Millennium vs Solstice Class Ships

[Newbury newbie]

We booked our next cruise for 2017 while on board Reflection recently. This was a 10 night Med & Adriatic out of Barcalona on the Constallation. We're particularly happy with the itinerary but have some concern about the ship.

 

We're still relatively new to cruising with the 4 we've done all being with X and all on Solstice class ships. We want to keep with X, and ideally would choose Solstice ships, but our available dates limits this somewhat.

 

Are we likely to be disappointed with Connie? Having been spoilt by our experiences on Reflection and Eclipse. I appreciate the millennium ships have been "solsticised" but they seem considerably smaller with less open deck space etc.

 

When I enquired how old Connie was the OB future cruise agent told us that She had just come out of another minor upgrade/refit with them putting grass on the sports deck and converting this to an outdoor cinema area. Anyone know if that's really the case? Any photos?

 

Would be be interested in people's thoughts on this.

[Von & John]

We booked our next cruise for 2017 while on board Reflection recently. This was a 10 night Med & Adriatic out of Barcalona on the Constallation. We're particularly happy with the itinerary but have some concern about the ship.

 

We're still relatively new to cruising with the 4 we've done all being with X and all on Solstice class ships. We want to keep with X, and ideally would choose Solstice ships, but our available dates limits this somewhat.

 

Are we likely to be disappointed with Connie? Having been spoilt by our experiences on Reflection and Eclipse. I appreciate the millennium ships have been "solsticised" but they seem considerably smaller with less open deck space etc.

 

When I enquired how old Connie was the OB future cruise agent told us that She had just come out of another minor upgrade/refit with them putting grass on the sports deck and converting this to an outdoor cinema area. Anyone know if that's really the case? Any photos?

 

Would be be interested in people's thoughts on this.

 

Hi - we'll be cruising on the Connie in the Med in just over a week. This will be our first cruise on her. We'll be happy to share our observations with you upon our return - if no one else has by that point.

[villauk]

 

When I enquired how old Connie was the OB future cruise agent told us that She had just come out of another minor upgrade/refit with them putting grass on the sports deck and converting this to an outdoor cinema area. Anyone know if that's really the case? Any photos?

 

Would be be interested in people's thoughts on this.

 

Connie hasn't had the outdoor movie area installed, that's Infinty and Summit (and shortly Millie this month).

 

There are some recent positive reviews of her: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2334123 and http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2324987.

We like M class ships and are back on Connie in August.

Edited April 16, 2016 by villauk

[chemmo]

You are so right to do your homework....I think one of the reasons M class ships get poor reviews is because people board expecting an S class ship, just a little smaller, and then are surprised with the style differences. We do find them stylistically 'different' but different adds to cruising variety...

 

We have cruised on both S and M class and we have future cruises booked on both. If we are honest we do prefer the S class for style, number of dining venues...but when the right itinerary and timing comes along we have no worries booking M class ships. Level of service and quality of food is very comparable. With a port intensive cruise, as yours is, number of restaurants etc becomes less important.

 

There are some room differences between the ships, particularly at suite level, so search the room you have booked for size, location, general reviews.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

Edited April 16, 2016 by chemmo

[Newbury newbie]

Hi - we'll be cruising on the Connie in the Med in just over a week. This will be our first cruise on her. We'll be happy to share our observations with you upon our return - if no one else has by that point.

 

Yes, I'd appreciate hearing what you think. May be you could relate this to your trip on Eclipse? If you can remember that!! :)

Edited April 16, 2016 by Newbury newbie

[Newbury newbie]

Connie hasn't had the outdoor movie area installed, that's Infinty and Summit (and shortly Millie this month).

 

There are some recent positive reviews of her: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2334123 and http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2324987.

We like M class ships and are back on Connie in August.

 

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out later. Bit naughty to be told Connie had been fitted for the movie area if it hasn't. Borders on mis-selling I'd say?

[Newbury newbie]

You are so right to do your homework....I think one of the reasons M class ships get poor reviews is because people board expecting an S class ship, just a little smaller, and then are surprised with the style differences. We do find them stylistically 'different' but different adds to cruising variety...

 

We have cruised on both S and M class and we have future cruises booked on both. If we are honest we do prefer the S class for style, number of dining venues...but when the right itinerary and timing comes along we have no worries booking M class ships. Level of service and quality of food is very comparable. With a port intensive cruise, as yours is, number of restaurants etc becomes less important.

