Millennium LIVE Suite Review w/ Kid (3/3-3/7)

CruiseCrew123 · February 28, 2022

I’m currently on the Millennium which we have been told has approximately 900 pax - only seen about 3 children on board. The retreat lounge is in the middle of the ship and I’ve yet to see anyone in it and have only noticed a few people going up to the retreat deck . You may have it all to yourself 😝

GenerationX · March 1, 2022

Last night, Gen Z and I had to make a last pre-cruise mall run because, upon setting her eyes on the Little Mermaid sunglasses I bought her for the trip, she said “thank you so much for the sunglasses, Mama. But, um, I don’t wanna be mean but, don’t you think they might look kinda cheap and like for little kids? I mean I’m a big girl going on a big girl cruise on a ship named CELEBRITY!”

After I swallowed the “I swear I brought this kid home from the hospital, like, yesterday” tears, we went out and found a more “mature” pair of Lilly Pulitzer aviators.

We also went to the board game store and grabbed a few small, minimal packing space required, puzzles and lego sets to stick in her carry-on bag for the trip. I’ve found that not only are these great for keeping Mini Me amused screen-free on low activity or rainy vacation days, they’re also a mom’s best friend in the event of flight delays [knocks wood] when you need to kill time in the airport without draining iPad/LeapPad battery.

While we were unloading our packages from the car, I missed a call from a Celebrity shoreside suite concierge who left a voicemail asking if I had any pre-cruise requests for my cabin or reservations he could assist with.

I’ve never gotten this call before sailing in sky suites, so I’m not sure if it’s a CS perk or just because our cruise is so low occupancy the concierges have extra time to kill.

I made our dinning reservations online already, but if I find myself with time today, I may give a call back and see if they can move my Le Petit Chef reservation from the early dinner to the later one. According to the cruise schedule in the app, it looks like there’s going to be a 10pm production show and party on the pool deck that night that Gen Z will probably want to see. So I think an afternoon nap and late dinner would be better for making that work.

Speaking of the schedule, I’ve never really had reason to pay attention to the kids/family activities schedule before, but it looks like there are 2-3 kid/family activities (scavenger hunts, photo contests, arts & crafts, etc.) on the schedule each day. I assume they’ll be super lightly attended on this cruise given how empty the ship is, but Mini Me and I will probably check a couple out.

At dinner last night Gen Z also graciously offered to spend some time in the kids club and share her thoughts on it for this review (and so that mommy can get in a facial at the spa and maybe a wine tasting event)!

GenZ and I are currently sitting in the parking lot of CVS waiting to be called in for our COVID tests and she’s in the back seat trying to make her best case for why she shouldn’t have to go to school at all today since she’s getting there late and won’t be there the rest of the week anyway (Thursday and Friday are no school for a teacher development and conferences, which also made this the perfect cruise for a quick getaway).

Wish us luck on our results!

jcpc · March 1, 2022

Good luck with your COVID tests. I'm sure they will be negative.

The shoreside suite concierge calls or emails "upper level suite guests" prior to the cruise. This does not include Sky Suites, but on M-class ships it covers Celebrity, Royal and Penthouse Suites.

Wishing you two a safe flight to FLL and a great cruise.

LGW59 · March 1, 2022

1 minute ago, jcpc said:

Good luck with your COVID tests. I'm sure they will be negative.

The shoreside suite concierge calls or emails "upper level suite guests" prior to the cruise. This does not include Sky Suites, but on M-class ships it covers Celebrity, Royal and Penthouse Suites.

Wishing you two a safe flight to FLL and a great cruise.

She is in a sky suite and they called her

MamaFej · March 1, 2022

She is in a Celebrity Suite, so it makes perfect sense that they called her.

jcpc · March 1, 2022

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

She is in a sky suite and they called her

I believe GenerationX originally booked a sky suite, but she upgraded to a Celebrity Suite.

Edited March 1, 2022 by jcpc

GenerationX · March 1, 2022

2 hours ago, jcpc said:

Good luck with your COVID tests. I'm sure they will be negative.

The shoreside suite concierge calls or emails "upper level suite guests" prior to the cruise. This does not include Sky Suites, but on M-class ships it covers Celebrity, Royal and Penthouse Suites.

Wishing you two a safe flight to FLL and a great cruise.

Thank you! Good to know that this is a standard CS perk. Also nice to know that one will still get it even if the upper suite was due to a move up bid win, especially with my stateroom change coming in only a little over a week before sailing.

GenerationX · March 1, 2022

Good News: Gen Z and I have our negative COVID tests in hand and are officially ready to sail!

Another interesting sailing with kids difference: at CVS the test swab has always been self-administered. This time, while the lab tech had me swab my own nose for the test, he came around and swabbed Gen Z’s for her.

