Carnival Horizon

The 2018-built Carnival Horizon cruise ship is the second Vista-class (a modified Dream-class) vessel in the CCL fleet. Horizon is regarded as Carnival's most family-friendly ship, featuring the newest kids- and family-focused staterooms, facilities, and amenities. She is the 26th vessel in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.

Vista-class sisterships include Carnival Vista (2016) and Carnival Panorama (2019), along with the former Costa Cruises ships Carnival Venezia (2019 as Costa Venezia) and Carnival Firenze (2020 as Costa Firenze), and Adora Cruises ships Adora Magic City (2023) and Adora TBN (2024).

The vessel (IMO number 9767091) is currently Panama-flagged (MMSI 370039000) and registered in Colon.

History - construction and ownership

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) is a US-based cruise company and a trademarked brand owned by Carnival Corporation. CCL was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (1924–1999), who also co-founded Norwegian Cruise Line.

CCL operates Carnival Corporation’s largest fleet by number of ships and gross tonnage. In 2023, the brand held approximately 9% of global cruise industry revenue and 19% of total passengers. In 2024, Carnival Corporation maintained a 51% market share in the global cruise sector (valued at over USD 64 billion).

The 4,000-passenger Carnival Horizon combines all Fun Ship 2.0 features with several first-at-sea innovations, including the Carnival Multiplex (featuring the fleet's first IMAX theater with a 3-deck-high screen), SkyRide (an aerial pedal-powered roller coaster), the Havana stateroom complex (with its own pool, bar, and lounge), Family Harbor staterooms, the largest SportsSquare, and popular venues such as BlueIguana Cantina, RedFrog Bar, and Alchemy Bar. Additional highlights include new show programming, Carnival Cloud 9 Spa, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Vista-class ships (Vista/2016, Horizon/2018, Panorama/2019) introduced fleet-first features such as the IMAX Theater at Sea (87-seat cinema as part of Carnival Multiplex), SkyRide (suspended 2-track bike course), and Havana Staterooms with a private sundeck, pool, and lounge.

Decks and Cabins

Carnival Horizon staterooms (1,965 total) include 74 Suites, 912 Balcony, 264 Oceanview, and 749 Inside cabins, with 35 wheelchair-accessible and 104 "Cloud 9 Spa" cabins, across 34 categories. Most cabins range from 185 to 220 ft², with balconies between 35 and 75 ft². Spa staterooms offer exclusive access to the Panorama Deck spa facilities and include priority spa reservations, complimentary access to the Thalassotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite, fitness classes, and upgraded bath amenities.

A new cabin category exclusive to the Family Harbor area is the aft-view extended balcony cabin. Carnival Panorama also offers 18 tropics-themed staterooms in the Havana section. All 86 Family Harbor cabins feature a nautical décor and are located near the Family Harbor Lounge, which includes large TVs, complimentary snacks, and breakfast. The Havana staterooms (located aft on decks 6, 7, 8, and 9) provide exclusive access to the Havana Deck with a Cuban-themed pool and bar.

The ship has 14 passenger-accessible decks, with cabins spread across 13 of them.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Carnival Horizon offers two main dining rooms: Horizons and Reflections. Horizons features a bar ideal for pre-dinner drinks. Both dining rooms offer select steakhouse items for an additional fee. Horizon also features a Lido buffet. The Seafood Shack, inspired by New England eateries, is located on the top deck and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. It serves lunch and dinner with a la carte pricing starting at $4, and includes items like lobster rolls, fried shrimp, crab cakes, and more.

The Japanese-themed Bonsai Teppanyaki restaurant is located within the Bonsai Sushi venue on the Promenade Deck. It offers Far East dishes prepared live at center-stage cooking stations at 8-seat tables. Each meal includes five appetizers, combo entrées, and desserts such as Chocolate Bento Box and Green Tea Ice Cream. Reservations are required due to limited seating. Lunch is served only on sea days, with dinner offered nightly. The cover charge includes the full meal.

