Disney Wonder Cruise 2018: Part 7

February 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Missed part 6? Check it out here.

One last day of our cruise, and honestly guys, the day time part, I really can’t remember! This is why I used to take notes when I did lots of trip reports! It was a sea day, and the water was a bit rough. I know we went to the pool because occasionally the lifeguard would make all the kids stand up since the water in the pool was whitecapping and it made it hard to see the kids. (Photo below of them all standing up).

It was chilly, way too cold for me to swim, but of course the kids didn’t mind. I really don’t remember what else we did that day. I am sure Emma Kate went to the kids club at some point, and I probably read a book or took a nap, I’m very good at those things.

That night we took photos one last time before heading in to dinner.

We said our farewells to our dining team at dinner, and I just wasn’t very hungry. I was served a big piece of chicken and I barely ate, it just didn’t seem appetizing to me.

We brought EK to the club one more time, and I told Bobby I didn’t feel great and just wanted to stay in the room. My stomach felt upset and full, but I wasn’t nauseated. It was a strange feeling, I knew something wasn’t right. EK had been given a gift that was left on our bed, and she was so excited to open her new DUmbo stuffed animal when we picked her up from the club.

At this point I was feeling worse and worse, but I was able to fall asleep. Then I woke up an hour later feeling very sick to my stomach, and let’s just say I felt SO much better after being able to throw up in the sink. (don’t judge, it is what it is.) I laid back down and took an anti nausea pill that thankfully our doctor had given to us before we left. I barely slept all night, and was wondering how I was going to get off the ship in the morning. I felt like death when we woke up, but thankfully we had put our luggage out the night before so we didn’t have a lot to pack up. Bobby took Emma Kate to breakfast while I tried to get dressed and composed. I dry heaved a couple times but never threw up again, but I felt miserable and nauseated and weak. I still to this day don’t know how I managed to get out of bed, get dressed, and help carry bags to the lobby and wait in line to get off the ship, through customs, and to the car. I slept most of the way home in the car, and only ate crackers and rice for four or five days. Then I was finally able to start eating more food but it took way longer than I anticipated. Come to find out several people in our cruise FB group had norovirus, so I’m guessing I picked it up on the ship. I’m so careful with hand washing, so thinking maybe it happened when someone prepared my food? We aren’t really sure, and obviously it could happen to anyone on any cruise line. I’m just so thankful it happened the last day because like I said, I was laid up and not eating for four or five days after. So obviously I have no photos from the last morning or getting off the ship.

We love cruising and DCL, but I think I am done cruising in winter. There is a higher chance for rough waters, gloomy and cold weather, and norovirus in the winter months. We have now missed Castaway Cay twice and both times in winter, so now I feel like I need a “redo” cruise in the spring or summer, especially since Emma Kate missed my favorite part, Castaway Cay. We will be back, and we learned a lot about cruising with a kid. It was so fun to see things through her eyes, and she is already asking to go back. I’m so glad we got to go on a family vacation just the three of us last year!

I would love to answer your Disney cruise questions! heather@travelwiththemagic.com

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Disney Wonder Cruise 2018: Part 3

January 16, 2019 by

In case you missed part 1 and 2, catch up before reading this one!

The next morning we woke up and were almost to Key West. We also had an early princess meet and greet in the lobby, so we headed there before breakfast. This is a ticketed event, but also free (we snagged tickets when we got onboard on day 1). It’s a great way to meet a bunch of princesses at one time. Emma Kate loved it!

After the meet and greet we went to breakfast. I told EK she could have a donut if she ate all her food. Thankfully after she was sufficiently sugared up we took her to the pool to burn some energy. The weather forecast for the rest of the week was iffy, so we knew we needed to take advantage of the sunshine while we could (even if it was a tad chilly!)

A huge thanks to SwimZip for sending us these adorable swimsuits! We got so many compliments and the rash guard was perfect for Emma Kate since it was a little chilly. I love that these suits help protect against the suns harmful rays!

