong. We won't be on Horizon for several months yet, so someone else can clarify.

 

Here's a picture of that juice menu that Gettys posted a while back. He said they were not available with the Cheers package.

[beshears]

I appreciate the replies to my questions about the Gelato, and if the Serenity is on the same deck as the Lido, because it was mentioned that we could get salad close by.

 

Right now, I'm debating on whether to continue with my TA, or use a PVP from Carnival, which is a little scary for me, since they are not close to where I live, like the TA.

[Gettys84]

On 7/29/2019 at 9:34 PM, beshears said:

I just seen your posing, and thought I would start reading your review, and see your pictures, which are so helpful.  Actually, up till just today, I had planned on doing the Carnival Sensation ship next spring, but when I seen the date, I knew I we would be coming home around Easter time, and I didn't want that.  Yes, as someone said, most of the reviews I have read, they say the Horizon is so crowded, and long lines, and that is why I had turned it down quite some time ago, but you seen to say that they are not that bad for such a big ship.

 

I was hoping to get "4" Port Hole rooms, but I don't believe this ship has more than 2 of those rooms on each side of the ship.

 

I'm looking forward to reading MORE information about the Horizon ship here.

 Thank you for reading the review!