Millennium Reviews
79 User Reviews of Millennium Cruise Ship
by Curtis Alaska September 7, 2012
1 Review
Publication Date: September 7, 2012
Just got back today (Sept 14/12) from a Celebrity Cruise on Millenium and it was the worst cruise I have ever been on, and have been on several. The food was so so, the varity of the food was poor, our cabin with a deck was tiny, the room was dirty, and the ship was plain. The entertainment was ok, but not great, and the debarkation was a disaster, with 3 ships getting out at the same time in Vancouver in a small area it was crazy. Many people missed flight the line up to get a cab was 500 people long.
Talked to one gal who worked there for 20 years said she never saw it so crazy. The could not get the luggage off the boat, they were backed up for hours. Will never book with this cruise line again. Also spent $150 for a photo package that had 10 photos, they gave me the CD but only let me look at the photos they already printed of us, and if I wanted them also it would cost even more then the $150. They said they would
rather shred the photos then give them to me as part of a package, all I get is the CD.
by icruzalo
1 Review
Publication Date: April 16, 2012
Celebrity Millennium - Construction Cruise not Modern Luxury! This is our first time and also our last time on Celebrity due to poor management handling of various guest experience. 1st day: our in-room safe was not working - once place our valuable in the safe, the battery went out and we were unable to access our safe. The ordeal lasted more than 3 hours - kept on sending different crew member to resolve the problem, but no one could fix it - we ended up not using the safe through the entire cruise and hid our valuable in our suitecase under the bed. Toilet seat loose, almost off its hinges. Veranda is filthy, debris and remnant from previous guest not once cleaned during our 5-day cruise. Requested private table for two for second seating [prearranged 3 months prior to cruise] - was told by Celebrity reservationist to upgrade [by paying more money] to Concierge Class to get better dinner seating request - we agreed to the upsell and paid additional up charge to Concierge Class. First night, we were seated in a large table w/a group of other family - spent
1 hour just to get private table for two as we originally requested - they sat us in a make shift table below stairwell, over looking the bus station, service doors straight into the kitchen. Also, noticed that half of the dining room has brand new carpeting w/rich beautiful red colour, while our section has a drabby brown fading old carpeting. Service staff in general was not very happy or friendly - often expressed that they'll be in dry dock and they won't have any income, but still have to work. They were replying our our tips to support their family [back home]. Buffet cooks were very unfriendly, intimidating and some quite rude and uncaring toward guests, but very nice toward officers and fellow crew members. Construction workers were working through out our entire 5-day cruise - pounding, drilling, scraping, shouting and arguing in public areas through out the ship. The Promenade and Sunrise Deck resembled construction warehouse and lumber yards. Equipments and supplies were placed in public area - lounge chairs were roped off and piled up to accommodate lumber supplies and equipments. Please check out you tube link below to experience what we had to endure through out our cruise:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rHGgwLCpPg
Wrote to Celebrity CEO - letter was intercepted by Sr. Exec. Rep. - not once apologize nor acknowledge the construction concern ... offered $150 CAD toward future cruise on Celebrity. Celebrity expected to compensate our "botched" Western Caribbean Cruise by this offer [we spent this amount just on tips to the crew whenever we cruise on Holland America Lines].
by Schwinkman
1 Review
by Twilder22
1 Review
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
We took a 5 day cruise from Miami FL to Key West FL and Cozumel Mexico on the Celebrity Millennium. We arrived at the port of Miami at 2:45pm. Went thur custom and check-in took 15-20 mins. When we got on the boat the crew welcome us with a complimentary glass of champagne. We then made our way to the top deck(11)to meet the rest of our group(total of 18) and eat lunch. The boat took off around 4:45pm. My mom&I made our way to the room on deck 7(7009 with a window view). The room was nice 2 twin size bed, sitting area with table&chair, pull out sofa. The screen on the 22' LCD tv displayed our first&last name. We thought that was cute.
