Today we’re spending the day at sea as we head to our first port of call, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I was just there two weeks ago and, honestly, if you’ve read my review from that visit, I have absolutely no interest in even getting off the ship—not even for a quick selfie!
Since it’s a sea day, Carnival offers a special Sea Day Brunch in the main dining room, which is always popular. On non-sea days, the main dining room provides an express breakfast so people can fuel up before heading ashore in a more refined setting than the always-bustling and sometimes frustrating buffet. You can also grab a breakfast burrito at BlueIguana Cantina by the Lido Pool every morning, whether at sea or in port.
Sea Day + 4,000 People = Great Entertainment
Long sea days are absolutely fantastic for people-watching. It’s fun to see who will be the first “chair hog” to claim a chair around the Lido Pool and abandon it for hours. While all cruise lines claim that crew members will remove unattended items after a set amount of time, this is rarely enforced. Let’s be honest: the crew doesn’t want to risk any negative interactions with guests that could quickly escalate.
The chair hogs were out in full force, not just at the pool but also on the adults-only Serenity Deck, located on Deck 15 forward. This area is a kid-free zone and a great spot to hang out and chill. In addition to a variety of sunbeds, loungers, and seating, it also features a bar and, on sea days, offers made-to-order salads. Since the sunbeds are always in high demand, they’re “claimed” quickly.
A sea day is also the perfect time to observe how well people handle the CHEERS! Beverage Package. At $59.95 per day (if purchased in advance, plus an 18% gratuity), it allows up to 15 drinks per day. According to Carnival’s beverage policy, once you hit your 15th drink, you’re cut off. This rule applies whether or not you have the package—you can’t even buy a 16th drink if you wanted to, unlike on some other cruise lines.
Some people have no problem reaching that 15-drink limit shortly after lunch, and that’s when things can get interesting! With videos of fights on Carnival ships circulating on social media, the line takes a hard stance on limiting alcohol consumption. There’s also a very visible security presence throughout the ship.
Some security officers wear shirts with “SECURITY” in large letters across the back, while others are less conspicuous, dressed in suits and ties with embroidered security badges. Nonetheless, these men and women are everywhere, keeping an eye out for any activity that might escalate. Out of all the Carnival cruises I’ve been on, I’ve yet to witness a brawl—and honestly, sometimes I feel left out!
As you can see in the Fun Times schedule below, the day’s activities were packed. From trivia and brewery tours (yes, they brew their own beer on board) to Build-A-Bear workshops for kids, there’s no shortage of things to do from morning until night.
Sea Day Lunch Offerings on Carnival Horizon
For lunch, there are several options besides the Lido Buffet or the Sea Day Brunch. The ship’s Italian restaurant offers a create-your-own pasta lunch. The Teppanyaki restaurant ($) and sushi bar ($) are open, along with BlueIguana Cantina for tacos and burritos. There’s also the Seafood Shack ($) for lobster, shrimp, clams, and crab, as well as Guy’s Burger Joint, the Deli, and Pizzeria del Capitano.
It’s important to note that lunch service ends around 2:30 p.m. After that, the only places to grab a bite before dinner are Guy’s Burger Joint, the Deli, and the pizzeria.
After wrapping up some work for the day, I stopped by the ship’s casino for a bit after grabbing soft-serve ice cream. It was strawberry-and-chocolate day, so of course, I couldn’t pass up that combo! In less than 10 minutes, I dropped $150 across three slot machines. Playing $1.25 and $2.50 bets, I got nothing—no bonus games, no wins over $3, just a quick money burn.
Feeling deflated, I headed back to my stateroom to get ready for the evening.
Elegant Night
Sea days are generally designated as Elegant Night, which means it’s time to dress up, have photos taken, and tonight…meet the captain. The event was billed as a Captain’s Toast, where you could meet the captain and his senior officers in the atrium at 6:45 p.m. However, it turned out to be a bit underwhelming. I arrived around 6:30 p.m., the captain showed up at 6:50 p.m., and immediately went to his photo spot. After waiting a little longer with no introduction or toast, I bailed and headed to the bar inside the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse for a cocktail before the evening’s show.
In the main dining room, a special Elegant Night “Feast” is served. What’s on the menu? Glad you asked, here’s a peek:
Evening Entertainment
Tonight’s main entertainment was a song-and-dance show called Vintage Pop, featuring a live band along with singers and dancers performing songs spanning multiple generations—from early jazz to modern pop. While parts of the show were high-energy with lively music, the pacing was inconsistent. It would suddenly switch to a slow song, then back to fast, making the flow feel a bit disjointed. That said, for a Carnival production, it wasn’t bad. Sometimes these shows can be total duds, but this one was decent.
Afterward, my travel companion and I headed to Bonsai Teppanyaki for dinner. At $42 per person, plus a service charge, this restaurant is always a favorite of mine on any Carnival ship—and it’s also the best value.
On Carnival Horizon, the restaurant is small, with only two teppanyaki tables that seat 12–15 people each—about half the capacity of the Excel-class ships like Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee.
Dinner started with a tuna appetizer and pork belly, followed by a choice of salad or miso soup. For the main course, you can choose your protein solo or mix and match, with options like filet mignon, chicken, lobster, shrimp, cod, or salmon. Entrées come with fried rice and veggies.
When dessert arrives, if you have room, you’re presented with a bento box featuring six different treats, including matcha ice cream, chocolate-covered strawberries, and dense chocolate. It’s a true treat and a great way to end an always fantastic meal.
Since we had a 9 p.m. reservation and dinner takes about 90 minutes, it was late by the time we finished. I grabbed a final nightcap before calling it a night. Back in my stateroom, I was treated to an impromptu concert from the neighboring Havana Bar—the bass vibrations acting as a makeshift massage bed. I cranked up the brown noise on my phone and drifted off to sleep.
We’re scheduled to arrive in Ocho Rios at 8 a.m., with an all-aboard time of 3:30 p.m. More on that tomorrow—and as always, thanks for following along!
FunTimes for Day 2:
The Fun Times for December 2, 2024 can also be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.