live from Millennium - Asia

[ghstudio]

Best boarding experience to date….we arrived, found no wait for check in and went right on the ship…but we’re aqua/elite. Those without priority boarding were sitting in a large area waiting for their boarding group to be called. This is the first time priority boarding actually happened, but I’m not complaining. We went right to Café Baccio for lunch and no one was there….probably because most were still waiting to board.

Some observations:

1) PA system for announcements is painfully loud and actually distorting …. Hopefully before the end of the cruise, they will have blown all the speakers. For those who are technical, the PA is running at 90db.

2) Ship is in very good condition overall, but you can find things that need painting/fixing if you want to look for them.

3) Very friendly crew….

4) We are in aqua, but no footstools on balcony

5) New showers (we’re in A2, not the new A1 cabins)…look very good.

6) Full bottle of French (bouvet) brut sparkling wine which we will try to replace with wine..may be a problem since it isn’t sold onboard we’ll see..

7) Very fast baggage delivery….we had it by 2PM (we boarded just before noon)

8) They have Indonesian, Malay and Thai money on board if one wants local currency. One atm…BB&T which dispenses $’s.

9) No internet first day special…haven’t seen that special on any recent cruise..I think it’s dead.

10) New ultimate dining package is being offered….didn’t look closely, but no discount for aqua passengers which doesn’t make sense, at least to me.

11) 300 elites on board….sky lounge for drinks

12) Announcements are being made in English and German????

13) The new pier in Singapore is in the middle of no place….shuttle is $6 (for day?)

14) How many years has it been since they changed the dress code? They still say formal: dinner jacket….and there is a note that says: guests are asked to follow the dress code in the Celebrity Theater for all evening performances. It’s just not clear if that’s the no flip flops, etc….or if you are supposed to follow the evening’s dress code.

15) We are aqua….for billing, we selected early dining, and of course we are assigned to 8:30PM dining tonight(for the first night only)…..who figures this stuff out?

16) 40 got norovirus on last trip…they are forcing everyone to use hand sterilizer (good).

17) Only 2 passengers in an aqua cabin, but we have a pull out sofa?? I guess it’s just left over from pre-aqua days.

18) 2 110V and 2-220V outlets at the desk…no night light.

19) Strange headboard….sort of a dance rail… 2 actual drawers in the nightstands

20) We heard the martini bar music…thump, thump, thump….sounded like a scratched record….who likes that stuff other than the Cruise Director. As you can expect on a 2 week Asian cruise, we are not exactly a spry young group of passengers.

21) Blu is only serving breakfast tomorrow from 7-8:30? I certainly hope this isn’t their normal schedule because we like to sleep a little later on sea days.

22) I thought there were few onions in my onion soup on the Eclipse TA….well tonight’s onion soup took it one step further…no onions. Perhaps onions have gotten expensive….

23) Blu has eggs benedict on this ship

24) Can not order from MDR if dining in Blu. If we want to eat in MDR, just go to select dining.

More later….

[vana]

Hello,

 

We will be on Feb 17th cruise. Thank you so much for taking vacation time to tell us your side of the story. We have read so many horror story since Millie is in Asia that it's becoming nearly a joke.

 

We laughed so much about a few things you said:

• German??? you'l have to tell us more about this!
  
• No onion? wait till you order escargot!
  
• We did try to order from the MDR in Aqua: No possibility. That's why we don't take aqua anymore.
  
• Try to break the blody PA before we get on board.. :D
  

Question:

• The shuttle in Singapour: does it take you downtown?
  

Can't wait to hear from you again,

 

Enjoy,

[ghstudio]

not sure where the shuttle goes...but it is impossible to walk anywhere from the ship, so it's the shuttle or a taxi.

 

I will try to get the pa volume down a bit...but I"m not holding my breath.

