Having a great time on board Millennium

[schittenden]

11 hours ago, Michelle19 said:

Really enjoying your posts and pictures. We go on her in a couple weeks. 

I see she turned Yellow today. Wonder if those people coughing up a lung or not wearing a mask on excursions.?  😒

I’m just learning this now. Disappointed but not surprised. We have been wearing masks most of the time outside of our stateroom, other than when eating or drinking. I have not heard any announcements, nor have I seen anyone taken off the ship in a way that indicates they are sick. Could be a crew member who is now quarantining. 

[schittenden]

14 hours ago, Silkroad said:

It's shameful that Celebrity has no late meal options for parents with children who are too young to be vaccinated. Thanks for warning us about this. I hope you were able to find something to eat.

 

14 hours ago, sherylc said:

Isn't the pool grill (burgers/hot dogs) open all afternoon? Also I think the Sushi restaurant is also an option per the app.  Add in room service and at least there are a few options on the ship at 2 pm.  (Will be doing the same excursion on the next cruise, so checked the app for options)

 

13 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Are these options open to unvaccinated children?

There are definitely a few options. We were able to grab some items from the buffet as they were shutting it down. The pool grill, room service, and pizza are also available. I didn’t mean to imply that there aren’t options, just that neither the buffet or the dining room are really available. 

[schittenden]

12 hours ago, sherylc said:

I haven't seen any restrictions on Celebrity related to unvaccinated children and access to all parts of the ship (except perhaps some spa services and the Solarium most of the time based solely on age). Only RCCL seems to have vaccinated vs unvaccinated venues. 

This is correct. The only on-board restriction is that children have to wear face masks in Camp at Sea. 

[schittenden]

12 hours ago, jg51 said:

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Good day to all!

 

Back on July 18, CruiseCritic member "seacruise9" was aboard the Summit (or had recently left the ship).  He/she posted the following comment (below which we will ask a question about the Millennium) ...

 

"The Oceanview Cafe is vastly improved. I have cruised on this class of ship in the past: Millennium in 2001, Summit in 2010 and Constellation in 2013. This space was completely redesigned and looks great. There are many different food 'islands' rather than one large counter. Note that there are different offerings on each side of the buffet. Be sure to check both sides. There was a large diagram on the wall when you enter the room that provides an overview of the layout.  Also, the seating area was expanded. Some of the bays extending over the side of the ship were joined during the refurbishment to enlarge the seating area. The windows in the floor of the bay areas have been removed."  [end of quotation from seacruise9]

 

We would like to ask you (schittenden) -- or anyone else who has been aboard Millennium since the "grand re-start" -- if "Millie" has been re-configured as the Summit was, with "islands" that are like those on Solstice-class ships.  We ask because we are not "fans" of the old-fashioned, straight-line, cafeteria style buffets.

 

Thanks, in advance.

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As @scrapcreator said, it has been redesigned and has several stations on both sides as well as around the back. The picture below is the station for drinks on one side with a food station in the background. On each side of the midship entrance is a lcd tv with a map and a description of the options. Bread is at the port midship with ice cream and a few desserts in the same place starboard. Just back from there is desserts in the center with Indian food on the port side and Asian food on the starboard. Then each side has a rotating station with various foods and a carving station. Sodas are next. The aft has minute steaks, grilled chicken, and other items in the middle with pizza to the starboard and seafood to the port side. The very aft of the buffet has fruit, cheese, and salad.

 

12 hours ago, scrapcreator said:

@jg51 We were on the Millennium June 2019 (Alaska Northbound) and the Oceanview had been redesigned. It does have several different islands on both sides with a variety of seating. 

[schittenden]

12 hours ago, Luckynana said:

schittenden....your descriptions of your arrival are phenomenal.  You really make Alaska sound magical, and then you show these stunning pictures!!!   I guess it really must be!!.

 

It's a shame there are so many "special people" who feel they don't have to follow protocol.  Shame on them!

 

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us.  Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Thank you!

