from Millennium

[geekgirl23]

We were also on this cruise. It was our 8th with Celebrity (15th overall). They are still our favorite cruise line, but I must say, this was the most disappointed we've been with a Celebrity ship and service. We have also been on the Infinity and Summit several times and just felt that the service didn't seem as "polished" as in the past. Don't get me wrong, any day that I'm on vacation is a good day, but I just don't think it was what I had expected... and these impressions started early on, not just after we had missed two ports.

 

After hearing about so many ships missing the Falklands, I really didn't expect to go there, so mentally I was prepared for missing that port. Missing Puerto Madryn, however, was pretty unexpected, especially since it was not a tender port. I was disappointed, but I'm not a consipiracy theorist (as many on board were) and believe them when they said it was weather related and that the port was closed.

 

Passengers were very upset when the announcement came that we were missing Puerto Madryn- as previously mentioned, there was a "meeting" in Cosmos at noon on that day where passengers disrupted bingo. Some passegers had written a letter and were getting people to sign a petition to get another port added or get some money back. There were so many angry people filling up the lounge that security was called. I've really never seen anything like it before, I was a little scared there was going to be mutiny on the Millenium. My main complaint about missing those ports was the lack of communication to the passengers- it was about 3 hours to get new activity sheets for the day, and 4 hours until they made an announcement that we'd get into Montevideo early and that there was a happy hour that night to compensate us. Those 4 hours seemed like an eternity with a lot of very angry people on board... not to mention that with the missed ports, we were heading into 5 sea days in a row. I just don't think there was enough to on board for those 5 days.

 

In general though, my complaints are similiar to Linda's- we did smell the bathroom smells quite often. In fact, probably the worst smells to me were in the Emporium area. We didn't smell them near our room though, which was also midship. We also had problems with flushing our toilets, sometimes it just didn't work. Maybe that's all connected? We reported it to the stateroom attendant who said its a problem with the main line and its all over the ship- our table mates also mentioned having that problem and smelling the odors around the ship.

 

Our other complaint was also the tender issues- I thought a 90 minute wait for the tender was unreasonable. When returning back late in the day, I do expect to wait a little, but not like that. I did appreciate it though when we docked in Ushuaia (our itinerary said it was a tender port). I'm sure they did that because of all the previous tender problems.

 

We were thrilled to have seen the penguins at Magdalena Island in Punta Arenas... since that ended up the only penguin port that we made. Our table mates had penguin trips booked both at the Falklands and Puerto Madryn and were very disappointed that they never got to see them at all. My advice, like what was said earlier, is to book all the penguin tours you can if your goal is to see them!

 

One really nice bonus to the trip, was that we got to sail around the horn. We were told by the CD, Simon, at the Cruise Critics party that there was some disagreement as to whether or not it was actually on our itinerary. He said it cost them about $25K in fuel to get us there. I was very happy that we were able to do that, although I must say it was fairly anticlimactic since it was so very calm that day. I almost wanted some nightmare story about how rough it was for bragging rights!

[katiebeth]

Dear Linda and Geekgirl,

 

It definitely sounds like both of you have some legitimate concerns. I hope you make your concerns known to "higher ups" at Celebrity. I have had contact with Joan Bernheimer at headquarters and she has been helpful to me in the past with a particular problem I was having regarding booking staterooms for our cruise on the Millennium this summer. Her e-mail address in jbernheimer@rccl.com. She is with Guest Relations. I am not sure if she is the appropriate person to contact, but I would ask her to let you know who is the appropriate person, if she is not the one.

 

I must say that I am rather discouraged about the issues that have been reported over the last few months regarding the Millennium. I have not seen these issues as much with their other ships. Sounds like Celebrity may need to make some changes as far as those who are in charge on the Millennium of the various departments (guest relations, housekeeping, maintenance, etc.). The one issue that is particularly unsettling is the sewage smell. This has been reported several times and it appears that Celebrity is not doing anything to correct the situation. It was also an issue on the Infinity in June when were sailing to Alaska. I thought it was a one time problem (assuming that Celebrity would not allow such an unpleasant and unsanitary issue to continue). However, I read posts throughout the summer of others reporting the same sewage smell on later sailings on the Infinity. I must admit that I am disappointed and rather shocked that Celebrity has not resolved this most disgusting (not to mention, a possible health threat) issue A.S.A.P.

 

The condition of the staterooms is also discouraging. We book Celebrity because we feel it is a step-above the mass-market cruise lines. They advertise that Celebrity is a "true departure" and you will be treated famously. I believe they need to live-up to that claim.

