Sail dates: October 2-10, 2021
Embarkation and Debarkation from the Port Miami is amazing. Simply, easy, and efficient. The only thing I wish Carnival did on all of their ships, is the silent debarkation, where you turn on the TV and chill in your room until it’s time to get off the ship, without having to listen for announcements. But I guess this is to encourage people to get out of their rooms sooner so the crew can start flipping them for the next sailing.
The Horizon is a beautiful ship. It’s big, but easy to navigate. The entire staff was amazing, friendly and happy to be back at work.
There are a few I’d like to pay special recognition to… (as I will be sharing this with Carnival’s Brand Ambassador as well as here)
Our Cabin Steward Ketut, did a great job of refreshing our room, because of the AM or PM cleaning choice, we did not see him as much as we have seen other Stewards in the past, but he was always happy and friendly and always called us by name, when we did run into him.
I normally hate having my picture taken. On the first formal night, I sucked it up and stopped by some of the various backdrops they have around the ship. Because of the lower capacity we were able to have some shots taken by Yogi at the Dreams Studio, which we found out later usually requires an appointment. He did an amazing job and as a result we spent more money on pictures this cruise than we have on any of our other six cruises combined.
We did a meet and greet at the Red Frog Bar and one of the roaming bar servers, Aries, that was helping our group found me a couple of days later and remembered my name and asked where the rest of the group was. He was shocked that we weren’t all related because of how well we got along. Sadly because of where we hung out, we did not run into Aries again but he deserves recognition.
We typically eat in the MDR (main dining room) for breakfast whenever possible. Twice we had Made and his team who provided great service and friendly conversation. After that we were seated in different areas with different views, which was nice. Again, all of the servers were great.
We also try to do the Your Time Dining in the MDR when at sea due to the flexibility of going to dinner when we are hungry, rather than when we are scheduled. Since the ship was sailing at about 50% capacity, and only ½ of those choose the YTD, we got the same wait staff without having to ask or wait. Since we were a party of two, we were mostly helped by I Wayan Setiadi and Agus Dewa. The Sr. Team Lead Server, Dedi, did come and talk to us on a couple of nights. However, it seemed he took the lead on the larger parties. This is in no way a complaint or criticism as we were thrilled by the service we were provided. With the smaller number of passengers, it was nice because the servers were not rushing constantly and we were able to get to know them a lot more than in the past.
We tend to play a bit of trivia on the ships, and both Gerry and Shannon did a great job of hosting. I really liked how Gerry would make teams swap answer sheets before covering the answers. It was also neat talking with Shannon, who was only 1 month into her first contract. So, hearing her fresh perspective on everything was nice and interesting. I didn’t have too much interaction with the CD Donkey, outside of his announcements, but he did a great Classic Rock trivia that was filled with energy.
The last people I want to mention were the amazing mixologist at the Alchemy Bar. Annamaria, Suri, and Suzie were honestly the best team of mixologist I have seen behind the bar. They worked extremely well together and complimented each other’s abilities perfectly. When they would go to dinner either Renata or Oscar would cover from the Pig and Anchor. They too were fantastic. It really is a shame this bar isn’t bigger because it gets busier as the cruise goes on as more people discover it. The only other thing I would like to see changed would be the music. At the beginning of the cruise, the music was a bit too Zen and mellow. Mix that with the amazing drinks and it seemed to make those in the Alchemy area sleepy. Towards the end of the cruise, the music was more upbeat.
In talking with the crew, we (my wife and I) had a bit of a heartbreaking conversation with one person, that was due to a compliment they paid to us. They were saying how it was so nice that we talked with them like family rather than how some simply see them as the help or servants. It really is a shame that people can be such jerks. People are people and mistakes will happen. But the way we see it is that they are a crucial part of what makes a Carnival vacation so amazing. It is so impressive how well they deal with unappreciative and rude people.