[schittenden]

I will write more tomorrow, but for now, I plan to go to bed, having just returned from the casino. I leave you with a few shots from our evening whale watching excursion in Juneau. 

[jg51]

9 hours ago, schittenden said:

.
As @scrapcreator said, it has been redesigned and has several stations on both sides as well as around the back. The picture below is the station for drinks on one side with a food station in the background. On each side of the midship entrance is a lcd tv with a map and a description of the options. Bread is at the port midship with ice cream and a few desserts in the same place starboard. Just back from there is desserts in the center with Indian food on the port side and Asian food on the starboard. Then each side has a rotating station with various foods and a carving station. Sodas are next. The aft has minute steaks, grilled chicken, and other items in the middle with pizza to the starboard and seafood to the port side. The very aft of the buffet has fruit, cheese, and salad.

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Thanks for the detailed description, "schittenden" ...

but we couldn't help noticing that you used the word, "stations" several times, but you did not use the word, "islands." 

 

We were on the Millennium in 2008 and on the Summit in 2017.  In those years, both ships' buffets had lots of "stations" (which may have been just like those you described) -- but neither ship's buffet had any "islands" (structures that a guest could walk all the way around, with crew members standing in the center for replenishment and serving). 

 

On Solstice-class ships, there is an island for desserts, an island for breads/salads, two islands for carved meats and side dishes, etc..  Then, in addition to five or six islands, there are two "straight lines" for the serving of various other foods (pasta/pizza ... grilled meat/fish, etc.).

 

Sorry if we are taxing your patience, but, now that we have described the above more thoroughly, we wish to ask again, Has Millie been re-configured with free-standing 'islands' (like those on Solstice-class ships), or is it really still a double-sided, "U-shaped," straight-line cafeteria?

 

Thanks again.

.

[schittenden]

1 hour ago, jg51 said:

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Thanks for the detailed description, "schittenden" ...

but we couldn't help noticing that you used the word, "stations" several times, but you did not use the word, "islands." 

 

We were on the Millennium in 2008 and on the Summit in 2017.  In those years, both ships' buffets had lots of "stations" (which may have been just like those you described) -- but neither ship's buffet had any "islands" (structures that a guest could walk all the way around, with crew members standing in the center for replenishment and serving). 

 

On Solstice-class ships, there is an island for desserts, an island for breads/salads, two islands for carved meats and side dishes, etc..  Then, in addition to five or six islands, there are two "straight lines" for the serving of various other foods (pasta/pizza ... grilled meat/fish, etc.).

 

Sorry if we are taxing your patience, but, now that we have described the above more thoroughly, we wish to ask again, Has Millie been re-configured with free-standing 'islands' (like those on Solstice-class ships), or is it really still a double-sided, "U-shaped," straight-line cafeteria?

 

Thanks again.

.

The only true islands are the two in the aft corners. They have food on both sides of the staff who serve from the middle. All the others are either v-shaped with the point cut off on the end away from the kitchen or a straight line with the staff behind the line. 

[jg51]

39 minutes ago, schittenden said:

The only true islands are the two in the aft corners. They have food on both sides of the staff who serve from the middle. All the others are either v-shaped with the point cut off on the end away from the kitchen or a straight line with the staff behind the line. 

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OK.  Thanks again!

The reason for asking is our pondering a Canal cruise, aboard Millennium, in October/November.

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[schittenden]

I asked the casino staff today, none of them have heard of any COVID cases on board. One of them indicated that a guest stopped him to report that in talking to another couple, she’d learned that they may have forged their COVID vaccination status. He provided her information to guest services, and it sounds like the crew followed-up. Based on the lack of announcements (which the crew seems to think are still being done) and the lack of crew knowledge, I’m going to assume someone on the last voyage tested positive shortly after disembarkation. If hear differently, I’ll let you know. 
 

Speaking of testing, my son has a disembarkation test scheduled for the conference rooms on Deck 3 tomorrow. They sent a letter with a QR code that went to a website from which we could schedule an appointment. (Somewhat odd that the letter was addressed to a 9 year old.)

