Well they over pack the ship with 5000 people and the pool is so small and you never find a seat at the pool. The food was ok nothing to brag about. They are cheap with water in your room afer 4 bottles for 4 people they charge you for them. Mike the cruise director is excellent always happy. The shows are great nut the sky ride is closed half the time due to wind. The miniature golf and pool tables are a joke to windy balls blew around. The balcony doors are terrible they open like a door and slams so hard you wake up early if a kid is in your next room. So I say Carinaval Horizon is rated poor for my family. I must say the princes on drinks are high one round at the pool is $46. The Imax theater is $12.95 a movie pathetic Read Less

I booked this trip over a year ago and was extremely excited to be sailing on Canrival's newest ship. This was my 7th cruise and 3rd on Carnival. I was traveling with a large group of family and friends, some of which were skeptical to sail on Carnival. I convinced them that it would be a great experience because I had never had issues sailing on Carnival in the past. Boy was I wrong!!!!! I was extremely disappointed with SEVERAL aspects of this trip. However, I will start with the few PROs: Pros *Embarkation - was very efficient and quick. We arrived at the port within our appointment time and was on the ship within 15 minutes. Our staterooms were ready by the time we boarded and food was being served. *Decor/Design - the ship's decor is modern and welcoming. The design is ok. The pool area on the Lido deck is much smaller than on the Splendor and many of the speciality restaurants are small and can't accommodate many people. *Cabin - we had an aft balcony on the 9th deck. The beds were extremely comfortable (unfortunately, I didn't get much rest). Our cabin steward, Idewa, was amazing. He was extremely courteous, attentive and accommodated all of our requests. Cons: *Cabin - we paid extra money for the aft balcony at the back of the ship. Big mistake....for the extra money, we got a lot of extra noise and wasn't able to get a good night sleep not one night of the trip. The crew cleaned the Lido deck located above our room at the oddest times. The noise is so loud when they are moving the lounge chairs/tables and chairs around it awakens you from your sleep....it sounds like they are coming through the ceiling and they do it at the oddest times.....I had to call and make several complaints at 1am, 2am, 3am, 4am, 5am, 6am, etc..........I was so exhausted on most days, I had to nap during the afternoon or early evening. Each time I called to report the noise, a guest service rep would say that they've spoken to the supervisor and the noise should cease...that never happened. The noise occurred EVERY night and every morning on the ship. Secondly, for this to be a new ship, the mechanics are not designed well. When we would reach a port and the ship was docking.....not only was the noise extremely loud but the cabin would shake violently. It was disruptive and it was scary!!!! Lastly, the balcony doors slam extremely hard and loud. The noise from them slamming was continuous throughout the cruise. *Customer service - the service on the ship overall was POOR!!!!!! Our aft balcony provided us with access to the Havana area, however, whenever my children entered the area they were always told "this is a private area" despite the fact that they had on the access bands. Perhaps, the staff members weren't aware that African Americans could purchase cabins that included access to this part of the ship. If you had a question, no one seemed to be a able to provide an answer. If you asked 10 different people the same question, you got 10 different answers. We were a group of about 40...despite making dinner reservations 3 days in advance, no one in the Meridian dining room was able to get it correct and no one could seem to provide an answer as to who was in charge. We only planned to have dinner all together only ONE night to memorialize my grandmother's birthday. It was a nightmare!!! The staff didn't have the capacity, the common sense or the desire to accommodate us. Overall most of the staff members on the ship were not friendly, courteous or helpful. It didn't appear they were prepped well or have gotten used to serving the crowd capacity on a mega ship. Carnival, you must do better in this area!!!!! *Entertainment - this is supposed to be a "FUN" ship. For an 8 day cruise, I felt the itinerary was very scarce and redundant. There is no signature “Broadway-quality” production. There were no live bands in the pool area, unlike on other cruises where they will often feature reggae, steel drum or calypso music so that you feel like you’re at an island resort. The Fun Team appeared only once in a while. We were at sea for a total of 5 days and there were only 2 deck parties. *Food - the food at the buffet was subpar at best! There was no option for turkey bacon or turkey sausage at breakfast, the food selections were very limited, and the taste made much of the food undesirable. Guys Burger, the pizza, food at the deli and burrito bar were great but there was ALWAYS a long line! The shrimp and crab legs at the Seafood Shack were very salty. We ate at the specialty italian restaurant one evening and the food was pretty good there. When we boarded the ship after Grand Turks, there were only 3 complimentary food places available (not the buffet) and the lines were extremely long. This was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE! *Drinks - the bartenders and drinks at the Alchemy bar were amazing. Every where else, there was much to be desired! Most of our group purchased the $400+ drink package and was extremely disappointed in not being able to receive a decent cocktail. This experience was daunting!! I will not sail with Carnival again! Read Less

Just got off the ship, one of the smoothest, pleasant and fun packed experiences. We are experienced cruisers with experience on a variety of lines and this trip on Horizon was very good. Service, cleaniness, efficency are some of the positives. Some rude guests who only went on and on about this and that grew old and tiresome, enough already. Dinner reservations were a breeze with the app, and it's free WiFi to use the app. Getting on and off was amazing and well run. Room Stewart and other staff were friendly and playful with us and our kids. Yes, the buffet was small but what people don't realize is that there are other places to get complementary lunch and lots of food options made to order and fresh....guys burgers, pizza, Chinese bar, pasta bar, pig and anchor, deli counter. Other cruises we have been on don't have as many made to order choices like this. Yes the pools are small but not terribly smaller than other ships and after first day it didn't feel crowded as people did various other things on the ship...major plus plus plus is the outstanding water park that kids and adults enjoyed. Best water park we have seen on a ship. Never had a problem with elevators. And at peak times after port visits the crew operated and controlled elevators to help everyone. Ports were great. (To those who complain about the short time at ports...you knew the itinerary when you booked...why are you surprised..you chose this) Entertainment was good. The band's and violins were amazing. Comedians were funny and people came back day after day to see them. Overall we never felt crowded. We woke up late and never had a problem getting window seats to eat or chairs. Front of the boat is beautiful on deck 5. Only improvement could be more food choices in the buffet for lunch and dinner and kid lunch buffet items and dinner in the main dining. Would we sail carnival again...yes Search up any cruise line...any ship....same complaints on all boats no matter which line. Read Less

My daughter friend birthday and the parents invited us to go with them,was great boarding the ship from NY was easy headed to the Lido deck for lunch by the time we got upstairs to our stateroom bags was there.The ship is huge this was our first cruise the food was good we try three specialty resturant Ji Ji,cipiano italian,Bonsia all great and the main dining the Merridian ,all the negative reviews I read glad I did pay any attention to them .The cruise was relaxing I stayed on the 14 floor cloud 9 area was nice a little slamming of doors by passengers who could of just hold back the doors from slamming.Did not buy cheers package glad I did not ,you allowed two bottle of wine in your luggage and pay as I go at dinner time for drinks and I was fine drinks are between 7.50 to 9.50 unless you want to sit at a bar all day long,employees was nice hardworking. Read Less

The Horizon ship is nice—brand new and clean. We stayed on the family floor—suite. The room was nice and so was the crew. I rated this experience as poor because the ship is over crowded—ruined our experience. Also, the pools and hot tubs are small and packed with people. The waterslide area is neat, but too crowded—long lines. The trip is 4 days on the boat at sea. This many days at sea should have a less crowded boat for sure. Good luck finding a chair on the deck/s after 11 am. The minigolf and games outside are pointless with all the wind—bikes were even closed at times due to wind. Our daughter liked to go to the kids club now and again. All the meals that were included with the price were buffet and just ok. For us, the positives did not make-up for the over crowded ship. We will not cruise Carnival again. Read Less

