I love cruising. Having sailed many cruises, itineraries, ship sizes, cabin types and lines from luxury to value. I do my homework before choosing and CC has provided many helpful tips. My mantra has always been ALL cruises are wonderful (even a less than stellar one) …Until sailing the Carnival Horizon. I was excited about sailing this new ship and seeing all its offerings . The ports of call were some of my favs and I have sailed Carnival before so I knew going in I wasn't going to be getting a 5 star experience and that was OK. Larger ships are not my first choice, but with it being new, the ports, good hype from travel sites, and being familiar with the level of service Carnival offers, Hey, pack a bag, I am there!

Starting out on embarkment was very "smooth" and quick,note we did have VIP embarkment, so we were able forgo the long lines that stretched outside and around the port building.

Sadly, however, this is where the smooth ended and the cruise turned into a "Self Serve" experience. Information for what, where when and how was up to you to find out. Most information came from other passengers as the crew in general seem completely detached and unhappy. I have never been on a cruise were I walked the deck to my stateroom and never once was greeted with a smile, a Hello, Good Morning …..nothing! If I greeting the staff first, they would do a quick "Hi" without looking up from the housekeeping cart. Now, I know how hard the staff of these ships work and the sacrifice of being away from family for long periods of time, but eight days of the silent treatment- you start to feel as though the crew resents you. The lack of friendliness and smiles was throughout the ship - dining venues, guest services, general staff, bar service, etc. If you wanted another cocktail, you track someone down and ask for it, if you want a refill on you coffee at dinner same thing. Never once was my coffee refilled without me flagging someone down and asking. One server seemed so put out that I asked for more coffee, he stopped on the opposite side of the my table, reached a crossed the table and my dinner mate filling my cup and slopping coffee on the table and my bread on the bread plate. Read more