The tech asked if we were testing for travel and mentioned that it was a nice change to have most of his test appointments be healthy travelers again and most testing negative.

He shared that just a few weeks ago over 60% of the tests he was giving were coming back positive!

I hope this is a sign that a return to normal is finally somewhere out on the horizon.

Now I’m off to check us in for our flight and pack Mini Me while she’s at school so she doesn’t have a chance to critique every article of clothing I put in her suitcase!

TPCRUISER2 · March 1, 2022

Whoo hoo! Another Generation X review! Looking forward to this one to see how your daughter likes cruising! She is one lucky young lady and think she has great taste like her Mom! Have fun!

Jim_Iain · March 2, 2022

Fantastic to hear of your test results. The count down really begins.

Safe travels.

Laurab23 · March 2, 2022

GenX- did you ever report to Celebrity the issue you had with the bus driver?

Looking forward to this review. I really enjoyed your last one.

Laura

GenerationX · March 2, 2022

It’s almost time for wheels up in STL!

I normally take the 5:30am nonstop to Miami to take advantage of a quieter airport, but I wasn’t going to drag Gen Z out of bed at 2am. It was still an early morning though getting here in time for our 7:30 flight, but I think my usual Uber driver (DH) was very grateful for the extra couple of hours of sleep.

When he dropped us off at the airport and hugged us goodbye, he said “love you girls, wish I was coming too!” Funny, he didn’t express the same desire last year when our mommy-daughter trip was to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter…(Yes, I’ll do just about anything to support my child’s reading habit. I am NOT a multiple days at a theme park person. Pretty sure there was a spike in J&J’s stock from all the Tylenol I consumed on that trip. And btw if you think Celebrity’s prices for drinks are high, you should see what Universal Studios has the nerve to charge for a bottle of FILTERED, not even spring, water…and there is NO alcoholic beverage package option in that place!)

In spite of the busier terminal, bag check and security were even faster than when I flew down last month for my Edge cruise. When I checked in for our flight in the AA app last night, I discovered that apparently my Edge flights last month bumped me to AA Elite Gold status! I guess that tells you how much traveling I’ve done in the past year.

We’re having a pre-flight mimosa (me of course) and hot chocolate then will head to our gate for Mini Me’s first time flying in First Class!

Next stop: Miami!

Edited March 2, 2022 by GenerationX

GenerationX · March 2, 2022

10 hours ago, Laurab23 said:

GenX- did you ever report to Celebrity the issue you had with the bus driver?

Looking forward to this review. I really enjoyed your last one.

Laura

Yes I did. I mentioned it in my post cruise survey and also sent an email to the captain’s club. I figured that would be more likely to be read and taken seriously than sending it to a general customer service email. I haven’t heard anything back but I assume for legal reasons they probably won’t provide me with much in the way of specifics on how it was handled.

Laurab23 · March 2, 2022

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

Yes I did. I mentioned it in my post cruise survey and also sent an email to the captain’s club. I figured that would be more likely to be read and taken seriously than sending it to a general customer service email. I haven’t heard anything back but I assume for legal reasons they probably won’t provide me with much in the way of specifics on how it was handled.

I'm glad to hear you did follow up with it. How many has he tried it with and they said nothing. Thanks for letting me know.

Barn Goddess · March 2, 2022

I did this sailing 2/17 with my friend - it was her first Celebrity cruise and we were in a Sky Suite. Such a wonderful trip! I have never sailed in a Celebrity Suite - looking forward to reading how you like it!

We found that the Martini Bar was pretty crowded and pockets of Oceanview Cafe. The casino only had a few tables open for play and those were busy. We dined in Tuscan Grille one night and were really disappointed in the service. The food was great but the service was disappointing. There was a big chef's table event happening and all the focus was on those guests. We felt very much like an after thought for our waiter. My friend actually got up to get our water/pour our wine and we had to ask if/when our meals were coming...we were actually contemplating getting up and going to Luminae (wonderful team, fantastic service, delicious food!). Our waiter told us he brought our appetizers quickly so...um...that was 45 minutes ago.... Oh well 🙂 We were having good conversation and the food, when it came, was really good.

The Retreat Lounge was never busy. We stopped in several times for water, wine, snacks. We did find the champagne and wine selection a bit lacking but first world problems! We found wines that worked and enjoyed those for the trip. 🙂 The bartender in the Retreat Lounge is Ukrainian - I keep thinking of her and her family 😞

I so hope you and your daughter have a wonderful sailing! Looking forward to reading your posts!

