I didn't specifically take this trip for the ship herself and really knew very little about her [or HORIZON] beforehand. She has great stern teak decks, promenade [though not wrap around], and nice upper deck for walking around, although the bridge is in the way of downward forward views. She has no forward or aft facing lounges, odd really - and the reception although very nice is out the way of anything else.

Her exterior and outside decks were all in great condition, so was our cabin and public restrooms, but many of the actual lounges and hallways looked a bit frayed at the edges with well worn carpets and well used chairs etc [nothing bad, just not as sparkling as she probably could be].

I was wondering if anything at all had been changed since her Celebrity days re soft furnishings. I know many here have fond memories of trips with ZENITH so perhaps you can check my photos to see what has and hasn't changed?

Lobby

Rendez-Vous Lounge

Broadway Show Lounge

Michael's Club

Rainbow Disco

Plaza Café

.. and many more here. I have not got the deck photos online yet, but here she is at Mykonos and Venice.

Your photos make her look very nice, indeed!

Down on Fantasy Deck, the lounges still seem to have the same layout. Are you sure re Michael's Club Barry? These deck plans must be from near the end of Celebrity days so maybe something changed beforehand. I thought of all the areas that would be the one to have remained the same with the art everywhere. The 'disco' is really a bar and dance floor with band stage, so probably not a lot different [with the changing coloured lights on one bulkhead].

Thanks for the other comments. Pretty much as I thought - little change overall. She is very nice Rich - and a 'sturdy' vessel. Lovely size too.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:

There absolutely was a disco where Michael's Club, the Library and Card Room are there ... this changed sometime around 1999-2000. Those were the biggest changes Celebrity made to these ships. The original Library and Card Room were I think off the Rendezvous Lounge (one of them became the Martini Bar). There was no Michael's Club originally, the first ship with that was CENTURY.

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Yes Now I remember, the library and card room were on the port side of the Rendezvous Lounge...I remember because I was responsible for lugging all the library books from storage to the library and stocking the shelves...how could I forget? Doug is correct, the disco was dramatically changed and cut up into smaller rooms....I recall the original disco because I worked there and had fun with the sound system and the lights, which for 1992 was very high-tech and futuristic with it's light-changing light panels on the walls.

What became the COVA Cafe was called Harry's Tavern originally and had a somewhat "pubby" decor as evident from the photo accompanying that article.

Now, as for changes, as I have had a chance to look at all of the photos, bottom to top, fore to aft:

Lobby - The blue carpet is different. So are the chairs, which used to be big square things in brownish leather. And at one end where that odd display of "greenery" is, there used to be a waterfall.

Show Lounge - Looks pretty much the same, except I don't remember those tall red stools. I can't believe they haven't changed the carpet in here, it looked awful five years ago!

Rendezvous Lounge - Different carpet. It used to be blue or green. Otherwise the same. Always liked this space, but I think the original contrast in colors made it nicer.

Caravelle Restaurant - Totally changed. The only thing in here I recognize is the ceiling. It needed it, too ... or at least, the original chairs had to go. They were and uncomfortable.

Casino - They appear to have extended this into the starboard-side indoor promenade, sadly. Decor is different too -- none of that carpet was there or the marble/granite flooring (as one might expect of an area that has seen structural changes). The tour desk used to be in the lobby!

Kids' Room and Video Games - This was carved out of part of the old casino as clearly shown on the deck plans. The original Playroom occupied the space of a couple of cabins down on Deck 5. One of the things they used to use the very underused disco for way back was kids' activities.

Plaza Cafe - Looks exactly the way it did after Celebrity's "mid-life" refit, down to the carpet.

Michael's Club, Card Room and Library - That one little patch of carpet with the concentric circles is new! The rest of it looks exactly the same. I suspect the Internet terminals Celebrity had in here in 2006, still advertising itineraries from I think 1999 (or whatever year this was added, 2000 at the latest) are gone now.

Rainbow Disco - Those tall stools and tables near the entrance are new. Looks pretty much how I remember it otherwise.

Cabin - Soft furnishings are new and I'm pretty sure the bathroom floor tiles used to be white. Otherwise pretty original.