[Christine Frances]

Thanks for your reports! Looking forward to "cruising" with you! What is your itinerary? Too funny about the onion soup - are you going to try and order it again?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

If they're making the announcements in English and German, that means you have a large contingent of Germans on board. Sorry to hear the dreadful noise in the martini bar seems to have spread from the S class ships. Get everybody together and bomb them with attention to detail cards complaining about the noise! :D

[emileg]

Best boarding experience to date….we arrived, found no wait for check in and went right on the ship…but we’re aqua/elite. Those without priority boarding were sitting in a large area waiting for their boarding group to be called. This is the first time priority boarding actually happened, but I’m not complaining. We went right to Café Baccio for lunch and no one was there….probably because most were still waiting to board.

Some observations: ...

 

More later….

Thanks for posting your initial impressions. Best part is the Eggs Benedict in Blu.;) Looking forward to meeting you on Feb 3.

Edited January 21, 2013 by emileg

[eldercruser]

Thanks for all the current information. Particularly appreciate the information regarding the ATM and currencies.

 

Enjoy the cruise!

[Briggers1]

Do you know if we need any visas , we will be stopping in Hong Kong, 3 stops in Vietnam , Bangkok and Singapore .:):)

[kwokpot]

Do you know if we need any visas , we will be stopping in Hong Kong, 3 stops in Vietnam , Bangkok and Singapore .:):)

 

You DEFINITELY need a visa in Vietnam, but you can obtain them on board.

[FL1stLady]

Thanks, Doug, for taking time to report. We are on the 2/3 cruise so we'll see you there. We are not Blu. For the first time we had an opportunity to book one of the "Sweet Sixteen". Just hope they didn't mess that up during refit. Thanks also, Emile, for making those on our roll call (especially me) aware of Doug's posts here.

[british betty]

No onions in the onion soup...marvellous, my DP hates onions ( and he's french...go figure!) maybe he could try the no onion, onion soup :D

 

Feb 3rd isnt too far away now!:)

[eileen & jay]

Looking forward to reading your comments...:)

[ghstudio]

Another note from the millennium just off the coast of Malaysia.

1) I saw someone hold a long skype call using their ipad while we were at sea….it seemed to work fine for many minutes which is a surprise.

2) The dock at Singapore has free wifi, but it apparently blocks outlook from retrieving gmail (maybe IP ports)…strange. Perhaps gmail was down, but that’s hard to believe. Works fine from the ship.

3) Unlike recent cruises on the equinox and eclipse, the officers are hiding somewhere….no one walking around during the day just saying hello and being visible and being interested in passengers.

4) I mentioned that the PA was very very loud for announcements. Today, there is background music around the pool, but it’s really a normal background level…perhaps even quieter than some of our other cruises…and in the solarium, the water feature noise drowns out any music. There seem to be plenty of places to sit indoor and out with no music(BRAVO).

5) The PA seems to be a little quieter now…perhaps my sending a note to the safety officer and mentioning that I measured it at 95db…it was so loud it vibrated the speaker covers/housings and it was distorted…seems better today.

6) Elite party in Cosmos(sky lounge) … no bartender making drinks at the bar, they brought drinks from the back. Many more chairs then elites….everyone who wanted a window seat had one.

7) Although in aqua, we ate in the MDR (select) last night. It was noticeably quieter than on the solstice ships…and select seating now is on both sides of the upper level, at least the part that wasn’t made into Blu. Pretty good food….really could not tell the difference from Blu. We’ll try it again and we’re thinking of switching future m class cruises from aqua to a C2/3 to get down a deck away from the huge overhang and away from the noise people make around the pool. Blu may not be worth it on this ship.

8) I mentioned 40 with norovirus on the last cruise…I think it might have been 400. They aren’t really taking anti virus precautions…the buffet is still serve yourself and no one forcing everyone to use the hand sterilizer when entering a dining area…and of course many are not (inconsiderate people exist everywhere).

9) Bruce is our captain’s club host….gets the job done, but he’s not the most personable host…..certainly not a Donna. He is tired of having people ask why he’s here when Donna was supposed to be on the Millennium. I guess we’re not the only Donna appreciators

10) Free galley tour this AM for anyone.

