Two Weeks until we FINALLY sail again! Horizon ABCs!!! Tell me your best tips!!!

[lesters]

Hey everyone

 

I am so excited that we are FINALLY sailing once again.  Our last cruise was in 2020 right before it all went well you know.... we had a Feb 2022 cruise booked but the hoops involved in traveling from Canada made that one a bit too tricky so we cancelled it and now finally we are set to sail on the Horizon to the ABCs.  This is also a bucket list cruise have wanted to see these islands for so long... but open to things going sideways and missing them - know that is always a possibility.  

 

I can't recall the last time I was this excited for a holiday or a cruise 🙂

 

We are not newbies but this is our first Vista class ship and first time to the ABCs! 

 

Staying in a Cove Balcony for the first time as well!  Usually have a regular balcony.  We have Cheers and the Value Internet package to stay connected to home.

 

We are flying in the day before with one night in South Beach - took the final time slot for the cruise check in to give us some more time to walk around.

 

Have reservations at the Steakhouse on night 1, JiJis on night 3 and a sunset cruise booked for Aruba.  DH is scuba diving in Bonaire and Curacao is a walk around town kind of day.

 

Any other great tips or things not to miss?  

 

Since it is just us this trip so far I expect lots of Serenity deck time on sea days and casino time in the evenings.  

 

Thanks to all who have posted their reviews and recent experiences on the Horizon I have read pretty much all of them LOL so guessing not much more to learn but I am a planner and this is all part of my travel JOY!!!

[Indytraveler83]

We will take this same cruise on Halloween, also with a cove.  A few tips and tricks I can think of:

 

The salad bar on the Horizon Serenity deck is not well known and very good.  Great way to get a quick lunch! In addition, the Serenity deck is tweaked and enlarged from the Dream class, offering a less windy and much nicer experience.  

 

The steakhouse on the Vista class ships isn't as nice as some of the others. Ways to make it nicer: 1) Wait until the piano bar gets going, as they open the doors between the two venues and let you hear the music.  2) Ask for outdoor seating.  They have a covered area outside that's very private and feels like a more intimate experience.  

 

The Vista class has fairly small venues compared to other classes.  If you have to be somewhere specific (especially the piano bar) get there very early.  On the other hand, there's a TON of bars and venues, and it's fairly easy to find a neat place somewhere on the ship that's quiet if you so choose.  

 

We've sailed cove balconies on the Dream class, and I imagine this is similar.  Bring earplugs, because rough nights at sea can be a bit noisy.  However, good days/nights are gorgeous and we've seen plenty of flying fish as well as a pod of dolphins from the balcony.  

 

Also... Try to fully embrace the Hub app menus and ordering. Some don't like the change from paper, but fully utilizing it can make your experience much smoother. They have a cool feature that allows you to order "room service" anywhere on the ship.  We got hungry while in the piano bar, and didn't want to give up our seats, so we ordered quesadillas and chicken wings to our table there!

[wemjam]

1 Week for us till the Horizon and we can't wait either.  As Indytraveler83 said she is laid out quite a bit different than other classes of ships - more broken up than open.

 

We sailed on her once several years ago and are looking forward to this new trip.  It is a family cruise with mom and dad (gold), and my brother and fiancé (brand cruisers).  We had this booked before Covid and have been waiting for this day. 

 

Can't wait!  We'll leave the light on for your - since you should be right behind us.

 

 

[tradewinds traveler]

30 minutes ago, Indytraveler83 said:

We will take this same cruise on Halloween, also with a cove.  A few tips and tricks I can think of:

 

The salad bar on the Horizon Serenity deck is not well known and very good.  Great way to get a quick lunch! In addition, the Serenity deck is tweaked and enlarged from the Dream class, offering a less windy and much nicer experience.  

 

The steakhouse on the Vista class ships isn't as nice as some of the others. Ways to make it nicer: 1) Wait until the piano bar gets going, as they open the doors between the two venues and let you hear the music.  2) Ask for outdoor seating.  They have a covered area outside that's very private and feels like a more intimate experience.  

 

The Vista class has fairly small venues compared to other classes.  If you have to be somewhere specific (especially the piano bar) get there very early.  On the other hand, there's a TON of bars and venues, and it's fairly easy to find a neat place somewhere on the ship that's quiet if you so choose.  

 

We've sailed cove balconies on the Dream class, and I imagine this is similar.  Bring earplugs, because rough nights at sea can be a bit noisy.  However, good days/nights are gorgeous and we've seen plenty of flying fish as well as a pod of dolphins from the balcony.  

 

Also... Try to fully embrace the Hub app menus and ordering. Some don't like the change from paper, but fully utilizing it can make your experience much smoother. They have a cool feature that allows you to order "room service" anywhere on the ship.  We got hungry while in the piano bar, and didn't want to give up our seats, so we ordered quesadillas and chicken wings to our table there!

 

[tradewinds traveler]

We are also on Halloween cruise. Oct. 29th. This is the third time in the Horizon. It is our favorite ship, at this time. When we went in April, they had a special on the specialty dining. A package for dinners at the specialty restaurants. You purchase on the Lido deck. I am sure you will enjoy the ship.