Windsurf Buffet - The carpet is different. Otherwise looks pretty much as it did in her last years with Celebrity. This is one other area that was significantly changed during her Celebrity career, but I can't for the life of me remember the original decor. I guess it was about as forgettable as the current decor, which is pretty bland too.

Gym, Spa, Beauty Salon - I know this area was changed in the same refit that added Michael's Club but I never spent much time up there so I don't remember what it looked like either before or after that. Strongly suspect that carpet in the gym is new though.

Passageways, Stairways - All of the carpet in all of these areas is new. It was all dark blue with a very plain geometric pattern. One thing that astonishes me is that they bothered to change the cabin doors -- they used to be white! In some places I see wood handrails too ... also not original. And there never was any art hanging in the cabin passageways as far as I can remember. They were about as plain as you could imagine. Stairwells and landings look untouched other than carpet and, oddly, the art, none of which I recognize or is even similar in style to the original stuff. I wonder if Celebrity kept it. Oh, and obviously all the signage is different but you don't need me to tell you that. One other fun thing in the cabin passageways -- this is probably the newest ship I can think of that has ashtrays built in to the walls.

So there ... you asked for it, you got it. I find it odd that they did some apparently pointless things (redecorating cabin passageways -- nice, but other than carpet, don't know why it would be a priority) but neglected things like replacing carpet in some of the public areas. (I feel pretty confident that any carpet that's the original pattern hasn't been replaced since at least early the last decade -- it all looked pretty worn in 2006 and I'd be stunned if Pullmantur was bothering to have the original patterns rewoven.)

As many said she still looks as she did with Celebrity. Also to note she lost her conference room up by the gym, I beleive Celebrity may have taken that away in the 99/00 refit. Not certain however! Also I see her teak decking by the grill looks like a patchwork! I had sailed the Zenith in 98 and back in 04 I went on a travel agent tour of her and the teak decking was rotting back there. I see they really did not replace it. Lastly, I see that the "water fall" or water feature in the lobby is hidden behind those hiddeous fake branches and flowers. Both the Horizon and Zenith had water features in their lobby's. I prefered the Horizon's nevertheless I guess it isn't used for that anymore.

Doug the buffet/cafe area originaly had a nautical theme. I have a picture from my cruise on her and the were a lot of sails incorported into the interior design in that room. I think it looks better now.

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[ 04-26-2011: Message edited by: nycruiser ]

[ 04-26-2011: Message edited by: nycruiser ]

I suppose the Tour Desk needs to be more prominent these days as the Lobby really leads to no where and not an area passed through to get anywhere else. The casino is however rather an odd place for a Tour Desk, but it seemed to be a 'Sports Bar' as well.

The tiling/grouting in the bathrooms were obviously new [or had been redone fairly recently]. If they had changed those ancient yellowing hairdryers one would have thought it was all new in there [and perhaps the hefty precariously balanced TV].

I assume those tables with the 'snapshots' in the Windsurf Buffet are original then? They look as if they date from the era, but in good condition. It is pretty bland in there.

The carpets in the hallways need changing again then, quite patchy and marked in many places. It surprises me that the art is an addition as there is quite a fair amount around all the cabin passageways and decent images too in the main - worth a look at anyway.

I wonder where those models have gone. I certainly didn't see any anywhere but that doesn't mean to say they weren't hidden away in a corner somewhere and I didn't come across them. If I had known I would have asked. There isn't a water feature in the lobby any more.

There's nothing wonderful about her and nothing awful, just a nice average all rounder making for a pleasant cruise

nycruiser I think the patchwork you are referring to maybe the photos I took where the crew spent a couple of days recaulking part of the deck stb near The Grill. The decking was in very good condition. The only 'problem' seemed to be water from the jacuzzis above flowing over and down the steps to portside on to The Grill area - but that may have been more to do with the teenagers and their antics in the jacuzzis more than anything else.

Thanks again everyone for all the comments and interesting information.

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Originally posted by NAL:
I, too, was a fan of the Fleet Bar. Same it's gone. I do remember these twins as two of the worst sea-boats I was ever on. Trips to Bermuda can be very rough and these Celebrity twins could dance in heavy seas! I remember it as a very uncomfortable movement as well.

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