How bad is the Millineum?

[Annie43]

We are thinking of booking an Alaska cruise later this summer on either the Millennium or the RCI Radiance. We have read some VERY negative reviews of the Millennium. Cruise Critic members have given us great advice in the past. Opinions?

[4774Papa]

We are booked on Millennium's Around Japan cruise next year. When I read several of the Millennium reviews on cc, there were many positive reviews as well as some negative.

Some people are upset when they see a little rust on the exterior of the ship. That kind of review can be discounted.

 

Carefully review many reviews and analyze why the negative ones are negative.

[rwr235]

Hi,

 

As stated many times on here...take all reviews with a grain of salt...and consider that here (CC) for the months of March/April there are about 25 reviews for the Millie, while in that 2 month span 10's of thousands of passengers travelled on the ship. Also, read the complaints carefully...though I have never been on a cruise with a noro outbreak, as a couple of reviews were (and hope I never am), I feel certain that the restrictions in place might certainly put somewhat of a damper on overall enjoyment to some degree.

 

Sometimes people complain because they haven't read/don't understand policies/procedures etc; are comparing it to something else that is not a valid comparison; find even questionable issues to complain about (not saying they didn't happen, or that they don't have the right to complain, but consider that it is probably an extreme rarity)...for example...I read a review where someone complained of receiving a dry, green mess when they ordered scrambled eggs from Room Service...I have never seen green eggs on a ship, but if I did receive them, I would call Room Service, have the items returned/replaced, and perhaps make a complaint onboard...Of course, it was a March review...so perhaps a St. Patricks Day special !!:D:D

Someone else complained because their bags were delayed/required a trip to the "naughty room", because of scissors...if they had been more familiar with policies, they would know that scissors/sharp objects are generally banned...and if the scissors met the standards of allowable, then again, they could have made a complaint onboard, and I feel certain it would probably have been handled accordingly, and politely ( I feel certain of this because it happened to our travel party once ):)

 

I haven't been on the Millie in over 17 months...but I enjoyed every minute onboard tremendously !! So, if the itinerary looks great, and the price is right, and you want to experience the wonderful service onboard Celebrity...I have no reservations about recommending her !!

 

And once you decide and book, STOP reading reviews, go with a positive attitude of enjoying a wonderful cruise, on a spectacular Alaskan itinerary, and look to find the "take-your-breath-away" moments that you'll cherish for the rest of your life, and don't let a little rust or other minor incidents affect your overall enjoyment !!

 

Enjoy !!

 

Woody

[Aquahound]

We are thinking of booking an Alaska cruise later this summer on either the Millennium or the RCI Radiance. We have read some VERY negative reviews of the Millennium. Cruise Critic members have given us great advice in the past. Opinions?

 

My Alaska Millennium cruise was last year, so take this for what it's worth. It was one of my most memorable cruises, but I have to be honest. I was disappointed in their upkeep of the ship. There were broken handrails, fixtures, moldings and lights pretty much everywhere....even mold growing on the MDR ceiling. I was very surprised to see a Celebrity ship in this condition and it seemed they were making no effort to fix them.

 

Honestly, since the Millennium and Radiance itineraries are exactly the same, if I had it all to do over again, I would book the Radiance.

 

Here is a link to a photo review I did last year. I did my best to highlight the good and the bad....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1868304

Edited May 8, 2014 by Aquahound

[patty1955]

Our last cruise on the Millenium was great. There was a Noro outbreak and some other illnesses picked up in Asia, but nothing the cruise line can be blamed for.

We did have a large group of negative complainers on board. We think it had to have been because a lot of people were on b2b or b2b2b cruise and are ready to go home.

[ghstudio]

Fortunately, I was able to take a couple of pictures of the millennium yesterday (as some reviewers would have you think):

 

http://rookery.s3.amazonaws.com/1027000/1027473_d10e_625x1000.jpg

 

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/6.concordia-dark-twisted.jpg

Edited May 8, 2014 by ghstudio

[mariners]

We just got home from the April 13, 2014 sailing on the Millennium. Last night, I submitted my review to CC, and I presume it will be posted in the next couple of days. It is not exactly a glowing report.

 

There are definitely some issues with the Millennium, and Celebrity itself, and only you can determine whether they are things that matter to you.

 

In my opinion, the people who only write positive things about the Millennium are wearing rose coloured glasses. I prefer to know that the ship has rust - which it does, some things don't work, etc. as then I can have realistic expectations of what I will experience onboard.

