Feb 17, 2008 Review of Celebrity Millennium
Written: Feb 28 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent entertainment and activities for adults!
Cons: The Millennium needs of refurbishment; sadly, she is showing a lot of wear and tear!
The Bottom Line: We had an enjoyable cruise vacation, though the condition of the ship needs to be addressed by the cruise line.
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| Suzi's Full Review: Celebrity Millennium |
17 February 2008 Voyage Review of Celebrity’s Millennium
My husband and I cruised aboard the Millennium the week of 17 February 2008. While the cruise was enjoyable, it was not exactly what we had expected of the Millennium or Celebrity. That said, I would not hesitate to cruise with Celebrity again, as I believe they offer a quality cruise experience for anyone looking for a more adult oriented cruise. As you read my review, please remember to take what I say with a grain of salt, as your experience and opinion may differ from mine. Please note my background and my preferences; they may be quite different from yours, so my input may not carry as much weight when taking into consideration your priorities. Also, please remember that staff changes are constant and repairs are ongoing on all cruise ships, so if you have an upcoming cruise aboard the Millennium, some of the issues I bring up in this review may no longer be relevant.
Background
My husband and I are in our 40’s and we don’t have kids; we reside in Northern California and both of us work full time. We enjoy an active lifestyle that includes travel, scuba diving, and underwater photography. We also participate in competitive sports and enjoy the outdoors. We enjoy cruise vacations very much, but it’s not the only vacation option out there for us; we often travel in a group with friends. I like to research our travel destinations, and enjoy the planning process very much.
This cruise aboard the Millennium came about when we learned from Celebrity Cruises that our cruise aboard the Mercury out of San Francisco scheduled for later this spring, would not be possible. We got a call from our travel agent 10 days before we set sail on the Millennium that our reservation had been cancelled; I was told that our guarantee category had been oversold and there was no available cabin to put us into on the Mercury. We were given the choice of a full refund and a discount on any future cruise or free round trip air fare to FLL and paid gratuities on the Millennium; obviously, we chose to cruise on the Millennium!
We have cruised with Celebrity only twice – both cruises were on Pacific Coastal voyages aboard the Mercury, which departed from San Francisco. We are Diamond level members of Royal Caribbean’s past guest program, the Crown & Anchor Society, so we were awarded Elite status with Celebrity, which is also owned by Royal Caribbean. The perks associated with the Captain’s Club are minimal compared to what Royal Caribbean gives its past guests; however in fairness, we did appreciate the special parties and activities scheduled for Celebrity’s past guests.
Pre-Cruise & Embarkation
Celebrity made arrangements for us to fly to Fort Lauderdale on an overnight flight from California, so we arrived at 9am the day of the cruise; the package included airport transfers. The cruise line bus departed for the cruise terminal around 10:00am. When we arrived, there was already a line to go through security. We showed a cruise line agent our tickets, but only Concierge Class guests and those booked into suites were extended priority; Elite Captain’s Club members like us, had to wait in line and sit in an area until called to go through the x-ray machine. Once through, there was a separate line for Elite member check-in. The entire process took about 30 minutes, and what ever frustration we initially experienced was soon forgotten, though I did make note of this on the comment card!
We were greeted with glass of champagne as we entered the Millennium, the hallmark of Celebrity Cruises! I recall being escorted to our cabin upon embarkation the last time we cruised with Celebrity; not so this time. Celebrity used to be known for their exceptional service, which was still the case three years ago when we cruised on the Mercury, but I have a hunch that’s not the case anymore. This wasn’t a big deal, but I bring this up, as a lot of people who cruise Celebrity for the first time are under the impression the service is a cut above mass market cruise lines; based on our experience aboard the Millennium, it is not.
The cabins at 11:30am were not quite ready, but we were allowed to leave our carry-ons in the room while we toured the ship and ate lunch. The ship at first glance, was decorated tastefully and seemed easy to navigate; it had a definite art deco feel to it.
Our Stateroom: Inside Cabin 7034 on Vista Deck
Our stateroom was located on Vista Deck 7, near the bow of the ship and close to the forward bank of stairs and elevators. Above us on Deck 10 were the Spa and pool area as well as the buffet. Below us was the Celebrity Theater. The formal dining room was all the way aft, and a long hike from our cabin. The rest of the public areas, including Guest Relations and lounges were pretty much mid-ship. We found the location of our cabin to be far from ideal, however, it was to be home for 7 nights, so we made the best of it.
