DCPIV

Most certainly. We've kept in touch, visited, and cruised with folks that we've met on cruises. We've even kept in touch with a couple of bartenders! 

I'll tell you that checking in is far, far easier to do on the app than on a laptop. If you have your passport and vaccine card handy, you'll have it done and dusted in a few minutes. Also, as noted above, the app lets you choose an arrival time as the first thing you do, while the website requires you to enter all your info first. 

The app also might allow you to check in earlier than the website. That happened when I checked in a few days ago. I was able to check in via the app even though there was no active link on the website. 

15 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Will post about my full day later/tomorrow, but I had just had to post that the only child I have seen on this ship looks too young to have been vaccinated. I saw him last night passing through the Rendezvous Lounge with his family. He was not wearing a mask. Right now he is in the hot tub in the Solarium without a mask. Isn't the Solarium also supposed to be adults only?

14 hours ago, BoundForSea said:

yup.

13 hours ago, CruisnDeb said:

 

Website states "All crew and guests who are eligible to be vaccinated must be vaccinated in order to sail with us. All guests 2 and over must present a negative Covid-19 test prior to sailing." so I would assume he was exempt from the vaccination requirement and had a negative COVID test.  But he absolutely should not be in the Solarium.

Millennium has some "family hours" in the Solarium. I noticed the sign yesterday. 4-7 PM.

I miss that Martini Bar crew! They are great on Millennium, but the guys on Summit are a cut above! 

I have no idea why that crazy long post to nearly 45 minutes to show up, but I'll chalk it up to wonky ship wifi. 😉

Anyhow, while I have a moment, allow me to make an observation. I'm not sure I like this short cruise. I know plenty do, but it's not really for me. There's a sort of sense of urgency running through the whole thing and throughout the passengers. Events have to be crammed into the schedule in such a way that they are held at odd times and create conflicts. 

Don't get me wrong, now. I'm having a mighty good time, and I'm very glad to be here. However, it's not quite my pace.

Of course, that's not to say that I won't do it again sometime. 😉

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

You have no idea how relieved I was to see your post about the full body mirror! 🤣

That was a very pleasant surprise, especially the fact that DW and I pointed to that very spot in our room on Summit and said "that's a perfect place for a mirror." It's almost like they listened! 🤣

Howdy! It's the last day here, and it's been a nice one. 

Once I left the room, I was back at Café al Bacio for my espresso and croissant. It was good and busy today! All the tables in the raised area were taken, as were many others. 

Then, it was one more go- round at the spa. I'm going to miss Sharleen and her magic hands! 

In a few minutes, I'll sit down for some sushi or ramen or something along those lines. It'll be my first visit in there for this cruise, and I'm looking forward to it. 

Yesterday did turn out to be a good day,  but it took a little doing to get there. First, I had to deal with an issue in my account when I noticed my balance was off. Not all my OBC was applied, somehow. It was resolved quickly and easily enough, but that still was a little unsettling (mostly because it took me a couple days to notice). 

I got over it just fine, though, as the next thing to happen was that great spa appointment and giant hunk of beef. 

Later on, something rather unexpected happened while I was having a great conversation with a fellow at the Martini Bar. He mentioned that his grandmother passed away from a stroke. I don't recall how the conversation got there, but it was a perfectly appropriate thing to mention at the time. No problem there. However, it hit me in a way neither of us could have expected.

Those who followed my last live review may recall that I received some bad news during that sailing. A friend died suddenly from a stroke. When the fine gent made his perfectly acceptable and innocent comment, it kinda "triggered" me, so to speak. I can only expect that had something to do with being back on board. While I felt it at the moment, I don't think I really understood what was going on until I started thinking about my late friend while I was at dinner. 

Don't worry, this has a pretty good ending. Like before on Summit, one of the Retreat Concierges came to my rescue without even knowing. After I was done with dinner, I had about an hour to kill before the show, so I went to the Retreat Lounge. Patricia was in there, and we started chatting. The next thing I know, I'm rambling about all sorts of things. I'm going on and on about my wife, my kids, my dog, and I don't even remember what else (but I did not mention my friend). Patricia was kind enough to just listen to me. I needed that more than I knew. I left feeling much lighter. 