 

I suggest that you read the last few pages of our roll call as people are writing post cruise about their experiences on the ship. As in anything in life, you will get a variety of opinions. If you separate the facts from opinions, it should help you to make your decision.

 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise!

[KellyW25]

Fortunately, I was able to take a couple of pictures of the millennium yesterday (as some reviewers would have you think):

 

http://rookery.s3.amazonaws.com/1027000/1027473_d10e_625x1000.jpg

 

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/6.concordia-dark-twisted.jpg

 

That's hysterical. :) Kind of looks like the Summit (based on some reviews), not mine.

[Gradelady]

fortunately, i was able to take a couple of pictures of the millennium yesterday (as some reviewers would have you think):

 

http://rookery.s3.amazonaws.com/1027000/1027473_d10e_625x1000.jpg

 

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/6.concordia-dark-twisted.jpg

 

lol!☺️😝

[Italy52]

We just got home from the April 13, 2014 sailing on the Millennium. Last night, I submitted my review to CC, and I presume it will be posted in the next couple of days. It is not exactly a glowing report.

 

There are definitely some issues with the Millennium, and Celebrity itself, and only you can determine whether they are things that matter to you.

 

In my opinion, the people who only write positive things about the Millennium are wearing rose coloured glasses. I prefer to know that the ship has rust - which it does, some things don't work, etc. as then I can have realistic expectations of what I will experience onboard.

 

I suggest that you read the last few pages of our roll call as people are writing post cruise about their experiences on the ship. As in anything in life, you will get a variety of opinions. If you separate the facts from opinions, it should help you to make your decision.

 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise!

 

Thanks for the heads up on your review. We will be sailing the Millennium on a B2B to Alaska next month -- looking forward to reading your review.

[The_Big_M]

For what it's worth, I haven't been on a ship that doesn't have rust showing on the outside.

 

Maybe it's an indication of the ships they send here, or maybe it's just the reality.

 

In the past few months, that's been Celebrity Solstice and Rhapsody of the Seas.

[4774Papa]

Fortunately, I was able to take a couple of pictures of the millennium yesterday (as some reviewers would have you think):

 

http://rookery.s3.amazonaws.com/1027000/1027473_d10e_625x1000.jpg

 

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/6.concordia-dark-twisted.jpg

Thanks, I enjoyed a spot of humor.

[ScotsLady]

We were on the millenium last November on the Sydney to Singapore cruise and loved it. We gad read bad reviews before we went but could not fault the ship, service or food. I would go on her again.

[Tiffany's mom]

We were on the millenium last November on the Sydney to Singapore cruise and loved it. We gad read bad reviews before we went but could not fault the ship, service or food. I would go on her again.

 

We were on the same cruise in November and love it. One of the best cruise we have had and we have cruised for 30 years. It does not had to be the newest ship with all the bells that make a great cruise. We traveled with our adult daughter and had a family suite, it was wonderful room.

[Bobal]

We were also on the Sydney to Singapore cruise last November and on the Panama Canal cruise one year earlier.

 

Whilst I wouldn't deny that there were rust patches to be seen and some clouding on windows in the dining room I wouldn't hesitate to sail on Millennium again.

 

I think part of the problem with some reviews is that people have sailed on Celebrity S class ships and expect the same standard of decor and fail to remember that the S class ships are newer and undoubtedly more beautiful than M class. Having said that both our Millie cruises were taken for the itineraries and this is the key element for us in choosing a cruise.

 

I would also point out that we have found that saving of sunloungers is much less on Millie due to the layout of the deck whereby the loungers are not all closely crammed in together (no canopies and no wasted lawn space) and Select Dining is much much better as it's possible to get a table for 2 which doesn't mean you're sitting in a line with all the other tables for 2 with only 3 inches between each table.

 

And as aft cruisers, the aft balconies on M class are much bigger too.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Bobal

[OBX-Cruisers]

I once had to go to the Celebrity naughty room because of craft scissors in my wife's suitcase.

Celebrity you are a joke here when 6" scissors are lethal weapons but the steak knives in the dining room are fine and dandy. How about some application of a reality check in this enforcement process? Some rules are truly stupid while others are necessary...........can X sort out the difference..? Apparently not.

 

Hi,

 

As stated many times on here...take all reviews with a grain of salt...and consider that here (CC) for the months of March/April there are about 25 reviews for the Millie, while in that 2 month span 10's of thousands of passengers travelled on the ship. Also, read the complaints carefully...though I have never been on a cruise with a noro outbreak, as a couple of reviews were (and hope I never am), I feel certain that the restrictions in place might certainly put somewhat of a damper on overall enjoyment to some degree.

