Carnival Horizon 7/3-7/11/18: An Accidential Havana Cabin and Lots of Creme Brulee

[nybumpkin]

Wouldn't the lanai only go about 80% around the ship on deck 5 because of the Havana area?

Correct - but then, we had Havana.:D It's easy enough to cut across Ocean Plaza to get to the other side of the Lanai.

[nybumpkin]

Food and Drink

 

We never did try one of the specialty dining areas for dinner. As I mentioned at the start, we had tried to book the steakhouse for the first night but the times that were available didn't work for us. And the dining room food was just fine for us. There was always a good selection. And we had lots of creme brulee for dessert thanks to our headaiter....

 

We used the buffet for breakfast every morning. The only line was for the omelets. I liked the separate lines for hot items, pastries and fruit, and cereal and yogurt.

 

Lunch was where we tried different venues - in fact, I think I got lunch from the buffet line maybe once. Had a Guy's Burger twice. My personal choice is the Plain Jane with cheese, then topped with mushrooms and bacon. We had Mongolian wok one day, and I ordered fried clams from Seafood Shack another day. And we had the BBQ buffet the next to last day. DH likes to have salads (needs to watch his carb intake), so while I was ordering things like Guy's he was making a Checf's salad at the buffet. There's a lot to choose from.

 

Drinks - I think I mentioned that we were regular customers of the specialty coffee bar. I love the mocha. The shake menu looked good, although I never tried one. I used bar service at most of the bar venues, with Havana bar being most frequent (surprise). I had one drink at Alchemy - one of my favorite drinks is the spicy pineapple chipotle martini, and it didn't disappoint. We ordered wine in the dining room a few times; there is a good selection.

[Hogladyrider]

Hi Kathy so enjoying your review. We sailed Vista in March and I could not agree with you more, not enough space for so many people on the ship. The pools were way too over crowded, the only time I could enjoy the pool was when we were in port and we never got off the ship. Also the Spa pkg the set up I did not enjoy as the loungers were in the same room with the thalosso pool and it was not relaxing at all it was way too loud, such a shame.

 

For us our retreat was to our cove balcony though we really enjoyed the layout of the Vista and we spent a lot of time in the atrium listening to the live entertainment and the bar service was great not too mention great people watching.

 

We would book a Havana cabin in a heartbeat if we could snag one! Hopefully someday we can be successful as I know we would love the Havana area.

 

We also tried the Seafood Shack and thoroughly enjoyed it!

 

Susan

[nybumpkin]

Entertainment and Venues

 

I'm going to start with our Cruise Director, Chris "The Flying Scotsman" Williams. Chris was substituting for Mike Pack, who was the CD who brought Horizon out from the yard but was on a well-deserved vacation. Chris was a great cruise director - very visible, very funny and a great singing voice. He came to the CC Meet and Greet and had some good stories to tell. One I recall in particular is that when he first started in the entertainment field on ships, his Socttish accent was so heavy that people had a tough time understanding him - so he "Americanized" his speech. Now, he says, there are people in Scotland who don't understand him! He's very proud of his Scottish heritage and has a full wardrobe of kilts to wear at every opportunity. I know he's hoping to be named the CD to bring out Carnival Pinnacle. I hope he gets it.

 

The rest of the entertainment staff was good as well. I never did have a chance to play trivia, which is usually one of my main activities, but a lot of people did participate.

 

I enjoyed all of my visits to the comedy club. As I mentioned earlier, I found the scheduled times to be awkward. And the Limeight Lounge is not a great venue - their answer to a lack of sight lines was to install a couple of screens on the sides of the stage. I think the set-up was even worse than that on Vista. And the idea of lining up 1/2 hour before a show to see a show that lasts 1/2 hour? I did it once but DH refused. However, all of the comedians were entertaining.

 

Music - There were plenty of entertainers with different styles to listen to. If you liked country Buck &Oz performed in the Smokehouse. The piano bar was interesting; since it's next to the Steakhouse, until 10 they had Gregor playing "cocktail tunes" and had the partition betwen the steakhouse and the piano bar open. It was a good opportunity to have live music in the steakhouse. At 10 they closed the partition and Eden staarted his "piano sing-along" show. In Havana Mambo Magic performed Latin music. And in the atrium Imprint performed with the electric violins.