Our cabin was a larger inside room that contained two beds put together to make a king, two night stands with storage on either end and two chairs and a small glass coffee table in one corner. There was a small, poorly lit vanity with minimal shelf storage below on either side and a large triple-wide closet with a chest on drawers in the room. The clever storage space in the cabin was more than adequate for two people. I have to confess we have not yet mastered the art of traveling light, so trust me when I say we had more than enough space for all our belongings. The top of the vanity was cluttered with a tray containing water, ice and glasses and a bottle of wine for sale; that didn’t leave much room, and I found it a little annoying, but we appreciated the ice and water, so we worked around it. The mini-bar, which we never opened, contained miscellaneous soda and alcohol for sale. You can request to have its contents removed, but we never did.
We both agreed that our pillow top mattress was very comfortable. Our bed was made up with a crisp white fitted sheet and a tan top sheet. There was a thin synthetic duvet on top encased in a white coverlet, and four rather flat synthetic pillows on the bed. A quilted orange bed spread with matching throw pillows completed the ensemble. Unlike other ships, the sheets on the bed were never changed. I suppose I could have asked to have them changed at any time, but it wasn’t a big deal. However, it did seem a bit unusual that they weren’t changed mid-week.
The bathroom was surprisingly large. There was quite a bit of storage below the sink and a couple of shelves above the countertop to hold essential items. The shower was huge compared to showers on other ships; there was a shower curtain instead of doors, but the lip on the shower kept water off the bathroom floor. Shampoo and soap were provided – there was neither conditioner nor body wash. The towels we were supplied were thin, but absorbent. The tile in the shower was old and in need of replacement, but kept spotless by our team of stateroom attendants. In all, our modest inside cabin exceeded our expectations; it was bigger than expected and it had more storage than what was required.
There were two cabin attendants assigned to our stateroom. One guy (the head attendant) made up the bed and did some picking up while the other did all the dirty work. Both were personable, but neither did an exceptional job. Rooms were made up twice a day – once in the morning and once again in the evening.
Dress Code
Normally, I wouldn’t include a paragraph devoted to a cruise line’s dress code in a review, but I would be amiss to not bring it up where the Millennium was concerned. I found just about everyone adhered to the evening’s dress code, and that included casual, informal and formal nights. Based on my limited experience with Celebrity, I knew to bring nicer clothes to wear to dinner, but I was more than a little surprised how much everyone chose to dress up in the evening. My husband and I didn’t have an issue with this, as we brought appropriate clothes with us, thanks to information I got on message boards and online discussion groups. But I was somewhat expecting to see a more casual atmosphere, and that simply just wasn’t the case.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess have basically two types of dress: formal and casual. Most people on Royal Caribbean and Princess dress-up on formal nights (dark suits and cocktail dresses mostly) and wear resort casual outfits to dinner the rest of the week – Dockers and polo shirts tend to be the norm for the guys, and capris or pants, nice tops and sundresses for the ladies. Carnival tends to a lot more laid-back than Royal Caribbean or Princess; not everyone dresses up on formal nights and anything goes on casual nights. Aboard the Millennium, there were a few informal evenings and daytime events where a sports coat for the guys and a nicer outfit for the ladies was the norm. Even on casual nights, I noticed a lot of men wearing jackets. My husband is one of those guys if given a choice he’d be in Dockers or jeans. He’s a good sport and dresses up on formal nights without a complaint, but it’s another thing to wear a sports coat every night. It really wasn’t a problem, though I did feel a little sorry for him in the dining room, which I know was warm!
I do not recall the two Pacific Coastal cruises from the west coast aboard the Mercury to be so formal, but it’s possible the people on the cruise (mainly from the west coast) were less inclined to dress up. We always adhere to what ever the required dress code happens to be for the night, so we knew what to expect in advance. That’s why I decided to address this in my review, since many people new to Celebrity may appreciate this input. Will this be the case on your cruise? Depending on how old this review is at the time you read it, understand that this could change, so please take it at face value and get more recent input if you can from websites like Cruise Critic.
