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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Richard Santer
Email: Gramparich@aol.com
Age: 65
Occupation: Construction Super
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Horizon
SailingDate: 8/26/00
Itinerary: NY-Bermuda-NY
Cabin: 4148/Inside
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: n/a
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: n/a
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: n/a
ShoreExcValue: n/a
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: n/a
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: n/a
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: n/a
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: n/a
ExerciseFacilities: n/a
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: n/a
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: n/a
MedicalFacilities: n/a
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: n/a
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Sep 2000
Time: 14:21:36
Remote Name: spider-tm073.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
Found this, our seventh cruise fine in some areas and wanting in others.
First the good stuff: Food in Dining Room - Great - second only to our Disney Wonder cruise last
August. Food in Buffet - Very good - probably the best we have encountered while cruising.
Headline Show - Helen Jayne/James Bond Themes - Excellent we left wishing there was more.
Weather - Terrific - No rain at all every day in the 80s. Waiter - Professional service, personable
and efficient.
The not so good stuff: Cabin Service - Dont know if this is Celebrity's Policy but we expected clean
sheets every night. Instead ours were changed on tuesday after three days - I had a slight
nose-bleed the first night out, noticed blood spots on sheets under pillows following morning, still
there Sunday and monday nights. Assistant Waiter - new to job - fourth trip I'm told - water and Iced
drinks (coffee or tea) took 45 minutes on average for refills first three evenings, service improved
toward end of cruise (Table 24) Main Show Lounge entertainment - If not for Headline show above I
would have rated this area the poorest I've seen. Three review shows with the same group of
dancers and singing duo was too much of a not so good thing. Comic Eddie Capone we had just
seen in June on Carnival's Destiny, he was Ok but once was enough. He was on the bill twice on
this cruise. Cabins - May have been our category but I felt a little cramped and would definately
stay away from any Aft Florida Deck Cabins. The vibration and noise from this ship's engines and
props is constant and bothersome and only exceeded by the frequent use of the stern thrusters.
The racket and vibration is unbelieveable when these are in use.
We have another cruise in the works to Alaska. Had considered Celebrity but will pass on this line,
the food just doesn't make up for all the short comings we noticed. For us its back to Royal
Caribbean.
Name: Jonathan Golaner
Email: golaner@umbi.umd.edu
Age: 39
Occupation: University Administrative Management
NumberOfCruises: 23
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Horizon
SailingDate: 10/07/2000
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: outside
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Oct 2000
Time: 01:12:44
Remote Name: cache-1.lnh.md.webcache.rcn.net
Remote User:
Comments
Greetings, Just back tonight from a nice cruise to Bermuda on the Horizon. This was my 23rd cruise, 5th
with Celebrity. Was on the Zenith last year to Bermuda, and thought I would try the Horizon this year.
Since last year the Horizon has been changed or remodeled in several areas, and I must say for the most
part they have done a nice job. The old disco is gone, and has been replaced with 3 seperate warm and
elegant rooms, the card room, library, and Michaels Club - a rich masculine looking English Pub style
room for smoking. The second change is the elemination of the 3 hot tubs on the back deck, they have
been replaced with several adjustable covered two person cushioned chairs to enjoy the view as the
ships sails along. The smaller pool in the pool deck area has been converted to what they call a large hot
tub - NOT, similar to the Therasapy pool on the larger Celebrity ships, with a lounge section that seats
about 6 people, perhaps more if svelte or friendly, less people if they enjoy the buffets, and from my
observations many of the passengers did NOT miss a single meal. Another change is the update to the
**Coral Sea Buffet** area, now allowing a total of 4 lines to flow, that is 2 on each side, and new tables
and chairs that look much more upscale than the previous formica and chrome style previously used.