 

WiFi was completely nonexistent in Skagway, and very slow today. Just be aware if you’re planning on relying on Stream internet. The Celebrity Today warned of a lack of service in Skagway, which raises the question of why they sell service for a day that they know it won’t work. 
 

We did Le Petite Chef at Qsine tonight. We loved it. My wife is a pescatarian who doesn’t eat mussels, clams, octopus, or lobster. Not to worry, they provided her with an artichoke soup that she didn’t love much instead of the bouillabaisse. In lieu of the lobster, she received some lettuce with roasted butternut squash and lentils. That, she very much enjoyed. Then she had sea bass in place of the filet. She loved the beurre blanc sauce (the same that comes with the lobster) that was served with it and the fish was well cooked. The bouillabaisse was a bit salty in my view, but I generally have to watch my sodium intake, so your mileage may vary. They offered my son mac and cheese in lieu of the soup, which was actually quite good and my wife wished she’d been given that option instead of the artichoke soup. The lobster was very tasty and the beurre blanc was to die for. It was perhaps a tad bit over cooked as it was just a bit chewy. The steaks however were both cooked perfectly and very tender. The service was impeccable. The waitstaff was excellent and assisted my son with cutting his lobster and his steak. The show itself was entertaining. My son appreciated the chef’s chocolate footprints on the sundae plate to complete the tale from the animation. 
 

The casino staff continues to impress with their hospitality and excellent service. The cards have even been nicer to me with me winning each of the last three days (enough to way more than erase my losses from the first few days). If you’re on the Millennium soon, please stop by and let Semir, Zoe, Timi, Alina, and the others know Stephen/Mike (the tax lawyer) says hi from the 8/13 sailing. Congratulate Semir on his engagement and upcoming wedding. They’ll probably look at you with blank faces and have no idea who I am, but it’s nice to imagine having a lasting impact among the hundreds of guests they serve each month. 
 

Tonight, we went to see The Company Men. They were excellent with wonderful harmonies on mashups of current favorites and golden oldies. The highest voice of them was probably the weakest and even his voice wasn’t bad. It would help if they turned up his mic just a bit so that his voice didn’t get lost. The show was upbeat and high energy, and it’s a good use of 45 minutes. 

[schittenden]

On 8/17/2021 at 9:32 AM, MamaFej said:

Yes, please! We want cruising to succeed. Practicing mitigation measures and protocols will help make that happen. Ignoring them might make the "Me, Me, Me" folks happy, but it increases the chances of spreading this awful virus. 

 

 

On 8/17/2021 at 6:35 AM, megfla said:

If you haven't already done so, I suggest informing the Shore Excursion manager that the tour providers are not adhering to the protocols.  

 

Your photos bring me back to our trips to Alaska...amazing!

I made a report to the shore excursions desk. They didn’t seem sure what the protocols are and indicated they may be changing. They indicated that since everyone on the ship was tested and vaccinated other than the

children, there wasn’t a need to social distance on the excursions, so any requirement that may exist now may be eliminated. I don’t fully understand that, but that’s what they said. 

[Sam.Seattle]

On 8/17/2021 at 2:40 PM, briguy1314 said:

For our few who are on currently, did they make any announcements on board? 

No announcement 

[itzfitz]

Schittenden how was the temperature on board Millennium?  Leaving on the 27th sailing and not sure how how heavy my sweaters should be!  I'm particularly referring to the dining rooms.  Thanks and safe travels home for you and your family.

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 8/18/2021 at 10:34 PM, schittenden said:

I asked the casino staff today, none of them have heard of any COVID cases on board. One of them indicated that a guest stopped him to report that in talking to another couple, she’d learned that they may have forged their COVID vaccination status. He provided her information to guest services, and it sounds like the crew followed-up

Glad to hear that passengers and crew are taking their responsibilities seriously.  If that couple really had received the vaccine there would be a registry of it with their state department of health.  I suppose the ship's medical team could ask them to go online and pull it up as proof, or be confined to quarters.  Just a thought.