We let Emma Kate swim and go down the slide as we docked in the port. There was hardly anyone in the pool so we were able to get great seats and the little one went down the slide a bunch of times.

I took advantage of the warmth of the sun and got a dole whip with rum in it that I had heard so much about. I was warned in advance that the consistency was more slushie like that creamy ice cream, but I still wanted to try it…and the verdict…it was not my favorite. I LOVE Dole whip floats and I love rum, but this combo was not something I would get again. I am however glad I tried it!

We decided to just grab lunch at the pool because Emma Kate was having such a blast we didn’t want to pull her out to go change and go to the buffet. Bobby went and got his own food from Cabanas and ate at the pool chairs, and I got Emma Kate and I some chicken tenders and fries, so it worked out perfectly. After lunch, we all got changed and we brought Emma Kate to the kids club so Bobby and I could go watch the Saints game at the pub. I was surprised, we were the ONLY ONES IN THERE! Where did all the football fans go?!?

We were able to watch the game, but the sound was for a different game which made it kind of confusing, but we were just happy to get to watch anyway. We grabbed some snacks and relaxed on a sofa and cheered for our team as they beat the Tampa Bay Bucs. We had a nice view out the window, too.

As the game was coming to an end, we went and grabbed EK out of the kid’s club and decided to get off the ship for a few minutes and just walk around on dry land for a bit. Why not? It has been a minute since we have been to Key West, but I love how quaint it is, and we feel super safe there just walking around. Emma Kate LOVED chasing the animals.

After about 30 minutes we made our way back to the ship to get ready for dinner. We realized we walked right into the beginning of a little show where SANTA shows up on the ship for the first time! It was cute. There were lots of characters, and even snow!

Dinner that night was in Triton’s, but we took some family photos before we went in.

This one is my favorite haha

At dinner, EK decided to eat a lime, which was hysterical.

After dinner it was back to the kids club (she was SO antsy at Dinner I took her before we even ordered dessert.) and Bobby and I walked around on the deck and went back to Cove Cafe again. In the room that night we had a sweet gift from Disney, Emma Kate was pumped.

We were taking her to see her first movie in the theater the next day, so she was so excited we had snacks! And she loved the doll because it matched the dress she had on the night before. <3

After calming her down which took awhile, it was time for bed, and watching Elf again, before finally falling asleep.

I would love to help you with Disney Cruise questions! Email me at heather@travelwiththemagic.com

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Disney Wonder Cruise 2018: Part 2

January 8, 2019 by

In case you missed part 1, catch up here before reading below!

We woke up the next morning ready for an awesome day at sea. First up, we had the Disney Jr. character breakfast.

Pro tip: Spots for this free but ticketed event fill up fast. However, they hold back some spots, so go to guest services as soon as you get on board to try to snag tickets.

Breakfast was in Animator’s, and we were seated right away and promptly given napkin hats.

I will say the breakfast portions were on the smaller side, so if you like a big breakfast I suggest ordering multiple items like Bobby did. However, the characters were fun! This was the first time we let Emma Kate use an autograph book, and she had a blast with it.

She was so excited to see Vamparina!

After breakfast, we saw Minnie Mouse was taking photos so we did that. The line was really short!

We also took a few pictures in the lobby and Emma Kate and I danced on “stage”.

Emma Kate was asking to go to the kids club, so off she went and Bobby and I walked around the ship taking some photos. The sun is deceptive, it was windy and pretty chilly!

The rest of the afternoon was pretty lazy. We got EK out of the club for lunch (we knew she wouldn’t eat enough or at all if we didn’t make her) and then brought her back. Bobby and I went to the gym and i’m pretty sure we all took a nap that day (the ONLY day she napped!) and then it was off to dinner for formal night. Emma Kate wore her Rapunzel dress, and we stopped for a quick dance party at Preludes before heading to Tiana’s Place.