The overall cruise was boring. The food was OK, entertainment SUCKED as far as the band and dj. Bingo,karaoke, comedy show, broadway at sea show and the night clubs were aight. We(me&my party of 18 which vary from age 23-50yrs)think that the cruise ship is for the older retired non-partying grandma's & grandpa's. The dj knew that everytime he saw us he had to put
on some feel good(electric slide, cupid shuffle)music. On the fourth day which was the sea day four of us started the electric slide no one joined in. So after that song he then played Cupid Shuffle about a quarter half of the pool deck got in on the fun, it was amazin and fun.So we said we will probably never cruise with celebrity again. Our next cruise is this November on Norwegian Sky to the Bahamas. I'm so excited I will post a review about this cruise to. So until next time that's all folks.
by Grover1
1 Review
Publication Date: July 28, 2011
The Inside Passage is a fantastic voyage! However, when the cruise ship stops in Icy Straight Point, avoid any bear excursions (especially with TRECKK Outfitters)... Being experienced adventurers, we booked this excursion way ahead of time with the agreement (with TECKK) that 8 of us would be taken deep into the bush to see bears. We even told our parents they had to stay in town since they were in their late 60s/early 70s and we did not want them to slow us down. Anyhow, we get to the pickup spot and realize to our horror they have booked an 86 year old woman (with a walking cane no less) to go with us. In "shock," eager for adventure and short on time I regret we went on the excursion anyhow. That was a BIG MISTAKE. You see, in addition to booking the cane-wielding 86 year-old, TRECKK Outfitters somehow failed to disclose was that it was the beginning of hunting season! Hence, the chances of actually seeing bears was slim to none - thanks TRECKK! Another HUGE deal is that most of your time is spent riding slowly in a van
on a dirt road 13-15 miles each way. Sightseeing while packed in the van is no crowd pleaser either. In the middle of the last century the Tlingit Indians sold a very large portion of their forest to Asian loggers who decimated the forest. Therefore, all you get to see is what's left of a once beautiful forest: Tree stumps, saplings, long grass and the occasional eagle. The short of it is, the guide stated during our lengthy, slow drive through the stumpy forest that we really couldn't do all we paid to do since we had an elder with us who was quite limited physically. What the..? After peeking through some brush along the river a couple of times, he says, "Who wants to volunteer to stay in that van while we drive and hike to a more technical bear-rich area?" No one raised their hands, not even the elderly lady's daughter! Huh..? We finally convinced the daughter to stay with her elderly mother in the van and saw one bear along the river at a great distance obscured by thick brush (which was spotted by my 12 year-old daughter, not the guide). Don't let them lie to you like they did to us; TRECKK told us they actually have people out there tracking bears and, thus, know where to find them. In reality, bears regularly frequent several spots along the river and TRECKK goes to those same spots over and over and over. Bottom line is TRECKK made it sound very appealing when all they really want is to separate you from your wallet as quickly as possible. When we returned, an owner stuck his head in the van and asked if everyone had a good time. Of course, no one's going to give their honest opinion in front of a nice 86 year-old lady. Once inside the office, another owner got a bit nasty. She did not seem to understand the basis for our disappointment and our assertion that taking an elderly lady 13-15 miles into the Alaskan bush is a bit of a buzz kill, not to mention the potential safety and liability issues. She stated all she could refund despite our dissatisfaction was $20 per person. PALTRY when we paid over $120.00 plus tax per person ($960.00 plus tax in all)! I have blogged several cruise ship websites and filled out several surveys about my experience with TRECKK in Icy Straight Point. Avoid taking any bear excursion while visiting Icy Straight Point. If you do get off the boat, visit the little tourist gift shop, go whale watching, etc. but don't get sucked into any bear excursion with TRECKK. It's a complete waste of time and, more importantly, YOUR money!
by Davd L. Lee
1 Review
Publication Date: January 24, 2011
This was our 14th cruise, but the first on Celebrity. Previous cruise lines have included mostly Princess and the defunct Delta Queen & Orient Lines. It is convenient to compare Celebrity Millennium (1950 Passengers) against Princess since we had followed nearly the same itinerary on Grand Princess (2,600 Pax) the year before.
Also, we just wanted to relax on the ship and nearby shore points. Unlike all previous cruises, Itinerary and Shore Excursions were of very little interest. Climate on the Veranda really was top priority.