[schittenden]

3 hours ago, itzfitz said:

Schittenden how was the temperature on board Millennium?  Leaving on the 27th sailing and not sure how how heavy my sweaters should be!  I'm particularly referring to the dining rooms.  Thanks and safe travels home for you and your family.

If you’re a person that tends to be cold, it will be cold in the outdoor spaces on at least a few days. It was chilly for me, but cold for my wife. One day, when the ship was sailing, it was downright cold in the wind. The internal ship temperature is comfortable and many wear short sleeves. 

[schittenden]

2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Glad to hear that passengers and crew are taking their responsibilities seriously.  If that couple really had received the vaccine there would be a registry of it with their state department of health.  I suppose the ship's medical team could ask them to go online and pull it up as proof, or be confined to quarters.  Just a thought.

I know I can do that. I don’t know if it’s easily accessible online for all states. I have no idea whether anything came of the report. 

[MamaFej]

8 hours ago, schittenden said:

 

I made a report to the shore excursions desk. They didn’t seem sure what the protocols are and indicated they may be changing. They indicated that since everyone on the ship was tested and vaccinated other than the

children, there wasn’t a need to social distance on the excursions, so any requirement that may exist now may be eliminated. I don’t fully understand that, but that’s what they said. 

I'm glad you followed up. Thank you for that.

I don't fully understand the relaxing of those protocols either, given what we currently know and are experiencing. 

 

Thanks, also, for the lovely photos and for relaying your experiences. 

[jgmorgan]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience.  And, your pics were great.

 

If you noticed, what time did they allow walk-off disembarkation?

[schittenden]

55 minutes ago, jgmorgan said:

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience.  And, your pics were great.

 

If you noticed, what time did they allow walk-off disembarkation?

I believe it was either 7 am or 7:15 am. We always have too much luggage for that, so I didn’t pay much attention. However, I can tell you, that before 9:15 am, I was checked in and in my hotel room at the Grand Hyatt. I requested an Uber from outside the terminal at 8:44 am after a leisurely breakfast in the dining room. 

[schittenden]

On 8/18/2021 at 1:22 PM, jg51 said:

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OK.  Thanks again!

The reason for asking is our pondering a Canal cruise, aboard Millennium, in October/November.

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Found another picture from the Oceanview Cafe. 

[megfla]

12 hours ago, schittenden said:

 

I made a report to the shore excursions desk. They didn’t seem sure what the protocols are and indicated they may be changing. They indicated that since everyone on the ship was tested and vaccinated other than the

children, there wasn’t a need to social distance on the excursions, so any requirement that may exist now may be eliminated. I don’t fully understand that, but that’s what they said. 

Yes...curious.  Why have the protocols in the first place?  Oh well...all you could do is let them know.

[ezemoney]

does the solarium pool have the built in massage area? t-pool

[jg51]

5 hours ago, schittenden said:

Found another picture from the Oceanview Cafe. 

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Thanks, schittenden!

Now that looks very nice -- quite different from the old "M-class" style.

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[sherylc]

On 8/17/2021 at 4:23 AM, TMLAalum said:

Many thanks for your pix of the Endicott Arm excursion. We will be on that little boat on September 13.

Good to know that lunch may not be available when we get back aboard the Millennium, so we can plan ahead for eating in Juneau.

Just an update after finishing our cruise on the Millennium yesterday and doing the Endicott Arm Excursion.  Celebrity kept the buffet open much later for lunch for all the passengers who did the tour (was 2:30 when we ate and all the stations were still open). The crew serving us said they kept it open specifically for the tour passengers.  

[Sam.Seattle]

3 hours ago, sherylc said:

Just an update after finishing our cruise on the Millennium yesterday and doing the Endicott Arm Excursion.  Celebrity kept the buffet open much later for lunch for all the passengers who did the tour (was 2:30 when we ate and all the stations were still open). The crew serving us said they kept it open specifically for the tour passengers.  

The buffet was open later the prior two weeks we were on board too.  Nice touch!