Condition of the Horizon

WE are sailing on the Horizon June 25th and I have read some horriffic things on the boards about the condition of this ship. Everything from the stabilizers not working to the satilite tv.s being out for days at a time. Has anyone been on the Horizon lately that can give me an update on her actual condition? I know that she is being trasfered out of the fleet in the fall and I am wondering if Celebrity is slacking off on repairs because they are getting rid of her. Joan

joan,

I saw your concern on the Horizon Suite thread and address it briefly. My wife and I were pleased with the condition of the Horizon. We were on her exactly a month ago today.

The ride was rockier than what we had experienced in the past. They had to take the unusual step of postponing one of the shows because of the sea condition (also the lead singers were woefully seasick!). I do not know if this was because the stabilizers weren't working but certainly the seas were rough (high winds cancelled almost every shore excursion when we were at Cozumel). We lost the satellite TV signal for periods at a time--attributable to getting the satellite antenna pointed accurately during rough sailing but it wasn't out for days like it was in disrepair.

We saw alot of crew working on day to day cleaning and maintenance on the ship throughout. There was no evidence to my worried eye that it was being cut back or she was being neglected because Horizon's days are numbered. I think Celebrity understands that how Horizon is maintained for her remaining days will make an important impression on her passengers who they hope will continue to buy their product although it will be on a different ship in the future.

That's not to say she was in perfect shape. Our cabin had some minor flaws attributable to age--a broken closet door latch, a couple of dresser drawers whose sides were pulling apart, our bathroom drains worked slowly, cabin carpet was uniformly faded and there was a unsightly carpet stain but under the bed. The teak on the outside decking has naturally faded although I like it better than the artificial rubber stuff that is found on the M-class public decks. To me Horizon's age showed up more in the fact that some of her architecture is dated--no balcony cabins or 2 story dining rooms for example. But with it came the advantage of being on a smaller ship as far as getting around and meeting other people were concerned. Even the service was more personal because you ran into the same crew every day (although it was a bit alarming that I was quickly addressed and greeted on a first name basis by all the casino cashiers!!).

Finally, our experience on the Horizon was positive enough that despite the fact that we have sailed on 4 of Celebrity's newer ships (3 of them during their 1st year of operation), we are looking to book our next cruise with the Zenith.

Finally, Finally, we had a chance to meet alot of other passengers on the Horizon (we were at open seating for breakfast and lunch alot), I don't recall anyone complaining about the ship maintenance or lack thereof.

Finally, Finally, Finally, checkout the "W Carib" link in my signature below to see some photos of the Horizon--at least the way she was a month ago. There are a few photos of the public rooms. There is also a link to many detailed photos of our Horizon Suite to give you an idea of cabin maintenance--that is found in the link below entitled "Horizon HS 1016".

I will have to disagree with mahdne about the sat TV. I was on the same cruise and CNN ESPN did not work 90% of the time. Also head had problems about 5 or six times. Otherwise his assessment seems correct.

I will have to disagree with mahdne about the sat TV. I was on the same cruise and CNN ESPN did not work 90% of the time. Also head had problems about 5 or six times. Otherwise his assessment seems correct.

Well maybe you are right. When I said periods at a time, I didn't mean that it was out for just a short while.

Not at all unusual to have poor satelite signals in the deep western. I was on Horizon in Feb for 10 days. It very well may have been the very best of my 16 cruises. Food and service was absolutely top notch. The ship is very homey. Not glitzy at all. However, I do understand that some will be disappointed that she is not the newest or the biggest. No rockwall climbing, no inline skating, etc. The only maintenance problem I saw was the carpet in the lobby on deck 5 is badly stained from where very high seas breached the large doors. The carpet isn't worn out, just stained. Would be wasteful to replace all that carpet. No stabilizer can eleminate movement in rough seas. On my cruise and one 3 yrs ago, the seas were pretty calm and Horizon rode very well. For all of us, don't take postings and reviews too seriously. By the way, the iten of Panama, Costa Rica, Roatan, Cozumel and Grand Cayman was excellent and a great price. One other footnote: The medical staff in the infirmery were exceptiona and sadly I had lots of time with them. Had nothing to do with the ship.

Hi, we were on the Horizon in early March. The service and food were both wonderful! Food and service are the more important items to us, along with a great itinerary. A few stained carpets, not the latest in decor, but a great ship and a wonderful cruise!!!!

As for the TV, yes there were some outages, but we were not on the cruise to watch TV. If we missed some important news, we found it in the condensed version of the newspaper found at guest relations daily. No news might equal less worry about things out of our control.

It was a great cruise especially for the price. We would do it again in a heartbeat!