We went to the San Juan PR departure port a day early. The Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel has a superb location -- and a staff that can turn over a full house quickly & easily on cruise days (which is nearly every day in San Juan.) But their food service should be avoided due to poor materials. The Ti-juana Restaurant across the street provided an excellent Mexican Dinner and Four-Piece Mariachi Band.
Celebrity’s highly-regarded food and service came through superbly – except for the frustrating inadequacy and errors of their verbal communications:
The ship itself is beautifully designed with many striking, beautiful, and/or functional features. For example superior use of sculpture, shape and color, no sense of crowding, and reliably-fast elevators. (Not the 2009, always-broken elevators on Grand Princess.) Food: Over 90% of both complex and ordinary dishes were unusually delicious. Buffet and Dining Room Staff were plentiful and immediately helpfully-attentive to Wife Christine who walked slowly with a cane. Purser / “Guest Relations” Staff were uncharacteristically friendly and helpful. The Director of Food & Beverage fixed diluted Manhattan Cocktails – immediately. Entertainers were brilliant: Amy Abler (Piano) played 50% more notes than I have ever heard in the “Pennsylvania & Beer Barrel Polkas” – lying with her back on the floor ! Kathleen and her Four Saints impressively covered Patsy Cline, Peggy Lee, and many other girl singers during Happy Hour. Happily the Maitre‘de gave us Dinner-Table Companions who were exceptional: Three veteran Commercial Pilots and their excellent wives who were all a lot of fun, very interesting, and quite accepting of us.All of the above were at least 1½ Stars above Princess. The following Information Services were Two Stars below Princess:
Pre-Cruise, Easy-to-Read, Shore-Tour Information was difficult to get. Mail requests were not honored, and internet downloads were bewildering in format and length. Upon boarding you are given a MICROSCOPIC Deck Plan. An ordinary, hand-held, Magnifying Glasses is not enough. Guest Relations managed to print out an 11 X 14 inch Deck Plan which showed Buffet Deck 10 pathways which were actually walled off. “Conservatory” sign pointing the wrong way on Deck 11. The daily paper described one island as: “20 miles wide and 6 miles long” (a Third-Grader’s view of a map). Loudspeaker announcements gave wrong times for events. The Cabin TV set could not be tuned to a specific channel – you have to step through all 25. Nor does it display an adequate “Menu for Interactive-Ordering of Room-Service Food”. The Concierge Class promise of a Daily Room-Service Menu was denied by the Cabin Attendant (who was just returning from a “Honeymoon in Tunisia”). In the middle of the Cruise, a tired Bath Mat appeared: Woven Lettering “Celebrity Cruises X Concierge Class”, faded four shades, a hole worn in it, and three bites out of the edge. The Final Insult was the usual detailed Statement of On-Board Charges, slipped under the cabin door on the final night: Three pages, covering some 80 items, in miniature, 6-point type, printed with a minimum of ink.SUMMARY: Overall, we very much enjoyed our trip and thought it was worthwhile. Celebrity is a great value. We just wish they had an old-fashioned, AT&T-Type Service Observer on their Public Information Channels.
Chris & Dave Lee, McLean, Virginia
by Dave Inch
1 Review
Publication Date: November 23, 2008
Check-in was smooth and easy in Auckland. We checked in a couple of hours early, checked out our stateroom and went back ashore for an hour or so.
Our stateroom was clean, except for some mildew in the shower. Shortage of hangers and no corded hair dryer -- just a wall-mount in the bathroom that my wife can't use, but our stateroom attendant, Santanos, looked after both quickly.
We had Concierge Class service -- fresh fruit and (small) canapes in our room every day. On time and fresh. I have seen reviews that some people did not get these every day, but we did, without exception. Our cabin was always kept clean and neat by the service staff.
We found all staff on the ship to be courteous and pleasant. There didn't seem to be a change in their attitude after the tips were handed out (which I had seen reported in another review). Food got a bit tiresome by the end, but there is lots to choose from. Don't forget the poolside grill and the AquaSpa grill for a bit of a change.
The ship is clean, but not as finished as
the Jewel of the Seas we travelled on a couple of years ago. Some things, like draperies and towels, are starting to show their age. The gym equipment is all in excellent shape -- all working and all leather unworn.The TV picture on every regular TV on the ship was off-colour due to the fact that we were in the southern hemisphere and the TVs were set up for northern hemisphere. LCD TVs in the lounges and gym worked fine.