 

I hope that you both contact Celebrity and let them know your concerns. Also, hopefully you both filled out the survey cards at the end of the cruise. They seem to place alot of weight on the comments on those surveys.

 

I have been reading these boards over the past few months particularly those posts related to the Millennium (since we are scheduled to sail her in June) and the problems you both experienced have been reported before. There are those on these boards who do not want to hear anything negative about Celebrity and either imply that you are making these issues up or are only looking for things to complain about. Both of you seem like very reasonable people who have legitimate concerns that have been reported before on previous sailings. It is disheartening to think that Celebrity is not trying to address these issues.

 

We love Celebrity and have had very positive experiences. Our cruise in July of 2003 British Isles and Norweign Fjords on the Constellation was the best trip of our lives. It was a true departure and we were treated famously!!

 

I must admit, however, that I am concerned about our upcoming sailing to the Med. on the Millennium. We have very much been looking forward to this trip and feel extremely blessed to be able to travel as much as we do. However, I do hope that Celebrity takes these concerns seriously and does everything to address them in a timely manner.

 

We sure hate to see our favorite cruise line slipping. Please keep us posted regarding Celebrity's response.

 

Nancy

[SunshineCity]

I have been reading these boards over the past few months particularly those posts related to the Millennium (since we are scheduled to sail her in June) and the problems you both experienced have been reported before. There are those on these boards who do not want to hear anything negative about Celebrity and either imply that you are making these issues up or are only looking for things to complain about. Both of you seem like very reasonable people who have legitimate concerns that have been reported before on previous sailings. It is disheartening to think that Celebrity is not trying to address these issues.

 

As I posted earlier, I was on the sailing previous to this cruise. You seem to imply people think you are making up these issues or just want to complain. Well I don't feel that way about people who who have issues. I was just stating my feelings toward our cruise and I have cruise over 30 cruises. It really seemed like we were on 2 different ships. There was nothing wrong with the Millennium!

Let's keep these boards a place to ask questions and help fellow cruisers out. Don't get on your next cruise with negative feelings.

[geekgirl23]

Nancy- As SunshineCity said, I wouldn't go into your next cruise with negative feelings. No matter what, it was still a wonderful trip that we enjoyed very much! I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever cruise you're on too!

 

I understand that most of the issues I have are pretty picky, it was just hard considering that my previous 7 cruises on Celebrity set a very high standard.

 

And I agree that this might not be the exact right forum for complaints, but I do think this is information that I would have appreciated beforehand. It wouldn't have made me cancel the trip, but at least I would have had different expectations.

[katiebeth]

Dear SunshineCity,

 

Please know that I was not directing my comments to you or anyone in particular. In fact, I did not even re-read this thread before my post and did not recall your particular post. My comment was made in general based on what I have seen happen frequently when someone points out a negative on these boards. I even hesistated to say that because I knew someone would take issue.

 

I have never had a bad experience with Celebrity, only great ones, so I have not had any concerns to report. However, just because I personally have not experienced anything negative does not mean it can't happen.

 

I agree that the primary reason for these boards is to exchange information about cruising and I don't like to see alot of nit picking or any nasty remarks. However, I do think Linda and Geekgirl23 seem to be fair and balanced and have reasonable concerns. Frankly, I am glad to have this information so I am more prepared for my cruise experience. However, it is my hope that Celebrity will address these issues in a timely manner, not just for my benefit, but for future cruisers.

 

Again, my remarks were not at all intended to single anyone out or offend in any way. If that was the result, please accept my heartfelt apology.

 

Sincerely,

 

Nancy

[katiebeth]

Believe me, I have NEVER gotten on a cruise with negative feelings. I am, unfortunately, addicted to cruising and have always looked forward to each cruise with great expectation. I am thrilled that I am physically and financially able to travel and grateful for every experience.

 

I am hopeful that Celebrity will address these issues, and if not, I have a little more realistic expectations.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

Nancy

[SunshineCity]

Vacations are supposed to be fun. Just because someone has issues about their cruise doesn't mean you should expect the same issues on your cruise. And everyone should keep in mind, that usually there are over 2000 people aboard and if a couple of people have issues that is not so bad. It has been my experience in life that you can't please everyone all of the time and thats the honest truth.

 

In fairness, I was witness to a couple of incidents on our ship with people complaining. In fact some couples were so rude, I felt embarrassed for them. So even though nothing went seriously wrong on our cruise, not everyone were happy campers. But I can say the majority of passengers were happy and seemed to be enjoying their cruise.