I LOVED Tiana’s place. I know I am biased being a New Orleans native and all, but it was so fun with the music and dancing and had such an adorable atmosphere. Kudos on this one Disney!

We got to get up and dance, watch awesome musicians, and eat delicious food!

After dinner, Emma Kate was begging to go play in the club again (ok ok if you twist my arm, kid) so we dropped her off and Bobby and I walked around on the pool deck and started what would be our nightly tradition of hanging out in Cove Cafe and getting a snack.

Pro tip: In the evenings they had delicious cheese and crackers (like the kind from Palo) for free. So we would get a snack and sit in the quiet and relax.

They also had some seasonal coffee drinks for an extra charge.

We picked Emma Kate up around 9:00, watched Elf on TV for the 14th time so far, and went to sleep. More coming up soon!

If you would like help booking your next Disney cruise, let me know! heather@travelwiththemagic.com

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5 Things Friday XXXIV

September 7, 2018 by

Hello my lovely friends! It’s September, fall is in the air…wait, no. I live in Florida. Fall is most definitely not in the air, but hurricanes are. More on that later. I wanted to play catch up with another 5 things Friday post for you all before we head into this weekend. I’m traveling all day today but I wanted to make sure I was able to say hello! You can still catch me over on IG stories and Twitter (@HeathersLG)

So here are 5 things for this Friday:

1.) Another cruise post: I’m still enjoying reminiscing about my time onboard the Carnival Horizon earlier in the summer. Bobby and I loved the new ship and had an amazing time in Bermuda. one thing I loved about the Horizon was all the places to sit and relax. This post talks about some of my favorites!

2.) Toy Story Land FAM: Coming up this time next week is a preschooler Toy Story Land media FAM, (as long as there are no hurricanes) and I was pumped to find out we will be staying at Art of Animation! I have toured this resort twice before on other media trips, but never have I actually called it home for a night, so we are pumped to test drive a family suite for two nights!

3.) MNSSHP: As part of the media trip mentioned above, we will be taking Emma Kate to the Halloween party! If there is anything, in particular, you want pictures of videos of, let me know!

4.) EK’s birthday month: September also means Emma Kate’s birthday month! I can’t believe in less than three weeks I will have a 4-year-old. She is SO ready and has been asking when her birthday is for months now. Poor baby just can’t wait to grow up, no matter how many times I tell her adulting is not fun. Wasn’t I just pregnant? Wasn’t she just learning to crawl? All the feels.

5.) Hurricane watch: As previously alluded to, it’s that special time of year (late August/September) when all the hurricanes come out to play. Almost to the date, we were evacuating hurricane Irma last year, and the tropics are getting all fired up once more. Praying we are able to dodge a bullet once again because after the stress of evacuating last year, I highly doubt we would do it again. Say a prayer these bad boys just stay out at sea and dissipate!

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Relax on the Carnival Horizon

August 30, 2018 by

Disclosure: We sailed on a media cruise with Carnival, however, all opinions are my own.

When I think about vacation and cruising, in particular, I think about doing a lot of relaxing. Relaxing to me usually means sitting down, chatting with friends and family, and enjoying each others company. One of my favorite things that I noticed about the Carnival Horizon is that there are so many places to sit and relax throughout the ship. There are of course restaurants and bars, but then there are fun little nooks and places to hang out and enjoy a drink or two…or more. Below are 10 of my favorite places onboard:

  1. Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse bar: I love these adorable bar stools and the drinks here are super popular.

2. The Piano Bar: This space is open to the steakhouse until late at night then it gets a little more lively!

3. Alchemy Bar: Best drinks on the ship hands down. Also, a great spot to people watch.

4. Bonsai: Sushi lovers rejoice! This is another great people watching spot and has some awesome views out the windows as well.

5. Lobby atrium: This is where a lot of the action is happening! There are several places to sit amongst the shops and this area is also where you will find guest services as well as computers and printers.