Our dining room service was nothing short of spectacular. Our waiter, Dimitar, is just about to be promoted to assistant maitre d' so he knew his stuff and advised us of what entrees to avoid and what was really good. He made arrangements for creme brulé for one of our tablemates every night, even though it was only on the menu for one of the nights, and when one of the people at our table couldn't find something they liked on the menu, he got something from the Olympic restaurant for them.
Drinks on board were expensive but we brought a bottle of rum in our checked bags and some wine in our backpack (when we went back ashore in AKL and again in Napier) and no one questioned us, even though the documentation says that they will make you walk the plank if you do bring liquor aboard. No need to go to great efforts to hide it, at least for us. The soda card is pricey at $70. Grab a 2 litre bottle at the occasional port if you don't want to pay $5 per day for soda.
One hidden value for beer is the aft bar on deck 10 where a pint (maybe not quite a pint) of Heineken draft is only $4.75. I recall that just a 12 oz/350 ml bottle elsewhere on the ship was about the same price.
I did take one of the bottles of wine I brought on board to the dining room and paid the $25 corkage. I probably wouldn't do this with a cheap bottle of wine but I had a very nice and fairly expensive wine so it was a lot cheaper than what I would have paid for the same wine on board.
Entertainment was very good. The ship's singers and dancers put on great shows and the string quartet on board was excellent and seemed to play from from late afternoon through dinner and afterwards in various places on the ship.
Shore excursions on this trip were VERY expensive if booked through the ship. Generally 2 to 3 times what you could pay by organizing it yourself. Many ports require a shuttle to get from the port to the main city/town. Celebrity offered a (pay) shuttle bus service but, in most cases, you could use public transit, walk or get a cheaper/faster ride in a cab (if you had 4 to travel with).
We missed Milford Sound due to very high winds, but saw Dusky and Doubtful. Incredible scenery. Make sure you go on deck for these -- it's just not the same from the Cosmos or your balcony.
The itinerary we signed up for showed an 8 AM arrival in Melbourne with a 6PM departure the next day. On our final itinerary papers arrival had changed to 8 PM, which we did not see until part way through the voyage when someone mentioned the loss of a day in Melbourne. We were not happy with this change and have submitted a complaint to Celebrity. This cruise already had 4 sea days in it and the 5th was not welcome, especially since the weather was still a bit cool, just short of the summer down there, and sitting by the pool involved blankets.
Arrival in Sydney is spectacular. Docking is at 7, but you get to the harbour mouth at about 5, so get up for it. I thought 5:30 would be early enough, but it's not quite. Still had the opportunity to enjoy the last mile or so of the entry. The approach to the bridge and opera house are everything you imagine they might be.
The ship parks right between the bridge and opera house at the international terminal so everything is really close by.
In Sydney, make sure you do the bridge climb. It's not cheap, but everyone asks you if you did it on your return. Also, if you're a walker, take the bus from the quay to Bondi Beach and walk to Coogee Beach, then bus back. About a 2 hour walk.
Debarkation was smooth (no extensive customs procedures, and no favouritism for particular nationalities as in FLL or MIA). We had a flight out at noon, so took a train (station at the end of the quay -- a 3 minute walk) that runs every 15 minutes to the airport (15 minute ride) for about AU$20 per person. If you have more than 2 people a cab is about the same price per person.
Oh, we awoke on the last day to no electricity (no light, no water, no flush), a fact which seemed to be lost on staff walking around when I went up to the dining room to investigate. They greeted me like nothing was wrong! The stateroom staff had to download all baggage by hand after about 1am, so I felt good that I had my stuff out by 11. Obviously hot breakfast was out of the question, but the kitchen staff had ample food out in the morning, given the circumstances. Eventually, power was restored, just in time to have a shower and debark.
We had paid a fuel surcharge (US$140 per person), which, at the time of our booking, seemed reasonable, given the price of oil. By the time we sailed, however, the price of oil had fallen to less than 1/3 of its peak and my enquiries about a rebate were not considered. I think a rebate or credit should have been in order.