First as a disclaimer, we're Platinum with Carnival and have sailed a number of their ships over the years. We were excited to try the Horizon, being the newest entry into the fleet. I always like the Pros/Cons type of review as it's simpler, so here's our take: Pros- ** Alchemy Bar. Absolutely fantastic "Mixologists". Zoran, Anna Maria and "Dr. Z" were on top of their game and the best drinks weren't even on the menu. I dare you-- challenge them! ** Lennox Lust (the band). Wow. Just wow. We're talking seriously talented musicians here. See them now before one day you'll have to pay for admission to watch them. You'll never find a better lead guitarist using acoustic anywhere. Yep, they're that good. **Pig and Anchor. Excellent BBQ--and free when you board and also for lunch on sea days. Do it, you won't be disappointed. And the beers on tap were very good also (especially the porter if you like darker beer). ** Embarkation. Not sure if it could have been smoother. Carnival has always been the best at getting you on the ship quickly, and this was no different. **On board parties. Carnival definitely has the most "fun" crowd on the seas (albeit younger.. so not surprising), but the White Out and outdoor Dance Parties definitely were a blast. The crowd really got into it! **Food. Didn't disappoint as both the main restaurants and the buffets were good, but the deli was excellent. Order a pastrami and tomato--no "cheap" sandwich here! Deli worthy indeed. **Cleanliness of the ship. Yes, it's new, but as expected the ship really was spotless and the staff cleaned constantly. **Staff. Wow.. were these people friendly and happy. I'd have to say the most pleasant crew of any Carnival ship we've ever been on. Genuinely nice and made us feel welcome. ** Elevators. Yes, I know many seem to love or hate these, but the only times we ran into an issue were when we first embarked and after a show when everybody ran to use them. The issue is that Carnival doesn't tell you to press the floor you want for EACH person in your party. This way the algorithm understands the volume of people and will direct others to another elevator. We say 2 parties of 6 or more press it once, and sure enough, there wasn't enough space. On a few occasions while pressing the amount for our party, the elevator would change to another--and that elevator always was unoccupied. A learning experience, but as a whole, one we felt worked. **Service. Every night we had an incredible wait staff, who were friendly, outgoing and accommodating. The only night we had an issue was when our waiter and his partner were responsible for 7...yes 7 tables (3 of which had 10 people!). He was simply overwhelmed but hustled like heck to do what he can. In all that chaos, he was still as pleasant as can be. **Carnival Hub App. This is where Carnival has really shined. We had anytime dining and instead of going to "check in" on a different deck and being handed a pager (are you listening NCL?), you simply went on the app, requested a table and it told you how long of a wait you'd have. Once secured, a notification with your table number and a message that your table was ready was sent to each in your party. Wonderful! You can also book the specialty restaurants for your week. TIP--if you wanted a specialty restaurant and weren't fortunate enough to book in advance, do so as SOON as you board and log into the app. The entire schedule of availability will be visible. (And Carnival won't want to say, but there's no penalty for canceling a reservation, so do so with confidence, even if you're not 100%.). TIP 2: If you're planning on eating at the steakhouse, under NO circumstance will you be allowed if you're wearing shorts of any kind (kids excluded). We hadn't planned for an extra night of attire and had to cancel as a result (1 pair of pants...and a dessert the night before killed the thought of a 3rd!). **Internet. Hands down the best we've ever had at sea on any cruise line. The Oasis of the Seas had this previous title in our world, but this wasn't even close. We were able to stream security cameras and the like with little hesitation. It was near land based speed in some cases.. wonderful! Cons- ** Crowded. Yep, it's a big ship, but on sea days it is a chore to find an open chair. This has been the most challenging of any ship we've been on to find an open chair. We were fortunate though to find some in the Serenity section as we tend to go late. TIP-if you're like us and start out late, look for a chair in the Serenity after 1pm, as the early folks tend to leave as they go to lunch. We were 4 for 4 with our timing. **Spa. I hate to say it's a "con", but Carnival as a whole and the Horizon specifically really lags behind the other lines when it comes to their spa. It has 2 niche saunas (that always had room) but a VERY small whirlpool and just a handful of stone chairs, that of course, were "saved" too many times as people would come in, put their towels on the chair then use the facilities before coming back to their chair while