 

There are some room differences between the ships, particularly at suite level, so search the room you have booked for size, location, general reviews.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

 

Thanks Chemmo, your comments are encouraging. When we find something we really like, as in the X brand and S class, we're always wary of change in case our long awaited holiday is a let down.

 

I agree with your bit about trying different styles though. We're not at the point yet where we're using the speciality restaurants or booking suites so as long as the service and overall style is similar we should be content. :)

 

In fact, with a MDR, martini bar, daytime bar and casino on board it's looking better the more I think about it!! :):)

 

Regarding rooms. We've booked 8161 a 2B cabin on deck 8. This is surrounded by higher grade concierge cabins and also has a larger balcony (having that trapezium shape). This looked like a premium location/size and I couldn't understand why it was graded as 2B. Would it be because it's by the aft lifts/stairs? Any knowledge of this cabin?

[MR_T]

Great thread, we have the same concerns as I've nearly booked an m/class ship a couple of times but ended up changing the the s/class as that's what we know... We've tried a couple of other lines and know for sure celebrity is for us but just can't make that jump to the m/class smaller ship! [emoji848] one day we will try it...

 

Saying the above I have some great friends that we cruise with that love the connie so it must be good! [emoji4]

[Newbury newbie]

Great thread, we have the same concerns as I've nearly booked an m/class ship a couple of times but ended up changing the the s/class as that's what we know... We've tried a couple of other lines and know for sure celebrity is for us but just can't make that jump to the m/class smaller ship! [emoji848] one day we will try it...

 

Saying the above I have some great friends that we cruise with that love the connie so it must be good! [emoji4]

 

May be we can reassure you once we return, Tony. That'll be some time off mind you..........not sure how I can wait that long!!

 

I do feel for you, regards your booking on the Eclipse!!

Edited April 16, 2016 by Newbury newbie

[hcat]

Connie will be diff than Reflection (our least fav S class ship )...We thought Ref was too big crowded, layout issues for us. Our favs are Equinox and Silhouette But Connie wiil still be the very nice Celebrity experience..just cozier..not a bad thing! A very well run ship with friendly staff and officers,

 

We recently had a wonderful Connie cruise and enjoyed many of the things that differ from S class...very nice indoor pool..T pool. Lovely theatre, Great BLU for Aquaclass. Tuscan overlooking the pool area & Ocean Liners ( not sure if still intact?) were both excellent. Also enjoyed Bistro on 5..not sure if it is same or new menu. And nice cozy lounges..although not all areas were updated from our observations, The Canyon ranch spa was very good .

 

Boarding and disembarkation in FLL were very smooth....parking right at the berth area. CONNIE will be perfect for the Med....

 

Enjoy!

Edited April 16, 2016 by hcat

[4774Papa]

We have done two cruises on Connie and love the ship. Also, we prefer the smaller M class ships. The Century, now out of service was smaller than the M class and we loved her.

 

Perhaps it depends on what you want out of cruising. We tend to be port people, more interested in the itinerary, than ship people, more interested in the ship experience.

 

The S class ships have some great features, but that is what they are features. Yes, their Persian Garden is better. Celebrity takes good care of the older ship.

[vtcruising]

Thanks for the links, I'll check them out later. Bit naughty to be told Connie had been fitted for the movie area if it hasn't. Borders on mis-selling I'd say?

 

The cruise agent may have been confused with the other two that have been recently refitted, but Host Jazzbeau stated in another thread that the next Connie dry dock is in April, 2017. They will likely do similar changes (or maybe even better changes!) before your cruise.

 

We just cruised on the Connie a few weeks ago and loved the ship. My husband prefers the M class ships (he loves to listen to music at night and likes the lounges on M class better) and I prefer the S class (I like lots of choices), but am happy with either for a port intensive cruise.

 

As others have said, with a Med cruise, the type of ship will likely be less of an issue. With port intensive cruises, you will be happily tired at the end of each day and will likely be fine with a smaller, but still elegant ship with the same excellent service.

[iancal]

We have cruised on numerous lines.

 

The Solstice class ships are our all time favourites. We have also been on both Millie and Connie a number of times. We very much like them as well. We book balcony cabins, usually inside the final payment window.

 

We would pick either class of ship in a heartbeat!

