Day 7 onboard Carnival Horizon, and we’re getting ready to wrap up this Southern Caribbean ABC cruise with two back-to-back sea days as we make our way back to PortMiami.
I mentioned in yesterday’s report that preparations were being made for strong winds, with crew members going around the outdoor decks, gathering up deck furniture, stacking loungers, and lashing everything down before our departure from Curaçao. Well, those strong winds definitely kicked in.
For most of the day, we had a good bit of rocking and rolling, along with very windy conditions. Despite that, I didn’t notice any major outdoor areas closed off, but a lot of the furniture, especially lounge chairs, remained tied up. So far this cruise, we’ve had pretty good weather overall, but it has been exceptionally hot and humid, so while the wind makes things a little interesting, those breezes are also a bit of welcome relief.
With today being a sea day, the activity schedule is packed with things to do. You can check out today’s Fun Times at the end of the post to get a glimpse of what’s going on around the ship.
One of the things many people look forward to on a sea day is Sea Day Brunch, which is offered in the main dining room. And no, there’s no upcharge for it. It’s included. You can check out the menu below to see what was being offered today.
Carnival Cruise Line Sea Day Brunch Menu
Some ships in the fleet are still offering the pre-2026 new menu. This is NOT the 2026 new menu release.
Available on: all ships
With no port of call to talk about today, I figured I’d use this report to give you a little walkthrough of the two main interior decks that act as the activity hubs of Carnival Horizon: Deck 4 and Deck 5, the Mezzanine and Promenade decks.
Deck 4 & Casino on Carnival Horizon
We’ll start with Deck 4, which is home to the place where many people on a Carnival cruise donate enough money to earn future “free” cruises.
That donation center, of course, is the casino.
I’ve written about Carnival’s casino program before, but in a nutshell, you need to use your room key when playing. If you’re playing a slot machine, you insert or tap your card so the machine can track your play. If you’re playing table games, you present your card to the dealer or pit staff so your play can be rated.
For slots, Carnival awards one point for every $2.00 cycled through the machine. “Cycled through” does not mean you have to lose $2.50 to earn a point. It means the total amount wagered. So if you put $100 into a machine, bet $2 per spin, win some back, keep playing, and eventually make 200 spins at $2 each, you’ve cycled $400 through the machine, even if your original buy-in was much less than that. For table games, points and offers are based on rated play, which factors in things like the game you’re playing, your average bet, and how long you play.
The machines on Carnival Horizon accept cash, or you can charge money to your onboard Sail & Sign account right at the machine with no surcharge. That makes it very easy to keep playing, which is obviously the point. Carnival is not doing that out of the goodness of its heart.
Once you hit 2,000 points, you earn free drinks while playing in the casino. Of course, if you already bought the drink package, that benefit doesn’t mean much. And it’s important to note that the drinks are only free while you’re actively playing in the casino. If you want a drink somewhere else on the ship, you’re paying for it unless you have a package or another offer that covers it. Also, since there’s no dedicated casino bar on Carnival Horizon, those drinks have to come from one of the roaming bar servers working the casino floor.
The casino itself takes up the majority of the space on Deck 4 midship. As I mentioned the other day, Carnival Horizon does not have a separate smoking casino and non-smoking casino. It’s all one big space, with signs and stickers on the machines designating which areas are smoking and which are non-smoking. You could be playing a non-smoking machine just a few feet away from someone smoking, so keep that in mind if smoke bothers you.
That said, I will give credit where credit is due. During this cruise, the smoke in the casino has been minimal. And I mean that. Having sailed several times on Carnival’s Excel-class ships, the casinos on those ships can be absolutely killer when it comes to smoke. Even with more defined smoking and non-smoking sides, walking through the smoking side on those ships can be horrendous. Horizon seems to manage the air handling in the casino far better, and it absolutely shows.
Forward on Deck 4 is the lower level of the Liquid Lounge, which is the ship’s main theater. This is where the evening production shows are held, along with other larger entertainment offerings throughout the cruise.
Moving into the atrium area on Deck 4, you’ll find shops and stairways leading down to the Deck 3 level, where the Atrium Bar and Guest Services are located. The Horizon Atrium spans Decks 3, 4, and 5 and features Carnival’s signature centerpiece video funnel, which displays different animations, colors, and effects throughout the day and evening. It’s one of the main gathering points on the ship and a spot people pass through constantly.
Also around this area are the ship’s fun shops, which is where you’ll find the usual Carnival retail mix: logo merchandise, liquor, watches, jewelry, perfume, and all the stuff people suddenly convince themselves they need because they’re on vacation.
Continuing aft on Deck 4, you’ll pass the SkyBox Sports Bar. This space caused a bit of discontent with some World Cup fans on this sailing, because the World Cup games have not been shown anywhere on the ship, including the sports bar. That’s one of those things that seems like it should be a no-brainer, especially when you have a venue literally called a sports bar, but apparently the cost to show the games was not in the budget.