The
Horizon looks great, especially for now being over 10 years old, they keep her polished and clean as if
she were new with a few exceptions. Our cabin had an orange theme-- carpet, bedspread, and curtains,
this looks dated, tired, and not eye friendly, other cabins have a darker aqua theme that is better but still
was not well liked by my other 10 traveling friends. Hopefully Celebrity will update the staterooms to match
the more up to date feeling around the rest of the ship. Food was very good, I still like Princess food
--OVERALL-- the best, service was good, our waiter Damir got things mixed up now and then, bus boy
was one of the best on any cruise, the second night he knew everyone at our table enjoyed iced tea with
dinner, and who liked regular coffee and who liked decaf after dinner, nice job Carlos!! Entertainment was
ok, better than Princess, but still not as good as NCL or Carnival. Other notes --- The gym has 5
treadmills, with sign up sheets, but they were rarely used. Bermuda is still a favorite place of mine to visit,
clean, safe, and nice people. Scooters are fun, but drive gently, the price of gas is about equal to $5.00
per gallon, and Americans growl at $1.70 cents per gallon!! Would I go on the Horizon again??? YES,
ABSOLUTELY!
Next cruise - 12/03/2000 Holland America Maasdam, first HAL cruise!
Name: Laura
Email: Pengawin3@aol.com
Age: 38
Occupation: Theatre Producer
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Horizon
SailingDate: 10/21/00
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 1031 Category 3
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 98
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Nov 2000
Time: 14:37:49
Remote Name: spider-wo084.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
The Horizon is an older ship, but in great shape. What she lacks in amenities (shops,large shows,
etc.), she more than makes up for with her fabulous crew. Our favorite spot was the Martini Bar. A
great place to people watch and have a wonderful cocktail. Although the dining room is not as
impressive as the Mercury's, the food is just as good. By 'good', I mean fabulous!! Our itinerary was to
include St. George and Hamilton, but due to a tropical storm, we could only go to Hamilton.
Unfortunately there weren't many calm, sunny days, so our snorkling tours were cancelled. We spent
alot of time onboard, and were quite content. Many New Yorkers were upset by the lack of baseball
coverage onboard and had to be content with going ashore to watch the games. Oh, well. There were
quite a few children on board, but they did not seem to get in the way. Their playroom/area looked a
bit cramped and dark. The children's facilities need a revamp...and their own pool. Overall, this was a
great cruise. I am never unhappy with Celebrity, and their disembarkation seemed to be better
organized than on previous cruises. Also, get rid of the worthless blow dryers, and how about some
'people sized' bath towels? The majority of cruisers are NOT tiny people...myself included. Anyone
else with these concerns/complaints?? The lowdown...October is NOT a good time to go to Bermuda
for sun and fun, but it sure beats those Colorado winter blahs. There isn't much to bring us back to
Bermuda (although we LOVED the aquarium!), but now we can say we've been. Celebrity shines as a
quality cruise line that won't break the bank.
Name: Mark Conklin
Email: aircavcop@aol.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Pilot
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Horizon
SailingDate: 10/21/2000
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 5092
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Nov 2000
Time: 01:36:38
Remote Name: spider-tk044.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise and was marked by my Honeymoon with my new bride. The 7 day trip was simple,
New York to Bermuda and back with 3 1/2 days in Bermuda. Overall, we loved it.
The bus program is a GREAT idea. We were able to get dropped of in Baltimore and let Celebrity do the
driving too and from New York for us. That alone got the trip off to a good start. The whole process was
easier than a trip to the airport.
The embarkation was amazingly fast and painless even without a passport. The staff was extremely
helpful and quickly whisked us to our room, showed us the amenities and we got our bags delivered
within 30 minutes. The rooms were nice sized, ours had a beautiful picture window (definitely go for a
lower hullside room) and had a vibrant, if dated, orange color sceme. Plus, Celebrity gave us each a $50
charge card to use in Bermuda - amazing!!
The food, oh the food. Dinners were excellent!! The menus were varied and everything I had was
flavorful, hot and delicious. Being treated like royalty made it even better though dining usually took
almost 2 hours start to finish. It also helps to pay serious attention since the majority of the crew were non
english speaking and some accents were tougher to decipher than others. We had a great waiter and
assistant though sometimes their stories got lost in the translations.