 

In Ocean Plaza, the group Crushed Velvet perfored pop music on some nights and on others Emma June performed acoustic guitar. (Some of the singers from Crushed Velvet also had roles in one of the Playlist Producton shows.) The lead singer with Crushed Velvet was funny: he asked to have ight patterns reflected on the dance floor, as it attracted the families with young kids. The kids were drown to the light patterns like moths to a flame. ;)

 

In all, there was plenty of music entertainment available. And since we skipped the production shows except "Celestial Strings," we foud lots of alterntive entertiment.

 

Liquid Lounge - if I had "Joe Farcus, what were you thinking?" spaces on some of the older ships, I'd like to ask the same question of the current designers. The Liquid Lounge is awful. The sight lines are terrible and if you have a drink, you better become adept at balancing it because chances are you won't have a table to use for it. I went there three times: "Celestial Strings," where we sat in the deck 5 balcony area; and "The Flying Scotsman" show and the past guest party, both of which we saw from deck 4. One of the guests at the past guest party was not very adept at balancing his drink and appetizers, wth the result that a porton of the space had to be blocked off to keep kids fro ruingthrough the mess.

 

Atrium - I enjoyed spending time here with a drink listening to music. It was especially convenient for pre-dinner drinks, since fixed dinng was in the Reflections dning room right off the atrium. And I really like the Dreamscape and its varied designs

 

And as for the elevators - we didn't take them often, but when we did we found that the call system worked well. I hadn't read the comments that you need to push the call button for each person in your party, but it makes sense. The one time it didn't work for us was at disembarkation, when we were doing self-assist. The elevators don't account for luggage, and some folks who were given the same elevator we were given weren't able to board because of the amount of luggage.

[nybumpkin]

Ports

 

This 8-day from NYC is not really a cruise to take for the ports - the port time is limited in both Grand Turk and Amber Cove, and there are four full days at sea. That was something that drew us to this cruise - we love sea days. It's a relaxing cruise, though - the only days we really had to wake up early were Amber Cove (since we had to meet a tour) and disembarkation (since we were doing self-assist and our disembarkation time was 6:30 a.m.)

 

Grand Turk - If you're staying at Margaritaville, the only reason to get off early is to snag a prime seat. For us, walking down to Jack's Shack, there was no reason to get off much before 9.

 

San Juan - There is plenty within walking distance of the pier - some probably make it no farther than Senor Frog's across the street. There are also tour operators offering van tours right outside the port. If you're wondering about hurricane damage, there was little visible right in Old San Juan. There were places where walkways were being replaced. I liked our walk to El Morro followed by lunch and I was happy to leave some tourism dollars behind.

 

Amber Cove - As I mentioned before, this is a port created to keep the cruise passengers inside. Yes, it does mean money for the local economy. But if you want to see the real Dominican Republic, get outside the cruise port. We loved our teleferico tour followed by Puerto Plata.

 

One of the more popular tours was the "27 waterfalls" tour, which is offered by both Carnival and independent tours. It looks gorgeous and a lot of fun, but not for people with mobility limits like DH and me (sorry, at this stage in life we're not doing 30-foot jumps down waterfalls!) But the people we talked to who did it loved it.

[nybumpkin]

So What's Next?

 

If there are things I missed along the way that you'd like to know about Horizon or sailing out of NYC, ports, etc. please ask. There were a lot of things we skipped (e.g. the spa) but I may have just missed covering other topics.

 

This was our 24th Carnival cruise. Our 25th will be a Milestone cruise - and it's booked. Just a 4-day on Triumph next August from NYC-Bermuda. Why just a 4-day cruise? Because we found a "bucket list" cruise next July. You see, I've always wanted to do a Transatlantic. Since we're limited to sailing in July and August, though, there aren't many options - like, the only avalable line is Cunard. As it happens, the QM2 is doing a Transatlantic next July. Southampton-NYC with ports in Liverpool, an overnght in Reykjavik Iceland, Newfoudland, and Halifax. And we plan to be aboard. Yes, it's probably a complete 180 from sailing on Carnival - and I have a feeling that I will have people on the Cunard board here on CC saying "EGAD!" when they see my signature. However DH and I dress up nicely (and next summer it's just the two of us; the boys will need these things called JOBS). And it's all in the Carnival Corporation family, right? If only our Platinum status carried over....