Nearby is Club O2, which is Carnival’s teen club for ages 15 to 17. It’s tucked away enough that it’s not in the middle of the adult traffic flow, but still close to all the activity. You’ll also run into the Art Gallery area as you continue making your way toward the aft end of the deck.
All the way aft on Deck 4 is the lower level of the Meridian Restaurant, one of the ship’s two main dining rooms. On sea days, this is also where you may find brunch or other dining room service depending on the daily schedule.
Overall, Deck 4 is a major indoor traffic deck and one of the main places where Carnival Horizon funnels people throughout the day and night.
Next, we’ll move up one level to Deck 5, the Promenade Deck, which has even more of the ship’s bars, lounges, restaurants, and indoor gathering spots, but first a video tour of the casino and Deck 4:
Deck 5 on Carnival Horizon
Now let’s move up one level to Deck 5, the Promenade Deck, which is really where all the ship’s main indoor entertainment and dining live.
If Deck 4 is dominated by the casino, Deck 5 is where you’ll find a big mix of lounges, bars, specialty restaurants, outdoor seating areas, shopping, coffee, and the entrance to several of the ship’s more popular venues. This is one of those decks you’ll end up walking over and over again during the cruise, whether you’re heading to dinner, grabbing a drink, looking for entertainment, or just cutting through to get from one end of the ship to the other.
Starting all the way forward, you have the upper level of the Liquid Lounge that spans Decks 4 and 5, with the balcony and upper entrances located here on Deck 5.
Just outside the theater area, you’ll find more Fun Shops, so if you’re looking for Carnival logo gear, watches, jewelry, liquor, perfume, or other vacation impulse buys, this is one of the main shopping areas. The shops sit around the forward atrium area, making them hard to miss as you move through the ship.
Nearby is the upper level of the Horizon Atrium, which spans Decks 3, 4, and 5. This is where you get another view of the ship’s centerpiece video funnel, which changes looks throughout the day and night.
Also in this forward-midship area is Cherry On Top, Carnival’s candy and sweets shop that also sells milkshakes. It’s not huge, but it’s hard for adults, kids, and myself to ignore, and is stocked with bulk candy, sweets, and little gifts. Basically, it’s the place you walk past and tell yourself you don’t need anything from, right before walking in and buying candy like I did nearly every day.
As you continue aft, you’ll find Bonsai Teppanyaki and Bonsai Sushi. Bonsai Sushi is the à la carte sushi restaurant, with sushi, sashimi, rolls, small plates, and tables for a more casual dinner or snack. Right next to it is Bonsai Teppanyaki, the enclosed teppanyaki room with two grill tables where dinner is part meal and part show. As I mentioned in yesterday’s report, teppanyaki reservations are a must because space is very limited.
Next up is the Library, which is one of those spaces that exists but it doesn’t really exist. Sometimes it’s used as a storage space by the Park West Art Gallery people to store artwork. Sometimes it’s open and you can go in and play games or just chill. It used to have a bar, now it doesn’t. I hope Park West is paying rent for this space, as it’s a shame that this room is not used as it was originally intended.
Then you hit one of my favorite areas on Deck 5: the stretch with Alchemy Bar, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, and The Piano Bar 88. Alchemy Bar is Carnival’s cocktail bar, where the drinks are a little more creative and the bartenders usually put on a bit more of a show. It’s a popular before-dinner or after-dinner stop, and depending on the night, it can be very busy.
Right next to Alchemy is Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, the ship’s specialty steakhouse. As I mentioned throughout the trip, this is a $52 per person venue, plus 20% gratuity, and it has that dark, classic steakhouse feel. It’s one of the ship’s better specialty restaurants, even if my most recent meal there was more average than outstanding.
Adjacent to the steakhouse is The Piano Bar 88, which serves two purposes. Earlier in the evening, the sliding wall between the piano bar and steakhouse opens, allowing the piano player to provide background music for dinner. Later at night, the wall closes and the piano bar becomes its own venue, with sing-alongs, requests, and the usual late-night piano bar crowd.
On the starboard side around this same stretch, you’ll find Pixels Photo Gallery, where all the ship’s photos are displayed digitally. This is where you go if you want to look through your embarkation photos, dinner photos, port photos, and all the other pictures you may or may not remember posing for during the week.
Continuing aft, you reach Ocean Plaza, one of the most-used indoor spaces on Deck 5. Ocean Plaza is part lounge, part bar, part entertainment venue, and part daytime activity space. During the day, you may find trivia, games, music, or other activities here. At night, it often becomes a live music venue, with people grabbing drinks and hanging out before or after dinner.
Right next to Ocean Plaza is JavaBlue Café, which is Carnival’s coffee shop. This is where you can get specialty coffees, espresso drinks, milkshakes, pastries, and other treats that are not part of the regular included coffee setup. It’s a popular spot in the morning, especially for those who need something stronger than the buffet coffee to become a functioning human being.
Also in this area is Dreams Studio, where Carnival offers private photo sessions. This is separate from the regular ship photographers and is geared more toward portrait sessions, family photos, and higher-end photo packages.