others waited. Really wish people would be more considerate (not a Horizon thing per se, but a cruise thing). I really expected a LOT more from a new ship. **Cabin. We had a spa balcony cabin and for the life of me (and many others after reading reviews), have NO idea why Carnival insists on using a shower curtain as opposed to a simple door. Just aggravating to say the least. And while other newer ships have tended to increase the bathroom size just a bit, not here. It's basically identical to any refurbished Carnival ship. If you were in the bathroom and closed your eyes, for $100 you couldn't guess what Carnival ship you were on. Color scheme included. Definitely disappointed. On a positive note, the beds and pillows were comfortable. **Casino. Well, more about the smoke in the casino. I know, gamblers like to smoke and you're indoors, but it just seemed worse on this ship for some reason. And having your Muster Station be.... the casino!..... made for a rough drill. We had to leave and stand in the hallway as the smoke smell was still overwhelming from the last cruise. Not sure what else they can do as they do have the air ionizers going full blast (you can smell them too) and in the bar added a 2nd story that is enclosed with the intention of capturing smoke...but still not there. Please keep trying! Overall we enjoyed the cruise (for us, it's hard not to enjoy any cruise!). The crowd was fun and was the most diverse we've seen on a cruise ship. Not getting political, but in today's environment I think it was a very good thing to actually watch all races and ethnicities--and yes, sexualities too-- engage and truly enjoy each other. I did notice a change in "tone" as the week went on as it went from "pockets" of like folks, to a mixed family environment where song and laughter were shared by all. Who knows... perhaps the answer to all our problems has a simple solution: sail the Carnival Horizon. :) Read Less

This was me and my wife's first cruise, I am 38 and my wife is 32. We have 3 kids but did travel alone. After researching it for so long I finally booked the Carnival Horizon leaving from N.Y.C to Bermuda for the 4 night voyage which was from July 19th to July 23rd 2018 (despite all these negative reviews about it) This is my first review ever of anything really but I felt I had to say something positive about the ship itself and the crew after reading so much negative things everywhere, which I am so glad I didn't listen to. I am gonna be all over the place but I am gonna include things I didn't find in other reviews that I had wish I knew before I cruised and just general info to make your experience better and easier especially for first timers. First, boarding was a breeze,if you have an appointment time before 2 pm they will take your luggage at the door, tag it and it will be in front of your stateroom so you don't have to lug it around. You go through a short process where they get you searched and boarded on the ship by zones, it's very easy and simple to follow. You will not have access to your stateroom until about 5 pm or 6 pm so pack a carry on if you wish to start swimming/sunbathing once you get on the ship.(our appointment time to board was between 1 and 1 30 and were on the ship before 2 but wasted about 4 hours in street clothes which felt like such a waste of a beautiful day in port waiting to have access to our personal belongings. Your sail and sign cards will be in your mailbox at your room door around 4 pm. You need them to do everything on the ship from order drinks to purchase items on board. NO CASH accepted anywhere on board. Except the casino of course. The ship is amazing and obviously brand new so anyone complaining about the ship itself can't possibly be satisfied. The layout is pretty easy to remember and after a few times walking around the ship you get to know pretty well. (decks 1/2/6/7/8/9) are mostly rooms so no need to go there anyway if not staying on that floor. The 3rd deck (lobby) has a few shops, bars. Deck 4 is where the main restaurants are (included in the price) where you will be having dinner every night and the casino ( which is the only bar open after 2 am, also drinks are free if you are playing) Deck 5 are where all the bars and pay restaurants are. Deck 11 is the water park and kids area including the basketball area, running track etc.The 10 (lido deck) is where most of the daily action is, there is a pool mid ship and a pool with 2 whirlpools in the back. (both filled with mostly kids) Deck 15 is the serenity deck (adults 21 and over only). 2 whirlpools and a bar with a salad bar for lunch. I was surprised but the bar closes at 6 pm. It seemed pretty early for an adult only retreat but the whirlpools are open till midnight. Also you do still hear the kids going down the slides and screaming at the water park but not enough to be bothered by it. We stayed in an inside stateroom as we didn't need a balcony and didn't regret it because it was much cheaper and got to see plenty of the ocean just being on the ship while we were out and about. 