HTOL cruises are just one out of several ways you can experience the world of cruising.
But have you ever wondered... What is a HTOL cruise? What makes one so great? Why is it different?
Marjorie Dench from our Hays Travel team recently had the chance to go on a HTOL cruise. She started her trip with a stay in Miami and then set sail aboard Carnival Horizon for a six-night cruise and would love to tell you all about it...
“I started my journey flying with American Airlines and sat in Economy Class; the in-seat entertainment was brilliant. Once I touched down in Miami, I made way to Pestana Hotel in Miami for the pre-stay."
"It was a modern hotel with a great location and lots of Miami charm. Conveniently it was only a short walk to Collins Avenue, South Beach, and Lincoln for the shops. I noticed it had a nice pool with use of towels and sunscreen. The rooms were very spacious with everything you needed, even toiletries so there was no need to unpack fully for a short stay. I would be really happy to stay there again!"
"After the stay at Pestana Hotel I boarded Carnival Horizon to enjoy a stay in a well-appointed, light, and airy Balcony Cabin on Deck 7. We had a lovely cabin steward who offered us extra towels, robes, and asked how many times we would like our cabin to be serviced. The beds were very comfy, air conditioning was efficient, and I had a lovely hot shower. Each day we came back to a different animal made out of towels and some lovely chocolate strawberry treats too some days."
"The ship is very new and you could tell; so modern with plenty of space. They told us the ship was actually to its full capacity but we honestly would not have known. There was always plenty of sunbeds close to the pool with loads of space to still get around. Bar service to the sunbeds was great; I bought the Bubbles Package which for me, was excellent value for money - $8.50 per day for unlimited fizzy drinks, out of the can and not a pump."
"I was really impressed with the choice of food included and I made sure to try as much as I could on our six-night cruise!
Breakfast
I enjoyed room service most mornings. The sea day brunch was very relaxing and the Dr Seuss Character breakfast was colourful, playful, and a lot of fun! Lunch
I loved Guy's Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse so much I went twice. You get to choose from a whole host of BBQ goodies during lunch for free and there are loads of sides and sauces to pimp out your plate.
I went to the Mongolian Wok Noodle Bar, which is known as Ji Ji's during the day, again this all inclusive and plenty of choices for a noodle lunch, There was also freshly-made pizza one day after our excursion and can even order pizza anywhere on the ship for just $5 (except the theatre and IMAX cinema) 24 hours a day!"
"In the Main Dining Room we opted for any time dining and still received personal service and great food choices which included lobster, ribs of beef, filet mignon, and so much more. The waiting staff were fun too – always singing and dancing.
We booked a table at Ji Ji Asian Kitchen Speciality Restaurant to try it out and WOW, if you like Asian food you must try it. We ordered several starters and mains to share and it comes family-style. The slow braised belly pork was my personal favourite but I also really enjoyed the spring rolls, pot stickers, and wagyu beef short rib. I had no room for dessert so I’ve got no idea what they were like!"
"There was the chance to celebrate Halloween on board which was just brilliant. I’ve never been on board a ship or staying in a hotel that celebrates in such a big way! The atrium was dressed up from the moment we got on and around half of the ship decorated their cabin doors and got dressed up for the fancy dress party and competition. Plenty of themed groups and families made this a lot of fun - kids and adults all got dressed up."
"We even enjoyed themed Halloween cocktails and food in Main Dining Room. I would really encourage anyone sailing with Carnival to download their app because it worked a treat and told you all about dress codes and events that were on. It also reminded you of your dinner reservations, as well as being able to check the weather and on board account."
Excursions
Montego Bay Jamaica
"I went on the catamaran trip to go snorkelling, followed by a stop off at Margaritaville. What a laugh it was, the crew were "safety first" all the way but still made our day fun and enjoyable. I was shocked at how many bright and colourful fish I could see snorkeling and the rum punch was very strong!"
"Here I went on the stingray experience, where we took a boat out to the sandbar; the stingrays hangout. I felt safe as the crew knew what they were doing and provided us with good food and safety tips. I got the chance to feed squid to an enormous stingray which was an experience I’ll never forget. We then had the chance to take it in turns to meet them up close and personal which again was very memorable. They are surprisingly heavy!
On the way back to the ship there was a large area of market stalls with lots of handmade items ideal for souvenirs."
"I went on the Tequila, Tacos and Mariachi band. This was a short drive from the cruise port to a small restaurant and we got to try several types of tequila before watching the show. I really enjoyed this as it gave a flavour of local culture. We then tucked into traditional tacos before heading back to the ship – must-do for anybody interested in culture.
Overall I really think Carnival has something for everyone, evident by the many multi-generational families I met and spoke to on board. It had a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere that I look forward to experiencing again one day hopefully soon."
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