One of the best things about Deck 5 is that it also connects to the outside Lanai / outdoor promenade areas on both sides of the ship. This is where you’ll find outdoor seating, and walking space. Depending on the time of day, it can be a great place to sit outside without going all the way up to Lido.
On the port side aft area, you’ll find Pig & Anchor, tied to Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse | Brewhouse. Inside, Pig & Anchor is Carnival’s barbecue and brewery-style restaurant and bar, while outside seating gives you a place to enjoy food and drinks in the open air. This is one of the more casual, fun venues on the ship and often has live music in the evenings.
At the very aft end of Deck 5 is Havana Bar and the Havana stateroom area. The Havana Bar has a Cuban-inspired theme, with Latin music, mojitos, rum drinks, and a fun atmosphere, especially in the evenings. Beyond the bar is the Havana outdoor area, which is tied to the Havana staterooms. During the day, access to that aft outdoor Havana pool area is limited to guests staying in Havana cabins, while later in the evening, access policies may open up depending on the ship’s rules and timing.
The Havana area includes the aft pool and hot tubs, and if you’re staying in one of those cabins, it gives you a quieter, more private outdoor space away from the main Lido pool madness. For everyone else, the Havana Bar itself is still worth checking out, especially if you like Latin music and a different vibe from the ship’s other lounges.
If you’re sailing on Carnival Horizon, you’ll spend a lot of time here, whether you mean to or not. Now, let’s take a walk around Deck 5 in the video below:
In tomorrow’s report, I’ll cover the Lido deck and the outdoor spots including the ship’s pools and waterpark!
Evening Walk Around and White Nite
Before getting into tonight’s dinner, a few notes from around the ship.
Tonight was the second elegant night of the cruise, and the theme was White Hot Night. That means dress up in your best white outfit and then head to the atrium later on for the party. Of course, if you don’t have anything white, no need to worry. Nobody is going to shame you. This is still Carnival, not a red carpet fashion show.
Before heading to dinner, I did a little walk around the ship and wandered out to the bow area from Deck 5. This is one of those spots that gives you a great forward-facing view when it’s open, but it can also get very windy at sea. With today’s winds, it was even windier than usual. This area is usually open until around 8 p.m., weather permitting, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you want a different view from the ship. Just hang on to your hat, your phone, your drink, and anything else you don’t want donated to the Caribbean.
I also took a wander through the buffet to see what was on the menu, and frankly, it looked pretty grim.
One of the biggest complaints about Carnival post-pandemic has been the food quality in the buffet and main dining room, and it’s one of the main reasons I tend to avoid both whenever I can. The buffet selections at lunch and dinner remind me very much of a Golden Corral: uninspiring, not very visually appealing, and just kind of blah.
The variety also seems significantly lower than what it used to be. There was a time when the buffet felt like it had a little more going on, but now it often feels like the same limited lineup shuffled around under different names.
The only saving grace of the buffet, at least for me, is the salad bar. That remains a decent option if you just want something simple and don’t want to commit to whatever mystery tray situation is happening elsewhere. Speaking of salad, as a side note… during lunchtime up on the Serenity Deck, fresh salads are made to order and they’re darn good!
Dinner at Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse on Carnival Horizon
Now, dinner!
For those dining in the main dining room this evening, since it was elegant night, Carnival was serving its special “Feast” menu. This is the one that includes prime rib and lobster tail, so I knew the dining room was going to be busy.
Knowing that, I kept an eye on the wait times for tables in the app, and as expected, the longest I saw was around 7:45 p.m., with a 60-to-70-minute wait time. Of course, if you had set-time dining, you didn’t have to deal with that. You just showed up at your assigned time and went in.
Here’s a look at the full menu:
Carnival Cruise Line Main Dining Room Dinner Menu - Elegant Night 2
Some ships in the fleet are still offering the pre-2026 new menu. This is NOT the 2026 new menu release.
Available on: all ships
For me, I decided to make my own feast at the steakhouse.
Fahrenheit 555 Menu
Available on: All ships
I started with the risotto and some piping-hot French onion soup. The risotto was cooked perfectly but was a little bland. The soup, while plenty cheesy, didn’t have many onions and was basically tasteless. So the starters were definitely a letdown tonight.
However, things quickly changed when my entrée arrived.
I went with the filet cooked Pittsburgh rare, which they nailed, along with the full-size lobster tail. Not the smaller surf-and-turf lobster tail, but the full-size one, which came with a $25 upcharge. Both were excellent and completely redeemed the failed appetizers.
For dessert, knowing that I like a nice cheese plate, they upped their game for me tonight with a much better one than the previous evening.
So far, the steakhouse here has been hit or miss. Usually, I don’t have many issues with Carnival’s steakhouses, but there have been some minor letdowns here and there this cruise. That said, service has always been top-notch, and tonight’s entrée more than made up for the rough start.
We have one more sea day left as we continue making our way back to Miami. Like I mentioned earlier, tomorrow we’re talking pools, so stick around.
As always, thanks for following along.
Fun Times for Day 7:
This is also available as a PDF by clicking here.
