Millenium 5 night 12/12 Review

[KKMurphy2]

Just returned from our first Celebrity Cruise after 1 Carnival (would not do again) and 11 Royal Caribbean. I was a bit concerned with all of the negative postings, but after being around the ship, my husband and I laughed over some people's negativity to look at the downside only.

 

We stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Miami South, where I happened to find a deal of $62 per night. This included a wonderful room with free breakfast. The workout room was fantastic. We taxied to the pier. We arrived at 1145 and we were onboard within 15 minutes.

 

We had upgraded for free to a balcony room from our 2nd floor interior the week before the cruise. What a deal!!! Our room location was 6057 and was perfect. Close to the elevator in the front of the ship which made for loads of convienence. Our first walk through of the ship showed us she was a beauty and kept marvelously clean. There were minimal cosmetic problems - you had to look to find them. The only disappointment I will have is when the Millie "goes solstice", she will lose lots of deck space on top which will definitely be a loss. The ship went through a few rocky places at sea for 2 nights where my mom and I felt a bit nauseated. Free Bonine to the rescue from the guest relations area and we felt much better!

 

Our food was tasty with good choices. Our waiters were attentive and timely. We were traveling with my parents and on the 3rd night, they did not feel like getting dressed up, so we decided to head to the buffet. Again, after reading on cruise critic how bad it was, I agreed apprehensively. But let me assure you, the food was plentiful upstairs and tasty. I started with a salad that was fresh and delicious. I then proceeded to the rear of the ship, (where they serve the paninis during lunch) and found chicken, beef and pork chop choices, along with potatoes and various breads. There was a pasta station and other choices I can't even remember. There were quite a few people eating upstairs and we enjoyed some lively conversation that evening. Trust me, this is not the horrible option that I have read about in cruise critic. My parents enjoyed it so much, they went the last evening (without us though). My father is a retired farmer with some back problems and knee replacements. It is hard to sit for 2 hours in a stiff chair, so they truly enjoyed themselves in this setting.

 

We enjoyed the shows every evening. They had a jugular who was extremely entertaining, along with the iBroadway show and the 70's show from the Celebrity singers and dances. The comedian was also entertaining. My husband and I are not looking for the top of the line shows. We would like to be entertained with lively performers and Celebrity certainly delivered. The last sea day there was a Celebrity talent show where they had 6 acts. I wish they would have had more. After this was a cooking competition show, which was funny and well done.

 

Our room was always clean and well kept. Oh dear, the mirror had a chip in it. And the refridgerator did not keep the beverages ice cold. Fortunately, I did not let it ruin my vacation. There was ample storage and the bed was fine. The beds might be a bit more comfortable on our last cruise (Oasis), but I certainly slept better than I usually do (it's amazing what stress reduction does for us).

 

In Roatan, we rode Dune Buggies (found on Trip Advisor). We got muddy but traveled through the city, rain forest, secluded beach and mudpaths. Beautiful scenery. In Cozumel, we were just going to walk uptown, but instead were offered 50% off a shore excursion because they were going to shut the water off to our room for a few hours for maintenance. We took advantage and went to Playa Mia. The included buffet and open bar was delicious and we enjoyed soaking up the sun, because Ohio doesn't have alot of that in December! It serviced all the cruise ships and was a bit more crowded than I would have liked. You can't beat the Cococay experience of walking to the end of the beach, I guess.

 

We enjoyed taking advantage of the Elite club social hour before dinner every evening. I could get used to those cosmos and appletinis! We have been to the Diamond social hour in the past and found it to be a bit more lively with more social interaction. We didn't meet as many people as we would have like to during this interaction.

 

I did book our next cruise while onboard - as I always do. I know that I research cruises all the time, but I did find I knew more than the cruise sales manager. He could not answer the simplest questions regarding Southern Caribbean next December comparing RCCL vs. Celebrity. I was even asking him simple things I already knew, but couldn't get too many correct answers from him. Boy, would I love his job!!! I went ahead and took the open booking to finalize my research and chose on my own.