• Reflections Restaurant – 1,474-seat complimentary MDR with two fixed dinner seatings and open-seating breakfast and lunch. “Seuss At Sea” breakfasts are available for a $5 cover charge.
• Horizon’s Restaurant – 702-seat MDR offering formal dining with two fixed seatings and “Anytime Dining” between 5:45–9:30 p.m.
• Bonsai Sushi Bar and Bonsai Teppanyaki (Japanese)
• Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ
• Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (also offers “Chef’s Table” dining)
• Guy’s Burger Joint (poolside)
• BlueIguana Cantina (Mexican fast food)
• Lido Marketplace – 825-seat buffet
• Pizzeria del Capitano – 24-hour pizzeria
• Seafood Shack – indoor/outdoor seating, a la carte
• Cucina del Capitano (Italian)
• Ji Ji Asian Kitchen (specialty Asian)

In January 2018, Carnival introduced four new craft beers brewed onboard Horizon at Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse, created by brewmaster Colin Presby:

• "ParchedPig Farmhouse Ale" – lightly hopped dry finish beer
• "ParchedPig Smoked Porter" – brewed with smoked malt, hickory, and molasses
• "ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale" – amber color with notes of toasted caramel and biscuit
• "ParchedPig West Coast IPA" – bitter IPA with pine and citrus aroma

Other draft beers available onboard include ThirstyFrog Red, Port Hoppin' IPA, Caribbean Wheat, FriskyFrog Java Stout, Miami Guava, ParchedPig Beach Lager, and Carnival Birthday Beer (released in 2022).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Carnival Horizon offers a wide range of entertainment, starting with SkyRide—the cruise industry’s first pedal-powered aerial ride. Guests cycle 150 feet above sea level on an 800-foot suspended track.

For more thrills, SkyCourse offers a suspended ropes circuit. Both SkyRide and SkyCourse are part of SportSquare, which also includes an indoor hangout, mini-bowling, The Clubhouse, Ping-Pong tables, sports video gaming, arcade basketball, and more.

Horizon features an expanded "Seuss at Sea" kids program with Dr. Seuss WaterWorks, a themed aqua park located on Deck 12 with two unique waterslides:

• "Cat in the Hat" waterslide – a red-and-white enclosed raft slide (137 m/450 ft) with multiple twists, entered through a giant replica of the cat's hat
• "Fun Things" slide – a polka-dot-themed enclosed body slide (65 m/213 ft), inspired by Thing 1 and Thing 2
• The waterpark and other areas feature Dr. Seuss characters, themed phrases, and dedicated spaces like Bookville, Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, and Seuss-A-Palooza Parade

Entertainment venues include:

• Family Harbor Lounge
• Liquid Lounge (1,400-seat show venue with Playlist Productions and Hasbro Game Shows)
• Horizon Atrium with LED displays and live entertainment
• Shopping Arcade, Pixels Photo Gallery, Cherry on Top candy shop
• Horizon Casino (484 seats)
• Limelight Lounge
• Lanai promenade with BBQ bar
• FunHub Internet room
• JavaBlue Café, Havana Bar, Ocean Plaza, and more
• Havana Pool area (exclusive pool, whirlpools, lounge space)
• Carnival Multiplex (IMAX and Thrill Theaters)
• Thrill Theater (5D cinema)
• Circle C and Club O2 (youth lounges)
• Warehouse Arcade
• Multiple bars: BlueIguana, RedFrog, Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse/Brewhouse
• Tides Pool and Bar
• Camp Ocean, Dr. Seuss Bookville
• Cloud 9 Spa, WaterWorks, Seaside Theatre, SportSquare, SkyFitness, Jogging Track, SkyGreens, SkyRide, SkyCourse
• Dreamscape LED sculpture in the Atrium

Serenity (adults-only 21+) is a forward-facing sundeck area with two large Jacuzzis, cabanas, massage huts, Serenity Bar, and Fresh Creations salad bar. Open daily 8 am–10 pm, hours may vary by itinerary.

Serenity Deck features hammocks, premium loungers, shaded seating, live greenery, and waiter service. The bar offers cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages at standard prices.

Carnival Horizon showcases four Playlist Productions shows created in collaboration with Broadway and West End directors:

• "Celestial Strings" – classical meets modern pop
• "Soulbound" – New Orleans gothic-themed show with R&B
• "Vintage Pop" – 1920s jazz club theme with live 6-piece jazz band
• "Amor Cubano" – Latin music show performed in Havana Bar by a 7-piece band

Itineraries

Carnival Horizon’s inaugural US season began with short cruises to Bermuda from New York City in spring and summer 2018. These included 4-night Bermuda cruises and 8-night Caribbean sailings.

The ship’s maiden voyage was a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona. On May 9, 2018, she repositioned to New York (arriving May 23) for the summer Caribbean season. On September 22, 2018, Horizon moved to her year-round homeport in Miami, offering 6- and 8-night Caribbean itineraries.