Condition of the Millennium
Millennium’s condition seems to be an issue of contention so I thought I would give you my take on it. Celebrity has several new ships on order, with one debuting later this year, so it’s understandable that the company is more focused the newbuilds than refurbishing their older ships. It’s a fact that the Millennium is 8 years old and in need of refurbishment. It’s a beautiful ship, and repairs are ongoing, like they are on all ships. However, there are dark permanent stains on the carpets in the corridors all over the ship, furniture in disrepair and areas of the ship that need more than a good cleaning. Some places like the aft bar, have brand new teakwood chairs and tables. A high ranking officer told us that the hallway carpeting is slowly being replaced, but other repairs are not keeping up with the need. The hotel manager went around the room during the Elite Captain’s Club cocktail party, asking for input about the ship; not surprising, many stated the obvious that the Millennium was due for a face left! Everyone agreed it would be nice to see the ship get fully refurbished, but no announcement was made to confirm this would be happening anytime soon.
So what you see is what you get; the Millennium is an older ship, but there’s still a lot of life left in her! The Millennium is kept clean and tidy by staff, and work continues round the clock, maintaining the ship and the status quo. Sure, the carpets look pretty bad (probably the most noticeable problem), but that didn’t keep us from enjoying the cruise. We found ship personnel for the most part to be friendly and attentive. We found the public areas of the ship to be tastefully decorated. There was original artwork everywhere; attention to detail was evident all over the ship. The lounges were comfortable and inviting. All the public bathrooms were clean and maintained. Even the buffet dining area, criticized by many in reviews, was kept picked up.
Food & Service
What impressed me most about my two voyages aboard Celebrity’s Mercury, was the food and service. The food quality was so much higher than what we experienced with Royal Caribbean or Princess, and the service so much more attentive, that we sort of expected the same from the Millennium! Unfortunately, that was not the case. However, the overall food quality on Royal Caribbean and Princess has also declined, so in fairness, I have to say that Celebrity continues to have slightly higher standards, better service and superior food quality; it’s just not as good as it used to be! There has been a systematic decline in food quality over the years in the cruise industry; if you have been cruising for a while, you know what I am talking about. In my opinion, a higher emphasis has been placed on ship amenities, entertainment, activities and ports of call; food quality (and quantity for that matter) is no longer what attracts people to cruising, and cruise line executives know this.
I found the buffet for breakfast and lunch somewhat uninspired, though I always found something I liked. Service was hit or miss up in the buffet; often food containers in the buffet would not be replaced when empty, so this was irritating. And unlike our experience on the Mercury, there were no waiters around to carry trays to the table. The servers for the most part were pleasant and eager to serve you, but it seemed some areas in the buffet were short staffed. We ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet everyday while in port. The formal dining room was closed for lunch on port days.
The formal dining room is two stories high; our table for ten was by a window on the bottom floor. Service from our wait staff was uniformly good, however, we seldom saw the bar waiter, and I was only lucky enough to order a soda one night out of seven! My dining room experience was very good; I always seemed to order something I liked a lot, so no complaints from me about the food. I enjoyed all five courses, including the soups and salads, and my steaks were just the way I like them. My overall impression of the cuisine was not always shared by others, as most people we spoke with here and there indicated that the food on the Millennium was not up to Celebrity’s standards. I can only comment on my experience, however, compared to recent cruises with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess (all in 2007), I felt the Millennium’s menu and food quality in the formal dining room was better.
We went to the Olympic Restaurant on day three of the cruise. There were two menus and two prices: the left side of the menu included six courses (appetizer, soup, salad, main course, cheeses and desert) along with wine at $57pp. The right side of the menu included four courses (a starter – your choice of appetizer, soup or salad - main course, cheeses and desert and no wine) at $30pp. We ordered from the right side of the menu and we paid extra for a glass of wine. The service was attentive but not at all pretentious; we felt it was on par with any fine dining establishment we have been to in our area. The additional cost was minimal compared to the high end ingredients used in the dishes. We both ordered the lobster and scallop entrée, and although it was good, I felt the lobster served simply (with drawn butter) in the formal dining room was more to my liking. The other main courses, in my opinion, probably would have been a better choice for us.