 

The pool decks were not crowded and I could always find a chair. Loved the pads on them where RCCL does not have this. The gym was great, also. We enjoyed this cruise for the quietness (no constant announcements) and MANY places to hang out and relax without the feeling of any crowds at all.

 

We chose early departure, but had a nice breakfast before leaving. We left our rooms at 7:20 and was at the airport at 8 after getting through customs and taking a taxi.

 

Overall, I would not hestitate to take this ship at all. We did not come across any poor service or bad experiences. Winston Churchill once said, "Attitude is alittle thing that makes a big difference." I can't imagine anyone finding major faults with the Millenium unless they were specifically looking for it. I work 50-60 hours per week and I absolutely loved the break with my husband and truly enjoyed every minute! I hope you all consider the Millie to see what I'm talking about.

 

We are taking the entire family on Allure in March as a substitute Christmas since both my daughter and I work in the obstetrical field, so we will be missing Christmas this year by working. I feel that I will miss the relaxation of the Celebrity Cruise Line, but will try to keep up with the family and the many activites on Allure. Don't worry Celebrity, we will be back soon!

[T.O.cruisers]

Thanks for the review. I'll be cruising on Millie next month. This is my first cruise on Celebrity and I'm looking forward to it.

[jackdiamond]

Thanks for posting.

[sandyh422]

Just returned from our first Celebrity Cruise after 1 Carnival (would not do again) and 11 Royal Caribbean. I was a bit concerned with all of the negative postings, but after being around the ship, my husband and I laughed over some people's negativity to look at the downside only.

 

We stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Miami South, where I happened to find a deal of $62 per night. This included a wonderful room with free breakfast. The workout room was fantastic. We taxied to the pier. We arrived at 1145 and we were onboard within 15 minutes.

 

We had upgraded for free to a balcony room from our 2nd floor interior the week before the cruise. What a deal!!! Our room location was 6057 and was perfect. Close to the elevator in the front of the ship which made for loads of convienence. Our first walk through of the ship showed us she was a beauty and kept marvelously clean. There were minimal cosmetic problems - you had to look to find them. The only disappointment I will have is when the Millie "goes solstice", she will lose lots of deck space on top which will definitely be a loss. The ship went through a few rocky places at sea for 2 nights where my mom and I felt a bit nauseated. Free Bonine to the rescue from the guest relations area and we felt much better!

 

Our food was tasty with good choices. Our waiters were attentive and timely. We were traveling with my parents and on the 3rd night, they did not feel like getting dressed up, so we decided to head to the buffet. Again, after reading on cruise critic how bad it was, I agreed apprehensively. But let me assure you, the food was plentiful upstairs and tasty. I started with a salad that was fresh and delicious. I then proceeded to the rear of the ship, (where they serve the paninis during lunch) and found chicken, beef and pork chop choices, along with potatoes and various breads. There was a pasta station and other choices I can't even remember. There were quite a few people eating upstairs and we enjoyed some lively conversation that evening. Trust me, this is not the horrible option that I have read about in cruise critic. My parents enjoyed it so much, they went the last evening (without us though). My father is a retired farmer with some back problems and knee replacements. It is hard to sit for 2 hours in a stiff chair, so they truly enjoyed themselves in this setting.

 

We enjoyed the shows every evening. They had a jugular who was extremely entertaining, along with the iBroadway show and the 70's show from the Celebrity singers and dances. The comedian was also entertaining. My husband and I are not looking for the top of the line shows. We would like to be entertained with lively performers and Celebrity certainly delivered. The last sea day there was a Celebrity talent show where they had 6 acts. I wish they would have had more. After this was a cooking competition show, which was funny and well done.