 

Sometimes people complain because they haven't read/don't understand policies/procedures etc; are comparing it to something else that is not a valid comparison; find even questionable issues to complain about (not saying they didn't happen, or that they don't have the right to complain, but consider that it is probably an extreme rarity)...for example...I read a review where someone complained of receiving a dry, green mess when they ordered scrambled eggs from Room Service...I have never seen green eggs on a ship, but if I did receive them, I would call Room Service, have the items returned/replaced, and perhaps make a complaint onboard...Of course, it was a March review...so perhaps a St. Patricks Day special !!:D:D

Someone else complained because their bags were delayed/required a trip to the "naughty room", because of scissors...if they had been more familiar with policies, they would know that scissors/sharp objects are generally banned...and if the scissors met the standards of allowable, then again, they could have made a complaint onboard, and I feel certain it would probably have been handled accordingly, and politely ( I feel certain of this because it happened to our travel party once ):)

 

I haven't been on the Millie in over 17 months...but I enjoyed every minute onboard tremendously !! So, if the itinerary looks great, and the price is right, and you want to experience the wonderful service onboard Celebrity...I have no reservations about recommending her !!

 

And once you decide and book, STOP reading reviews, go with a positive attitude of enjoying a wonderful cruise, on a spectacular Alaskan itinerary, and look to find the "take-your-breath-away" moments that you'll cherish for the rest of your life, and don't let a little rust or other minor incidents affect your overall enjoyment !!

 

Enjoy !!

 

Woody

[Aquahound]

I think part of the problem with some reviews is that people have sailed on Celebrity S class ships and expect the same standard of decor and fail to remember that the S class ships are newer and undoubtedly more beautiful than M class.

 

That was not the issue in my case. Missing handrails and mold on the ceiling isn't exactly a matter of a difference in decor. Like I said earlier, my experience is almost a year old, but this complaint was common on Millennium reviews during the same time period as my cruise....which was just prior to the ship breaking down in Alaska.

[ghstudio]

I once had to go to the Celebrity naughty room because of craft scissors in my wife's suitcase.

Celebrity you are a joke here when 6" scissors are lethal weapons but the steak knives in the dining room are fine and dandy. How about some application of a reality check in this enforcement process? Some rules are truly stupid while others are necessary...........can X sort out the difference..? Apparently not.

 

are you aware that the FAA says that knitting needles are permitted on airplanes, but obviously knives aren't??? Do you really think the another terrorist is going to put explosives in the shoes? Lots of strange rules that don't make a heck of a lot of sense out of security paranoia.

[rwr235]

I once had to go to the Celebrity naughty room because of craft scissors in my wife's suitcase.

Celebrity you are a joke here when 6" scissors are lethal weapons but the steak knives in the dining room are fine and dandy. How about some application of a reality check in this enforcement process? Some rules are truly stupid while others are necessary...........can X sort out the difference..? Apparently not.

 

Hi,

 

Although I can see your point...I don't think the rule is as "stupid" as it might appear...perhaps the difference is, that the steak knives can be accounted for...your scissors, not. And besides, many things can be a weapon...I was stabbed in the face, requiring 70 stitches by a "bad guy" wielding a bic ball point pen !! :eek: The best a cruise-line can do is try to establish base safety guidelines that will prevent injuries/accidents to the best/safest degree possible, while at the same time not taking away certain necessities that we are accustomed to...I think they do a pretty good job. They don't always seem logical...but heck, at least they tell us in advance, so we can plan accordingly.

 

And like you...the scissors in question with us were also craft scissors...but were under the 4 inch allowable blade length, so no problem !! :)

 

Just my opinion.

 

Woody

 

Sorry OP...off topic ! Apologies

Edited May 8, 2014 by rwr235

[Dunelm]

I was on the Millie last October for a Panama Canal Cruise. We had a wonderful time, and did not notice any glaring problems. I think that some complaints may be valid; however, I also think that some people have expectations that are far too high for the prices we pay. Life is not perfect; people are not perfect; and cruises are not perfect. It is like the old adage: two looked out of prison bars; one saw mud and the other saw stars. I like to look for the stars.

[lexdisic]

That was not the issue in my case. Missing handrails and mold on the ceiling isn't exactly a matter of a difference in decor. Like I said earlier, my experience is almost a year old, but this complaint was common on Millennium reviews during the same time period as my cruise....which was just prior to the ship breaking down in Alaska.

