First Carnival cruise on Horizon, Dec 4-10: Feelin’ Hot, Hot, Hot

[Sabre407]

Cruise: 6 nights to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel

 

First impression walking onto Horizon:

It was hot. Very hot. The atrium was stifling, so we went to the congested elevator bay where it was even hotter. We had a hard time escaping the heat that week on Horizon, and it wasn’t even hot outside. Even Jamaica in December wasn’t hot. The main dining room was hot. The elevators were hot. The hallways were hot. The arcade and casino were hot. Our cabin, thankfully, was comfortable. 

 

The elevators:

While we’re on the subject, Horizon has the dumbest elevator concept I’ve ever seen. It’s great in theory, horrible in person. 

You press a menu to tell the ship what deck you want and it tells you which elevator to wait for. During this time, you may be standing there for 10 minutes and watch as the other three elevators come by and leave you. Multiple times. 

Did the passengers stand for this? No. People began just hopping on and hopping off trying to get as close to whatever deck as they could. The best thing about the elevators is we used the stairs a lot more. This is where my friend fell after a few drinks at Havana. 

 

The food:

Lunch options were amazing. The free pasta bar was awesome. Blue Iguana is on another level. I was excited to eat buffet cake every single day. 

Dinner was just…ok. Edible. We began skipping the MDR because the food was always lukewarm and mediocre and rushed. The buffet wasn’t much better. Jiji was so exceptional that we went twice. 

 

The alcohol:

There is genuine alcohol in the drinks at Havana Bar. There is not alcohol in the drinks at any of the three pool bars. I’m happy we didn’t get the drink package because the drinks overall just weren’t worth what they were charging. 

 

The seating:

We HATED the table situation on Horizon. In the MDR, Jiji for lunch and Cucina for lunch, the tables are inches apart. You’re not technically sitting with strangers, but you are absolutely sitting with strangers. It’s hard to explain the awkward energy that hangs in the air when a couple is laughing mid-conversation and goes completely silent when they see you being seated with them even though there are tons of open tables that are more private. 

We stopped going to brunch/breakfast in the MDR because the experience is too uncomfortable to brave before coffee. 

I have trauma regarding this due to an unfortunate experience on the Monarch of the Seas (RIP)  in 2009 where a couple stared at us uncomfortably for the entirety of dinner. Do all Carnival ships have this co-eating situation going on? 

 

The vibe:

Off. Hostile.

At Bingo, a woman called a false bingo. As she was taking the embarrassing walk of shame back to her chair, the crowd began booing. These weren’t light-hearted boos. This was like Ted Cruz at a baseball game in New York level of booing. When somebody won, the theater would fill with “F$CK!!!!!!” and the sound of silence as nobody clapped. 

Bingo was tense, y’all. I heard these same expletives at the pier runners in Cozumel. People were just angry. 

 

The Sky Ride:

Amazing. It only ran once, while we were docked in Cozumel, so we rushed to ride it. Do so if you get the chance. I hate heights and didn’t find it scary in the least. 

 

After Dark:

The hot tubs on Serenity were closed after dark. Night time is the only time I want to be submerged in hot water. Dumb.
The comedy theater kept the same weird vibe as the rest of the ship. The comedian realized it was a tough crowd, nixed the sex jokes and had to resort to cat jokes. 

 

Deck 5:

The “lanai” deck outside was an amazing place to lie down on a comfy bed and look at the sky at night. Great concept. We often felt like we had this deck to ourselves and it was blissfully quiet. 

 

The Shower:

It didn’t drain. We told our stewardess, but it still didn’t drain. We got in the habit of stopping the water midshower so we could scoop the water into the drain behind the toilet.

 

Afternoon Tea:

This was delightful. The crew was actually very nice to us and the little cakes and pastries were delicious. It actually felt refined and unrushed. Light jazz played and I felt so relaxed. It was so poorly attended that I need you to start going so they don’t get rid of it. 

 

The Crew:

Mixed. Some were nice. Many were surly. It felt more like a Busch Gardens experience than a Disney one. 

 

Debarkation:

The night before, our cruise director excitedly told us we’d be arriving at the new Celebration terminal. We groaned, knowing this meant we’d have to haul suitcases for a half mile to get to our parking garage. 

Getting off the ship was fine, but the terminal was a nightmare.
Pure chaos.

There were two lines and nobody telling us which one to get in. Finally, I asked. The long, LONG line was people without passports. The shorter, faster line was for people with passports. Thank god I asked. 