This is a great trip if you like to walk -- each of the cities visited had great walking self-tours and hop-on/hop-off buses. It is not like a Caribbean cruise, but that was actually quite refreshing. Souvenirs are available if you want them, you are not inundated with hawkers at every stop.
Overall, I'd give the Cruise Line a 6, the ship a 7, food a 7 and the staff a 9.
by Joyce Shavers
1 Review
Publication Date: August 14, 2008
I have had a terrible experience with Celebrity. I had planned a family reunion with 27 people on Celebrity's Alaskan cruise. When I was told that infants under 6 months of age are not permitted, I reached out to Celebrity's Special Needs Department. I spoke with several supervisors, none of who could explain their policy and respond to my question as to why the threshold is 6 versus 5 months (our baby would have been 5 months old by the time of the cruise).
It was utterly impossible to engage in a meaningful conversation as each of them reiterated, "It's the policy and we don't make exceptions," as the response no matter the question asked. At one point, a Celebrity representative explained that the policy made sense because "babies don't make the decision about whether to cruise, so we (i.e., Celebrity) have to look out for the interests of the baby." When I requested to speak with the person who created the policy, to gain a better understanding, the response was, "He will not speak to you -- he's a Vice President."
I recognize that companies must have policies, but they should make
sense and customer-interfacing representatives ought to be able to explain them. I have less of an issue with the policy itself -- my issue is with the lack of competence and professionalism on Celebrity's part. For example, one of the more senior supervisors, Travis, promised to research the issue and call me on August 5. When I called to follow up on August 12, I was told I would receive a return phone call in a few minutes. I did not receive a call from Travis until August 21, over 2-1/2 weeks later. He claimed to have needed extra time to look into the matter. I respect a person's need for more time, but as a matter of good business protocol, he should have called me no later than August 5, as promised, and he should have updated me on the status of my request.If you are considering Celebrity, but have special requests or needs, I would caution you against cruising with them based on my experience.
by Wally
3 Reviews
Publication Date: April 19, 2008
Returning to Celebrity Cruises after a number of years absence (sailed on Zenith six cruises) was somewhat of a disappointment. Since Celebrity Cruises was acquired by RCL, Celebrity has lost some of its gleam, no longer the fine Greek cruise line of the past. That being said, onto the position cruise on the Celebrity Millennium during April 2008.
The Millennium now eight years old is in need of a complete refurbishment from top to bottom, everything is worn and dated from the staterooms to the public areas and mostly the outside areas need maintenance.
Since either Carnival, RCL or NCL own the bulk of the cruise lines these days, the past grandeur of cruising with its service, excellent food, above average entertainment and traditional aspects, Celebrity Cruise Lines has joined the ranks of generic -- and I mean generic everything -- I truly missed the wonderful cruising experiences I had on numerous cruises on Celebrity's Zenith pre-RCL and miss Celebrity's touches a lot.
Embarkation at Ft. Lauderdale was quick and easy, since after 40 plus cruises I ignored the request by Celebrity to board after 1pm and arrived at the pier about 11am.
Buffet lunch
on the Lido deck the day of departure was nothing special and remained so for the entire 15 day cruise.Late sitting in the main dining room has its advantages and my waiter and wine staff were very attentive and dining was unhurried. The food is another review (good to fair) and I will avoid boring you in this review about what needs to be fixed. One bright spot is the Olympic Restaurant ($30 per person), where the service and food was a throwback to the "good old days" of cruising (thank you Royal Viking Line and Crystal Cruises) which was standard for them.
Entertainment is abundant each evening throughout the ship and most is good to very good. One exception is the production show "Classic" in the main show facility. The production was too highbrow for the audience and most left the performance before its end.
My stateroom (7003) was the surprise of the cruise because I selected the cabin overlooking the bow of ship for the Panama Canal transit since the Millennium has no forward outside observation areas. Anyhow, the cabin was the size of a mini suite on most ships (approx 230 sq feet) and had a huge four foot diameter window facing the bow.
Since this was a "position cruise" the ports of call were not important, the star was the Panama Canal and after eight transits the canal never ceases to excite me. What a wonderful day it is doing the transit.