[Mr305]

You’re going to enjoy it, Horizon is a great ship.  Weather should be good too, no tropical storms forecasted for the next 5+ days.  Safe travels, we were on in July and had an awesome time.

[Indytraveler83]

44 minutes ago, tradewinds traveler said:

We are also on Halloween cruise. Oct. 29th. This is the third time in the Horizon. It is our favorite ship, at this time. When we went in April, they had a special on the specialty dining. A package for dinners at the specialty restaurants. You purchase on the Lido deck. I am sure you will enjoy the ship.

Awesome!  This is going to be our first cruise during a holiday, so I'm excited to revisit the ship.  We booked this one on our last "Cheers for you" offer, and its also a birthday cruise for DH.  

[tradewinds traveler]

1 minute ago, Indytraveler83 said:

Awesome!  This is going to be our first cruise during a holiday, so I'm excited to revisit the ship.  We booked this one on our last "Cheers for you" offer, and its also a birthday cruise for DH.  

We booked this almost 2 years ago. At that time we got a large OBC & price was low.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

I recommend teppenaki restaurant.  We’ve done it a few times and enjoy it more than steak house.  

[80sGal]

Did this cruise in May.  For Aruba port day, you'll have time to do an excursion before the sunset cruise too.  I highly recommend the Kukookanuku Beach Bus excursion.  It was a blast!  And the beach it went to was really nice, although I think the location varies by bus.  We still had time to get back on the ship and have a little rest in the cabin before heading to the sunset cruise.   We've sailed Horizon twice.  Be prepared for a long queue at the comedy venue if it's a good comedian.  Other than that, I've decided it's my favorite ship.  

[ledges1]

15 hours ago, Indytraveler83 said:

Awesome!  This is going to be our first cruise during a holiday, so I'm excited to revisit the ship.  We booked this one on our last "Cheers for you" offer, and its also a birthday cruise for DH.  

3 of us on the Halloween cruise also. Never been on the Horizon and never been to Aruba or Curacao.

[tw67]

19 hours ago, Indytraveler83 said:

Awesome!  This is going to be our first cruise during a holiday, so I'm excited to revisit the ship.  We booked this one on our last "Cheers for you" offer, and its also a birthday cruise for DH.  

We are on the Halloween cruise too!  This will be my second time on Horizon, but my husband's first.

 

We are also doing a Sunset Cruise in Aruba.  We are doing a morning excursion, then coming back, eating lunch, might do some light shopping, then head to the sunset cruise.  

 

Lesters come on back and let us know how you liked it!!!  

[DrSea]

22 hours ago, Indytraveler83 said:

We will take this same cruise on Halloween, also with a cove.  A few tips and tricks I can think of:

 

The salad bar on the Horizon Serenity deck is not well known and very good.  Great way to get a quick lunch! In addition, the Serenity deck is tweaked and enlarged from the Dream class, offering a less windy and much nicer experience.  

 

The steakhouse on the Vista class ships isn't as nice as some of the others. Ways to make it nicer: 1) Wait until the piano bar gets going, as they open the doors between the two venues and let you hear the music.  2) Ask for outdoor seating.  They have a covered area outside that's very private and feels like a more intimate experience.  

 

The Vista class has fairly small venues compared to other classes.  If you have to be somewhere specific (especially the piano bar) get there very early.  On the other hand, there's a TON of bars and venues, and it's fairly easy to find a neat place somewhere on the ship that's quiet if you so choose.  

 

We've sailed cove balconies on the Dream class, and I imagine this is similar.  Bring earplugs, because rough nights at sea can be a bit noisy.  However, good days/nights are gorgeous and we've seen plenty of flying fish as well as a pod of dolphins from the balcony.  

 

Also... Try to fully embrace the Hub app menus and ordering. Some don't like the change from paper, but fully utilizing it can make your experience much smoother. They have a cool feature that allows you to order "room service" anywhere on the ship.  We got hungry while in the piano bar, and didn't want to give up our seats, so we ordered quesadillas and chicken wings to our table there!

Great tips^^^

 

@lesters My only addition: in regard to the hub app, you should know that many times can change. It is reflected on the paper planner but not the hub app. I have showed up many times to events, restaurants, etc just to find out that I was too early or too late. 

[TrqoisWtrs]

On 9/3/2022 at 2:52 PM, lesters said:

Curacao is a walk around town kind of day.

This is an awesome port to walk around.  Go thru the fort area and walk over the floating bridge.  There is a really cool Dutch white and blue pottery store in the fort area.  

https://www.heinendelftsblauw.com/our-shops/heinen-delfts-blauw-curacao

[lesters]

Thank you everyone for the info!   Very helpful and I will be sure to post a review and summary of our trip here!

 

i missed noting for Aruba we have a loose plan of Eagle Beach in the morning.  Back to the ship for a quick refresh and then reservations at the West Deck - just found it after doing some research. Looks like a great spot and will report back!