We went to the passport line, smiled at a facial recognition machine, and walked out while leaving the birth certificate passengers behind to rot. Rumor has it that they’re still standing there.

 

Overall impression:

Horizon was alright. We were never bored, but we were often hot. Uncomfortably, terribly hot. 

I enjoyed this class of ship and would consider Vista, but likely won’t seek out Horizon again. We’re definitely not going bigger than Horizon if we can help it. Felt less like a boat and more like a mall at many times. 

Edited December 23, 2022 by Sabre407

[Sabre407]

Oops, forgot a big one:

 

The Theater:

Why are there columns in the theater? Why does the floor not gradually rise up so people in the back can see the stage? We went to “Love and Marriage” and heard the jokes and their filthy stories, but barely saw the actual couples. What in the heck were they thinking?

[Sabre407]

Why was this shadow banned? 

[havanadaydreaming]

we were on the Horizon not too long ago and it was our favorite Carnival ship.  we absolutely LOVED the elevator system, worked flawlessly.  

 

then again, it wasnt hot, hot, hot inside the ship.  that would drive me bonkers.  i'm a big A/C fan.  

[ninjacat123]

Thanks for your review.  DH and I are booked on Horizon in a Havana Cabana room Jan 25 so I hope the A/C will be fixed by then!

Edited December 23, 2022 by ninjacat123

[RenoNanaOz]

16 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Thanks for your review.  DH and I are booked on Horizon in a Havana Cabana room Jan 25 so I hope the A/C will be fixed by then!

Hi Ninjacat, was 25 a typo? We leave on the Horizon on the 21st. We are in Havana Aft. See you on board and yes hope the heat issue is fixed!

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Thanks for the review.  We'll be on her in July!

[ninjacat123]

2 hours ago, RenoNanaOz said:

Hi Ninjacat, was 25 a typo? We leave on the Horizon on the 21st. We are in Havana Aft. See you on board and yes hope the heat issue is fixed!

I meant Jan 2025😅oops!  Hope the A/C is fixed for your cruise!!  Have a great time!!

[RenoNanaOz]

2 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

I meant Jan 2025😅oops!  Hope the A/C is fixed for your cruise!!  Have a great time!!

HAHAHA now it makes sense, thank you can't wait! Even if it's hot I don't care.

[CaptG]

Hope they get the ac fixed asap. Definitely not a fan of hot hot hot...I keep my ac set on crushed ice lol

[d12j28]

On 12/22/2022 at 9:53 PM, Sabre407 said:

Oops, forgot a big one:

 

The Theater:

Why are there columns in the theater? Why does the floor not gradually rise up so people in the back can see the stage? We went to “Love and Marriage” and heard the jokes and their filthy stories, but barely saw the actual couples. What in the heck were they thinking?

And here I thought with the title of your thread that you won a Hot Seat drawing in the casino! 🤣

[cruisin from vegas]

I was on Horizon in July,  hot hot hot everywhere… and I’m from Vegas, and I like hot!! But,   There were areas completely miserable.  I love the elevators!!  Was just on Radiance and missed them!  Vista class is my favorite class…. Although I like Panorama the best!!

[2wheelin]

On 12/22/2022 at 8:42 PM, Sabre407 said:

Cruise: 6 nights to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel

 

First impression walking onto Horizon:

It was hot. Very hot. The atrium was stifling, so we went to the congested elevator bay where it was even hotter. We had a hard time escaping the heat that week on Horizon, and it wasn’t even hot outside. Even Jamaica in December wasn’t hot. The main dining room was hot. The elevators were hot. The hallways were hot. The arcade and casino were hot. Our cabin, thankfully, was comfortable. 

 

The elevators:

While we’re on the subject, Horizon has the dumbest elevator concept I’ve ever seen. It’s great in theory, horrible in person. 

You press a menu to tell the ship what deck you want and it tells you which elevator to wait for. During this time, you may be standing there for 10 minutes and watch as the other three elevators come by and leave you. Multiple times. 

Did the passengers stand for this? No. People began just hopping on and hopping off trying to get as close to whatever deck as they could. The best thing about the elevators is we used the stairs a lot more. This is where my friend fell after a few drinks at Havana. 

 

The food:

Lunch options were amazing. The free pasta bar was awesome. Blue Iguana is on another level. I was excited to eat buffet cake every single day. 

Dinner was just…ok. Edible. We began skipping the MDR because the food was always lukewarm and mediocre and rushed. The buffet wasn’t much better. Jiji was so exceptional that we went twice. 