I wasn't crazy about the tables for 8 but if cruising with friends, I imagine it might be a bit less strange. The
lunch and breakfast buffets were very good but lacked variety. The rest of the food opportunities were
also good with only a 2 hour window from 6 to 8pm when there was nothing to eat but that always seemed
to be when we were hungry. I would definitely pick the early dinner seating next time.
One drawback I noticed which did begin to irritate me was the drinks. Alcohol gets expensive quickly at
almost $6 each. Sodas are no bargain either running about $2 each. We were told, by veteran cruisers,
to go for the specials but they tended to be 1/2 the size of the regular drinks. Not much of a bargain
there. I guess this is where Celebrity gets it's profits.
Our ports were supposed to be St Georges for a day then Hamilton for two but the weather stuck us in
Hamilton for the whole time. What good luck that was. Once we got the hang of the bus system, we were
able to zip around the island and still make it back for food, rest and a change of clothes when the
weather turned cool. Cruising is definitely the cheapest way to see Bermuda since everything there is
quite expensive. The $100 in Celebrity charge cards we got at embarkation helped with that too.
On the trip back, the weather turned sour and I noticed a few things: the ship is relatively small and can
get some motion going. This caused quite a lot of pained faces from some of the passengers. They also
don't have the greatest entertainment. The casino was a good distraction as were the twice daily movies
in the show lounge but the rest were sort of cheesy. There also seemed to be an abundance of over 50
people on the ship that I hadn't noticed before. We didn't socialize much so for us that was fine. I also
noticed the elevators never seemed to stop on our floor so we tended to walk the stairs often.
Disembarkation seemed to take forever. We had to be out of the rooms at 8am but we weren't able to
leave the boat until 1030am. That's quite a bit of boredom since most of the ship is shutdown and
everyone is milling about. Plus, the great baggage service you have when you get there disappears when
you leave. It seems that getting the bags to the bus is up to you once they get dropped at Customs.
Overall though, we had a great time. True there were some irritants but for about $900 each, we got
almost 4 days in Bermuda, great food, comfortable travel and delightful pampering. I would definitely do it
again and would recommend Horizon as well. Just remember to bring tip cash and remember that your
bar tab will total twice what you think.
Name: Melissa
Email: duppyraces@aol.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Computer Tech
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Horizon
SailingDate: May 27th, 2000
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: Obstructed Ocean View
FoodDiningRoom:
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort:
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities:
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService:
CabinQuietness:
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward:
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety:
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness:
EmbarkDisembark:
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization:
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Feb 2001
Time: 13:49:42
Remote Name: gk-east-4.usps.gov
Remote User:
Comments
I took the Celebrity Horizon with 2 friends (male and female) to Bermuda in May of 2000. I chose Celebrity for
their reputation for good food, a more 'upscale' group of passengers, and less kids running wild.
The Ship Experience:
Well, although I had fun (I pretty much always figure out a way to have fun regardless of circumstance), I must
say that this particular ship is VERY subdued...in entertainment, service, passengers, and decor. I don't know
if that's Celebrity or This Ship. My 2 traveling companions and I are in our thirties, moderately active, and like
to have fun. It might be that Bermuda attracts a slower crowd, but let's just say the best activity on the ship
was Bingo. We played every bingo game they scheduled when not in port. (I won the last night, which was
great!) Live bands ended early. Disco was empty. Everything was just too quiet! The service was nice, but not
fun! No glamour! No excitement! No grand multi-story Atrium. It was all just very 'pleasant'. Great for people
who want to do nothing but relax. My first cruise, the Sky Princess in '92 was classy but I remember it having
energy. And a really cute headwaiter from Venice named Marco, but I was 23 then and that is another story. ;)
Here it was nap city. Although our tablemates, 2 lively, sweet, but older couples, loved this cruise.
