Category: Carnival Cruise

Carnival Cruise Ship to Get Overhaul, Sail to Cuba from New Cities

11/14/2018

Rendering courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

By John Roberts

Carnival Cruise Line is set to totally revamp Carnival Victory and give it new life and amazing new itineraries as Carnival Radiance.

Once the ship undergoes an overhaul in 2020, it will emerge to sail including 9- to 13-day European voyages, as well as Carnival's first trips to Cuba from New York and Norfolk, Virginia.

Carnival Radiance also will sail four- to nine-day voyages to the Caribbean and Canada/New England from New York and a winter season of cruising to the Caribbean and Cuba from Port Canaveral, Fla.

These are the details of Carnival Radiance's planned 2020 inaugural season:

Following a $200 million dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, for its refurbishment, Carnival Radiance is due to debut April 29, 2020, with a 10-day Mediterranean itinerary from Barcelona followed by nine- and 12-day cruises visiting top destinations, including Italy, France, Croatia, Greece, Malta and Spain. The ship will then embark on a 13-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to New York June 11 to June 24, positioning the cruise ship for its inaugural season in Manhattan.

Once in New York, Carnival Radiance will offer a series of four- and six-day Bermuda cruises, as well as a four-day cruise to Saint John, New Brunswick, eight-day eastern Caribbean voyages and the line's first Cuba cruises from New York -- nine-day sailings that include a full-day and overnight stay in Havana and two Bahamian ports of call. The New York season concludes with a series of Canada/New England voyages featuring stops in Boston, Portland, Saint John and Halifax.

The ship will also offer four five- to seven-day voyages from Norfolk in October and November 2020, including the line's first Cuba cruises from that port. The week-long Cuba cruises will feature an extended stop in the capital of Havana along with visits to two tropical Bahamian ports. There will also be a five-day Bahamas cruise and a six-day cruise visiting three of the country's most popular destinations, including the private island of Half Moon Cay.

Following the cruises from the Northeast, Carnival Radiance will reposition to Port Canaveral, Fla., to operate a winter schedule of six- to eight-day voyages to the Caribbean and Cuba beginning November 8. The program includes six-day voyages featuring a day-long visit and overnight call in Havana and two Bahamian ports; a six-day sailing to Grand Turk, Amber Cove, the Dominican Republic and Nassau; and seven- and eight-day Caribbean voyages visiting some of the region's most popular and beautiful islands, including Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts and Grand Turk.

As part of the transformation to Carnival Radiance from Carnival Victory, the ship will get a slew of staples now found on many other ships throughout the fleet. This means Carnival Radiance will get new restaurants: Pizzeria del Capitano, Seafood Shack, Guy's Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, Cucina Del Capitano, Bonsai Sushi, The Chef's Table and Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse.

It also adds lounges and bars: RedFrog Pub, Piano Bar 88, Limelight Lounge and Liquid Lounge. Other new features: Cloud 9 Spa, SportSquare with a ropes course, and additions to the WaterWorks water park, which adds the 203-foot-long AquaTunnel water slide.

Thanks for reading,
JR

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The 25 Spots I Love on Carnival Horizon, and the One I Hated

5/2/2018

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Carnival Horizon microbrewery craft beers

Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse stands out among all the wonderful things on the new Carnival Horizon cruise ship. It's a microbrewery on a cruise ship. Double-win!

By John Roberts

Carnival Cruise Line's newest flagship Carnival Horizon does the best job that I have seen so far in offering something for everyone on a cruise. I typically don't subscribe to the idea that a cruise ship has to be everything. Trying to please all types of cruisers generally leads to a chaotic and disorganized feel to these megaships. I think it's better to know what you are, have a laser-focus on the type of cruise experience you want to offer and then do it really well. That might be luxury, adventure, family-style, food-focused or a party ship.

However, Carnival Horizon carries about 4,000 passengers, and the line has designed a cruise experience that offers a pleasant time no matter what type of cruise you are looking for. The reason it works is because the ship has fantastic flow that uses a series of small- to medium-sized venues that stand alone as cool destinations within the entirety of the ship. You can escape to these spots and mix and mingle with others without being overwhelmed by crowds of cruisers.

I sailed on Carnival Horizon in the Mediterranean and was surprised by the awesome experience I had on such a big ship. Here are 25 things I loved about Carnival Horizon (plus, one thing that really annoyed me).

1. Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse
This is our favorite new place. We love craft beers, and Carnival Horizon is the second ship with an onboard microbrewery (following Carnival Vista). This ship adds a barbecue joint, too, in collaboration with celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Four craft brews are available (Toasted Amber, Farmhouse Ale, West Coast IPA and Smoked Porter) and pair well with barbecue lunches (free on embarkation day and sea days) and dinners (priced a la carte).

Carnival Cruise Line

2. Guy's Burger Joint
This Carnival Cruise Line classic is also available poolside on Carnival Horizon, serving juicy burgers and fries included in your cruise fare. Don't forget the hearty toppings bar to add bacon, mushrooms and other items to make your own signature burger.

Carnival Horizon Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

In The Loop Travel

3. Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse
This place has all the fantastically delicious cuts of meat and hearty sides that you expect from a steakhouse. The decadent desserts and delightful music accompaniment from the adjacent Piano Bar make it a perfect romantic dining experience.

Carnival Cruise Line

4. Piano Bar
This comfy space features a pianist playing soothing tunes during the dinner hours. Then, the joint heats up later in the evening with sing-a-longs and a variety of other tunes as passengers gather for cocktails. Grab a seat right around the piano to be closer to the action.

Carnival Cruise Line

5. Bonsai Teppanyaki
Part meal. Part theater. The combo makes for a deliciously fun night with fellow cruisers in this small dining venue. (They can squeeze up to 18 people at the two cooking/dining stations.)

Carnival Cruise Line

6. SkyRide
This innovative ride first appeared on sister ship Carnival Vista in 2016. Passengers climb into sky bikes that dangle from side-by-side rails that encircle the back half of the top of the ship. You get amazing views as you gently pedal or race around the tracks.

In The Loop Travel

7. SkyCourse
This is a challenging ropes course also located at the top of the ship. An easy track and a difficult route are available, and you can easily slide your harness attachment along the rails to decide which spans you want to attempt. You cross rope lines and slim balance beam-style "bridges" in between a series of platforms. This really gets your heart racing.

In The Loop Travel

8. Cucina del Capitano
This is the ship's Italian restaurant, and it's worth having just a light lunch before coming for the big dinners offered here. Breads, pastas, salads, main courses and desserts come at you wave after wave. You can also come in for pasta lunches (no charge) at Cucina del Capitano.

Carnival Cruise Line

9. Dr. Seuss Waterworks
A waterpark area themed with your favorite Dr. Seuss characters. It has a giant dump bucket, spray tunnel, splash area and two awesome waterslides. Kids and adults have a lot of fun cooling off here.

In The Loop Travel

10. Limelight Lounge
This lounge space is home to the ship's comedy acts and other fun shows. Limelight Lounge is an intimate venue with a variety of comfortable seats that all have a good view of the small stage area.

In The Loop Travel

11. Havana Bar
This Cuban-themed bar is the most lively dance area each night, with a band at the centerpiece of the bar on a stylish open stage belting out fantastic salsa and rhumba tunes. The bar features a big variety Cuban cocktail favorites including mojitos and Cuba libres. This bar also has outdoor seating and a pool and hot tubs open to all passengers in the evening.

Carnival Cruise Line

12. Havana Cabana Staterooms
This new cabin category debuted on Carnival Vista in 2016. These staterooms offer an array of special amenities and features. The cabins and suites are located close to Havana Bar and Havana Pool. The tropics-inspired cabins feature private outdoor patio cabanas that face the expanded Lanai outdoor promenade for inspiring sea views. Until 7 p.m. each day, the promenade alongside the Havana Cabana staterooms and the Havana Pool area is for the exclusive use of passengers staying in Havana accommodations.

In The Loop Travel

13. SkyBox Sports Bar
Carnival Horizon's sports bar is the best place to watch a game. The layout offers big booths, tables and bar seats, all with views of the full wall of digital TV screens. Decor includes posters, helmets, pictures and jerseys of sports stars, and a LED ticker screen crawls around the top of the bar displaying scores, news and trivia.

Carnival Cruise Line

14. Alchemy Bar
This martini and craft cocktail bar is another hot spot before and after dinner. Alchemy Bar is a natural gathering place because it is located in the main corridor in an atrium-style area on Deck 5 amid several alternative restaurant locations. Passengers rarely pass by without seeing one of their friends there and then settling in for a Moscow Mule or one of the creative concoctions on the diverse and innovative drinks menu.

