FunInTheSun9

My nine page review of our 2016 Alaska cruise on the Millennium, with 27 photos has now been posted on the cruisecritic review page. Here is a link. Be sure to look at the photos individually, as they have descriptions telling you what you are looking at. I hope you find this helpful. Many thanks to those who helped me here over my 9-month planning period. Enjoy!

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=535553&et_cid=2633025&et_rid=85410920&et_referrer=Boards_Million_Member_Newsub

For anyone interested in how a turnaround day works for B2B cruisers, here is the Information Sheet/FAQs that Celebrity provided to us on our recent B2B Alaska sailing on the Millennium in May 2016. The process is straightforward and convenient. In net: You either walk off (they will take your old seapass and give you a new one) and right back onto the ship at 9:15am, or you can leave by 9:15am (again, they'll swap your seapass) and return to the ship anytime after embarkation begins. You will skip the security process using a transit pass they will provide to you. If you are switching rooms, you pack all items EXCEPT those on hangers and they will move your bags and hung garments for you (they use a hotel-type dolly). You leave everything in your room, no bags go out the night before. Doesn't get any easier than that!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=9914F0610AA0189!1282&authkey=!AGq0_W8LnyxSojU&ithint=file%2cpdf

In the past I have used fellow cruisers postings of the daily in-cabin newsletters to help plan my own activities in advance of our cruise, so I don't have to take much time reading through them during my vacation. However, I could not find any here on the forums for our Alaska Cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. So, for anyone like me that likes to look at the newsletters in advance of your sailing, here are the daily newsletters from our recent cruise on the Celebrity Millennium's SOUTHBOUND sailing on May 20th-27th, 2016. I have also posted the May 12th-20th Northbound dailies separately (we went B2B).

Also, I will soon be posting a review of our experience while on the Millennium for 15 days, and I plan to add a link to it here in a reply below once it is ready.

I hope you find this helpful. Relish in your planning - it is half the fun!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=9914F0610AA0189!1283&authkey=!AJfYDIfDQjzhC_8&ithint=file%2cpdf

In the past I have used fellow cruisers postings of the daily in-cabin newsletters to help plan my own activities in advance of our cruise, so I don't have to take much time reading through them during my vacation. However, I could not find any here on the forums for our Alaska Cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. So, for anyone like me that likes to look at the newsletters in advance of your sailing, here are the daily newsletters from our recent cruise on the Celebrity Millennium's NORTHBOUND sailing from May 12th-20th, 2016. I will also post the May 20th-27th Southbound dailies separately (we went B2B).

PLEASE NOTE: The Millennium's first sailing of the Alaska season includes and extra port to "reposition" her on a Friday-Friday schedule, so this particular sailing was for 8 days rather than the regular 7, and included a call on the port of Sitka. Sitka will not be in the northbound sailings for the remainder of the 2016 season. FYI.

Also, I will soon be posting a review of our experience while on the Millennium for 15 days, and I plan to add the a link to it here in a reply below once it is ready.

I hope you find this helpful. Relish in your planning - it is half the fun!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=9914F0610AA0189!1281&authkey=!ADfwFY-OFPc21R4&ithint=file%2cpdf

Alaska is funny weather-wise. For example, in Juneau you can have rain, sun, and snow going on at the same time in different parts of the city. Makes forecasting a bit tough. Net: Plan for all types of weather, as you'll likely experience a bit of everything. You will have a great time in Alaska, and the weather will enhance your experience no matter what it is.

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CABIN #: Millennium 3114

DECK #: 3

CLASS: 6

AREA: mid-ship

BED NEAR: Right wall upon cabin entry

QUIET?: Debatable, see comments below

BALCONY VIEW: N/A

BALCONY SIZE: N/A

WIND A PROBLEM?: N/A

SOOT A PROBLEM?: N/A

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS:

We are now on the 5/20/2016 Southbound sailing on the Millennium and we have cabin 3114. There IS noise in this cabin. It sounds like a diesel truck is idling 10 yards away outside the window. Not a very loud noise, but it is there. The sound is there 24x7, even in port. This is very strange, because we sailed northbound the week prior in cabin 3116 next door, and it was so quiet - a fantastic cabin. Cabin 3114 is directly in front of the entry to the hallway were these cabins are located. All of the cabins in this area have extra large 5 foot diameter windows and were installed in the 2012 refurb. Opposite the hallway entry is a decorative wall in the main hallway that you can hear large machinery behind if you listen closely. Apparently this effects only cabin 3114, as our neighbors in 3112 hear nothing, and we heard nothing while in 3116 the prior week. We did advise the ship's staff, though I suspect this is simply the nature of this room. So, we basically ignore the noise and do our best to enjoy our vacation, but if you are noise sensitive then this may not be the best cabin for you.

what is the normal time to be able to walk off the ship on arrival in port.