[dleem63]

Thanks for this review. We are in 8472 Aft Balcony Havana on 9/13/18. We are taking the train to NYC from Hudson, NY that morning. This is a four day Bermuda but seems like fun and never been. Glad that Havana is like a little oasis of quiet with so many people on the ship. A little concerned with noise from the music as it is open until midnight in Havana but that is what ear plugs are for if necessary.

[sb4ever]

Thank you for your review. It was so thorough! We are now less than two weeks away and I am so excited. We chose this itinerary based on the number of sea days as the whole family loves them. It's the main reason we sprung for the Havana area as we knew we would make good use of it. We were on Vista when it was in Europe and because that was so port-intensive, we feel we didn't get a good feel for the ship.

 

My kids are older (12 and 19) and they are excited about the Havana area - not so much for the pool, but the fact that when they want their drinks, they just have to go over to the Havana bar :')

 

 

Again, thank you for the great review! If I think of any more questions, I'll be sure to pop back in!

[nybumpkin]

Thanks for this review. We are in 8472 Aft Balcony Havana on 9/13/18. We are taking the train to NYC from Hudson, NY that morning. This is a four day Bermuda but seems like fun and never been. Glad that Havana is like a little oasis of quiet with so many people on the ship. A little concerned with noise from the music as it is open until midnight in Havana but that is what ear plugs are for if necessary.

I take the train into NYC from Hudson fairly often. Try to get a seat on the right side of the train for great river views. You may get lucky and see a bald eagle.

 

We didn't have any problem with noise from the music in the lounge. The last night there were some loud people in one of the hot tubs, but they were gone by 10:00.

[shineonmesunshine]

Thanks for this review. We are in 8472 Aft Balcony Havana on 9/13/18. We are taking the train to NYC from Hudson, NY that morning. This is a four day Bermuda but seems like fun and never been. Glad that Havana is like a little oasis of quiet with so many people on the ship. A little concerned with noise from the music as it is open until midnight in Havana but that is what ear plugs are for if necessary.

 

We are in 8472 on 7/31. If I forget to report back, ping me if you have any questions. I'm a light sleeper/sensitive to noise (which is why we didn't go with an aft on 9 due to Lido/10 above), so will be eager to find out myself!

[dh464]

How are they with check in times we are going with a group of friends Horizon 9/13/18. Taking a group transportation. But we all have different check in times?

 

 

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[nybumpkin]

How are they with check in times we are going with a group of friends Horizon 9/13/18. Taking a group transportation. But we all have different check in times?

We were Platinum so we had VIP boarding, so I'm probably not the best person to ask. I can tell you that I didn't see anyone getting turned away and the waiting area was pretty full when we arrived, so I suspect the worst that would happen is that the folks with later check-in times get later zoned boarding passes. We arrived around 10:30 and the first passengers (the wedding groups) boarded around 11:30.

[floridafunlady]

Loving this. pictures of NYC makibg me homesick even if I haven't lived in NYC metro area for 41 years

 

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[Jesserose]

Thanks so much for posting your review and pics - I like your positive and practical approach which is easy and fun to read. I'm sailing on the Horizon August 16th with my sister and am so excited to sail out of NYC! I go to NY often for fun from RI but this will be such a different view of the city. I appreciated this little snippets of history that went with your photos of leaving NYC and had a chuckle about the Frying Pan - been there are couple of times but it was fun seeing it from the ship view. Looking forward to your review of your dream trip on the QM2 - that sounds like a fantastic itinerary!