6. Guy’s Pig and Anchor: Only open sometimes, this quick service place has sweeping ocean views and a fun atmosphere (and great food!) Feel free to hang out and take a seat even when they aren’t open for meals.

7. Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse seating area. This is next to the bar area and is a fun addition to the ship.

8. Havana pool area: During the day this area is only accessed by those staying in the Havana rooms, but after 7:00 anyone can come back and soak in a gorgeous sunset or a drink at the bar.

9. Havana bar area: This area is super fun and colorful with great music. So many cute little places to sit as well. Very popular spot at night!

10. Serenity adults-only area: This was my favorite. Grabbing one of these shaded couches with a good book and ocean views is where you could find me on sea days. Fair warning, they fill up in the morning so don’t miss out!

There are so many more fun spots not mentioned here, but this is just to show that there are way more places to sit and relax than your stateroom or directly by the pool. I think it’s really fun to find new hidden places on the ship as the cruise goes on. There is so much to explore on the Horizon! 

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5 Things Friday XXXIII

July 6, 2018 by

Another Friday, and we are officially a week out from my birthday, which happens to be Friday the 13th. Thank goodness I’m not superstitious right? I would be hiding in my house and that’s not a fun thing to do on your birthday. I have a lot of fun things coming up to share with you, so let’s kick off another 5 Things Friday:

1.) Another cruise post: This time, I’m recapping my favorite 5 food and drink spots on the Carnival Horizon. Trust me, it was hard to narrow down! There are so many delicious spots on the ship, but click here to see which made my personal final cut.

2.) Poshmark: Did you know I am on Poshmark? I have several things for sale, kids and adult clothing, so check it out if you are looking for some new duds. I am currently obsessed with how easy it is to buy and sell on there, and I don’t even have to go to the post office!

3.) Best pre workout: I have been experimenting with pre workout, so tell me your favorite that doesn’t cost eleventy billion dollars and doesn’t make you so amped up you can see sounds, mmmkk? I’m looking for some suggestions!

(This is an old photo I am not injured!)

4.) Disney Sports FAM: As I mentioned last week, I am headed to Disney next weekend for a sports FAM specifically dealing with the ESPN WWOS complex. I just found out we will be staying at the Boardwalk, so I’m super pumped about that! EK has never stayed on the Boardwalk and it’s my favorite place to run in the early mornings (or swim as we like to do in the humid summers). We leave next Saturday and I will of course be documenting everything in true blogger style.

5.) Early birthday bash: Tomorrow we leave with EK and my parents for a fun filled weekend at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek! I have never stayed in the summer, so I can’t wait to check out all of their summer blast activities. It may involve swimming with mermaids and ice cream and more, so don’t miss it! I will again (duh) be posting on IG stories and Twitter throughout the weekend.

Have a great one everyone! Stay cool!

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Top 5 Carnival Horizon Food and Drink Options

July 3, 2018 by

Recently I had the opportunity to sail on the brand new and beautiful Carnival Horizon. I was able to feast on many of the different dining options while on board (I think my waistline is still recovering!) and I wanted to share my favorites. That’s one of the things I love…there are SO many options, even if one is not for you, that’s ok, there are tons of others! Even 24 hour pizza and ice cream my friends. While eating and drinking to your hearts content onboard, be sure you don’t miss these Carnival Horizon food and drink options:

Carnival Horizon Food and Drink

1.) Alchemy Bar: Those familiar with Carnival have (hopefully) already tasted in the sweet goodness of the Alchemy Bar. Hands down the best drinks I have had in my life (and I don’t say that lightly!) We loved the location too, it’s a great spot right in the middle of the ship for people watching. The bar is very popular so going at off times will help you to get a front row seat to the fun.

alchemy

alchemy

 

2.) Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse: This was the best meal we had on the ship. It’s elegant and classy but also modern and fun at the same time. They have a great menu and drink menu as well. Also, the chocolate dessert is delicious and rich. I had the fillet as well as salad and dessert and several pieces of amazing bread from their awesome selection. One of the things I loved that the Horizon changed up from the Vista is that the back wall of the steakhouse is open to the piano bar during the early hours of the evening so you can listen to the music. They then later close the wall off to keep the dining room more intimate and relaxing. If you want spectacular service, food and drinks and a quiet romantic evening, then this is the reservation you want to book. Your meal includes appetizer, salad, entree, side, and dessert.