 

 

 

thanks

Our express walk off time (with luggage on hand) on the Millie on Vancouver is scheduled for 7:30am.

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Anybody that has purchased the photo package what did you pay & what did it include?

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Tom[emoji3]

Here are the photo package prices on the Millie the past two weeks. They take $100 off the highest package if purchased in the first two days.

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Great! Are MikeyLive and Milos Radakovitch onboard as enrichment lecturers?

Milos is on the Millie. He started with her in Vancouver on 5/12 and has been on board since. ...no MikeyLive on the Millie.

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I currently have cabin 3116 booked on the Infinity, which is an adjoining cabin near the front of the block of "new" Oceanview cabins that were built in 2012 across from the Conference centre on deck 3.

 

There are a few non-adjoining cabins available at the back of the block of "new" cabins...from 3136 onward.

 

Can anyone tell me if the adjoining cabins in that block of "new" cabins have any noise issues? I would rather be further forward if noise isn't a factor, but if you can hear your neighbours in adjoining cabins, I would probably move to one of the non-adjoining cabins further back.

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated. :)

We are now on the 5/20/2016 Southbound sailing on the Millennium and we have cabin 3114. There IS noise in this cabin. It sounds like a diesel trunk is idling 10 yards away outside the window. Not a very loud noise, but it is there. The sound is there 24x7, even in port. This is very strange, because we sailed northbound the week prior in cabin 3116 next door, and it was so quiet - a fantastic cabin. Cabin 3114 is directly in front of the entry to the hallway were these cabins are located. Opposite the hallway entry is a decorative wall in the main hallway that you can hear large machinery behind if you listen closely. Apparently this effects only cabin 3114, as our neighbors in 3112 hear nothing, and we heard nothing while in 3116 the prior week. We did advise the ship's staff, though I suspect this is simply the nature of this room. So, we basically ignore the noise and are our best to enjoy our vacation, but if you are noise sensitive then this may not be the best cabin for you.

(Photos were taken from your friends on the departing Celebrity Millennium)

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Here's a couple more Millie photos prior to sailing from Seward on 5/20. She is all spiffy and sparkly since coming out of her dry dock on 5/12...

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Here are 5/12 and 5/20 Millie sailing photos while at the Hubbard Glacier...both days were spectacular. Enjoy!

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Sporting a pretty new paint job. She glimmers!

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We are booked in these deck 3 OV cabins for our Alaska cruise on the Millie next month (May 2016): #3116 northbound, and then #3114 southbound. These cabins were installed back in the 2012 drydock, they are staterooms #3112-3144. As previously posted, the area used to be where the theater and a reading area was. They are located midship to aft (between the mid & aft elevators) on the starboard/right side of the ship. They have their own hallway, which keeps things very quiet. The windows in these OVs are 5 foot in diameter rather than a typical OV's 4 feet (look at photos on the outside right of the ship, you will see them quite plainly). Due to this there is no shelf in the window, but the larger size is preferable IMHO. The cabins are also 20-40sq ft larger than a normal OV (the first and last cabins being 40sq ft, due to the way the door opens into the hallway). These are category 6 cabins - which is odd considering they are so nice. I can only figure that the reason they are not Cat 5 or 4 is because they are on deck 3 rather than a higher deck, but the location is really superior: near elevators, dining, martini bar, grand foyer, guest relations, wine cellar, Tuscan grill (new after April 2016 drydock), cafe al bacio, rendevous lounge, shops, bistro on five, MDR...you get the idea. We turned down a free upgrade to a Cat 5 OV cabin on deck 6 to keep our #3114 cabin. No noise, spacious, larger, big window, convenient location, great cat 6 fare value - what's not to like!