11) A new one for us: The captain’s daily announcement (10am) was given by the cruise director….no clue where the captain was or even if he’s on board J Haven’t seen him….haven’t heard him.

12) For those following celebrity special pricing/deals….you can either take thenormal on board booking $300 OBC (14 day cruise) and 2/3 grade upgrade….OR….you can select one or two of the 1/2/3 packages, depending on your cruise. No stacking, no upgrade with the 1/2/3 options. The upgrade is c3 to c2…does not apply to C1 or above.

13) Select dining: ONE LINE!!! Doesn’t matter if you have a reservation or not, you wait in one line. The line, however, moves quickly .They have two people at stations with computers doing the seating assignments

14) We did not get ice, iced tea or any pillow menu on the embarkation day in our aqua cabin. …nor did we ever see our cabin steward. We fixed all that day 2. There is no pillow menu….and our steward looked at us blankly when I asked for a foam pillow. I guess he figured it out though because it did appear.

15) Sparkling wine issue: The brand they put in the room is not one sold at the bars on the ship, so the sommelier won’t give us credit for the bottle….and there appears no easy way to exchange it for something we would drink. I’m working on it….I haven’t given up yet.

16) Hidden benefit: we booked through a very large internet TA. Apparently they had a group rate on this cruise (they have group rates on many cruises which we have booked through them)….but on this cruise….we got a note from Celebrity (we are apparently on a Celebrity Cruise Corporate Program….and they identify our TA on the page so it’s meant for us) in our room with additional “group specials”. One of the specials is 25% more internet minutes on packages 49.95 and up. (if you’re elite the coupon buys you 25% more free minutes….I hope…I haven’t seen it applied yet).

17) It’s hot and very humid but sunny although the forecast has some rain during our cruise

18) We’ve been told that in Bali, the tendering time is 40-45 minutes….we will be 4 miles off shore. Other tender stops are 20-25 minute rides.

19) Food quality is mixed…we’ve had fish twice(aqua spa and MDR) and it’s been overcooked each time. Beef has been good….it’s mixed.

20) Can’t comment on music/shows/casino….we’re still adjusting to the time difference

21) Yes, if someone in the cabin locks the door to the balcony or the handle accidentally falls, you have no way to get in….there is no outside handle

That’s all for now….GH

[vermonter16]

I mentioned 40 with norovirus on the last cruise…I think it might have been 400. They aren’t really taking anti virus precautions…the buffet is still serve yourself and no one forcing everyone to use the hand sterilizer when entering a dining area…and of course many are not (inconsiderate people exist everywhere).

 

DH has very bad dry skin on his hands which causes his skin to split and even more so when using alcohol based cleaners on them. We are very up and up on not spreading germs or getting germs. He washes them very thoroughly before we leave the cabin and he doesn't touch the handrails, elevator buttons, etc. His doctor actually told him to stay away from it if he can. Now, in some circumstances - most definitely or if we haven't gone straight from the cabin to the dining facility. Some people don't mean to be rude or inconsiderate, they just shouldn't use it.....but, I have to agree - some people also just don't care. We care very much.

 

With that being said - thanks for the updates on Millie! We will be sailing her for an Alaskan cruise in May. So, no ordering from the MDR...does that mean I can not get escargot? Maybe I can have two tables going at one time....one in Blue and one in MDR ;)

Edited January 22, 2013 by vermonter16

[mum and son]

I have just returned home today from the cruise prior to yours... same Asian itinerary. I was also curious about the norovirus "outbreak" on my cruise. I don't think it actually happened. They only mentioned it and started serving the food in the buffet after we arrived in Bali. It continued for about 2 or 3 days until the big brunch in the dining room (which was all self service), then the buffet returned to self service as well. I think they were just being wary of guests getting sick in port by tasting some local delicacies and then blaming it on noro...

 

Of 2300+ guests there will always be a good percentage who are sick at any one time... just like they would be if they were at home.

[Briggers1]

Hi

We are sailing on the millennium on the 17/2/13 , first time on a celebrity cruise is there lots to do day and night times .