The Spa & Gym
My husband and I did a Rasul spa "treatment", but I had an opportunity to check out the spa, its staff and locker room area as I went to the gym just about every day. I occasionally book spa treatments while cruising, so I could compare my experience to those I have had with other cruise lines. Because my spa experience tends to be on newer and larger ships, I was somewhat disappointed with the spa facility and gym aboard the Millennium. That said, I went 6 out of 7 days to the gym every morning, and appreciated the fact that at 7am it was never crowded! Here are my comments:
The gym seems to be much smaller than that aboard other ships I have been on and had few machines I was familiar with. They Millennium had quite a few, very new, treadmills, cycles and ellipticals with TV's, but only a handful of weight training machines, and very few standard types. There seemed to be more machines for legs than for the upper body; they did have mats, exercise balls and some free weights.
If your intention is to work out on a treadmill, cycle or elliptical, you should be happy with what the ship has to offer. But if you are like me, and have a workout regimen that includes both cardio and weights, you may be a little disappointed. It's better than nothing, for sure! However, the Millennium's gym is smaller and not as well equipped as gyms on other ships I have sailed on. Since this was my first experience with a gym on a Celebrity ship (I never went to the gym on the Mercury), I can't compare it to others ships in the fleet. But the ones I have been to on Royal Caribbean, Princess and Carnival were all bigger and significantly better equipped.
The ship had an aerobics area and two adjacent non-private treatment rooms on either side of the gym on the bow of the ship. There were yoga and pilates classes, as well as aerobics just about every day. Some classes had a small fee associated with them, but many were free and well attended. The ship also had two personal trainers on staff.
The locker room was well equipped with lockers, a sauna and three showers. The showers had shampoo and body wash - no hair conditioner. The shampoo was the same as what was available in your stateroom. The showers were adequate, but nothing special. Our stateroom shower was about the same size, but the water pressure in the locker room was significantly better. There were no hair dryers in the locker room, and the dressing room was quite cramped; most other ships I have been on had more space devoted to this area. The sauna was free and well maintained. The locker room appeared to be kept clean, but the afternoon we had the Rasul treatment, they ran out of clean towels.
Rasul
We scheduled a Rasul treatment for me and my husband (a couple's thing) for the fourth day of the cruise. On day two, I visited the spa and asked a staff member to explain to me what Rasul was all about; this was a gift and at the time I wasn't sure if my husband would be interested. A relatively new staff member explained to me the process and showed me where it would be done. There is a small two room area off of the Persian Garden that contains a steam room and shower area. She said we would be applying an exfoliator and mask onto to one another in this small, enclosed area. The process is outlined on a piece of paper, and includes the use of Elemis products (which I already use at home). The normal cost for this is $91 and it would take about an hour.
On the day of our treatment, we checked in (about 5 minutes before our scheduled time) and were issued lockers. We undressed, put on the robes they gave us and we were escorted to the Rasul Treatment Room. Just prior to going in, a staff member could be heard washing down the treatment room. There was a small table with several containers of Elemis products - cleansers, face exfoliator, facial mask, salt rub for the body, mud for the body, body lotion, etc. On a prior visit, a staff member explained to me the step by step process (so I knew what to use first), but upon arrival, we were not given any further instruction. I asked the staff member if we required any further instruction, and she said no! It would have been appropriate for someone to go over what to do, as my husband wasn’t there the day I went in. He has never done this sort of thing before (nor had I). I got the feeling the person assisting us was too new to be of much help. It hit us about 2 minutes into the process, that we had no idea how to use the room's controls to rinse off or to activate the steam room! Standing naked with product smeared all over our bodies, we were aimlessly pushing buttons here and there trying to get the shower to come on! It was so aggravating that at one point, my husband threatened to leave!
All the products on the table were half full (partially used or to control amount used) but we had more than enough to go around. The quality of the products used was good - I use Elemis and Steiner products at home so I felt good about using the products. I found the treatment area to be very small and I questioned its cleanliness from the get-go. I don't know if they used a sanitizer prior to our visit, but the brief cleaning we witnessed would be inadequate in my opinion. There was a very pretty cloth on the table and on the floor as you walked in that was soaking wet which kind of concerned me. Since this was my first (and probably last) Rasul experience, I have nothing to compare it to. It wasn’t as romantic as I expected it to be, and both of us felt somewhat uncomfortable sitting down on the cold wet surfaces in the room.