 

No offense taken

[katiebeth]

Dear SunshineCity,

 

I agree with what you are saying. I have been embarassed before with the behavior of fellow cruisers as well (in terms of their unrealistic and sometimes obnoxious demands). Like you said they are in the minority, and the vast majority of cruisers are reasonable people looking to have a wonderful time and enjoy their vacation.

 

Looking forward to many more great cruisers!!

 

Nancy

[Vistadeck]

Its dissapointing to miss both ports but from my experience, Puerto Madryn was no great stop -- people on tours when i was there on Zenith weren't that impressed, missing the penguin excursion would be most dissapointing except its not the best penguin visit on the trip, its a long ride from the port. Not much in the town, some shops and cafes and a park with vendors. Its not the best time for sealions etc. there either.

 

It's sad you missed the stop but really, many of the other ports had much more to offer. Especially in Usuiaha and Punta Arenas.

[cruiserjack]

We, too, are just back and have the laundry piles and bills to pay. In fact, our Christmas decorations are still up.

The 29 days we spent on Millennium were really fine. We found the staff to be courteous, friendly, eager to assist. We did encounter a shower drainage problem that was fixed immediately. Sometimes we had to hit the flusher on the toilet a couple of times before it worked. Every now and then we had the "sewer" smell in the hallway, but faint and not often. The public areas of Millennium are well cared for. Just our bathroom needed some refurbishing. But the maintenance staff was constantly cleaning and polishing. I saw someone cleaning the back side of the staircases.

Yes there was a tender problem at two ports and we had to wait 1.5 to 2 hours twice. The staff did provide drinks the second time.

And yes, we did miss two ports. We were on deck the morning we tried to get into Puerto Madryn. There was a cross wind to the dock and the waves and currents were very strong. And the port was blocked by the Argentines. Perhaps we could have waited but the Captain's announcement upon our leaving said the weather was forecasted to get worse.

Considering the distance to Montevideo from Puerto Madryn, the Captain had to go fast to get us there early.

Other unexpected treats: the Captain opened the heliport at the Panama Canal, Cape Horn, Skua Glacier for some phenomenal views and pictures and the cruise director, Simon Weir, who spent an hour each cruise with us Cruise Critic folks.

All in all it was a great cruise. This was a fifth cruise on Celebrity and we plan on many more. :)

[idssms]

The Millennium is the Flagship of the Celebrity Fleet. The Captain currently, Michael Karatzas is the best they have.

 

If he couldn't get into a Port of Call no one could. I am sure the Captain wanted in there more then the guests because the last thing Celebrity wants are unhappy guests.

]

Captain Karatzas will become the next Commodore of Celebrity in my opinion.

 

I have sailed the Millie twice and will take it in Nov 06 and its a great experience. I cant believe some of the comments I read sometimes. I had no smells, no plumbing problems, no customer service problems. The Conceirge Gary from the UK was the best so far for us. He is a consumate professional. To say he was inefficient is way out of line in my opinion.

 

My latest review of the Millennium was posted on here today:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=14681

 

 

Don

[Linda-E]

The Millennium is the Flagship of the Celebrity Fleet. The Captain currently, Michael Karatzas is the best they have.

 

If he couldn't get into a Port of Call no one could. I am sure the Captain wanted in there more then the guests because the last thing Celebrity wants are unhappy guests.

 

Captain Karatzas will become the next Commodore of Celebrity in my opinion.

 

An unbiased opinion from someone who "had lunch each day with the Captain"? I think not! Also - I don't question Gary's competency, but he was not the concierge on our voyage.

 

We have never had a "bad cruise." We had a good time on this cruise, but it was far from great. It didn't meet our expectations and we weren't "treated famously" as we felt we have been on each of our 11 past Celebrity cruises. You are entitled to your opinion as we are to ours. We'll be back on Constellation in September, but I have no desire to return to the poor service and lack of communications we experienced on Millennium.

 

Nancy, I do hope that the issues we experienced are resolved long before your cruise. If you want to e-mail me, I will be happy to share Celebrity's response. It is pointless to post here any longer.

 

Linda

[roberts2005]

I too was on the January 8th Cruise. My wife and I were in cabin 6146, we loved the room and had a great butler - Rasti. The room is little worn, the couch needs to be redone.

 

Out table was 404, early seatig. Out waiter Edwin was outstanding. Meals were fine as well.