[british betty]

Thank you for taking up so much of your time " ghstudio", it really is appreciated and we look forward to your next instalment.

 

We'll be on the 3rd feb cruise, so all you have to share makes it so interesting.

 

Someone has said that there is a change of captain on our cruise, maybe yours has already left ::eek:

[Briggers1]

You DEFINITELY need a visa in Vietnam, but you can obtain them on board.

 

Thanks for your advice , do you know how much a visa costs on board

[Briggers1]

Hello,

 

We will be on Feb 17th cruise. Thank you so much for taking vacation time to tell us your side of the story. We have read so many horror story since Millie is in Asia that it's becoming nearly a joke.

 

We laughed so much about a few things you said:

• German??? you'l have to tell us more about this!
  
• No onion? wait till you order escargot!
  
• We did try to order from the MDR in Aqua: No possibility. That's why we don't take aqua anymore.
  
• Try to break the blody PA before we get on board.. :D
  

Question:

• The shuttle in Singapour: does it take you downtown?
  

Can't wait to hear from you again,

 

Enjoy,

 

Hi Vana we will be on the same cruise as yourself and would be happy for any good tips and trips we could book thank you

[emileg]

Another note from the millennium just off the coast of Malaysia....That’s all for now….GH

A HUGE thank you to Doug for providing us really useful and informative data on what to expect.

[loves2read]

Thanks for your advice , do you know how much a visa costs on board

 

Visas are $35 if not staying overnight in Vietnam.

 

If overnight in port, they cost $50 and a passport photo is required.

[Briggers1]

Hello,

 

We will be on Feb 17th cruise. Thank you so much for taking vacation time to tell us your side of the story. We have read so many horror story since Millie is in Asia that it's becoming nearly a joke.

 

We laughed so much about a few things you said:

• German??? you'l have to tell us more about this!
  
• No onion? wait till you order escargot!
  
• We did try to order from the MDR in Aqua: No possibility. That's why we don't take aqua anymore.
  
• Try to break the blody PA before we get on board.. :D
  

Question:

• The shuttle in Singapour: does it take you downtown?
  

Can't wait to hear from you again,

 

Enjoy,

What to do inboard

[Briggers1]

Visas are $35 if not staying overnight in Vietnam.

 

If overnight in port, they cost $50 and a passport photo is required.

 

Hi does the 35dollars cover the three stops in Vietnam

[loves2read]

Hi does the 35dollars cover the three stops in Vietnam

 

Yes

[lj77346]

I just returned from the January 6-20 cruise on the Millennium and had a very enjoyable time. Since this was an itinerary that required tendering in the majority of the ports, I was pleasantly surprised that the tendering went better than I expected. In Lombok, there was a logistics problem as it seemed that all the tours returned to the dock at about the same time which caused long lines and waits for the tenders. In Komodo, the tender operations seemed to work very smoothly. In Benoa, the ship got a better anchorage than it had on its first visit to the port and the tender ride was about 20 minutes rather than 40 minutes. However, some large local boats are used for tendering there and there were problems securing the tenders to the ship. During one of the tendering operations, a line snapped and passengers were stuck on the tender for quite awhile before it was safe to get back on the ship. The most convenient port was Penang as the ship docked right in the city and after just a short walk you could start exploring the numerous sights there. Phuket was also a tender port and I thought the tendering there operated well. No one likes to wait for tenders, but on an itinerary with lots of tender ports, patience is a virtue.

 

On the January 6-20 Millennium cruise, announcements were made in English, German, and Spanish. In terms of passengers, it seemed that the countries most represented were Australia, USA, UK, Canada, and Germany. There were many more children on the cruise than I expected probably because it's summer in Australia now. However, as opposed to my experience on Caribbean cruises, the children on this cruise behaved very well. Incidentally, there were onions in my onion soup. Also during the day when nothing was going on in the Cosmos lounge, it seemed like music was being played there very loudly so that it was not a pleasant place to sit and read. All in all, the Millennium was very nice, the itinerary was interesting, and I had a very enjoyable cruise.