This was our 14th cruise, half of them with Carnival. This particular ship did not measure up favorably with our previous Carnival cruises. The ship itself is very plain and the staff seemed to be under-trained. Because this is a brand new ship, we expected some minor glitches (like the fact that the Horizon’s claim to fame - the Sky Rail - was closed for repairs during the entire cruise, but the overall lack of friendliness displayed by the staff was definitely unexpected.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Completely disorganized. None of the booked appointments were held on time and haif of the passengers (including 5 of our party) were forced to wait over two hours in the hot Miami sun since there was no more room in the terminal.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The main dining room offered typical cruise food, some of which was quite tasty. The wait staff could have been friendlier and were not up to the usual Carnival standards. We ate at all the specialty restaurants during the cruise and were all impressed by the presentation and food at Bonsai Teppanyaki. The food at Cucina del Capitan was okay but the servers working our table were borderline rude to all of us at the table. The Marketplace is the only buffet on the ship, but the options were extremely limited. One or two vegetables and two meats per meal was about it. Breakfast was the exact same menu every morning. Overall, the food was okay, but I don’t think the food will be what you remember most on this cruise.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
We were disappointed in the attitudes of the staff serving drinks at the Casino Bar and serving the table at Cucina del Capitan. Otherwise, the staff we bumped into from time to time were fine.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
We thought that as a brand new ship, there would be exciting design elements and spotless surfaces. Unfortunately, that’s not what we found. The Horizon has no “Wow” features that impress. It’s pretty utilitarian, from the Prominade to the Lido decks. Our balcony was not cleaned for the first six days of the cruise, and bits of paper were left behind on the cabin carpet each night.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Ship tip
Would be adequate if you got a huge discount, but just don’t expect any stunning features or world class service.
Luggage carousels were packed three and four deep with people struggling to find their luggage. If ever we cruise Carnival again we will carry on all our luggage so we can avoid all that confusion. Custom agents were surprisingly friendly and efficient. Once we found our luggage we were outside in minutes.
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