The vessel (Fincantieri Marghera yard/hull number 6243) has a volume of 133,596 GT, a DWT (deadweight tonnage) of 12,164 tons, and a maximum draught of 8.6 m. The powerplant consists of five MAN marine diesel engines (4-stroke, common-rail injection): two 14V48/60CR and three 8L48/60CR, with a combined output of 62.4 MW (83,680 hp). Propulsion is diesel-electric, using two ABB Azipod thrusters delivering a combined output of 33 MW (44,250 hp). The registered shipowner is CARNIVAL HOLDINGS BERMUDA LTD, and the registered manager is CARNIVAL CORPORATION.

By gross tonnage, Vista-class ships are currently the largest in Carnival's fleet. These ships introduced several firsts for Carnival, such as the Multiplex media entertainment complex (featuring an IMAX Theater with a 3-deck-high LED screen for first-run films and a 3D Thrill Cinema), the SkyRide (an outdoor roller coaster with dual bicycle tracks), a larger SportsSquare complex, the Havana outdoor complex (pool, Jacuzzis, bar, new Havana staterooms), and Family Harbor accommodations (with a dedicated family lounge offering 24-hour dining, concierge service, babysitting, and entertainment).

The ship’s powerplant features five MAN marine diesel engines (4-stroke, common-rail injection): two 14V48/60CR and three 8L48/60CR, generating a total power output of 62.4 MW.

One of the ship's standout interior features is “Dreamscape,” a three-deck-high LED sculpture located in the Atrium. Created by children from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis TN USA) and designed by Techno Media, the sculpture comprises 33 unique digital designs. Its rotating centerpiece is shaped like a funnel, stands 24 ft (7.3 m) tall, and is covered in over 2,000 custom-made flexible LED tiles. The visual patterns change based on time of day, port of call, or special events.

The vessel was floated out from drydock on March 10, 2017, at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard. After the float-out, interior outfitting commenced. The traditional “coin ceremony” was held, with a silver coin welded to the ship’s top deck. The godmother of the ceremony was Clementina Zecchin (Fincantieri employee). Attendees included Richard Morse (Carnival's Senior VP of Hotel Operations), Fabrizio Timossi (Carnival’s Project Manager), and Antonio Quintano (Marghera yard’s Director).

On March 2, 2018, Carnival announced that the ship’s godmother would be Queen Latifah (US rapper, singer, actress, producer, and entrepreneur). The christening ceremony was held on May 23, 2018, in New York City, where she also participated in a special onboard “Lip Sync Battle: Horizon” show. The event was invitation-only and included an overnight stay and a gala dinner.

On March 28, 2018, the vessel was officially delivered to Carnival Corporation by Fincantieri. The delivery ceremony was attended by Micky Arison (Carnival Corporation Chairman), Christine Duffy (Carnival Cruise Line President), Giampiero Massolo (Fincantieri Chairman), and Giuseppe Bono (Fincantieri CEO). By that time, Fincantieri had delivered 81 cruise ships (1990–2018), including 64 for Carnival Corporation.

Carnival Horizon’s first Captain was Luigi de Angelis, who had been with Carnival Cruise Line since 1995, starting as a deck cadet on Carnival Imagination. The ship’s Hotel Director is Pierre Camilleri.

Carnival Horizon refurbishments review

Drydock 2026

The ship’s first scheduled drydock refurbishment is planned for May 9 through June 14, 2026. Details of the refurbishment project will be announced at a later date.

Drydock 2022

Between December 22, 2021, and January 8, 2022, Carnival Horizon underwent emergency drydocking at Fincantieri’s Palermo shipyard in Italy to address propulsion issues. During this time, the vessel’s original white hull livery was replaced with Carnival’s new red-white-blue livery. Horizon resumed operations on January 22, 2022, from PortMiami.

Inaugural itineraries 2018

The tables below detail the ship’s inaugural cruise itineraries (maiden voyages) by destination, including ports of call, sequences, port times, and prices per person in USD based on double occupancy in the lowest Inside cabin category.

13 nights / 14 days, Inaugural Mediterranean cruise (Europe) – prices started from USD 1300 pp.

(repositioning) 14 nights / 15 days, Inaugural Transatlantic crossing from Europe to USA (prices started from USD 990 pp).

4 nights / 5 days, Inaugural Bermuda cruise (prices started from USD 620 pp).

8 nights / 9 days, Inaugural Eastern Caribbean cruise (prices started from USD 1000 pp).

8 nights / 9 days, Inaugural Southern Caribbean cruise (prices started from USD 780 pp).

6 nights / 7 days, Inaugural Western Caribbean cruise (prices started from USD 490 pp).

Godspeed!