I went over to the front desk afterwards and mentioned in a very polite way, that we didn't feel we were adequately informed about how to work the room's controls. Because I didn't wish to argue with the staff member, I left after she implied we didn’t pay attention when the process was explained. I made note of our experience on my comment card, though. This experience won't deter me from going to the spa in the future and your Rasul experience hopefully will be better! But once was enough for me.
Persian Garden
The Rasul treatment room was off of the Persian Garden. There is a fee to use the Persian Garden, and it was not included with the Rasul treatment, so I passed by it, but did not use it. From what I could tell, the area is very small, but people we met who used it seemed to enjoy the heated tile beds and the steam room. There is a similar facility on larger Princess ships, that is bigger and a lot nicer. I used it briefly after my massage on the Diamond Princess and enjoyed it but felt it wasn't worth it for me to pay the daily rate; once was enough.
I am not a germaphobe by any measure, but there is the issue of cleanliness; regardless of cruise line or facility, I just don't feel these places are cleaned often enough. The Persian Garden is a co-ed facility; after seeing a man lay on the tile beds without a towel, I began to wonder how often they come in to sanitize.
Aqua Spa Cafe
The Aqua Spa area, that contains the enclosed thermal pool, also has a buffet style restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. They serve continental breakfast and light lunch salad platters. The choices were very limited and not bad, but not nearly as good as I had been expecting. Food is very subjective, so this is just my opinion. I try to watch what I eat, and found the items offered at lunch to be okay, but not worth the extra effort it took to leave my party behind in the main buffet area.
Entertainment, Activities and Fellow Passengers
I found the entertainment and activities aboard the Millennium to be very good. There was one show every night with two scheduled performances around dinner seating time. We didn’t go to any musical production shows (not our cup of tea) but did attend a couple of variety shows, which I felt were above average. We didn’t spend much time in the casino, though we went in a few times early in the voyage. We went to karaoke, which is always fun, and to the piano bar a few times. The deck party following our last day in port was a lot of fun.
One thing I really like about Celebrity is their guest lecturer program and other thoughtful, albeit entertaining, activities. There was a classically trained artist aboard the ship doing free caricatures. We attended a very interesting and informative wine blending seminar, and even the mixology demonstration (how to make perfect martinis) was entertaining and fun without it going over the top. The people in the spa had their usual demonstrations focused on selling products or services, but Celebrity also had lectures on acupuncture and alternative medicine. There were outdoor activities scheduled as well, such as volleyball, and we never experienced any problems locating a deck lounge chair by the pool. Announcements were kept at a minimum.
Most passengers, from what I could tell, were active professionals who were between the ages of 45-60. There were a few young families on the ship and some senior citizens. We were told that there were 250 kids on the ship the week we sailed as it was a school holiday in many areas of the country – that was considered a lot for the Millennium. We saw a few kids here and there, but never did we observe any problems or large number of kids in groups.
Ports of Call & Shore Excursions
We called on Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s & Celebrity’s private island experience. We took a cab to Isla Verde, a beach resort area near downtown San Juan, and booked shore excursions in the other ports of call.
Puerto Rico
We split a cab with two other couples we met on the cruise to the beach resort area of Isla Verde, about 20 minutes from the pier; it cost us $21 total. We spent 2 hours on the beach – we rented some umbrellas and lounge chairs – kind of expensive - $4 per lounge chair and $10 for the umbrella I think. There was some negotiation going on as to the total cost, and I don’t recall how much was actually paid. But what ever it was, it wasn’t cheap.
It was a nice sunny day and the beach was nice. There were a lot of large hotels along the strip, restaurants and little souvenir stands selling all kinds of trinkets. It was also crowded by the time we arrived at 2pm. We took a cab back to Old San Juan, wandered around town for a while and returned to ship. I didn’t do much shopping, but I heard a lot of people raving about the outlet stores.
Dominican Republic
We were advised by friends to book a shore excursion while in the Dominican Republic, and we were very happy we did! Others we spoke to who got off the ship complained there wasn’t anything to see or do near by, and those that ventured into town regretted doing so.