[onespots]

We have sailed on both classes of ship. The s-class ships are very nice & newer. The lay out of these type ships are different along with the passenger count. We have always had a very nice experience on either class of ship.

 

All of our cruises are about the itinerary & how port intensive the sailing is.

The ship is not our destination, the ports of interest are. We find the smaller m-class ships better for these cruises. Especially if tendering is involved.

 

We have sailed on the Silhouette (2 ) Reflection (1 ) still we prefer the smaller M-class ships. We like the size of the Rendezvous Lounge & most of the entertainment. It just seems less crowded. The s-class ships have lots of open spaces on the upper decks, however many times they are closed off for certain events or level of passengers sailing on this vessel. Indoor public areas are small & crowded. Music in the forum area is a joke to us with no place sit & lots of passengers milling around.

 

We enjoy our fellow passengers, big tables in the MDR, & the perks with Elite status. Your experience on the m-class ship will be different & now you will be able to compare these two. Just to be cruising makes us happy & if the weather is good that certainly is a plus. You will be very busy on this cruise, we took it two years ago & found it fantastic.

 

Happy Travels, John

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

When I started cruising on Celebrity, there were no S class ships. I started on a C class ship (Mercury). Moved on to M class and did a cruise on the Century before that ship left the fleet. Each of the classes has something to recommend it. I have always enjoyed my cruises on the Connie. I know you said you don't book suites, but in my opinion, there is no comparison between the M class and the S class suites--M class wins hands down. There is nothing else quite like the M class penthouse at sea.

 

[richsea]

I don't think you can go wrong with either class of ship; they each have a little something different to offer. As far as stateroom 8161, the biggest difference compared to Concierge rooms on M class, is that the CC rooms are 20 sq.fr. larger; 170 vs. 190 sq.ft., it does offer a larger balcony.

 

Also, if you enjoy pre dinner drinks & dancing, M class wins hands down, with the Rondezous Lounge providing adequate seating, dance floor, & live music, whereas on S class, you have to dance in the atrium with minimal seating. Also, the indoor pool on M class is more of a thallassotherapy pool, rather than just a pool. Another advantage of M class is theater seating, which is much more comfy & roomy, while having small cocktail tables for each couple attending. While M class does not have a wrap around promanade deck, they do have a wide deck under the lifeboats, with lounges & room to stroll, while S class have a more cluttered deck in that area.

 

We don't hesitate to sail either class ship. Enjoy your cruise!

Edited April 16, 2016 by richsea

[bigbenboys]

We have cruises on all of Celebrity current ships. As you have not cruises a lot yet. My thought is the cruise might be more about the itinerary and less about the ship. The feel of the ship changes from cruise to cruise. Our Southern Caribbean cruise on Connie I did not enjoy it that much. But a year later we did Connie in the Eastern Mediterranean was really nice. The Connie is the newest of the M-Class ships.

[DaKa2002]

We have sailed both Celebrity's S and M class ships. The Solstice and the Connie are our favorites, maybe due to the crew and the particular itinerary more than the ship itself. We would sail either in a heartbeat (currently booked on the Solstice out of Hawaii next week).

[AZmama2015]

We are booked for our first ever X cruise on the Solstice to Alaska in a Sky Suite. I'm fully expecting to love it and be very spoiled by the experience. And since my cruise is over a year away, I'm spending time exploring other options on the website.

 

There's a November 2016 Southeast Asia cruise on the Millie that I'm very interested in for the itinerary. It's not really feasible due to our vacation plans for this year and next, but it got me started doing some research to see the differences. For about same price as we're paying for Alaska for 9 days, we could get 12 days in a RS on this cruise. It would cost us more in flights, but the idea of a full 12 days in a RS with a good number of sea days sounds pretty heavenly, and especially for a great itinerary. I think the Millie cruise also offered the multiple perk package.

 

I searched some reviews here and just think it's best for our first trip to be on an S-class. Once we get to know more about the X system, we'll be better prepared to try something more off the beaten path. I do tend to like newer ships with the bells and whistles, but really it's about service, great food and overall cleanliness of the ship. I sailed the Crystal Harmony before they sold it and while it was somewhat dated, everything else was impeccable and it didn't detract at all from the quality of the trip. Also often you can get great deals on the older ships because they are less in demand. If the Millie can offer that, I'll be game to try her. Maybe 2018!

[Cassicruiser]

We have sailed on the Millennium twice (last year and the year before) and just got off our first S class cruise on the Solstice last week. I expected to be wowed by the Solstice, and it was really lovely but there were many things I preferred on the Millennium.