Hello! We have a choice of either cabin 3132 oceanview, or 6019 oceanview on the Millie. Which would you choose?

3132 is one of the NEWER Category 6 cabins on deck 3 near mid ship that was installed in 2012 (cabins 3112 to 3144). They are about 20sq ft larger than normal Cat6 cabins, and have a 5 foot tall nearly floor to ceiling window (about a foot larger than normal OV windows).

6019 is on deck 6 forward. It is a Cat5 cabin that is about 40 sq ft larger than a normal Oceanview. It has two sofas on each side of the bed.

We have cabin 3116 (similar to 3132) on the first sailing of our B2B cruise this May, and 6019 on the return - but 3132 just became available for the return. Oh, and as Select members, we did not have to pay for the Cat6 to Cat5 upgrade, so there is no price difference.

I think both cabins are great. Originally thought a change of pace by moving from deck 3 to deck 6 between sailings would be welcome. Now thinking maybe staying near our first cabin will make it an easier B2B change for the second sailing - and having a newer cabin with a larger window may be better than one that is three decks higher, with a smaller window but a second couch.

I know, tough choices, right? Can't loose either way. Just wondering, for those that have sailed in either these cabins/types, which do you prefer?

Is anyone familiar with the turnaround process on a back-to-back cruise when you have two different cabins for each sailing and a long independent excursion? We are on the Millennium in Alaska on a Northbound/Southbound from Vancouver to Seward in May 2016. We currently have the same cabin for both sailings, but I am thinking of upgrading - which at this late date will likely result in two different cabins for each leg. To complicate matters, in Seward we have an (independent from the cruise line: Kenai Fjords 6-hour National Park Tour - better tour than the ship offers) excursion that requires disembarkation by 10:30am. We should return to the ship by 6:15pm (sails at 8pm). Celebrity tells us we are cutting it too close, as we may not have Seapass cards by 10:30am and if we return late after 6:30pm the check-in will be closed. They recommend cancelling our excursion, or using one of the ship's tours. Has anyone sailed recently this past season that can advise how your turnaround worked, especially if you had a similar situation (cabin change with long excursion)? ...Thanks.

Are you sure about the 6:15 pm return time? Have you checked the time with your tour vendor?

 

In the past, the Kenai Fjord 6-hour tours returned to Seward by 5:30, not just for those boarding a cruise ship, but mainly for the people needing to catch the 6 p.m. train to Anchorage.

 

When changing cabins, if you pack up all your belongings (except for the clothing on hangers), your stateroom attendant should be able to move everything for you.

(For an extra tip, your stateroom attendant should be very happy to do that for you.)

 

I would contact the stateroom attendant of the new cabin a day or two in advance, introduce yourself and ask him/her to give you a call on the turnaround morning as soon as the prior occupants vacate your new cabin.

Explain that you only want to transfer your items from your old safe to your new safe, even though they will not yet have had time to make up the room.

 

We have always found the ship's concierge to be very helpful with issues regarding port transfers, or anything that we needed to do at a port.

 

I suggest speaking to the concierge on your first cruise (or even the Captain's Club hostess, or a Guest Relations officer) and they should be able to make arrangements for you to pick up your new seapass cards at Seward, either in the morning before you depart, or when you return to the ship.

 

If you are upgrading to a suite, speak with the Michael's Club concierge, who can almost certainly arrange everything for you.

 

People on back-to-back cruises do the Kenai Fjords tours on the turnaround day all the time and have been doing them for years. It should be a pretty routine procedure.

 

We have done it ourselves, although it was several years ago, so I don't recall if we got our new seapass cards before leaving the ship or after returning.

(It must have been a pretty humdrum procedure because if there had been anything complicated or difficult about it, I would have remembered it.:D )

 

 

Here is a link to the ALASKA Forum

 

If you post over there, you should be able to get feedback from cruise passengers who have done it more recently.

 

 

Disembarking in Seward is very easy. No U.S. customs or immigration procedures to go through.

(You are pre-cleared in Vancouver before your ship leaves Canada Place.)

 

Those 6 hour Kanai Fjords tours are great.

Definitely do not miss the chance to go.

If you have any tendency toward seasickness, I would urge you to take precautions because there is a short rough stretch of water to travel through after leaving Resurrection Bay before your boat gets up into the calm waters of the fjords.