 

The alcohol:

There is genuine alcohol in the drinks at Havana Bar. There is not alcohol in the drinks at any of the three pool bars. I’m happy we didn’t get the drink package because the drinks overall just weren’t worth what they were charging. 

 

The seating:

We HATED the table situation on Horizon. In the MDR, Jiji for lunch and Cucina for lunch, the tables are inches apart. You’re not technically sitting with strangers, but you are absolutely sitting with strangers. It’s hard to explain the awkward energy that hangs in the air when a couple is laughing mid-conversation and goes completely silent when they see you being seated with them even though there are tons of open tables that are more private. 

We stopped going to brunch/breakfast in the MDR because the experience is too uncomfortable to brave before coffee. 

I have trauma regarding this due to an unfortunate experience on the Monarch of the Seas (RIP)  in 2009 where a couple stared at us uncomfortably for the entirety of dinner. Do all Carnival ships have this co-eating situation going on? 

 

The vibe:

Off. Hostile.

At Bingo, a woman called a false bingo. As she was taking the embarrassing walk of shame back to her chair, the crowd began booing. These weren’t light-hearted boos. This was like Ted Cruz at a baseball game in New York level of booing. When somebody won, the theater would fill with “F$CK!!!!!!” and the sound of silence as nobody clapped. 

Bingo was tense, y’all. I heard these same expletives at the pier runners in Cozumel. People were just angry. 

 

The Sky Ride:

Amazing. It only ran once, while we were docked in Cozumel, so we rushed to ride it. Do so if you get the chance. I hate heights and didn’t find it scary in the least. 

 

After Dark:

The hot tubs on Serenity were closed after dark. Night time is the only time I want to be submerged in hot water. Dumb.
The comedy theater kept the same weird vibe as the rest of the ship. The comedian realized it was a tough crowd, nixed the sex jokes and had to resort to cat jokes. 

 

Deck 5:

The “lanai” deck outside was an amazing place to lie down on a comfy bed and look at the sky at night. Great concept. We often felt like we had this deck to ourselves and it was blissfully quiet. 

 

The Shower:

It didn’t drain. We told our stewardess, but it still didn’t drain. We got in the habit of stopping the water midshower so we could scoop the water into the drain behind the toilet.

 

Afternoon Tea:

This was delightful. The crew was actually very nice to us and the little cakes and pastries were delicious. It actually felt refined and unrushed. Light jazz played and I felt so relaxed. It was so poorly attended that I need you to start going so they don’t get rid of it. 

 

The Crew:

Mixed. Some were nice. Many were surly. It felt more like a Busch Gardens experience than a Disney one. 

 

Debarkation:

The night before, our cruise director excitedly told us we’d be arriving at the new Celebration terminal. We groaned, knowing this meant we’d have to haul suitcases for a half mile to get to our parking garage. 

Getting off the ship was fine, but the terminal was a nightmare.
Pure chaos.

There were two lines and nobody telling us which one to get in. Finally, I asked. The long, LONG line was people without passports. The shorter, faster line was for people with passports. Thank god I asked. 

We went to the passport line, smiled at a facial recognition machine, and walked out while leaving the birth certificate passengers behind to rot. Rumor has it that they’re still standing there.

 

Overall impression:

Horizon was alright. We were never bored, but we were often hot. Uncomfortably, terribly hot. 

I enjoyed this class of ship and would consider Vista, but likely won’t seek out Horizon again. We’re definitely not going bigger than Horizon if we can help it. Felt less like a boat and more like a mall at many times. 

Are you sure you were on the Horizon Dec 4-10? Your review is so totally opposite of what we experienced on that sailing. There were 8 of us women and never once did anyone complain about the temperature. We used the elevators as they are meant to be used and never waited more than a minute or two. Usually the elevator came as I was punching in the last person. A few times noticed others just getting on the first elevator to come but that was not due to having been waiting. They would just walk up and get on. The elevators work great for intelligent people.

We were never seated right next to strangers in the MDR and we always had the same table.

The sky ride was open at other times as well. Just not all the time due to the high winds.

I never experienced a surly crew member.

Debarkation was fantastic. When our muster station was called, we got in a swiftly moving line, exited the ship and walked out the door, never stopping except to look into the facial recognition screen. The terminal is huge and a lot of walking but extremely well laid out as to where the luggage was lined up—if you chose to check it.

Several of our group went to bingo and I would have heard about it if there was that level of profanity/booing.

Sorry you seemed to have a different experience but I say vacation is what you make it. Have fun or don’t. Up to you. I do sympathize with a shower drain not working. The comedian were not up to their usual standard in my opinion.

Quest was fabulous.