 

We are also upset about missing ports. Still do not understand why captain couldn't have got to port earlier. He had all the extra time from the missed Falklands.

 

The lack of information on ports and communication from staff was and is my biggest complaint. On Holand America you are provided with a map and info for each port. Very little was provided.

 

AS to a previous poster, are you sure you received a refund on port charges? My bill shows no such credit.

[florisdekort]

I have sailed the Millie twice and will take it in Nov 06 and its a great experience.

 

Hi Don,

 

I completely agree. I sailed Millennium in October, from Venice to Barcelona, and it was our best cruise yet. Never did we experience bad smells, the service was outstanding (the cabin attendant, the dining room staff, the the concierge, everybody was friendly and attentive), the food was excellent... I honestly can't think of anything to complain about. Tenders were run efficiently. And Linda, I did not have lunch with the Captain every day :rolleyes:

 

I am very much looking forward to spending 28 nights on Millennium in March and encourage everybody booked on future cruises to stop worrying and to start enjoying the pre-vacation excitement!

 

Floris

[ottofocus]

We also sailed on this cruise and enjoyed good service and friendly crew and super destinations (when we could make them) The disappointments were lack of communications, no weather reports and the sewage odor. We were in 6088 Penthouse deck and had to have our w.c. repaired twice, the two ladies traveling with us in 6090 had to call the plumber 4 times. We are "Select" with Celebrity and have made a total of 12 cruises so I don't voice this complaint without prior experience. Possibly the rough weather was a factor, we will never know as we couldn't get any explanation. I will say that this has never been an issue for us on any prior cruise, Infinity, Summit or what ever.

 

I witnessed some nasty pax behavior at the deck 3 customer relations counter after we skipped Puerto Madryn because of increasing winds and wind shear. There were some angry pax who IMHO were wrong and I support the Captains decision. At the Falklands, winds exceeded 60 knots so that skipped port was a no brainer!!! I have some awesome pictures of the waves and a long range fishing boat off the Falklands taken from our balcony. I just wish I had a tape of my wife screaming at me to come back inside! :o)

 

The staff could have done a more professional job in communicating with the pax. Some of the customer relationship problems coud have be smoothed out.

 

BTW--Linda---The flight was overbooked. We voluntarily stayed over as guests of the airline and left EZE on Monday. Stayed at the Plaza San Martin along with $600 vouchers each and an upgrade to biz to boot. We were the only 4 to be accepted. Sometimes being a road warrior pays off.

[idssms]

[quote name='florisdekort']Hi Don,

I completely agree. I sailed Millennium in October, from Venice to Barcelona, and it was our best cruise yet. Never did we experience bad smells, the service was outstanding (the cabin attendant, the dining room staff, the the concierge, everybody was friendly and attentive), the food was excellent... I honestly can't think of anything to complain about. Tenders were run efficiently. And Linda, I did not have lunch with the Captain every day :rolleyes:

I am very much looking forward to spending 28 nights on Millennium in March and encourage everybody booked on future cruises to stop worrying and to start enjoying the pre-vacation excitement!

Floris[/QUOTE]


Thanks Floris


What the guests dont really understand is every major decision comes from Miami and is relayed to the Brass on each Celebrity Ship. The Captain can recommend but he is not the final say on most major decisions. If Celebrity thougth it was risky trying to get into a port they would tell the Captain to nix it. They really dont want complaints and accounting issues with refunds, etc,, so its in their best interest not to skip a port,, meaning,,, if they do,, it is for good cause.

I cant wait for my Millie Transatlantic in November 06. Chances are my ship buddies wont be on the ship but thats fine,,, I will make new friends and I will dine with them and have as good a time as ever!!! Trust me..

Don

[AgSg]

To quote Floris, "stop worrying and start enjoying the pre-vacation excitement".

Glitches can occur anywhere especially on a cruise ship. We have sailed all of the "Millennium Class" ships and Millennium is definitely our favorite. We will be on the March 5 sailing (our 7th on the Millie). We were on the TA with Don last November and had a blast. Don is a good guy even if he does have lunch with the Captain almost every day.

I will be honest Mille does have some rough spots that need to be addressed (areas of worn carpet, some stains on carpets, worn elevator buttons, some of the upholstery on the theater seating needs to be redone, etc.) On the TA, we were in a CC cabin on deck eight forward. We did notice the sewage smell a couple of times in the hall way (especially during rough weather). It did not last long and whatever caused the problem was addressed quickly. It should be noted that the ship had a health and Coast Guard inspection immediately after the TA and it passed with flying colors.