 

Came off Millie 2 months ago. Saw no mold on the ceiling - then again I didnt look for it. Same with the rust - knew there would be some somewhere - its a ship - but I didnt bother looking for it so didnt notice any. Too busy enjoying the cruise. Look for faults and you will find them - look for the good points and you will find them too - all depends what you want to do with your time. Found the staff happy and helpful and truly added to the experience. May not have had bells and whistles and glitter of the newer ships but was always clean. Going to book another 33 days on a B2B on her. Good prices compared to the other ships. Half full glass here and not a rose tint in sight

[Bobal]

That was not the issue in my case. Missing handrails and mold on the ceiling isn't exactly a matter of a difference in decor. Like I said earlier, my experience is almost a year old, but this complaint was common on Millennium reviews during the same time period as my cruise....which was just prior to the ship breaking down in Alaska.

 

Whilst I'm not saying these things weren't there I certainly didn't notice them in December last year but, as others have said, I wasn't looking for them. Having said that I have seen many of your posts on the RC boards and you don't strike me as the type of person who would make a point of looking out for problems.

 

I wonder if the timing of your cruise - and the complaints around then - were timely in view of the unscheduled dry dock whilst repairs were made to the ship. Perhaps they took the opportunity to sort out some of the issues. We sailed on the second cruise after the repair.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Bobal

[Aquahound]

Whilst I'm not saying these things weren't there I certainly didn't notice them in December last year but, as others have said, I wasn't looking for them. Having said that I have seen many of your posts on the RC boards and you don't strike me as the type of person who would make a point of looking out for problems.

 

I wonder if the timing of your cruise - and the complaints around then - were timely in view of the unscheduled dry dock whilst repairs were made to the ship. Perhaps they took the opportunity to sort out some of the issues. We sailed on the second cruise after the repair.

 

Thank you for the adult response. You are right...I do not look for problems. Being where I'm from, I'm actually a pretty laid-back guy. And after several years at sea in the USCG, a little rust here or there on an ocean going ship certainly does not bother me. But the condition of this ship in June last year was not typical Celebrity. I do believe...at least I would hope...they gave the ship a good once over during the unplanned down period.

 

Came off Millie 2 months ago. Saw no mold on the ceiling - then again I didnt look for it. Same with the rust - knew there would be some somewhere - its a ship - but I didnt bother looking for it so didnt notice any. Too busy enjoying the cruise. Look for faults and you will find them - look for the good points and you will find them too - all depends what you want to do with your time. Found the staff happy and helpful and truly added to the experience. May not have had bells and whistles and glitter of the newer ships but was always clean. Going to book another 33 days on a B2B on her. Good prices compared to the other ships. Half full glass here and not a rose tint in sight

 

Yeah, you're right. I spent thousands of dollars and flew all the way across the country for a cruise that I hand picked only to look for mold on the ceiling. :rolleyes: Come on, be reasonable here. Are you really accusing me of purposely looking for faults? Really? I'm an avid cruiser in my thirties who LOVES Celebrity. The op asked for experiences on this ship and I was honest.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Aquahound

[ScotsLady]

We were also on the Sydney to Singapore cruise last November and on the Panama Canal cruise one year earlier.

 

Whilst I wouldn't deny that there were rust patches to be seen and some clouding on windows in the dining room I wouldn't hesitate to sail on Millennium again.

 

I think part of the problem with some reviews is that people have sailed on Celebrity S class ships and expect the same standard of decor and fail to remember that the S class ships are newer and undoubtedly more beautiful than M class. Having said that both our Millie cruises were taken for the itineraries and this is the key element for us in choosing a cruise.

 

I would also point out that we have found that saving of sunloungers is much less on Millie due to the layout of the deck whereby the loungers are not all closely crammed in together (no canopies and no wasted lawn space) and Select Dining is much much better as it's possible to get a table for 2 which doesn't mean you're sitting in a line with all the other tables for 2 with only 3 inches between each table.

 

And as aft cruisers, the aft balconies on M class are much bigger too.

Hello, hope you are both well. Any cruises booked? We have the eclipse booked for next march and ho on our honeymoon to the Maldives this Sunday.

[gofish]

I think it was Sept or Oct that they had a pod problem and traveled from Alaska to Bermuda and back thru the Panama Canal to San Diego with no passengers aboard. They cancelled two or 3 cruises. With no customers onboard for 3 or 4 weeks they used the time to fix up and spruce lots of items.

We also did the Sydney to Singapore in Nov to Dec and saw no problems like rust or mold.

We left it in great shape in Singapore in Dec 2013.