2 comedians on board, both were funny. Food was excellent. We didn't go for any extra $ dining options as there was plenty to eat that was already included. Buffet menus changed everyday (breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus) breakfast buffet was open till 12 pm for late risers which was awesome. Pizza is 24 hours and delicious Burgers and fries were a little over seasoned but great. Tacos and burritos where great too. A few minutes to wait during peak times but staff was working their butts off to keep up with the demand. Once again, don't let waiting in line for a few minutes ruin your day!!! Dinner menu at the restaurant changed every night. You are assigned a dinner time for the main restaurant once you are boarded and it is written on your card. You will not be seated unless it is your time. There is one cruise casual night where you have to dress up but that is also when lobster is on the dinner menu (unlimited lobster tails!!!) Havana Bar had live music 3 of the 4 nights which was a lot of fun to dance and have some mojitos. At midnight the Havana bar closes so the limelight lounge was the hangout after midnight until 2 am if you wanted music.. Live DJ playing music with good energy (18+ only). Groups of kids where running around the halls etc. but not to the point to where any reasonable person would be annoyed or be complaining about it, also after midnight the ship is pretty much a ghost town other than the club and casino. So there are plenty of places in and outside the ship to just hang out and enjoy the sounds of the ocean or explore the ship. People complaining about the lines for the food are being dramatic and have never been to a club/bar in NYC where we are from. Sometimes you get lucky and get the bartender after 30 seconds, other times you are waiting a few minutes. BIG DEAL!!! You are on vacation and shouldn't be stressing out over nonsense. The casino bar is the only bar open after midnight so it does get a little overwhelming for the bar staff and the wait is a little longer. (hint:if you have a simple drink order go to the club bar (limelight lounge) which is a lot less busy and also located on the casino deck, much less of a wait and less than a minute walk from the casino). Service was amazing in every aspect. Food service was quick at dinner, staff everywhere cleaning up after people and cleaning the ship decks every night. Ship is pretty much spotless, other than left over plates on tables that were eventually cleaned up shortly after people left their tables at the buffet and some cups laying around. Asking employees for directions the first day was always pleasant and never felt like I was annoying them as they were very helpful and nice and always smiling. We did get the cheers package which was about 52.00 dollars a day, each adult in the stateroom did have to purchase it for the entire cruise. (No 24 hour package like other cruise lines) Also, any ship leaving from New York or Texas, you will not have access to the cheers program until 6 am the second day of the trip, its state law so you will have to pay for drinks the first day) For us we are not big drinkers but got it anyway and ending up getting around 60 drinks for the duration of the cruise for both of us so we did save some money) average drink did cost around 10 dollars. You do have a limit of 15 alcoholic beverages a day (6 am to 6 am) for each card. so if your spouse is not a big drinker you can use their card and no staff seemed to mind if it wasn't your own card. You MUST download the Carnival app, its free to use on the ship and gave you all the information you need to know of whats going on at every hour so you can plan out your day, also what places are open to eat etc. Room service is free but there is a 5 or 10 dollar total charge for orders after 10 pm. We did go jet skiing in Bermuda, which was only about a 3 minute walk off the ship. (K&S Watersports) About 150 for a single rider 170 for a double rider. 75 minutes of riding and swimming on a private beach for an awesome experience. Check out their website and videos In the end, it was an awesome experience, I will definitely cruise with Carnival again. Don't listen to all these people, book it and you won't regret it. Have fun, be silly and enjoy your time!!! Read Less