We went took a party boat snorkeling – a sailing catamaran that wasn’t over crowded. The snorkeling wasn’t the best, but we had a lot of fun, and felt it was a good way to spend the day. The tour lasted all day.
Tortola, BVI
We went scuba diving while in Tortola – to the Wreck of the Rhone. It was another clear, sunny day, perfect for diving. The two tank dive was kind of pricey, but the dive operation did a nice job, and conditions were very good. We were back to the ship by noon; I did a little shopping near the pier after lunch while my husband took a nap.
Labadee
We did another snorkeling excursion while in Labadee. Our tour departed at 9am, and we boarded the boat that took us snorkeling from the Millennium. We were taken to a reef about 15 minutes from Labadee. The snorkeling was excellent – a lot better than expected, though the area has been over fished, so there weren’t a lot of fish.
Captain Club Benefits
Thanks to our past guest status with Royal Caribbean, we were awarded Elite Status in Celebrity Cruises Captain’s Club, the cruise line’s loyalty program. Royal Caribbean is Celebrity’s parent company. We are very familiar with Royal Caribbean’s past guest perks for Diamond Level members – free drinks every night in the Concierge Lounge on ships that have one (all the larger ones do), free foo-foo drink and photo coupons, etc. I was told that Celebrity’s perks are not as good and I tend to agree. However, I felt there were a lot of special activities scheduled for past guests, and those for Elite members were very much appreciated by us. In our stateroom, there was a schedule of activities that listed the activities for the week.
There were several cocktail parties with free drinks, a wine blending seminar, a formal tea, special tours, and although not a guaranteed perk, many Elite members received invitations to dine with the captain or other officers during the week. Our invitation to dine with the captain was probably influenced more by fact that we had been bumped off a cruise than our Elite status, though Regina, the Captain’s Club Hostess said that invitations to eat at the Captain’s Table with an officer were extended to Elite members who had the most cruises with Celebrity (cruises with Royal Caribbean didn’t count). I doubt with two previous cruises with Celebrity, we would have been among the invitees!
The experience to dine with the Captain was unforgettable! We indulged in pre-dinner cocktails, we made our way into the dining room via the grand staircase to applause and we were served three different types of wine paired with the dinner courses. I am so glad I brought along my New Years Eve floor length gown, as everyone present was dressed quite formally! A picture of the Captain’s table was snapped from above and sent to everyone the following day. All the ladies received a red rose at the conclusion of dinner, and a special friendship developed among those in attendance. The Captain hosted only one dinner seating all week, so we all felt very special.
Final Thoughts
Despite some of my negative comments regarding the condition of the ship, I had an awesome vacation aboard the Millennium. It wasn’t perfect by any measure, but how many vacations are? My overall experience, despite a few shortcomings, was good enough to encourage me to book another Celebrity cruise in the near future on a different ship. Some important factors for me included 1) the overall quality of the food - it was significantly better than what we had recently on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Princess; 2) the types of activities offered on days at sea were thoughtful and entertaining – and geared towards adults, not adolescents; 3) nightly entertainment was varied and lounge musicians actually had some talent; 4) Celebrity went to a lot of trouble to insure we had a good time once we got on the ship – don’t forget we were bumped off the Mercury. We got a lot of little treats throughout the voyage and an invitation to eat with the Captain!
A cruise with Celebrity tends to be a little pricier than the other three cruise lines we frequent. However, if you are flexible, there is promotional pricing and regional sales that make a cruise on Celebrity no more expensive than the other cruise lines. All our travel arrangements were coordinated by Celebrity; the air/sea department, the Captain’s Club representative we were dealing with as well as our reservation agent at the cruise line did a fantastic job in turning our initial disappointing experience into a positive one. Little things, like champagne in our cabin at embarkation and nightly treats, for example, made us feel welcome and appreciated. I am not so sure, given our circumstances, that any other cruise line would have done a better job.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any question. Good luck and Bon Voyage!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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Epinions.com ID:
Suzi
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 - Top 200 |
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Location: California
Reviews written: 191
Trusted by: 146 members
About Me:
Suzi is an aspiring travel writer who enjoys scuba diving and volleyball.
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