BERMUDA:
As for Bermuda, it was ok but I would never go again. It is pretty to look at, the houses are adorable, the
people are nice, but if you're looking for excitement, this ain't it. Bermudian law required our ship to stop its
very quiet deck parties and music at midnight while in port. I think the party started only an hour before. I was
stunned! I just sat down to enjoy the music and I hear 'thank you, good night!' No gambling either (can't
gamble on the ship when in port, can't gamble in Bermuda period.) Shopping is the only game in town. I don't
like shopping. My biggest advice if you like watersports and want to have fun, TAKE THE SHIP'S SHORE
EXCURSIONS. I cannot stress this enough. And if you want to parasail, do it in St. George by the pier,
because that is the only place on the whole island we saw or heard about to do it. (And we asked a lot of
Bermudians!) Ditto for mopeds. Do it in St. George and rent for 2 days because Hamilton doesn't have them
anywhere near. We thought we could arrange to do everything on our own. We'd relax in St. George and
have fun in Hamilton. We were wrong. I had purchased all the travel guides beforehand, and found many of
the places listed to arrange tours or watersports were closed or out of business or unreachable once in
Bermuda. We had arranged Helmut Diving before the cruise. When I called, the guy dissed me, said I was
supposed to call to confirm the day before (I had just emailed him to reconfirm the week before) and informed
me he cancelled all his dives for the day. We went to the most famous beaches on our own and bathroom
facilities were about it. We only found one the whole stay (in St. George) with chairs/snacks. I don't need a
chair, but my friends like them. The famous Elbow Beach now only caters equipment to Elbow Beach Hotel
guests. The taxi guy told me that, but I didn't believe him because of what I had 'read' in the travel guides. No
waterskis, banana boat rides, parasailing, so don't expect the Caribbean experience. If relaxing on the beach
on a towel is your thing, though, you're in luck. The cab driver dumped us off at Elbow beach and it was just
us, the sand and the water. Hardly any people, which could be nice. Water's not real warm in late May, though
the weather wasn't bad. We sat there a while and left to go back to the ship.
Don't plan on doing anything but watching the parade if you end up there on Bermuda Day in May. You
CANNOT find a cab in Hamilton, (looked and asked around for an hour..we were told it was impossible
because the drivers all take the day off!) No mopeds either. I was in tears. We went to a convenience store
and found where the buses were. After getting on the bus, we found out that the bus drivers decide how far
they want to drive and we almost didn't make it to Church Bay because ours didn't feel like going that far. Very
rude drivers. :) I heard that Church Bay is supposed to be some of the best snorkeling. Well, not when we
went. Water was a little rough. There was a bunch of small silver fish and one big parrot fish and everyone
was striving to find that one fish. Good thing we brought our own snorkeling equipment because no one was
renting it that day. However, DO bring crackers! You will be Most Popular with the fish. (Especially that one big
parrot fish! RUN!)
After Church Bay, we had to walk a mile down the road hoping to see a bus or a cab. We got the giggles
walking down the highway on the hot pavement. Our shoes were giving us blisters so we barefooted it. It was
such a nightmare...it was like hills of winding highway with no people! Unbelievably, after a time, a cab actually
appeared! My friend was jumping up and down on the road trying to hail it down like we were trying to get
rescued from Gilligan's Island. Enough of Bermuda...bleh! It was like vacationing in the quiet suburbs. We did
book a glass bottom boat ride shore excursion the last night in port. (Through the interactive TV...LOVE the
interactive TV!) It was a BLAST. Most fun we had in Bermuda. That's when we really realized we "missed the
boat" in not booking more shore excursions.
Definitely the best part and what really saved the cruise was that my friend went all out and booked a suite. By
himself. Guess he thought we girls would drive him nuts. :) He had Butler service and it was FANTASTIC.
