Tides Pool
In September I returned to cruising on the Carnival Horizon on an 8 Night Southern Caribbean itinerary. On board the Horizon, there is so much to do from waterslides to trivia and I want to share my thoughts.
 Ocean Plaza
Inside
Carnival has made sure that when you cruise on one of their ships. you have fun, they are called the Fun Ships. If you prefer to hang out indoors, there is lots to do. In the Ocean Plaza they often offered trivia and dance classes during the day. I did participate in the trivia but didn't do well except on the TV Show themes. They also offered other topics like sports, Harry Potter, Friends, General Knowledge and more. A great way to spend some time testing your brain for a plastic gold ship on a stick. If you like movies, the Horizon does offer an IMAX theatre on board featuring first run movies and documentaries. There is a cost to see a movie, around $12 for a first run movie but only $5 for one of he short documentaries. I saw an under sea 3D documentary and really enjoyed it. They offer snacks and soda for purchase and the seats are comfortable. It was not open, but there is also a Thrill Theatre for a 4D empierce  Thermal Suite
One of the spots I don't go very often, except for the gym, is the spa. But this cruise I decided to take advantage of the Thermal Suite in the Cloud 9 Spa. First, the Cloud 9 Spa offers services from massages, facials, haircuts, teeth whitening and more. Plus, they have a gym with treadmills, ellipticals, machines, free weights and offer fitness classes.
For an extra charge, you can use the Thermal Suite either on a full cruise pass or just a day pass. In the thermal suite there are ergonomic beds, steam rooms with scents, showers with scents, saunas and a valosotheropy pool. Still not sure what that is but I enjoyed the steam rooms especially the one with eucalyptus, so relaxing. I purchased the day pass for only $30 and visited twice, once after a workout in the morning and then before getting ready for dinner. One thing to note, if you are in a Spa Stateroom, the Thermal Suite is included.  WaterWorks
Out on Deck
The fun really begins once you get out into the sunshine. Starting with the Water Works Waterpark, here you have activities for all ages. The park is themed for Dr. Seaus so everything is Cat in the Hat or other books by the author. There is a dump bucket, water cannons and even some areas just to run through and get wet. The small slides are for the kids but for adults and kids are the two big slides. Cat in the Hat is a single rider raft ride that curves and winds its way down. The second slide is The Fun Things, a very fast body slide. You will get up some speed but I will say the seams will get your back a little. I would hang out on Serenity and when I would get hot, head over to the slides for a few drops for a quick cool off.  Sports Square
Located on deck 12 sports deck is Sports Square. Here you can play ping pong, pool, foosball, shuffleboard and even miniature golf. You also have the ropes course which is about 50 feet or so above the deck and has an easy course and a more challenging course. Inside the clubhouse, you will find TVs, seating and soccer pool, use your imagination for that. Primarily this area is used by the kids.
This area is nice for a day in port but it can be difficult to play pool or miniature golf while the ship is moving. The miniature golf course is fun for a round or two but I have seen much better on ships.  Lido Pool
On Horizon, there are two pools, the main Beach Pool on Lido Mid Ship and the Tides Pool on Lido Deck Aft. In addition, they are two hot tubs at the Tides pool and two on Serenity Deck. I don't typically spend too much time at the Beach pool but spent time at the Tides pool aft. Because this cruise was not at full capacity, there were usually chairs but it was hot so the pool stayed pretty busy. Carnival leaves their pools open until midnight so I was able to go enjoy some night swims and time in the hot tub.
Both areas have great seating around and above the pool area. I loved the views from sitting on deck 11 or 12 just above the aft Tides Pool and the confy chairs on deck 11 overlooking the Beach Pool.  Movies under the stars
I mentioned around the Beach Pool there was comfy seating on deck 11 and was perfect for watching movies under the stars. The giant screen on Lido was used to show movies almost every night and even some during the day. You get popcorn for $2 or $3 and enjoy a movie with the family. Lots of seating options with great views. Normally I will watch a movie at least once during the cruise but this time there was just nothing I was interested in.
 Serenity Deck
One of my favorite places to spend my sea day was the adult only Serenity Deck. If you are looking for some quiet time in the sun or even the shade, you can find it on Serenity. Since the ship was at low capacity, it was easy to find a deck chair or even a clamshell all with a thick pad for comfort. In addition to the chairs there are two hot tubs and a salad bar.
The salad bar, Fresh Creations, is an included spot for fresh salad with your choice of vegetables and dressings. Not only was it good, it was perfect to grab a pre lunch right there on Serenity before I headed down for some tacos or a burger.
There is so much to do on Carnival Horizon, I could never cover it all. will cover the restaurants and bars in another part talking about Guys Smokehouse. Bonsai Teppanyaki, Seafood Shack and more. To get updates in your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my emails below.
Mike Miller
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