Cons of the S-class (in my opinion):

Felt more crowded, seems to have more cabins that make it a bigger ship than M-class, without enough bigger public areas to compensate.

No big open lounges (other than the Sky lounge) - the whole back of deck 5 is taken up by specialty restaurants, and there are minimal places to sit indoors.

No promenade deck, view hidden by lifeboats all along the deck when you go outside.

Entertainment and dancing are in the centrum area, very little seating - as opposed to M-class where much of the entertainment is in the big open Cosmos lounge, and on M-class there is the Rendezvous lounge which is a lovely big lounge for dancing and listening to music which the S-class lacks.

Pros of S-class;

Celebrity Central - an alternate smaller show venue

The Oceanview cafe - Waaay better on S-class (but hard to find a table as more people).

More shade on the pool deck

The lawn area on top of the ship.

 

I did really enjoy both - and would certainly sail on either again in a heartbeat. My opinion is that both classes are equally good (taking into account the above differences) - both beautiful, with great service, same good food quality and wonderful entertainment.

[Lastdance]

We are booked for our first ever X cruise on the Solstice to Alaska in a Sky Suite. I'm fully expecting to love it and be very spoiled by the experience. And since my cruise is over a year away, I'm spending time exploring other options on the website.

 

There's a November 2016 Southeast Asia cruise on the Millie that I'm very interested in for the itinerary. It's not really feasible due to our vacation plans for this year and next, but it got me started doing some research to see the differences. For about same price as we're paying for Alaska for 9 days, we could get 12 days in a RS on this cruise. It would cost us more in flights, but the idea of a full 12 days in a RS with a good number of sea days sounds pretty heavenly, and especially for a great itinerary. I think the Millie cruise also offered the multiple perk package.

 

I searched some reviews here and just think it's best for our first trip to be on an S-class. Once we get to know more about the X system, we'll be better prepared to try something more off the beaten path. I do tend to like newer ships with the bells and whistles, but really it's about service, great food and overall cleanliness of the ship. I sailed the Crystal Harmony before they sold it and while it was somewhat dated, everything else was impeccable and it didn't detract at all from the quality of the trip. Also often you can get great deals on the older ships because they are less in demand. If the Millie can offer that, I'll be game to try her. Maybe 2018!

 

I totally agree that the S class ships are wonderful, especially in an S1 aft...gorgeous views!

[Von & John]

Yes, I'd appreciate hearing what you think. May be you could relate this to your trip on Eclipse? If you can remember that!! :)

 

The Connie was Fabulous. The crew were some of the happiest & friendliest we have ever come across. Food & new friends were great. Our MED trip Rome to Venice was unique & very port intensive... Only 2 Sea Days. I would have to say the # of passengers was fine for the ship. We never once felt like it was crowded or packed.

 

You asked for a comparison to the Eclipse - the Eclipse was great as well. It's newer w/ more bells & whistles. I'd say find the itinerary you like & your cruise will be great. We truly enjoyed ourselves on both the Connie & the Eclipse. We'll be back on the Connie again in January.

[Shadow9612]

May be we can reassure you once we return, Tony. That'll be some time off mind you..........not sure how I can wait that long!!

 

I do feel for you, regards your booking on the Eclipse!!

Sorry to refresh an older thread, just curious how the OP found the M class vs S class? I'm in a similar situation - Celebrity is my cruise line of choice, however, I've only been on S Class ships and I'm considering a trip on the constellation.

 

I also saw another comment how the Oceanview Cafe on M class was not as good as S class, just curious how so variety? Quality? Physical layout?

[brazilgirl]

I am interested too in reading further comments.

[villauk]

Sorry to refresh an older thread, just curious how the OP found the M class vs S class? I'm in a similar situation - Celebrity is my cruise line of choice, however, I've only been on S Class ships and I'm considering a trip on the constellation.

 

I also saw another comment how the Oceanview Cafe on M class was not as good as S class, just curious how so variety? Quality? Physical layout?

 

 

There’s no central open area in OV on the M class like there is on S - you have to walk around to gain access to the other side. The panini/sandwich station at the far end is great.

 

I prefer the layout in Cafe al Bacio on M class as I like the few steps up to the seating area. I would much prefer sailing on Connie than Reflection (you know my feelings there ;)).