Anyone who tells you there is not a class system on cruise ships just doesn't know...the suite guests even
received a different color 'cruise card' and believe me, my friend was ALWAYS served first in the bars. Priority
embarkation, debarkation, special cocktail party...of course my other friend and I rode his coattails and were
allowed to do everything he did. His Butler even brought extra plates of everything (suite customers get
salmon and fruit and caviar daily) to his cabin for us (he knew we hung out there a lot). We started joking
about 'flashing the gold cruise card' everywhere. The crew confirmed that they do give preferential treatment
to the suite guests. If you can afford it, go for the suites. Or even better, take a friend who stays in a suite,
and then glom off of him. Juuust kidding. Well, not really. They gave us priority disembarkation color tags, and
the Butler was good enough to bring us extras at our request which we then shared with our tablemates.
::grin::
Anyhow, I don't know how the newer Celebrity ships compare, but I'm ditching Celebrity and trying the Carnival
Triumph in March to the Western Caribbean. I decided I want neon and dancing waiters and hairy chest
contests. However, I'm nervous about all the wild kids and no-class clientele I keep reading about. I'm young
and wild, and like bizarre fun, but I do have manners and consideration for other people. And I loooove
dressing up on formal night. So we'll see! Gotta get back to work. Happy Cruising!
Name: Chuck Wooldridge
Email: cwool@attglobal.net
Age: 38
Occupation: International Affairs
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Horizon
SailingDate: 01/13/01
Itinerary: Aruba, Panama, Costa Rica, Cartagena
Cabin: 6127 Cat. 4
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 98
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Feb 2001
Time: 17:55:54
Remote Name: slip129-37-49-4.ca.us.prserv.net
Remote User:
Comments
MV Horizon, Cruise in Review January 13 - 20, 2001
This was our second time on the Horizon, the first being the 11 night Ultimate Caribbean we did in November,
1999. We chose this cruise for the interesting itinerary and the excellent price. The itinerary had us sailing out
of Aruba, day at sea, Panama, Costa Rica, San Blas Islands, Cartagena, Columbia another day at sea and
back to Aruba.
We had heard horror stories of problems with airfare, long waits for luggage in Aruba, missing luggage, etc.
We started out leery but everything went just fine. Flying out of Washington D.C. National to Newark and
connecting with a Continental Charter was no problem at all. The planes were on time and nice. The Charter
flight treated the trip as an international flight (which it was) with free cocktails, free headsets, a movie and a
complete hot meal. We arrived in Aruba an hour early (hey, no problem with that!) and with only the minor
irritant of the flight attendants forgetting to give us our immigration cards, we were through immigration, and
customs within minutes. Celebrity staff waiting with plenty of buses and before you knew it, we were at the ship
(a very short drive). We headed for the Captain's Club line (the other was short though) and within a minute,
we were on the ship. Total time from plane to onboard ship, less than 40 minutes. Pretty nice.
I won't go into much description of the ship since I did that with the last cruise on the Horizon. The ship still
looks great though, everything clean and fresh. The main changes since our last cruise were a complete
makeover of the Coral Seas Café, new outdoor carpet on the top decks, and a new canopy over the pool
bandstand. The Coral Seas Café looks fabulous and is such a vast improvement it is hard to believe. Gone is
the baby blue formica walls, cheesy art, and worn out brass chairs. Instead, the room now has light colored
wood walls and paneling, great carpet that looks more like Galaxy or Mercury, beautiful stone-look tile floors
and beautiful light wood upholstered chairs with light wood tables. The whole effect is much more upscale and
pleasant. The best part of the redo though is that they now have 4 lines for the buffet instead of 2. I couldn't
believe it since the ship was so full, but we never once had to wait in line for the buffet the whole week! There
is also 2 separate omelet stations in the morning which convert to pizza later and now 2 soft ice cream
machines. The whole thing is really a much needed and welcome change. If you would like to see pictures of
the new Coral Seas Café, go to my cruise page and look at page 3 of the "Second Horizon Cruise". It is the
only area of the ship that I photographed since I took so many pictures on the last cruise.
http://members2.clubphoto.com/andrew89261/
The new carpet around the top decks is a nice camel color, much better than the charcoal gray that it used to
be. I looks very nice with the nave blue accents on the ship. The canopy over the bandstand is functional and
looks great too.