 

3.) Bonsai (and Teppanyaki): Those familiar with Carnival probably have already visited Bonsai. It is situated across from the steakhouse and next to the Alchemy bar (another great people watching spot!) They have sushi, yes, but something that is new is the Teppanyaki element. They have two hibachi tables ready and waiting for you. So make sure to make a reservation, spots go quickly! Think of it as part meal and part show. They have options such as steak, shrimp, lobster, and tofu.

 

4.) Cucina Del Capitano: This cruise was my first time dining at Cucina, and it did not disappoint. Situated up high above the Lido deck buffet, you might miss the entrance if you aren’t looking for it. I loved the adorable Italian set up, and the fact that the servers did a cute little dance for everyone mid meal. I’m a carboholic, so all the bread and pasta was right up my alley. The chicken parmesan was very filling and cheesy, and Bobby and I both enjoyed the Arancini (sssoooo good!) They also had some tasty wines and the windows offer breathtaking views of the ocean.

 

5.) Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ Smokehouse/Brewhouse: This is “sort of” a new addition to the Carnival fleet. While you may recognize the name, it has slightly “morphed’ into even more BBQ goodness than ever before. There is still the counter service BBQ included with the price of your cruise that you can get out on the deck at lunch, but inside you can now dine at a themed (adorably by the way) smokehouse and brewhouse for a nominal fee for dinner. The dining room has plenty of space, and the drinks are incredibly popular (the trash can nachos are my favorite!) The exclusive line of Parched Pig craft brews are only served aboard Carnival Horizon, (a smoked porter, a farmhouse ale, a hoppy IPA and a toasted amber) and they are all brewed under the supervision of an in house pro brewmaster!

pig and anchor

The best part about all of this: It doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the options on board the ship. I could have made a list of ten, but decided to stop at five because…well, it’s making me hungry. Also, GREAT NEWS: You can now book dining reservations right from the Carnival Hub app! Be sure to download it (free) before you sail so that you don’t miss a thing while on vacation.

You can check out my cruise highlight post as well!

Disclosure: We sailed on the beautiful Horizon as a guest of Carnival, however all opinions are my own.

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Carnival Horizon Bermuda Cruise Recap

June 28, 2018 by

I’m back from an amazing voyage on board the newly built Carnival Horizon. I have so much to share, but also wanted to write things out while they are fresh, so I decided to do a recap post highlighting the whole cruise, then go back and do some individual posts diving deeper into our experience. Keep reading for our Carnival Horizon Bermuda cruise recap:

Carnival Horizon Bermuda

On Thursday, the 21st, we flew out of Tampa and into New York. Bobby had never been to NYC before, and I was bummed we wouldn’t have time to wander around, but at least he got to see it out the window as we drove to the port! We had priority boarding so we got on the ship very quickly. Something to note, they used new mobile embarkation technology that speeds up the boarding process and checks guests in with 30% less time than before. This is great because, hello, more time on vacation, less time waiting to board. It definitely seemed speedy for us.

Once onboard we headed straight to the Lido deck to eat. We hadn’t had any food yet that day, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a delicious burger from Guys. Bobby may have had two burgers. After eating and relaxing on the adults only serenity deck for awhile, we got some pictures of the Freedom Tower and Statue of Liberty as we set sail.

That night, our press group had a cocktail reception in the beautiful Havana bar, and then dinner in the main dining room. This was my first time getting to check out the exclusive Havana pool area, and it was so nice and relaxing! We were also treated to a gorgeous sunset before heading to dinner.