 

Hope to also check out the local casinos in Aruba and Curaçao - we’ve often talked about spending a week on both islands and now we get the chance to get a little taste and  decide about returning!

[timenprayer]

On 9/4/2022 at 4:41 PM, lesters said:

Thank you everyone for the info!   Very helpful and I will be sure to post a review and summary of our trip here!

 

i missed noting for Aruba we have a loose plan of Eagle Beach in the morning.  Back to the ship for a quick refresh and then reservations at the West Deck - just found it after doing some research. Looks like a great spot and will report back!

 

Hope to also check out the local casinos in Aruba and Curaçao - we’ve often talked about spending a week on both islands and now we get the chance to get a little taste and  decide about returning!

 

Looking forward to hearing your report back and review - hope you had a great time.  Can't wait to hear if you did Eagle Beach and how that went.  

[mdin]

My wife and I did the A & B portion of this trip earlier this year (also went to La Romana and Amber Cove) on Horizon and had a great trip.

 

Just like you have planned, we did the Sunset Sail and it was one of the best excursions we've ever done! Excellent choice!

 

We also did the steakhouse on the first night. My only tip there is if you drink wine and don't mind paying, take the 50% off bottle deal. We basically gave into our waitress pushing the free bottle on us and the red wine was terrible. 

 

Getting breakfast in the MDR on port days was quick and easy, and the food was delicious. 

 

If you have time during your pre-cruise stay, I'd recommend checking out the cruise ships sailing away on the pier at the end of South Beach. It was a cool experience. 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by mdin
Just realized OP posted this earlier this month. Hopefully they had a great time.

[80sGal]

7 hours ago, mdin said:

My wife and I did the A & B portion of this trip earlier this year (also went to La Romana and Amber Cove) on Horizon and had a great trip.

 

Just like you have planned, we did the Sunset Sail and it was one of the best excursions we've ever done! Excellent choice!

 

We also did the steakhouse on the first night. My only tip there is if you drink wine and don't mind paying, take the 50% off bottle deal. We basically gave into our waitress pushing the free bottle on us and the red wine was terrible. 

 

Getting breakfast in the MDR on port days was quick and easy, and the food was delicious. 

 

If you have time during your pre-cruise stay, I'd recommend checking out the cruise ships sailing away on the pier at the end of South Beach. It was a cool experience. 

 

 

Agreed ... did the Sunset Cruise in Aruba.  It was very nice.   Kukukanuku bus and beach tour is fun too!  And the Saint Helena red wine is BAD.  Drank a few sips, took it to cabin and it went down the drain.  It was THAT bad.   

[havanadaydreaming]

Horizon might be our fave CCL ship.   We loved the elevator system of pressing floor before entering lift...it eliminates the line jumpers, mostly.  

 

we had an oceanview cabin with two bathrooms.  very unexpected! 

[RenoNanaOz]

Ours is May 2023, since it's been so long(last cruise was Vista in 2019) we splurged on a Havana Aft Balcony. Can't wait.

[J0urn3yman]

On 9/4/2022 at 4:41 PM, lesters said:

Thank you everyone for the info!   Very helpful and I will be sure to post a review and summary of our trip here!

 

i missed noting for Aruba we have a loose plan of Eagle Beach in the morning.  Back to the ship for a quick refresh and then reservations at the West Deck - just found it after doing some research. Looks like a great spot and will report back!

 

Hope to also check out the local casinos in Aruba and Curaçao - we’ve often talked about spending a week on both islands and now we get the chance to get a little taste and  decide about returning!

I love the West Deck. Last year, during our one week vacation in Aruba, we went 3 times in one week. The menu is so diverse and full of local cuisine choices.

 

We just came back from the Horizon (9/17 sailing) and stopped by West Deck for lunch. Great Atmosphere 

[leahthecaterer]

Just booked our cruise last week after a long break because of ...you know... 

 

We haven't been on Horizon before or to any of the ABC islands so are looking forward to new adventures!  Has anyone used ABC Tours in Aruba?  We still need to book something there and also La Romana.

 

This is our 10th cruise and this is the first time that we've never been able to book a dinner seating in the dining room.  They said it was all full so we need to do open seating.  Has that happened to any of you?  I was really hoping for a regular table/waiter since I have Celiac Disease and need a gluten free menu.

Thanks!

[cellfree]

Aruba has a great public transportation system so if you just want to enjoy a beach on your own the bus goes right by / stops at Eagle Beach, it is listed as one of, if not, the best.

[sandij]

we are going april 23rd; been to everyplace several times but havent cruised in 3 years and are way overdue.  love the cove balconies.  everyone have a great a time.

[lennythenose]

On 11/23/2022 at 11:43 AM, leahthecaterer said:

This is our 10th cruise and this is the first time that we've never been able to book a dinner seating in the dining room.  They said it was all full so we need to do open seating.  Has that happened to any of you?  I was really hoping for a regular table/waiter since I have Celiac Disease and need a gluten free menu.

I have never had to do this but I would recommend contacting the Special Needs department or whatever it’s called and I bet they will work with you on this.