Just a few more things about the ship and the cruise before I get into the fabulous itinerary. After reading
some negative things lately about the Horizon, we were anxious to see for ourselves if much had changed in
the little over a year since we had been on board. I am happy to report that things are very much the same,
and in many cases better. We honestly thought that the food was even better than the last cruise. Meat all
cooked to perfection and lots of interesting choices. The buffets were excellent and varied. The casual
afternoon tea was wonderful with all sorts of great little sandwiches (different ones each day) and delicious
sweets.
We had the best waiter and busboy that we have ever had and made friends with a couple of great bar
personnel. The ship was quite full but absorbed passengers well. On the sea days, the decks were quite
crowded though. Also, I guess all cruise lines do this, but they move people around between the ships so
much that there wasn't one crew member from our last cruise still there (that we remembered anyway). One
thing that also struck us as odd was that during the whole 7 night cruise we never once met or set eyes on
our cabin steward. He did a decent job, but I am used to them introducing themselves to you early on and
greeting you in the corridors. No big deal though.
The entertainment in the showlounge was mostly dreadful but we don't care about that anyway. The pool
band, Voltz, was fabulous and entertained many times in the Zodiac Lounge in the evenings. The ship's
orchestra was good and the entertainment in the lounges was much better than before. I guess entertainment
is a crapshoot for the most part anyway.
Now on to the itinerary which was, in a word, fabulous. Having seen the islands in the Caribbean more than
enough, it was a refreshing change to see some really different ports. Our first day at sea, like every day on
the cruise, was beautiful without hardly a cloud in the sky. We were quite fortunate in that on the entire cruise
we didn't have a drop of rain or an overcast sky.
We woke up in Colon, Panama to another gorgeous day with a nice strong wind to keep you cool. The port in
Colon is new and in the process of really being fixed up. Although some of the city looks nice from the ship
though, we were advised not to venture into it. As we saw while driving through town on the way to the Gatun
Locks, it looks pretty rough. The Gatun Lock tour was interesting and we saw two large ships go through the
motions. Unfortunately, the Crown Princess was waiting in the Gatun Lake to go through but she didn't until
the afternoon. We could see her as she entered the ocean from our ship. I would have rather gone through
the locks with the ship but the tour was interesting also. We saw some iguanas by the side of the road and got
back to the ship for a little shopping. As we were getting back on board, I saw a large BMW parked near the
ship. The license tag said Panama and Presidente. I joked to Chuck that the President of Panama was on the
ship but we later found out it was no joke. She had been on board for a tour and lunch with the captain. She is
responsible for getting more cruise lines to dock here and this we the first time for the Horizon so it was quite
an occasion. Sail away that night was beautiful with the glimmering lights of Colon behind us and the many
ships anchored waiting to go through the canal all lit up too.
I awoke early the next morning and did my laps around deck 12 as we sailed into Puerto Limon harbor. It was
a beautiful sight, with the lights of the town sparkling ahead, the mist shrouded mountains of Costa Rica on
the left and a glorious sunrise behind us. It was magical. We had chosen the Rain Forest Tram for our shore
excursion in Costa Rica. It was a lovely 2 hour bus ride through beautiful countryside. Mountains in the
distance, lush tropical plants everywhere and of course, the banana plantations all over the place. We arrived
at the rain forest and were pleased to see that it was sort of sunny. We had a wonderful tram ride through the
forest, over an hour long, and saw not only beautiful lush jungle but some wildlife too. We saw a pair of
Toucans in the trees, a small viper snake (not near enough to scare us) some beautiful butterflies and a
creature called a Coati Mundi which looked like a cross between a raccoon and an anteater. After the tram
ride we had a traditional Costa Rican lunch of chicken, rice, hearts of palm salad and of course, plantains. On
the ride back to the ship we stopped at a Banana plantation which was interesting. We also saw a sloth in a
tree and the bus stopped for us to get a better look. Out guide was excellent and we enjoyed the excursion
immensely. We walked around Puerto Limon when we got back but it really isn't set up for tourists yet. They
did have a little area near the port where there were stands selling local wares at excellent prices. After a nice
deck party that night we retired around midnight to prepare for our next destination, the San Blas Islands.