Overall the crew is professional and very accommodating. Our cabin attendant was the best we have ever had. Our Waitress also bent over backwards to make sure we were happy. The staff in the Olympic was excellent.

I do agree that you tend to see more negative comments on cruises that have had issues. A perfect example was on our TA last November. That sailing was delayed due to a dry-dock change. The ports of Marseille and Rome were also dropped. I don't think Celebrity could have done anything to make some people happy. They put us up for two days in Barcelona at good hotels and gave everyone a 20% refund. People were complaining all the way across the Atlantic.

The biggest failure on Celebrity’s part was in the communications arena. The changes were happening so fast that they started giving out wrong information making the situation worse.

[idssms]

Thanks Albert!!

Flattery will get you [COLOR="Red"][B]EVERYWHERE[/B][/COLOR] with me!!


Captain Don

[Linda-E]

[quote name='aguasch']I will be honest Mille does have some rough spots that need to be addressed (areas of worn carpet, some stains on carpets, worn elevator buttons, some of the upholstery on the theater seating needs to be redone, etc.) On the TA, we were in a CC cabin on deck eight forward. We did notice the sewage smell a couple of times in the hall way (especially during rough weather)....

The biggest failure on Celebrity’s part was in the communications arena. The changes were happening so fast that they started giving out wrong information making the situation worse.[/quote]

I think that the fact that these issues existed in November and again in January proves the point the Millennium has areas that need immediate attention. Add to the list an inoperable tender that caused considerable inconvenience in the first two ports.

We had a good time and we will cruise on Constellation again in September. However, I wouldn't cruise on Millennium any time soon.

Ottofocus - We thought that you had an extra day to enjoy in Buenos Aires since we didn't see you when we boarded the plane. I'm especially jealous of your upgrade. Glad you all got home safely.

Linda

[joycek]

[quote name='wlbox']We just booked the March 5 Millie cruise.. Now I am wondering if we made the right decision. so many port stops missed.. smells of sewage ??

Is this how I want to spend my hard earned money?????

We are on it also! Makes one nervous but we must wait & form our own opinions!

[AgSg]

[quote name='joycek'][quote name='wlbox']We just booked the March 5 Millie cruise.. Now I am wondering if we made the right decision. so many port stops missed.. smells of sewage ??

Is this how I want to spend my hard earned money?????

We are on it also! Makes one nervous but we must wait & form our own opinions![/QUOTE]
Joycek,

Don't worry, we will all have a great time. From the postings on our thread, it looks like we have a great bunch of folk on this cruise.

Albert

[SunshineCity]

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There's only one way to ensure that the purchases you make abroad will find their way to your home: Carry them yourself. We’ve heard from too many travelers who have returned from a vacation only to wait in vain for overseas shipments of souvenirs that never arrive, are broken to bits, or bear no resemblance to what they selected and paid for in the shop. While there are laws in place to protect you from consumer fraud in the United States, you have no legal recourse with unscrupulous merchants abroad; even credit card companies offer little assistance in such disputes. If you absolutely must ship something home, be sure to ask the local tourist board if it can vouch for the store, or ask the merchant for references from satisfied customers. There are no guarantees, of course, but taking these steps will help minimize your chances of being disappointed in the end.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[FONT=Verdana][B][COLOR=#366f80]You Get What You Pay For[/COLOR][/B][/FONT][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]
It's a simple rule, but one travelers often forget. What can you reasonably expect of a seven-night cruise with a $700 price tag, or a hotel room in Manhattan for $75? Nothing more than the basics. Still, every day we receive complaints from readers who are outraged that there was no caviar or filet mignon on their budget cruise, or that the bathroom in their bargain Paris hotel room had mildew on the grout. Be reasonable and realistic in your expectations. If you’re not satisfied with anything less than perfection, remember: It’s exceedingly rare, and usually comes with a hefty price tag.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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[Linda-E]

Article about our cruise, clearly missed the point. It's not just the missed ports, but the lack of communications that had people so upset.

[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2006/02/04/etnewscruise04.xml&sSheet=/travel/2006/02/04/ixtrvhome.html[/url]

[SunshineCity]

I think their position is real sad. I think they think they are entitled to the same compensation as the folks on the Queen Mary 2. I would give them nothing after this crap.

[Hebe]

Don

Reading your posts -- Does this mean you are not traveling with us in March to South America. You said you next time on the Millie will be November.

Deb