[bsea55]

Thanks so much for your post and details, very helpful. I have two questions for you, one fairly subjective, the other more objective. The subjective question first...did the Horizon feel crowded to you? I ask because I sailed on the RCCL Oasis of The Seas a year ago and, yes, mega ship, great amenities, but unfortunately, too crowded. There were 30 minute plus lines for the buffet because there weren’t enough seats, crowds for every amenity, etc. Too many rooms stuffed to the gills and no corresponding extension in service areas. Never again, curious of your impressions of Horizon.

 

Second, your description of the Havana rooms sold me, but my adult kids will go and, all being younger enlisted military members, likely will not be able to afford a Havana room. If they are with me, do you know if they would be able to access the Havana areas? Just wondering. I would likely just book a balcony if they can’t come with us.

 

Thanks again...Bill

[SNJCruisers]

Bill.....just wanted to give you a partial answer. No, the only people that have access to the Havana area are those people staying in the Havana cabins up until 700 pm each day. After 700, anyone has access to the area. You also need to be 12+ to stay in a Havana cabin, so no annoying children during the day. If your adult children need daytime access, there are over a dozen inside cabins in the Havana area.

[bsea55]

Thank you SNJCruisers! That’s what I suspected, excellent idea on the interiors.

 

Bill

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

I leave for my cruise on the Horizon on August 8th - I’m over the moon excited!!! Love the review!

 

 

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[sb4ever]

I leave for my cruise on the Horizon on August 8th - I’m over the moon excited!!! Love the review!

 

 

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Cruising with you! Can't wait!

[nybumpkin]

Thanks so much for your post and details, very helpful. I have two questions for you, one fairly subjective, the other more objective. The subjective question first...did the Horizon feel crowded to you? I ask because I sailed on the RCCL Oasis of The Seas a year ago and, yes, mega ship, great amenities, but unfortunately, too crowded. There were 30 minute plus lines for the buffet because there weren’t enough seats, crowds for every amenity, etc. Too many rooms stuffed to the gills and no corresponding extension in service areas. Never again, curious of your impressions of Horizon.

 

Second, your description of the Havana rooms sold me, but my adult kids will go and, all being younger enlisted military members, likely will not be able to afford a Havana room. If they are with me, do you know if they would be able to access the Havana areas? Just wondering. I would likely just book a balcony if they can’t come with us.

 

Thanks again...Bill

Hi Bill - On your second question first, the family could access your balcony but not the Havana public decks. Everyone booked in the Havana cabins has a sticker on their Sail and Sign cards and receive wristbands allowing Havana access. Without either, they would not be allowed. We actually thought about lending our sons our wristbands but they weren't interested.

 

On being crowded - the Lido deck and pool certainly were crowded. As I observed the pool, people in the pool had maybe a square+ foot of turf (okay, water) to themselves. It just didn't look enjoyable. As for the buffets, though, I never found it crowded and never had a problem finding a seat, no matter what lunch venue we tried. At night, the comedy club can have lines, particularly if you want one of the "prime time" shows. Overall, there were crowded venues - but there were plenty of not-so-crowded options.

[bsea55]

Thanks nybumpkin. Again, great review and very helpful answer.

 

Bill

[Mustsea]

Thanks, Kathy for your excellent review. We are considering the Horizon and possibly a Havana Cabana. Did you happen to see any soot accumulating on your balcony? I have really sensitive lungs and would be hesitant to book a rear cabin if this is the case. Had issues with aft facing balconies on at least 2 past cruises. Thanks, Kathy!

[Starfish24]

Kathy- thank you for your reviews...very insightful. We are also platinum, but have never gone out of Manhattan cruise terminal, and are very stressed about driving in from New Jersey. How was your drive? Anything to mentally prepare for? I heard there will be construction at the lincoln tunnel---:( How was the parking situation?

[tw67]

Kathy- thank you for your reviews...very insightful. We are also platinum, but have never gone out of Manhattan cruise terminal, and are very stressed about driving in from New Jersey. How was your drive? Anything to mentally prepare for? I heard there will be construction at the lincoln tunnel---:( How was the parking situation?

I am not sure where in NJ you are located, but you do have options for getting to the cruise terminal. I plan on taking the train in September. You can also look at car service.

 

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[SenatorsFan]

Hi Kathy, do you know if there was afternoon tea on any of the sea days?

Thanks, Heather