Wonderful Ship; Wonderful cruise
Carnival Horizon Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
8 Night Southern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 25, 2020
Ship: Carnival Horizon
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 6297
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
PLEASE sort out the smoking situation in the casino. It was really bad and there didn't seem to be any ventilation. Smoking is permitted throughout. This is not healthy for those who don't smoke and who want to use the casino. I have never been a fan of Carnival and after taking my first Carnival cruise in April on the Magic I vowed never to get on Carnival again. However, I was part of a group of 50 from Bermuda for a birthday so off I went. I truly had a great experience and would consider sailing on the Horizon again - IF the smoke situation can be sorted out. I can still feel it in my chest 4 days later! I know Carnival is a cruise line for families but I did not like how young children were allowed to "party" with adults - on Lido deck, in the shows, and also around the atrium bar. That would deter me from going again. We encountered ONE rude waiter in the Meridian and what's worse is that as my friend and I were talking about his abruptness, a couple sitting next to us -(husband is a travel agent)- started up a conversation about the same guy and his lack of friendliness. I asked the waiter how long he had been on the ship as I guessed he had either been there a long time and didn't like his job or he was new and hadn't received proper training. He told me he had been with Carnival for 25 years. He is not a good fit for that ship because everyone else was so awesome. Mike the cruise director is a ball of energy! OMG he is a perfect fit for the job and he engages everyone and his jokes are funny too! Finally the elevators! Whew! Getting on and off the ship passengers can forget about using them as the staff use all of them for luggage. But they are all electronic and I did notice someone got stuck in elevator C. But throughout the whole cruise the elevators took f.o.r.e.v.e.r to come!! All for now - I'm glad I went and I'm ready to go again...minus the casino smoke...it's a beautiful ship!Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Liquid Lounge
Upper middle seating is not good. Can't see much over people's heads. Seats should be more elevated. But the actual lounge is really spacious and very nice.
The Library Bar
I sat in there for 3 hours specifically to write! It was very warm and smoky! And when people walk through either door the other one on the other side of the library pops open. I didn't like that it was a walk through venue. And after about 2 hours 2 groups came in there to play games and ruined my quiet time.
Reflection Restaurant
Fantastic! Attentive staff and they always called me by name.
Meridian Restaurant
Very good menu options. Friendly staff except for that one grumpy guy I wrote about in my review.
Lido Marketplace
Always great variety of food to select from and friendly staff
Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ Smokehouse Brewhouse
Awesome! I ate there twice.....loved the variety!
Guy's Burger Joint
Deeeeeeeeeeeeelicous! Mouthwatering and fresh!
Onboard Activities
Horizon Casino
Got lucky for the first time in my life....but the cigarette smoke in there is horrendous!
Entertainment
Limelight Lounge
Hard to please the whole crowd at the same time - just have to go and wait for your genre of music. But I had a good time on the dance floor when music I liked was played.
Carnival Multiplex
Enjoyed watching Bad Boys in the state of the art theater
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Avoid the casino if you have respiratory issues. The smoke in there and the surrounding areas is horrendous. We could actually smell the smoke on the floor directly above and directly below the casino.