Carnival Horizon Bermuda

The next day was a sea day, so Bobby and I slept in (it was glorious to wake up at 6:00 and then roll over and go back to sleep with no alarm or child that acts like an alarm!) We went to the sea day brunch, and while Bobby went to the gym, I read a book and took a nap. It was a super low key day but that’s why I loved it. We spent time exploring the ship and taking photos and videos that afternoon. We had dinner that night with the press group at Cucina Del Capitano, the speciality Italian restaurant, and then hit the hay.

The next day was Bermuda! Yall. I am not really sure what my expectations were for this port, but I fell in LOVE. The people, the water, the views, the houses, everything was beautiful and we truly had such an amazing day.

Carnival Horizon Bermuda

We were on the first shuttle out to Horseshoe Bay, and we walked and walked for an hour getting amazing photos along the way before it got crowded. The water was cool, and the temperature outside was only 83 degrees, so it was awesome.

We took the shuttle back so we could eat lunch on the ship and then we had a 1:00 excursion on a catamaran which I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. They took us to a very calm and quiet bay where we anchored and played in the water for a couple of hours. The water was so clear, and Bobby even did some cliff jumping (while I relaxed on the roof of the boat, no jumping for this girl.) We all enjoyed rum swizzles on the way back to the Horizon, and I couldn’t stop smiling because it was such a perfect day.

That night we had no plans with the group so we had an early dinner in the main dining room. I also did more reading, and we went to bed much earlier that night. We may or may not have also enjoyed that the pizza window is open 24 hours a day!

On our last sea day, I woke up at 6:20 (wwhhyyy) and went up to the Serenity deck to snag us a lounge/bed to relax in for the morning. I did more reading and enjoying the day before Bobby joined me around 9:00. We had lunch at Guy’s and the buffet before the rain started. The water got a little bit rougher, and I took a nap while Bobby went to the IMAX theatre to see the new Star Wars movie. The sun came back out later so I did some reading on the balcony as well.

 

We had drinks at the Alchemy Bar (which is amazing! Seriously don’t miss this) before dinner with our press group at the steakhouse, Fahrenheit 555, and it was delicious. A great way to round out our trip. Sadly we got off early the next morning to head back to reality. We had such a great time exploring this new ship and I can’t wait to share more detail with you soon.

If you would like to see all the videos/Instagram stories I took over the course of the cruise, go to my profile and click the highlight title “Carnival Horizon” and you can see everything!

 

Disclosure: We attended this cruise as guests of Carnival, however all opinions are my own.

 

 

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5 Things Friday XXXI

June 15, 2018 by

Hey-o! Happy Friday my friends. We made it through another week, which means time to catch up on some things that I either haven’t mentioned on the blog or that you may have missed on social media. (Psstt Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for the most up to the minute happenings!)

1.) Dumbo Teaser: Did you know that there is a live action version of the beloved story of Dumbo coming out in early 2019? YES! I grew up on this Movie, and Emma Kate’s “must do” ride every time we go to Magic Kingdom is Dumbo. I can’t wait for us to watch this together! Take a peek at the teaser now:

2.) Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama: Bobby and I are heading out on a press trip with Carnival Cruise lines next week, and we will be going to a new to me port (Bermuda) on the new to EVERYONE ship, the Carnival Horizon! I had the privilege of checking out this beauty at the naming ceremony last month, and can’t wait to sail on her for four nights with some other amazing bloggers. I will have wifi on the ship and will do my best to update as much as I can, signal permitting (again, the best place for updates will be Twitter and Instagram/Instagram stories).

carnival horizon

3.) Nerd Alert: If you follow my Instastories you may have already seen this, but lately I have been having problems with fatigued eyes, headaches, and having a hard time falling asleep at night. I decided to take the plunge and get some blue light blocking glasses. I found some cheap ones with great reviews on Amazon, and so far I am loving them! My eyes don’t feel so worn down at night, and I am falling asleep way faster than before. You can check out the affiliate link for the ones I purchased here.