Carnival Cruise Line

15. SportsSquare
All the fun and active games are located at the top of Carnival Horizon in the SportSquare area. Aside from the waterslides, SkyRide and SkyCourse, you'll see The Clubhouse at SportsSquare, SkyTrack, SkyFitness, SkyCourt and SkyGreens. This is where you can play billiards, ping-pong, mini-golf, cornhole, basketball and even Twister. The jogging track and two sets of outdoor fitness equipment are up here, too.

In The Loop Travel

16. BlueIguana Cantina
This is a tasty and super-convenient burrito and taco eatery located by the pool. This is our favorite spot for breakfast burritos, as well as lunch and anytime snacks. You'll find plenty of spice options at the salsa bar, which also feature slices of watermelon and fresh limes.

In The Loop Travel

17. Ocean Plaza
The secret gem of this area that serves as a large open lounge for dancing, live music, and trivia is the small buffet located near the rear of the room. This makes for a hassle-free quiet breakfast and lunch spot if you don't want to go all the way up to the buffet or wait for service at the main dining room for lunch. They serve salads and dishes like soups, macaroni and cheese, ribs and deli meats.

In The Loop Travel

18. Tides Pool and Bar
This place offers great views off the aft of Deck 10 and is an ideal spot to hang out for a sea day. The Resort Pool area features a medium-sized pool and two hot tubs and is close to the Tides Bar. You also can enjoy seating in sun or shade -- or wander up the steps to Deck 11 for more-secluded loungers and seats with even better views.

Carnival Cruise Line

19. IMAX Theatre
This theater on Deck 6 operates just as a movie theater on land, showing first-run movies (and charging for them, of course). This is a good option if you are on a long cruise and have multiple sea days and are looking for something different to do other than bake in the sun again.

Carnival Cruise Line

20. Thrill Theater
Sharing the same complex as the IMAX theater is the Thrill Theater, which promises screams and chills as passengers feel winds, mists and vibrations in their chairs while viewing short features on subjects like nature or a scary or adventurous tale requiring a journey in a rollercoaster or similar herky-jerky thrill ride. (Fee)

In The Loop Travel

21. Resort Pool
The Resort Pool is the main swimming and lounging area on the lido deck. This is a smallish pool that offers shaded gazebo-style seating spots right at the pool, so you can cool your feet in comfort. A large screen shows movies just above the pool, and Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, RedFrog Rum Bar and BlueIguana Tequila Bar are set strategically in each of the four corners around the Resort Pool.

Carnival Cruise Line

22. Pizzeria del Capitano
This pizza spot is open 24 hours out by the Tides Pool. You can come by to grab a slice anytime hunger strikes. It's a great option for a quick fix right after you come back from a busy day ashore, too.

Carnival Cruise Line

23. Atrium Bar
The centerpiece of the first area you enter as you board your cruise is Dreamscape, a massive swooping floor-to-ceiling sculpture that features LED lights showing colorful graphic art that changes minutes by minute throughout the day. The sculpture funnels up from a circular bar and large public space that draws people for live music and the themed parties throughout the cruise.

In The Loop Travel

24. JiJi Asian Kitchen
The variety of food here is incredible. This is a family-style dining at its best, where you get to enjoy traditional foods from all over Asia, highlighting dishes from China, Vietnam, Singapore, Mongolia, Philippines and Indonesia. The restaurant also offers a lunch (no charge) where you pick your own items to be stir fried.

Carnival Cruise Line

25. Seafood Shack
This is the place for you people (not me) who love lobster, lobster rolls, crab cakes, fried buffalo shrimp, peel-and-eat shrimp, clam chowder, clam strips and snow crab. Pricing is a la carte at this casual restaurant located out by the Tides Pool.

In The Loop Travel

With all the good stuff on Carnival Horizon, I spent some time in one place that could have been better . . . much better.

I Hated the Fitness Center on Carnival Horizon
Hate is a strong word, I know. I should say I was extremely disappointed with the small space. I had the same complaint about Carnival Vista, the sister ship to Horizon, and I am certain many other cruisers felt the same way. I would have thought it wise to adjust the plans for Carnival Horizon to make the space more appropriate for a ship that regularly carries almost 4,000 passengers.

The gym offers a small free-weight area with dumbbells that go up to 100 pounds. Also, nearby and crammed in too tightly are the center's resistance training machines. Watch where you step as you take your turn on a machine as another passenger could be moving the handles of another piece of equipment uncomfortably close to you.