Now onto the cruise and ship…
This is the largest Carnival ship we have been on. Being at 50% capacity was wonderful. I’m not sure how I would like it if it was full. Again, the best part of this was getting to spend more time talking with the amazing crew.
There is a lot to do and see and we didn’t get to do or see it all. Other than the main dining room, I ate at Guy’s Burgers, Pig and Anchor, made a salad at the Lido buffet, ordered a sandwich from the Deli, had a pizza or two (helped after leaving the Alchemy), Blue Iguana Café, The Mongolian Wok, The Pasta Bar, Ji Ji’s, and the Teppanyaki Grill during our time on the ship. The lunch time Pasta bar was the only thing we felt was below expectations. The alfredo sauce seemed bland and my wife found her chicken chewy. This prevented us from trying the Italian place for dinner. The show part of Teppanyaki Grill was very entertaining. The food was on par with other hibachi style restaurants, so for the price I’m not sure we would do it again. Everywhere else was as expected or better.
We got to see 3 of the 4 comedians that were performing on board, Kelly Terranova, Sid Davis, and Jose Sarduy. All were great. I liked how there were some double headers that utilized the Main theater rather than the smaller one. I understand why they repeated some shows, but I would have preferred different sets each time they were on stage.
As far as the ports, we have been to Aruba, Curaçao, and La Romana before. Amber Cove was the only new port for us.
In Aruba we did Carnival’s Kukoo Kunuku Open Air Bus & Beach Break excursion. The 2 stops for the lighthouse and the chapel were nice, but very brief. We stopped at Moomba Beach, which is a very commercialized section of Eagle Beach. Chairs were free and umbrellas were $15. You could get food and drinks at the nearby bar and a couple of shops were nearby too. As a bonus, a restroom and shower were available to us to rinse off before getting back on the bus. The beach was ok. Very crowded from the nearby hotels and lots of boats coming and going very close to the swimming area, however the water was clear and refreshing. Not much to see so no need to bring a snorkel. We were the only ship in port that day, which is good because it would have been very unpleasant if more people were there. I’d give this a 3.5 out of 5.
In Curaçao, we did the Discover Curaçao Island Tour through Carnival. It was very enjoyable on the bus with cold A/C. We got to see several parts of the island with stops at the Curaçao Museum, Fort Nassau, the Chobolobo Liqueur Factory, and the Hato Caves. The main tour guide was very informative. There was a separate guide for the caves (very informative and entertaining as well!), so if you are prone to tip your guides, plan for the extra cash. 5 out of 5 for this one.
We planned to stay on the ship in La Romana, but once we docked, we noticed that it had been built up since our last visit 10 years ago. We got off the ship explored the little market area. I found the vendors to be pretty high pressure in getting you to stop and look at their goods. Reminded me a lot of the area in Nassau. While it was nice seeing they have done something with this area, it wasn’t a relaxing atmosphere so we quickly hopped back on the ship. There is only room for one ship at a time in this port. 1 out of 5. Most likely would have been higher if we booked an excursion.
In Amber Cove we just enjoyed the free pool area. After laying out and cooling off in the pool a couple of times, we walked around their market area which was a nicer and larger than La Romana. Was able to sample the local drink of Mama Juana. I liked the flavor but not enough to buy a bottle to bring home. There were some other free activities and some with a charge right there in the pool/recreation area. The only thing I didn’t like is there is no free access to the ocean waters. If you have been to Grand Turk, this has the same kind of vibe. Here again, we were the only ship in port so finding chairs and space in the pool was not an issue. 5 out of 5.
Lastly you always meet some great people during a cruise and this was no exception. From my experience the best people are found at the Alchemy Bar. It’s like we are share a similar soul. Or maybe just a similar fondness for great drinks.
Now if we could just get people to stop slamming their balcony/cabin doors. Smooth sailing to all and safe travels where ever your journey takes you.
Thanks for reading all of this, if you got this far.