What I saw of the show was spectacular. The acrobats were amazing. Unfortunately, I left at 9:30 for the Macallan tasting. While I enjoyed the company and conversation, the tasting itself left much to be desired. The Lumina was pretty good, but I was less impressed with the other two NAS expressions. Once it was all done, I kind of felt like I overpaid for a few samples and a bit of advertising. I would've been much better off watching the rest of the show. I really do need to be fair, though. The bartender conducting the testing certainly knew his stuff, and we talked more about whisk(e)y afterwards. 

I had a number of other great conversations with a number of passengers and crew throughout the day and night, and then I ended the day on the balcony before retiring a good deal later than I should've. I could sleep in (and did), so not a big deal. 

Alrighty. Sake is here, and sushi is on the way. World Wine Tasting is after lunch. I have no idea what's after, but I suppose I have to pack at some point. 

Rogelio was my Retreat Host on both my Summit cruises. He's terrific. You drew well! 

5 hours ago, GenerationX said:

If you find time to share more of your thoughts on Retreat experience on Millennium vs. Summit I would love to hear more.

It's pretty much the same with subtle differences. Different crew of course, but the ships and what they offer are virtually identical. 

The food seemed better on Summit, but it's not like the food here isn't quite good. Variations also can be just because of supplies. Last night's rack of lamb was rather disappointing, though. Still, I managed, but I probably should have gone with the lamb chops from Blu. 

There are a few other differences in Luminae, as well. Summit had a true sommelier, Genesis, and she nearly always brought a list. Jelena on Millennium is a Wine Steward, although every bit as knowledgeable. I've never seen her bring a wine list to anyone, and I've asked. I don't know if they even have one. I honestly don't mind, though, as her suggestions have been excellent. 

So, I suppose I slightly prefer Summit, but I also don't mind the lack of mirror in the RS. 🤣

You'll very much enjoy the opportunity to decide for yourself! 

As mentioned, I would expect you would get a refund. However, the worst thing that can happen is some OBC.

All I can say that, if it was a mistake to choose spa over snorkeling, then it could only be a small mistake. That was quite nice. 

I wanted to grab a snack after, so I popped into Oceanview. I couldn't pass up the carvery. I asked for a small piece and got . . .

a good 14 ounces or so of rib roast and a couple tablespoons of horseradish.

I do love cruising. ❤ 

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I have been doing the same on recent cruises with lots of OBC.   We always tip extra to those who have done more than just their job.    The Retreat Host even said she could put the employee number on it if I wished.   I've done it on 4 cruises now and usually the next day the staff member thanks me for the generosity.  

That's what I did on my recent Summit cruise. The last thing I did before going back to the room to finish packing and hitting the rack was to visit Guest Services and zero out my account with the gratuities form.

I hope the same music acts are on board. That was some of the best music I've ever heard on a ship. 

Oh, I meant to note a few other things that are different on Millennium from Summit. First and foremost, there's a full length mirror in the suite, and it's right where we thought they ought to have one on Summit. 

Doesn't that make sense? 

The room also has a cleaner, less cluttered feel to it. A lot of those tchotchkes are either gone or less conspicuously placed. There are none on the bathroom shelves at all. 

But there must be balance in all things. The safe is down about at knee level and in a cabinet. 

I don't much care for that. While I'm not likely to leave the ship without taking my stuff from the safe, it's still more likely to happen when it's hidden behind a door. However, the much larger issue is that I have to crouch down to open and close the thing. Now, I'm fine with crouching and hope to be for at least a few years, but many are not. It's much better located on the chest level shelf (as it was on Summit).

I want to finish with something nice to say, and that's actually quite easy to do around here. Millennium is another lovely ship with another wonderful crew. It's good to be aboard.

Good morning from Café al Bacio!

We're in Cozumel, today, but I'm just staying on board, as I did choose the quieter day and spa over snorkeling. That was easily taken care of. I went to the Retreat Lounge and handed my ticket to Patricia (one of the Concierges). A few moments later, the excursion was cancelled and refunded. No worries at all. 

Last night was a quieter night, as well. Dinner in Luminae was simple and pleasant. In lieu of dessert, I popped into the Rendezvous Lounge for a bit of music and Fernet Branca. My plan was to try and catch the USA v. Mexico World Cup qualifier in the Casino Bar, but I started feeling a little tired, so it was just back to the room. 

Well, not straight back. I had to stop by Cellar Masters. Just had to, y'know? I grabbed a Johnny Walker Blue, something I do every several years or so just to see if I'm ever impressed by it. Cruising is a good time for it because the upcharge tends to be relatively inexpensive.