Sailed in the first part of April this year and the good outweighed the bad by far. A small ship with Great food and service, where you get to know many of the passengers and have a great time, is much more important to me that a new glitzy ship that heards you around like cattle. Not everything is perfect, and if you are very picky about the little things you will have a problem, but for me it was a great cruise , maybe the best we have ever had. That is my opinion Good luck

I have sailed on the Horizon three times in the past year, and I was actually very anxious to sail in March because of some of the postings that have addressed the condition of the ship. Because of some of these postings, I made a conscious effort to take notice of the condition of the ship to see if there appeared to be any deterioration in the past 12 months. IMHO, most of the negative things that have been said about the ship going downhill were unwarranted. While it's an older ship that lacks some of the glitz of those that are newer and larger, it is well maintained, and crew members were visible washing down decks, varnishing railings, etc. I did notice the carpet stain mentioned previously; I actually searched to find them after reading about them on the boards. In regard to internet service, we did have several days when connection was spotty on the March 25th sailing, but from what I understand that is not uncommon on ships in the southern Caribbean. There was no problem last June with connection from Bermuda, if I recall correctly. As most who have responded to the question posed seem to agree, the postive points of the Horizon seem to definitey outweigh the negative. The Horizon has a warm appealing personality, a friendly, top-notch staff and crew, and the food is superb! I sailed on the Constellation in December, and personally I find sailing on the Horizon to be the more favorable experience because service on the Connie seemed far more impersonal. The Constellation is newer and larger, but did not have the warm coziness of the Horizon. The two experiences remind me of choosing clothes for a comfortable day at home. While I love wearing anything new, I find myself choosing the clean, freshly laundered MCV sweatshirt that has been around awhile as often as anything else in my closet because it is ultimately more comfortable than any other item that I own. It's not flashy or fancy, but there is pure elegance in how it makes me feel. And, to me, that is much more appealing than the brighter newer threads that sometimes tempt me. Just as I will wear all of my clothes eventally, I will most likely sail both ships again, but I will sail on the Horizon again in June, and I look forward with great anticipation to the relaxtion and comfort that I know I will find onboard! :)

Well thank you everyone for your respone. I am very much relieved to hear that things are not as bad as I originally thought. I have sailed on the Zenith,last summer, and understand that although the Zenith is newer it is a sister ship in size and ammenities. We have been on everything from the small Majesty to the QM2 and have enjoyed all our cruises equally no matter the size of the ship. Thanks again. Joan

I just got off the Horizon yesterday. The ride through the Atlantic was no rougher then normal, in fact it was smoother then when we sailed Galaxy in & out of Baltimore. Satellite coverage was usually pretty good. As the ship swayed, the signal would waver in & out, but you could certainly discern what was going on in the world on CNN & figure out what was happening on ESPN. Yes, it is an older, smaller ship & yes, the carpet is a bit worse for wear in some spots, but overall the condition of the ship is just fine. We observed railings being sanded & varnished, walls being painted, etc., so no, they are not just letting her wear away. We had no plumbing issues or anything similar. Overall, the ship was in better repair then when we sailed Millennium the week before it went to drydock. Above all else, the crew of the Horizon is excellent, the captain is warm & funny and everyone seems to go above and beyond your expectations to make it a wonderful cruise.

Enjoy!

~fly

Well thank you everyone for your respone. I am very much relieved to hear that things are not as bad as I originally thought. I have sailed on the Zenith,last summer, and understand that although the Zenith is newer it is a sister ship in size and ammenities. We have been on everything from the small Majesty to the QM2 and have enjoyed all our cruises equally no matter the size of the ship. Thanks again. Joan

Joan, can you tell us more about the Zenith? I am sailing on her to Bermuda in two weeks and, like you, I'm growing concerned over the reports on these boards about the condition of the ship. One person who was on Zenith last week said, "there is absolutely nothing beautiful about this ship." He said the food was only ok, at best. His overall review was very disappointing. What is your take on the Zenith experience?

Was on the Horizon the week of the 15th and was in really good shape. Stained carpets in spots but always clean and they were always cleaning. Cabins in very good shape, beds could have been a little more comfortable but alright. Don't know about TV din't use it much.

Dave

Re the Zenith: I was on her two years ago for a trip from New York to Bermuda and LOVED HER! The ship is very pretty without being overdone,I hate Carnival for that very reason. The food was great if not outstanding, the cabins were a decent size and the shows were pretty good. It's hard for me to remember a whole lot of details. I would definitely sail her again in a heart beat. Enjoy yourself and don't worry to much about the condition of this ship. Joan