The fitness center does well by having plenty of treadmills and exercise bikes, but the safely usable floor space is limited for stretching (rowing machines are placed under slanted glass windows, and I saw more than one passenger crack their heads when maneuvering in the area).

The cardio studio is used for the challenging and fun Ryde spin class but is also an extremely small space for other fitness classes.

Being a person who rates a good gym as very important on my cruise, I probably get a little more worked up than most about this shortcoming on Carnival Horizon.

I probably should have just spent more time at the microbrewery.

Thanks for reading and happy sailing!
JR

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Rainforest Adventures Opens New Eco-Park in St. Maarten

4/13/2018

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The Soualiga Sky Explorer at Rockland Estate in St. Maarten is just one of the adventure rides in a cool new eco park in this Caribbean paradise.

By John Roberts
A cool new eco-adventure park has opened in one of our favorite Caribbean cruise destinations.

Carnival Corp. and Rainforest Adventures have collaborated to create Rockland Estate in St. Maarten, and the park is excited to welcome cruise passengers.

Carnival helped finance the project, and Rainforest Adventures built Rockland Estate, which is touted as a "one-of-a-kind attraction expected to quickly become one of the most popular in the Caribbean."

The new eco-park is located on the historic Emilio Wilson Estate, a former plantation property that also features the Emilio Wilson Museum.

Rockland Estate is a short ride from the cruise port and offers a range of thrill rides and activities that can be purchased individually or as part of a package of rides. Carnival's cruise passengers can buy a trip to the park and its attractions though the onboard shore excursion desks on Carnival Corp. ships.

Rockland Estate is considered an eco-adventure park committed to preserving native eco-systems while ensuring the sustainability of the estate's physical and intangible attributes. Rainforest Adventures built the attraction to enhance and preserve St. Maarten's natural features while aiming to endorse the island's cultural and historical significance -- thus promoting education through adventure.

I love to learn as I have fun in the outdoors so this looks like a winner to me, especially because it is designed to have minimal impact on the natural beauty of this historic property.

"In constructing the park, one of our goals was to uphold our commitment to environmental conservation, with less than 5 percent of the Emilio Wilson Estate impacted by the new Rockland Estate eco-adventure park," Rainforest Adventures president Josef Preschel said. "Our other key goal is to educate visitors on the importance of ongoing conservation in this area and to celebrate local history and culture, while also providing thrilling rides and relaxing activities."

Carnival Corp. had an interest in helping to develop the park so it can offer a shore excursion to Rockland Estate for passengers cruising on any of eight of its cruise line brands.

At Rockland Estate in St. Maarten, cruisers can try:

Soualiga Sky Explorer: This attraction offers 68 four-passenger chairs that take visitors to a transfer station for zipline and tubing, and then to the top of one of St. Maarten's highest points where they can take in spectacular panoramic views from 1,125 feet up.

Sentry Hill Zip Line: From the transfer station at the midpoint of the Soualiga Sky Explorer, the Sentry Hill Zip Line sends riders off on a 1,600-foot, four-span line that provides unforgettable vistas of the mountain ridge.

Schooner Ride: This ride at the midway point of the Soualiga Sky Explorer gives you the chance to glide down the mountain in large 40-inch inner tubes across a specially designed 657-foot track of heart-pounding curves mixed with fast straightaways.

Top of Sentry Hill: One of St. Maarten's highest elevations, Sentry Hill, offers walkways and platforms that encircle the mountaintop, showcasing 360-degree vistas of the island with views of neighboring Saba, St. Barts, St. Eustatius and Anguilla.

Flying Dutchman: The Flying Dutchman is Rockland Estate's main attraction and the world's steepest zip line. It guarantees thrill-seekers the ride of a lifetime while securely harnessed in a chair, dropping them 1,050 feet in elevation from the top of Sentry Hill down the mountain over a 2,800-foot span.

Emilio Wilson Museum: Originally built as a plantation home in the 1700s, the museum tells the powerful story of Trace Wilson, who was born into slavery on the property, and her direct descendant, St. Maarten pioneer and preservationist Emilio Wilson. It also highlights the customs, traditions, lifestyle and stories that have earned St. Maarten the moniker "The Friendly Island."

Thanks for reading and always travel happy!
JR

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Carnival Cruise Ship to Get Overhaul, Sail to Cuba from New Cities

The 25 Spots I Love on Carnival Horizon, and the One I Hated

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