I'm not sure why so many people are giving this ship and crusie such mediocre reviews. We were on the July 11-19 cruise. Boarding the ship was the easiest I have ever experienced! We chose a 2-2:30 pm boarding time, and simply walked up stood in a line for less than 10 minutes to drop off our bags, no wait at check in...just handed them our boarding passes and walked onto the ship. Total time to board...maybe 15 minutes! I thought the ship was very clean, staff were friendly, service was quick. We had one of our best times cruising. Shows in Liquid Lounge were really outstanding. The buffet was very good with decent variety, and easy to navigate without much wait time. We were always able to get a table and we had 4-6 people in our group everyday. Pizza was very good but expect to wait. Dinner in Reflections was also very good. The servers were friendly, quick, and very attentive. I did not find the ship overly crowded. My wife and I had no trouble finding a lounge chair around the Lido deck. Pools were small and somewhat crowded, but didn't care since I had no desire to get into the water. The only negative was the Casino on Deck 4 was a designated smoking area, and the smell was overwhelming. I hate the smell of cigarette smoke so I spent no time in the casino, and just avoided the fourth floor. Hummer excursion on Grand Turk was pretty lame. Not sure why Grand Turk is even a stop on Carnival...next time I'll just stay on the ship. The Outback excursion on Amber Cove (Dominica Republic), and Best of San Juan were excellent. Overall this was one of our best cruises. I would highly recommend this cruise. Read Less

We decided to try something new & cruise out of our home city in new york. the carnival horizon seemed like the obvious choice, b/c it was carnivals newest ship. unfortunately we were wrong . for starters once you embark on the ship chaos ensues , b/c there elevator system has been revamped , which confuses the hell out of everyone . Each sector of floors has its own elevator, normally you get into an elevator select a floor & there you are .. Not here . one of my biggest complaints which is the deciding factor of me not stepping onto another carnival cruise again , is the food... The buffett is subpar at best, that includes all 3 phases breakfast, lunch & dinner. the dining room experience is horrifying , there completely understaffed , the dining room crew are over worked & not very personable. The food is mediocre at best , i had to return dishes left & right. the quality of food is not on the level it needs to be. When you get to the point where you dread going to eat on a cruise, you know something is wrong. there were 2 specialty restaurants we ate at on the ship, where there is a upcharge to dine , & they were amazing. Fahrenheit 555 & cucina italian. What bothers me is that they have the capability of producing a high level eating experience , but fail miserably of providing it in the main dining area. The dining room decor is not elegant whatsoever, very bland layout, another major complaint is the port time stays. We docked at 3 caribbean islands grand turk, puerto rico, & puerta plata dominican republic. 2 of islands we were allotted times of 7am- 2pm.. Which is horrible b/c you have to wake up very early, & then time is limited to do anything significant. Usually on other cruise ships, port stays extend longer than the 2pm time frame,. the ship overall didn't have that " wow " factor being that it's a brand new ship. The ship has a basic feel to it, nothing special . We liked the havana lounge a lot , but other than that everything else fell flat. We made the best of our vacation , b/c we planned this trip several months back, & we paid over $6,000 dollars to stay in a suite, which was very nice, no complaints about the room. Future cruisers beware , don't take the plunge with this cruise offering b/c you will get soaked. oh i forgot 1 more thing , the second day in , our air conditioning wasn't working , at it took all day to fix .. New ship & no a/c in a suite ... unacceptable Read Less

I chose the cruise, because I went with family. The ship is very nice (new), but I felt it was lacking warmth & 'industrial' looking. It's easy to get around the ship & there are many places to go for quiet time. Plenty of kids' activities. If you're not a fan of having children around, skip this. The Cruise Director, Chris Williams, was excellent & very, very involved & energetic. The production shows were wonderful, but the comedians were awful. I was disappointed that there was no farewell show in the Liquid Lounge. Seating in the lounge is sparse, so get to the show at least a half hr. early. Finding seating at the buffet was easy. The food at the late buffet was horrible. Dessert was a joke...chocolate chip & oatmeal cookies. There were no cakes of any sort. The cabin was very comfortable, with plenty of storage. Don't forget to bring a magnet, so you can hang all the paperwork you want. Shore excursions were nice & mostly beach oriented, with snorkeling, etc. The service in the dining room & buffet was very efficient. Carnival has cheapened up (not the prices). Dining room served very small portions, especially the salad. Read Less