The San Blas Islands are a group of over 400 islands off the coast of Panama. They are flat as pancakes and
very small. Inhabited for a very long time by the Cuna Indians who still cling to many of their old ways. The
Cunas are best known for the colorful and beautiful embroidered and appliquéd fabrics called molas. After
seeing these beautiful creations it is evident where the late pop artist Keith Haring got his inspiration.
We did a shore excursion that took us by motorized dugout canoes between three islands. The first and
largest island was the most interesting with the Indians expecting us and with their molas on display
everywhere, we strolled amongst the thatched huts and found several molas to buy. The children were all
dressed up and for a small fee you could take their pictures. Some older children did a native dance that was
really beautifully choreographed and a treat to see. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of this and thought it
was a very worthwhile excursion although I have a suggestion. Bring plenty of small bills, ones and fives. I
would have bought more and given more money to the children if I had had more change. The ship was
having a beach party on another beautiful island and it was nice but the facilities were lacking so we went
back to the ship early. The San Blas Islands are a special place and we really felt privileged to see this
beautiful native culture still surviving in the new millenium.
The next morning we awoke early to watch the ship approach Cartagena, Columbia. It has a beautiful harbor
and the winding approach to the city is a beautiful sight. There is a small mountain overlooking the city where
the La Popa Monastery sits. You could also see the church domes in the old walled city in the distance. We
had an early shore excursion so once docked we were quickly on our way. We drove through what once was
the wealthy area of the city, now middle class, but filled with beautiful mansions. Soon we were winding our
way to the Monastery. Be forewarned that the vendors are extremely aggressive but will leave you alone if you
ignore them and not make eye contact. What ever you do, DON'T talk to them, that just gets them going
more. Once inside the Monastery, they aren't around so you can enjoy the lovely courtyard and chapel. The
view from the terraces of the surrounding city is fantastic. Watch out though, the clever beggars have cups on
sticks that they stick up in your face from down below the terrace hoping for some money. It was enterprising
but seemed very sad, very much like the movie, Suddenly Last Summer with Elizabeth Taylor and
Montgomery Clift. The guide said that they had 20 % unemployment so that helps to explain it.
We visited a large fort in the center of the city and then on to the old walled city. It is so beautiful and
interesting. It reminds you of New Orleans or Old San Juan. We wished we could have spent some time just
walking around here but the guide keeps you moving pretty quickly. The most time we had to walk around was
at a mall that sold only Emeralds. No one in our group was interested in buying Emeralds but that doesn't
matter, you have to go. All too soon we were back on the ship. The tour gave a nice overview but if we had it
to do over again, we would prefer just taking a cab down to the old city and walking around on our own. The
city seemed very safe and I would have no problems doing this on our own. It is definitely, a very interesting
and beautiful city.
When we got back to the ship, the P&O ship Victoria was docked next to us. It is always fun to see another
ship and she looked pretty nice. Her passengers all gave us hearty waves as we backed out of our berth and
headed back out to sea, and another day at sea before our return to Aruba.
Sadly leaving the ship the last morning, we had no problem getting to the airport. We did have a very long
wait in line at the TWA counter but after that it was easy. Aruba has US customs in their beautiful new airport
so you get that out of the way before you leave the island, making things much easier when you get back
home. They managed to loose one of our bags but that was the counter worker in Aruba's fault. She sent one
of our bags to Wyoming but we eventually got it back.
I have to say that this was our favorite cruise so far, a combination of a terrific itinerary, one of our favorite
ships and perfect weather. I highly recommend this cruise and if you are tired of the typical Caribbean fare,
think you will thoroughly enjoy it too.
Again, pictures of this cruise can be found on my Cruise Page at:
http://members2.clubphoto.com/andrew89261/
They are listed under Second Horizon Cruise.
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