On Jan. 9th, 2004 The Cruiseman, & Mrs. Cruiseman boarded the Celebrity Horizon for a 10 night voyage to Mexico, Central America & the Panama Canal. We have decided that we really like the idea of a 10 night cruise. Try one when you are able to get away. The time to relax and enjoy things is wonderful! Here is our review of this cruise. THE SHIP The Horizon is the oldest ship in the Celebrity fleet. She was built in 1990, carries 1354 passengers, and 642 crew. The GRT is 56,188 Tons. She boasts an atmosphere of casual elegance, good-sized cabins, and suites with sitting areas and bathtubs. The Horizon does not have any balcony cabins, which is a disappointment to some. The ship is going to have a major refurbishment in April, at which time a new restaurant is going to be added, cabins will refurbished, and the buffet area will be torn out and completely re-done (among other things)
In Port, Costa Rica	Horizon Pools	Promenade Area	Relaxation Time!
CABINS Our cabin was a standard oceanview cabin, measuring around 180 sq. ft. The cabin was laid out in the standard format, with more than enough closet and storage space. The service of our cabin steward was excellent.
		Nightly Candies with tomorrows weather forecast. Nice Touch!
THE FOOD Of course Celebrity is known for their fine food service. We found the dining to be a wonderful experience, including some great new friends that were our tablemates. The steaks were good, and the filets were great! The Lobster got good reviews from everyone, and the rack of lamb seemed to be a real highlight! Our waiters gave us excellent service including tips when he felt some items on the menu were not as good as others. The buffet areas are very crowded, but the food selection is good, and the quality is above average for buffets. Be sure to look for the pasta & sandwich bar, located behind the drink counter, at the end of the buffet lines. Also, don't miss the ice cream machines located at both rear doors! The buffet area has a very nice "tea time" each afternoon around 4PM, with beautiful finger foods & desserts. The Grill at the stern of the ship serves hamburgers and hot dogs for the very casual eaters! The buffet area is closed at night and is used for a "reservations only" casual dining option, with a limited but good menu, and excellent service. There is no extra charge for this option, with only a suggested $2 gratuity for the waiters. Our whole dining room table tried this option out one night together, and it was a lot of fun. After the ship is refurbished, hopefully the buffet area will not be so crowded. The new dining room that is going to be added will be a reservations only optional venue.
Frank & Eileen Tota from CA	Michael & Mary Field, from NY	Don & Thelma Olexa from GA	Susan & Paul Collins from FL
Lobster	Rack of Lamb	Sushi Bar	Breakfast Buffet
Baked Alaska Night Our Waiter & his assistant The Omlet Station Traditional Turkey Dinner THE ENTERTAINMENT I must tell you that we found the entertainment to be some of the finest we have ever experienced at sea in every area, including some very talented performers, amazing costumes, a great variety of shows, as well as technical things like the lighting and sound. In general we were impressed because all the shows were appropriate and in good taste. The comedian / magician was a real hit, especially when he drafted Mrs. Cruiseman as his assistant for a card trick. She still won't tell us how he did it!
Mrs. Cruiseman & Magician	The Bingo Man!	Horizon Shops	Casino. Accepting donations!
THE ITINERARY   Grand Cayman Island. Everybody that has cruised the Western Caribbean has probably been to Grand Cayman Island at least once. The water was very rough, so we dropped anchor at an isolated spot protected from the weather, and the tender ride was calm. We decided to go visit the Turtle Farm, only to find out that it has been partially destroyed by some sort of storm. A new Turtle Farm is being planned in a better, more protected place, but construction has not begun yet. We also visited "Hell" so we could send some friends back home a postcard from Hell. Celebrity offers 32 shore excursions in Grand Cayman. (many were canceled due to the rough seas)
Rough Waters @ Grand Cayman	At the Turtle Farm
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Not much to see in Puerto Limon. There was some shops set up in the pier area that were clean and reasonable. The locals were pleasant people and spoke pretty good English! Celebrity offers 14 shore excursions at Puerto Limon. Many excursions were to other places in Costa Rica, away from Puerto Limon. It would be a good idea to check out one of these to get a real flavor for Costa Rica.
At the Flea Market, Puerto Limon	Welcome to Costa Rica!	City Park
Colon, Panama. Since this was our first visit to the Panama Canal, I must say that this was a real highlight for us. The Horizon docked at Colon, on the Caribbean side of the Canal, and we took a very pleasant train ride all the way across to the Pacific side, where we toured Panama and viewed the locks in action, with ships of various sizes passing through on their way to the Caribbean. Did you know that you can watch ships go through the Panama Canal at http://www.pancanal.com ? Celebrity offers 15 shore excursions at Colon, including a couple to the Pacific Coast. Did you know that the Pacific side of the Panama Canal is farther East than the Caribbean side? Think about that and then look at a map
Harold & Connie Mitchell from FL. We rode on the Panama Canal train together.	Singing Conductors on the Train	Mira Flores Locks on Pacific side of the Panama Canal	At the Panama Canal
Roatan, Honduras Roatan is an island off the coast of Honduras. There is enough evident poverty in Roatan that one can't help but wonder what the officials are doing with their port taxes that they collect from the cruise ships! The people themselves were friendly enough, and it was a safe destination. At the cruise ship pier there must have been at least 30-40 taxi cabs looking for business! Celebrity offers 15 shore excursions at Roatan to some nice beaches for snorkeling, dolphins, kayaking, and even an eco tour!
Plenty of blue water!	Cruise Ship Pier, Roatan	This way to Roatan!	We found a "Travel Agency" at Roatan. Wonder where they send people for vacation?
Cozumel, Mexico. This is the most popular, and most visited cruise stop in the Western Caribbean. The "main street" area has been built us and improved vastly since our last visit here. We elected to take a leisurely stroll down the "main street", which is right on the beach, and see the sights from there. The streets and shops are quite clean, and there were some real bargains for the skilled shoppers. Celebrity offers 45 shore excursions at Cozumel. If you can't find something to do here that suits you, you aren't trying very hard.
While the Horizon is not our favorite ship it is a good ship. Our overall experience was excellent. Celebrity has a great product with an elegant, but casual atmosphere. Pricing is very reasonable. CLICK HERE for itinerary options, dates, and some rate ideas.