I would have liked to have had a couple or three more ports of call added to the itinerary to break up the four 2 and 3 days each sea legs. The ports of call were nothing to speak about particularily in Mexico. Acapulco is tired, PV is better and poor Cabo, it is a tourist nightmare.
Debarkation in San Francisco was as good as can be expected given that in SF the pier is run by the local unions at their pace. I had to ask to leave the ship 45 minutes after my assigned time in order to get my luggage, taxi to the airport and make my return flight to Southern California.
All in all, Celebrity still outshines Carnival, NCL and Princess and is on a par with Holland America and RCL. Would I cruise again with Celebrity? The answer is YES and as a matter of fact I am taking the new ship Celebrity Solstice on her first scheduled Transatlantic/Mediterrean cruise in April 2009. Also have a group taking the Celebrity Mercury roundtrip from the west coast to Hawaii in November 2008 (looking forward to seeing the Mercury again, it has been 8 years since I sailed on her).
by Mike
8 Reviews
Publication Date: March 2, 2008
Embarkation This cruise departed from Fort Lauderdale and we arrived at the port about 2PM. There were already plenty of people at the pier, but we had no problem getting through the check in process. Within 30 minutes we were onboard the ship and we were able to go directly to the staterooms. Was a little dissappointed that our luggage took as long as it did to get to the cabin. The boat drill was done at 6PM and while waiting for the drill on the balcony, we could actually see our bags still sitting in one of the bag cars on the pier. It was about 8PM when our bags finally arrived to the cabin.
Stateroom We had a balcony cabin, port side forward. The cabin was nearby to stairs and elevator bank, so it was always convenient to get to pool deck or below decks. Our stateroom attendant was great!! He made sure everything was acceptable and did a great job throughout the week to ensure our satisfaction.
The bed was great, except I will never get used to the rounded corners that they seem to use on the
beds. Was actually quite suprised at the size of the bathroom. The shower was bigger than any other cruise I had been on and was a pleasant suprise to be able to turn around without bumping against the walls.Dining Rooms/Food The food was excellent. We ate in the dining rooms 4 nights and then ate in the buffet area the other evenings. Not sure which I enjoyed more!!! The buffet food was excellent each time we ate there. The only thing that probably made the dining room better was the personalized attention from the waiter. Breakfast in the buffet was also very good and had a wide variety of options each morning. Had lunch two days in the spa cafe, which offered healthier selections. It was unbelievalbe!!
Crew and Ship Shape Dru, the CD was great and very personable. Ran into him the first day and he took the time to talk and welcome us aboard. He also acknowledged us later in the week when we bumped into him again! The rest of the crew was also great and always did what it took to ensure you were satisfied. One night the bartender had to run to get another bottle to make my drink. He apologized numerous times for making me wait! Likewise, Luka at the pool bar was an exceptional bartender, both during the daytime and evening events held poolside.
The ship was in excellent condition. The crew does a great job keeping it clean and well maintained. The public areas were in great shape and you would never know that the ship was as old as it was. Everything looked brand new.
The casino was good and I won some money back by the end of the week, so that was a good thing!
The only complaint that I really had was that they were selling the soda package before the ship left port, but they had no cups! They continued to sell the packages and said we would get the cups the next day while in port in Key West, but we never got them. However, the bartenders just filled up a glass for us anytime we wanted. The larger cups would have been handier as we wouldn't have had to go back to get refills as often.
Ports of Call Key West: We just walked Duvall Street and did some shopping there.
Grand Cayman: We decided to take the tour out to Hell and back. It was very entertaining.
Cozumel: Fifth visit here, so we stayed onboard the ship and took advantage of the spa that day.
Belize City: We did the canopy tour and had a blast on the zip lines. Only disappointment was that we were not there long enough and when we got back to the port from the tour, all the shops had closed and the last tender was waiting to take us back to the ship.
Debarkation This went very smooth as we were on a departure prior to noon, and we were one of the first groups off the ship. However, getting a cab to the airport proved to be a challenge as the taxi stand guys were not taking people first come, first served. It took probably an additional 25 minutes to get out of the port than it should have taken due to the line for cabs and some people walking right up to the front of line and getting a cab ahead of others.