GOOD THINGS ON HORIZON
Carnival vessel its best yet
BARCELONA, SPAIN When I stepped aboard the 3,960-guest Carnival Horizon for a weeklong Mediterranean cruise, I expected a lot from Carnival Cruise Line’s (cruise.center/carnival) latest ship. Its predecessor, Carnival Vista, substantially redefined the Carnival cruise experience when it debuted in 2016. As I walked off the gangway and into Carnival Horizon’s atrium, with its Dreamscape sculpture made up of more than 2,000 digital LED panels, it became clear that Carnival hasn’t just made a Vista clone: it has quite possibly launched its most elaborate ship ever.
Throughout Carnival Horizon, improvements both subtle and obvious have been made. The Piano Bar 88 — always a hugely popular area on any Carnival ship — has been given a crimsonhued decor and a new location. It is now situated next to the sumptuous Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, where an open wall partition allows nightly tunes to entertain diners as they enjoy their meal. After 10 p.m., the wall partition slides shut with the push of a button, and the Piano Bar becomes the lively, adultonly space that past guests know and love.
Carnival’s iconic RedFrog Pub is gone, replaced instead with Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, a new venue developed in part with television food celebrity Guy Fieri. It’s hard to tell what’s better here: the pseudo-gritty pub decor, the authentic smoked food (the smokers are right outside on the promenade deck) or the four new craft beers, brewed right onboard. Carnival employs a full-time brewmaster to oversee the whole process. Sea day lunch is complimentary, and evenings offer a reasonably priced à la carte menu of savoury delights. Try the smokehouse cocktail list, too: the bacon-infused Manhattan received worthy buzz, and I kept coming back for the smoked boulevardier with its bourbon, campari, sweet vermouth and rosemary smoke.
Also new: Bonsai Teppanyaki, which takes up a small space next to Bonsai Sushi. This interactive cooking experience is as much about the flair as the food, with chefs that prepare dishes on a Japanese hibachi grill station. A meal here will set you back about $25-$30 (or $40 — I ordered one of the Japanese-inspired cocktails), but the food was top-notch and the experience memorable.
Of course, there are plenty of other complimentary food venues on board — from the ship’s truly classy main dining rooms to the casual Lido Marketplace buffet; the Blue-Iguana Cantina; Guy’s Burger Joint; and of course, the 24-hour Pizzeria del Capitano.
For families, Carnival Horizon is a knockout. Like Carnival Vista, dedicated Family Harbor staterooms and suites offer up more room and amenities for families travelling together, including access to an exclusive lounge just for families and a free night of babysitting for those with little ones.
Kids are also going to love the new Dr. Seuss WaterWorks, with its Cat in the Hat-esque waterslides and splash park. It’s the latest expansion in Carnival’s partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises — which includes the wonderful Dr. Seuss Bookville that encourages kids to read, and the whimsical Seuss-themed parade through the ship that ends with storytime in the main lounge.
This is all in addition to a fullsized Imax theatre; the SkyRide and ropes course on the upper deck; a full roster of new production shows; a poolside movie screen; and dedicated, adultsonly venues like the soothing Serenity Deck and the Cloud 9 Spa, with its thermal suite and thalassotherapy pool.
The most talked-about onboard feature, interestingly, was the destination-based elevators manufactured by Schindler. Rather than pressing buttons in an elevator, you select your destination from a touch-panel in the lobby and you are then directed to an elevator car going to that deck. It’s fast — and it’s easy.
Carnival has assembled the dream team aboard Carnival Horizon, with Capt. Luigi De Angelis and hotel director Pierre Camilleri bringing decades of experience to their respective departments. From the top down, every team member aboard Carnival Horizon is quick with a smile, unfailingly polite and eager to ensure you’re having the trip of a lifetime.
By the time you read this, Carnival Horizon will have left the Mediterranean, bound for new home ports in New York and Miami. But it doesn’t really matter where it sails to. This is the rare ship that gets it all right.
Happy cruising.
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