 

Thank you! I'll post in the Alaska forum as well, but I think I have my answer here. The vendor says we will be back at the ship by 6-6:15pm. Celebrity's concern is if they are late for any reason - even though the ship does not sail until 8pm, the check-in at the terminal apparently closes at 6:30pm. So it was cutting it close if we didn't get our new Seapasses before departing.

Is anyone familiar with the turnaround process on a back-to-back cruise when you have two different cabins for each sailing? We are on the Millennium in Alaska on a Northbound/Southbound from Vancouver to Seward in May 2016. We currently have the same cabin for both sailings, but I am thinking of upgrading - which at this late date will likely result in two different cabins for each leg. To complicate matters, in Seward we have an (independent from the cruise line: Kenai Fjords 6-hour National Park Tour) excursion that requires disembarkation by 10:30am. We should return to the ship by 6:15pm. Celebrity tells us we are cutting it too close, as we may not have Seapass cards by 10:30am and if we return late after 6:30pm the check-in will be closed. They recommend cancelling our excursion, or using one of the ship's tours. Is it really not possible to get new Seapasses before leaving in the morning, and have the cabin steward move our luggage to the new cabin? I've read another post were they were able to do this successfully, but they had the same cabin on each sailing. Has anyone out there been able to do this on the Millennium when also changing cabins? How did the B2B process work? ...Thanks.

Thank you all for your kind and detailed advice. We are sailing for 15 days with a port stop nearly everyday, so I have a lot of research to do. Appreciated your feedback! I'll also read through the port of call excursion reviews here on CC to whittle down the options some before finding the vendors to book directly with. So great to have your input as a resource. Thanks much.

We are sailing to Alaska (Vancouver to Seward and all ports in between) in May 2016, and will be booking excursions at most all of our Alaska port stops. Some will be booked through Celebrity, and others independently beforehand. I have read here that some posters recommend purchasing from vendors port side on the dock or nearby. Apparently all are licensed and offer acceptable services. I'm curious if anyone who has used tour operators independent from the ship and if you would agree that they are reputable, AND if you can advise if they accept credit cards (AMEX, VISA, etc.) - or if the transactions are all cash (or if there are further discounts for cash vs. credit).

Many thanks in advance.

This is kind of a tough question to answer. For our last three Alaska back-to-back cruises with Celebrity our disembarkation procedure has been different each time. For the sake of this post, I will give you what we went through this past June (2015).

 

The night prior to our disembarkation in Seward we received an envelope detailing the disembarkation procedure for back-to-back passengers. It was very detailed and clearly written. We booked the same cabin for both northbound and southbound itineraries so we did not need to change cabins. Per our letter, we were able to disembark the ship during a certain time frame if we chose. Since we were taking the Kenai Fjord tour and wanted to walk around Seward for a bit, we chose to disembark the ship as soon as we could. When we went through Security for that final "ding" on our card, an alarm went off and we were redirected to another line --- we were met by a Celebrity representative who took our sea pass cards for the northbound itinerary --- we were then given our new seapass cards for our southbound itinerary along with an "in transit" card to hand to a Celebrity representative when we returned to the Seward terminal for processing.

 

Our Kenai Fjord tour was over by 5:30 PM so we had time to get back to the ship for embarkation with no problem. Since we already had our "in transit" cards and new seapass cards all we had to do was go through Security.

 

Hope this information helps.

Excellent Karen. Thank you for the quick response too. We can only hope it works this smoothly for us!

Hi, and thank you for your review. I was excited to see that you had scheduled the same excursion with Kenai Fjords Tours that we have booked for our upcoming cruise in May: the 6-hour National Park Tour that leaves at 11:30am. I'm curious how you were able to change cabins and get your new Seapass cards that day. I called Celebrity and was told that they walk you off and back onto the ship (though others on this forum have said they give new Seapass cards during a breakfast for the B2B cruisers), they give you new Seapass cards in the check-in at the terminal, and that timin would be tight with the excursion departing from the ship around 10:30am and returning by 6pm - may not get new Seapass cards prior to 10:30am, and the check-in process closes at 6:30pm which could be troublesome if the tour returns late. How did you get your new Seapass cards that day, and were there any timing concerns?