This past weekend, I was able to tour the Carnival Horizon with 25 of my preferred clients, and boy was I impressed!

Let me give you some background on my history with Carnival. My first cruise ever was on the Carnival Destiny back in 2005 (which is now the Carnival Sunshine). I was on 1 of its final sailings before it was completely remodeled and renamed the Carnival Sunshine. On the Carnival Destiny, it was my first time to cruise the Caribbean and my first taste of cruising. It was a 10-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean out of Puerto Rico. We visited some of my favorite islands on that sailing. Since then, I have done a lot of cruising. I’ve sailed on MSC and Norwegian many times, but I haven’t been back on a Carnival ship.

As a travel agent we get the opportunity to visit several ships in our home ports and whenever there’s a new ship we take advantage and look at it ourselves so we can form our own opinions on the ship rather than listen to a sales pitch. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several of Carnival’s ships here in Miami. A couple of years back I assisted with a wedding on the Carnival Vista, which is considered the sister ship of the Horizon, that ship is just as beautiful, and it has several other amenities that make it desirable especially to families.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to tour the Horizon and I just fell in love with the ship. Instead of giving my clients the regular sales pitch of this cruise I was also given the opportunity to invite a few of my preferred clients on this ship tour as well. To say we had a great time was an understatement.

First off Carnival ships have something a lot of other ships don’t which is Guy Fieri restaurants. I know a lot of ships have specialty restaurants that are just as delicious however, those cost extra. On the Carnival Horizon it’s as easy as going to the buffet and getting your own Guy Fieri burger and seasoned fries. Which are delicious if I do say so myself. There’s also a BBQ restaurant from Guy Fieri where they smoke the meat right in front of you.

Cruise ships are famous for their buffets and crowds of people; however, the buffet is set up in a way where it’s divided and you never feel as if you’re with the crowd all of the time. They have designed it to make the cruisers feel as if they’re in some sort of rainforest instead of just some plain old cafeteria.

The home port of the Horizon is Miami, so I was very pleased to see it paid homage to the people of Miami and its culture. There’s a Havana section where there are dominos tables, a bar, live Cuban music and get this even the rooms are different. The entire cabin and its hallways transport you to Havana in the 1950’s. The balconies are terraces with swings and lounge chairs to relax on. It’s definitely worth the splurge. That’s where you can find me on any night of its 6 or 7 night sailings.

I know Carnival has been known for being a family related ship or the party ship, but with the Horizons ship, it’s set up in a way where you can be with just your group and not have to deal with anything else. Long gone are those loud colors synonymous with cruise lines and microwaveable food. The Horizon is designed in a modern way without taking it to the extreme. Cruising brings the comfort of home to the seas. As a traveler you’re able to explore different islands at once without having to unpack several times. You get a taste of so many different cities that to me it’s worth it.

Check out some pictures from the tour below!