I think it's been a little more than 5 years since I last tried some. Yeah, I still don't get it. My Highland Park 12 is just as good and more to my liking, and it's 1/4th the price of JW Blue. 

So, back to the room to catch the game. DW and I chatted a little, and I got comfy on the couch with that Highland Park. The next thing I know, it's nearly midnight. The match is over, and sailing is on the TV. It seems I was more tired than I thought! 🤣 I felt it best to enjoy the rest of what would be a good night's sleep in bed. 

It's been a nice, slow morning. I've had my espresso and croissant. Spa time is a little more than an hour away. Today promises to be a good one. 

I meant to mention this yesterday, but Millennium has a better windowed area in the Retreat Lounge than Summit does. You're still in the mostly utilitarian bar area, but you don't feel like you're sitting at the kids' table.

What was it Thurber said about Martinis? One is just right, two is too many, and three is not enough. 

James Thurber never went on a cruise ship, did he? If he did, he'd know there's no such thing as "too many" and "not enough" while cruising. 😉

Thanks for keeping the live review going! 

It's been a quiet day on Lake Millennium. 

I enjoyed sleeping in this morning and then some quality balcony time. There's nothing like a shady balcony while underway, and I'm loathe to waste it. 

After that, I had a magnificent massage and grabbed a detox smoothie before lunch. Gotta make room for all those, lovely, delicious toxins to come! 

As reported earlier, I was turned away at Sushi on 5 because I didn't have a reservation. I didn't see that coming! Frankly, I'm glad to see them so busy. I think I even smiled a little when the Maitre d' told me that. So, I made a reservation for lunch on the final day and bebopped down to Luminae for a nice piece of salmon and great view of Cuba. 

That's the same view from the window but taken from out on the deck.

I've been enjoying a Newkie Brown at the pool since and chatting with folks about this and that. Things certainly are returning to normal. Someone finally sat in the hot tub that was empty for nearly 30 minutes! 

There has been a hiccup, though. My spa appointment for tomorrow was moved from 3 PM to 11:45 AM. That means I have to choose between my snorkeling trip and the spa, as there was no other suitable time to reschedule. I must be honest and say that I kinda want to sleep in again, anyhow, so this is something of a blessing in disguise. 

In fact, I owe a great debt of gratitude to @twins_to_alaska both for reaching out to me in Luminae and then listening to my rambling for far too long. Thank you! 

6 hours ago, FLCruiser97 said:

Living it up in Paradise and you haven't even left the dock.

Heck, yeah! It's only four nights! Ain't no time to waste! 

The word is that there are about 970 guests on board, so things are bustling a good deal more than the last two cruises (450 and 265 on Summit). For Pete's sake, I had to wait a good seven minutes or so for my Martini! 

Now, I'd be lying like an old, fat dog if I were to say I didn't enjoy the ultra-low capacity experience, but I'm very glad to see more onboard. In fact, I enjoy it. Seeing and meeting others is one of the reasons we enjoy cruising.

Thank you! 

I crossed the threshold at 11:34, and all is well! 

I'm currently chock full of Luminae Burger, malbec, negroni, and espresso. In a few minutes, I'll have all that squeezed out of me via massage. 

It's a lovely cruise. 

It's been a nice morning! I did my best to sleep in, and then I just killed time until it was time to get to the port. I arrived about 10:45--terribly early, but I had nothing better to do. A porter took my luggage and escorted me to the Retreat entrance. A nice lady checked my papers and told me to head to the elevators. 

I guess I took the wrong one, because I ended up in the general boarding check-in. I didn't realize that at first, so I just went with the flow. Something didn't seem quite right after a little while, so I asked and was escorted to the Retreat waiting area. No worries, although it's a much more comfortable area! 

About to board! More later! 

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Good thing I was reading on AA today that they have eliminated change fees if you rebook lower they give you a credit toward a future flight.    Celebrity charges $200 so in my mind under most circumstances are pricing themselves out of my business.   

I imagine that, if they were truly honest, Celebrity wouldn't care to be in that business. 

49 minutes ago, TreeCity said:

Is this off the double price?  If so then the 50% second person is still a better deal?

If you want to sublet the other half of your bed, sure. 😉

59 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

We’re on the Millennium now and we’re trying to get the Millennium to you in good shape.  Other than the fact that we lost a lifeboat/tender along the way, she’s in great shape.  I think you’ll have a great cruise.

I hear that we can do without the lifeboat. Thanks for not wrecking her beyond that! 🤣