4.) Action Hero: I was invited to be a Women’s Health Action hero! I will be partnering with them on different campaigns throughout the rest of the year, testing out products and things and telling you which I like, and why. It’s an amazing encouraging and uplifting program and I am so thankful to be a part of it. Look for #WHActionHero on social media for more.

5.) Adventure Island: Last weekend, Bobby and I took Emma Kate and my parents to Adventure Island courtesy of the water park, and we had a blast! We had never been and I will admit I was super impressed. It’s so fun to know something so great is just a few minutes from my house, and I hope we get to go back (especially because I totally want to rent one of the super cool cabanas!) Emma Kate loved the splash pad area with slides and more, and we even all went down a super fast and cool raft ride together (EK and my mom were not fans but they did good!) Bobby rode the brand new Vanish Point slide and said it was a lot of fun, and an adrenaline rush as you anticipate the floor dropping out from under you (YES it happens my friends!) Check out AdventureIsland.com for a fun promo they have going on through July 1 that involves Busch Gardens.

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Carnival Horizon Naming Ceremony

May 30, 2018 by

Disclosure: I was provided this trip by Carnival Cruise Line, however I was not asked to write this post and all opinions are my own.

The Carnival Horizon, their 26th ship, made her way across the Atlantic last week where I had the honor of helping welcome her to New York for a special naming ceremony. Not only were we celebrating this gorgeous sister ship to the Vista, but we were celebrating St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and all the amazing work they do for over 8,500 kids a year battling tough illnesses. While we were in NYC, Carnival presented St. Jude with a $100,000 check, and have given 16 million dollars to St. Jude so far!

horizon naming ceremony

We were able to board the ship in the afternoon and head to our balcony staterooms to prepare for all the festivities.

I loved the bright colors in the staterooms, and there was plenty of space to move around.

horizon naming ceremony

I particularly loved this beautiful print on the wall. It really added a nice pop of color to the rooms.

I had some time before my first event, so I took some photos of some cool spots on the ship, like the first ever Dr. Suess water park at sea! Emma Kate would love this area. There were slides, water sprayers, and more. So much fun!

horizon naming ceremony

I of course had to head up to Serenity, the adults only area (Bobby and I spent a lot of time here on the Vista in November!) and loved seeing the NYC skyline from this part of the ship. True to its name, it was quite serene.

At 5:00 I headed up to the ribbon cutting for the all new Pig and Anchor restaurant, and Guy Fieri was even on hand to cut the ribbon. There are four new craft beers brewed right there on the ship, and I got to taste some as well as delicious pass arounds, and I hope I get the chance to eat here when I sail to Bermuda next month.

Next it was time for the naming ceremony in the lobby atrium, where the already beautiful dreamscape was decked out in a special way, with artwork from thirty kids at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. It was explained that art is a great way for the kids to express themselves and feel like “normal kids” while in the hospital, and I loved seeing their imaginations shine through in their pictures.

I was also excited to see the ships new Godmother, Queen Latifah, make a speech. We got to see her earlier in the day at the press briefing, and it was great to hear her speak once again. You could tell she was truly honored to be named to this special position.

After the naming, we headed to the Liquid lounge for a special lip sync battle between Queen Latifah and Jake Elliot from the Philadelphia Eagles. Jake tried so hard and put on a great show even though I’m sure he would have been much more comfortable on the football field. 

(source)

Next it was time for dinner, and I was super pumped to have my favorite Carnival dessert, the chocolate melting cake. Guys, don’t skip this one on your next cruise!

The night ended with a special deck party and fireworks, before the Horizon sailed off the next day to Bermuda. It will sail out of New York this summer, and then take her place in Miami later this year. Be sure to check out Carnival.com to price out your next cruise vacation, you don’t want to miss our on all this gorgeous new ship has to offer.

(source)

You can also check out Instagram story videos of all the fun I had by going to my Instagram Profile and clicking on the Highlight titled “Carnival Horizon”.

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