 

Our room was always clean and well kept. Oh dear, the mirror had a chip in it. And the refridgerator did not keep the beverages ice cold. Fortunately, I did not let it ruin my vacation. There was ample storage and the bed was fine. The beds might be a bit more comfortable on our last cruise (Oasis), but I certainly slept better than I usually do (it's amazing what stress reduction does for us).

 

In Roatan, we rode Dune Buggies (found on Trip Advisor). We got muddy but traveled through the city, rain forest, secluded beach and mudpaths. Beautiful scenery. In Cozumel, we were just going to walk uptown, but instead were offered 50% off a shore excursion because they were going to shut the water off to our room for a few hours for maintenance. We took advantage and went to Playa Mia. The included buffet and open bar was delicious and we enjoyed soaking up the sun, because Ohio doesn't have alot of that in December! It serviced all the cruise ships and was a bit more crowded than I would have liked. You can't beat the Cococay experience of walking to the end of the beach, I guess.

 

We enjoyed taking advantage of the Elite club social hour before dinner every evening. I could get used to those cosmos and appletinis! We have been to the Diamond social hour in the past and found it to be a bit more lively with more social interaction. We didn't meet as many people as we would have like to during this interaction.

 

I did book our next cruise while onboard - as I always do. I know that I research cruises all the time, but I did find I knew more than the cruise sales manager. He could not answer the simplest questions regarding Southern Caribbean next December comparing RCCL vs. Celebrity. I was even asking him simple things I already knew, but couldn't get too many correct answers from him. Boy, would I love his job!!! I went ahead and took the open booking to finalize my research and chose on my own.

 

The pool decks were not crowded and I could always find a chair. Loved the pads on them where RCCL does not have this. The gym was great, also. We enjoyed this cruise for the quietness (no constant announcements) and MANY places to hang out and relax without the feeling of any crowds at all.

 

We chose early departure, but had a nice breakfast before leaving. We left our rooms at 7:20 and was at the airport at 8 after getting through customs and taking a taxi.

 

Overall, I would not hestitate to take this ship at all. We did not come across any poor service or bad experiences. Winston Churchill once said, "Attitude is alittle thing that makes a big difference." I can't imagine anyone finding major faults with the Millenium unless they were specifically looking for it. I work 50-60 hours per week and I absolutely loved the break with my husband and truly enjoyed every minute! I hope you all consider the Millie to see what I'm talking about.

 

We are taking the entire family on Allure in March as a substitute Christmas since both my daughter and I work in the obstetrical field, so we will be missing Christmas this year by working. I feel that I will miss the relaxation of the Celebrity Cruise Line, but will try to keep up with the family and the many activites on Allure. Don't worry Celebrity, we will be back soon!

 

Thanks for posting.

We had a similar experience with the Cruise Sales Manager several years ago--he was terrible, offered no answers to the questions we asked. We were on the Millie this past November and wanted to book another cruise, but when we saw him, we went to customer service and asked if there was anyone else on the ship who could help us. We were referred to the Captains Club hostess who booked our cruise. We met another couple who wanted to book a cruise with him and when they asked him questions, he gave them a brochure and told them to read it.

 

It is so unlike Celebrity to have a person with absolutely no customer service skills and no knowledge of the fleet. Wish they would replace him.

[tartan cruiser]

Thanks for the great review. Just wondering where you found the great hotel deal of $62 for the Fairfield Inn if it's ok to share. Also how much was the taxi to the port? We'll have a car and sometimes the Fairfield offers free parking so I would really appreciate any information you can share. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to our cruise next month especially after reading your review.

[dmwnc1959]

GREAT review. Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

I agree with you on multiple levels:

 

- The food in the evening buffet is no where near as bad as many have made it out to be as far as choices and options. I ate there every night on the second leg of my B2B and only after five nights did I settle into a routine of particular option. As I posted in my recent LIVE thread there are plenty of choices even if someone wants to eat up there several nights to avoid the MDR for whatever reason.

 

- The juggler Mike Price is a superb entertainer. He was at his best the first night although the laser light show was not too shabby either.

 

- The crew show was wonderful and great fun. Between them and Mike Price I don't think I have laughed that well in year. The entertainemt on the ship was never lacking with several standouts including Metropark (the A Caplella group) and 60280 (the cover band, pronounce Sixty to Eighty).

 

- The Celebrity Millennium is a gorgeous ship. Whoever equates the age of a ship to being run down or disappointing is really missing out on a wonderful cruise. For two years in a row I have cruised 2 of the 3 oldest ships in the Celebrity fleet, and both cruises rate a near perfect 10. Your Winston Churchill quote is spot on.

 

It sounds like you had a really great time on a wonderful ship. I wish she was coming back to Miami after her Alaska season next year, or that Celebrity Cruises started their short-market cruises earlier than mid-December 2012. I would love to give the Celebrity Constellation a try but her first cruise is a little to late for my schedule.

 

THANKS again for your wonderful review. :)

[portofrome]

Thanks for the review.

[truckguy]

We also were on the Dec 12 cruise. I usually sail on RCCL and Princess and it also was our first Celebrity cruise. We were very pleased. We upgraded to a sky suite GTY 2 weeks before we sailed for a minimal charge. We found the ship to be very nice, it’s a 12 yr old ship, it’s going to show some age, we thought she has aged beautifully. She was kept very clean and every crew member we had contact with was very polite. The young lady at The Cova Café pastry counter every morning was exceptional and the crew at the coffee counter was great as well. They called me by name every morning and remembered my order from previous visits. The almond croissants are as addicting as everyone describes. I too agree that the dining options were plentiful as well as tasty. We only ate in the MDR once, Thursday night – Baked Alaska night. We mostly grazed at the many counters, sushi, pasta, salad, pizza, Asian, There were plenty choices and it was all very good. We ate breakfast every morning in our cabin and once had burgers on the pool deck. We especially enjoyed the big brunch, lots of choices and all very good. We purchased the premium beverage package and it was well worth it. It made our beverage purchases very worry free. We felt as if we were at an all inclusive resort, we felt free to try drinks we normally would not try. It was also useful for specialty coffees and bottled waters. We ate at the Olympic the last sea night and loved it. The room and its staff are remarkable. The service was impeccable. We were invited to a bridge tour and found it very interesting. We visited old friends in Roatan and stayed on the ship for the most part in Cozumel. We spent some time reading in Cosmos bar and were basically alone with a beautiful view and snappy music. We only got off briefly about 230pm searching for a passport stamp to no avail and had a couple drinks at Senior Frogs , was back on board by 5pm. Our cabin was also on deck 6 and we did feel some rocking and rolling a few times and we too took advantage of the free tablets from guest services. We were very pleased with every part of our experience with Millie and her crew. We would sail on her again without question and look forward to doing just that. We are both eager and sad to see her upgrades. We were greeted by the Hotel director as we departed. We also heard him state that they were expecting 450 kids on the next sailing, glad we missed that. We have no complaints at all and would recommend this ship highly. She is a grand girl and it was our pleasure to be aboard.

 

Bryan

Houston TX

[KKMurphy2]

The deal I found was on Travelocity. I usually search a few times a week looking for deals and I found it one day. It was advance purchase and I grabbed it. The next time I looked it was $113. There is parking, but it is costs everyday - I don't remember the price since I didn't use it.

 

I agree with the previous poster about the almond croissants were addictive. Get them fresh out of the oven. I think they are one of the reasons I gained 3 lbs in 5 days. I also agree that the burgers were delicious. It was a bit difficult to reach the lettuce etc. for the toppings. I found this at the salad bar, too at the buffet. I know they don't want the food away from the line, but I could barely reach what I wanted. And I know what you are thinking, but I am in my 40's of normal weight. I just wonder how the older person or short arms could reach it. Hopefully, they will consider this when they renovate.

[gelo7]

Glad that you had a good experience.