George C · March 2, 2022

On 2/28/2022 at 4:05 PM, CruiseCrew123 said:

I’m currently on the Millennium which we have been told has approximately 900 pax - only seen about 3 children on board. The retreat lounge is in the middle of the ship and I’ve yet to see anyone in it and have only noticed a few people going up to the retreat deck . You may have it all to yourself 😝

We just got off summit in a royal suite, it was a music charter about 80 percent full. This was my first time on summit since they added the new retreat, outside retreat area for us Is useless, you need to climb stairs to get there , no bathrooms or bar . Loved retreat on edge.

GenerationX · March 2, 2022

Hello from our Uber in Miami!

The flight was pretty smooth and we arrived about 15 minutes early. Gen Z was a huge fan of the first class experience and has asked to fly it on all future trips. I’ll have that family travel budget conversation with Jeremy when we get home next week.

I’m not surprised she fell hard and fast because, with the exception of not having a hot breakfast option, it was very much back to AA first class normal. Our flight attendant greeted us by name and offered us pre-takeoff drinks (haven’t seen that since the shut down) and there was warm towel service and a full tray breakfast with real dishes and glassware.

It was only a 1 minute wait for our Uber driver to arrive (usually it’s about 15 when I fly in earlier) and I noticed that the rate was about $10 more than I usually pay from MIA to a hotel in FLL. Makes sense though since there are probably more flights landing later and Uber rates fluctuate based on demand.

Hopefully we can get an early check in at our hotel then once the morning rain clears out we can relax by the pool a bit before dinner. I don’t think either of us will be night owls tonight after our early morning flight.

I just received the push notification from the Celebrity app saying we can complete our health questionnaires, which means the final countdown has begun!

I’ll talk to you all later this evening!

MarKay525 · March 2, 2022

5 hours ago, GenerationX said:

It’s almost time for wheels up in STL!

Next stop: Miami!

This is absolutely precious!

My first ever cruise was also a mother-daughter trip. Granted I was in my 50s and Mom was 80+, so a slightly different experience, but still a lot of wonderful memories just like Mini Me will have.

Edited March 2, 2022 by MarKay525

GenerationX · March 2, 2022

2 hours ago, MarKay525 said:

Thank you! Oh that sounds wonderful! My mother has a deep fear of being in open water, so I know I will likely never get her to set foot on a cruise with me and it makes me so sad because I know we’d have an amazing time!

mchell810 · March 2, 2022

Glad you two had an easy flight. From the big smiles I suspect you'll have trouble getting Mini Me to fly in coach in the future 😜

I can't wait to read more about your cruise.

rzyjzq · March 2, 2022

Have enjoyed your other reviews and now enjoying this one! I'm sure this will be a special vacation for your daughter to remember!

dgoz · March 3, 2022

Love, love, love Gen Z's suitcase. I took my family to Universal last Christmas and thought it was awesome. There was indeed a shocking lack of alcoholic beverage packages--next time maybe bring some of those tiny airplane bottles to spike your butterbeer. 😄

sbcs5390 · March 3, 2022

I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful time. I will be boarding Millennium on the 7th and so sorry to miss you! My first cruise with my parents was at almost your daughter’s age, and 30 cruises later, so happy we tried it. We also started with a 4 night to Canada to start.

Right now on Silhouette we are 1,700 guests compared to the 1,200 they had last cruise so you have a great experience ahead of you for sure.

jcpc · March 3, 2022

GenerationX, your breakfast on the plane looked great…..especially the Tito’s and the sunflower. 😍

GenerationX · March 3, 2022

Good morning and happy embarkation day to my fellow Millennium cruisers!

While Gen Z is still sleeping off her first day of vacation (no doubt with dreams of cruising dancing in her head), I thought I’d share a little about our day in Fort Lauderdale yesterday.

We got to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina a little after noon (I’ll share a more detailed report on the hotel and our room separately) and were able to get early check in. Cami did some homework while I took a few work calls, then we had a room service lunch on our room balcony watching the boats and yachts go by on the intercostal waterway. One particularly stunning 4 deck yacht came in to dock near us a d Mini Me pointed to it and said, “Mama, I know you love being on the sea so when I grow up I’m gonna go to a good college and get a job that makes lots of money and buy you a boat just like that one.” From your mouth to God’s ears, my child!

This Hilton has a cool feature where you can order room service online using a QR code your phone (very nice because the last time I stayed in this hotel a few years ago, I remember calling room service and having the phone just ring for minutes until someone had time to pick it up and take an order down). I recall the fish tacos being really good last time too, and they were just as good yesterday.

After lunch we went down to hang out at the pool for a couple of hours. The pool was definitely heated and I’d say it was a pretty good temperature for us. Yesterday was pretty overcast and high 70’s temps but to me the water was still bearable. For my child who has no problem swimming blue-lipped in frigid Lake Michigan in May, she said it was “practically a hot tub”.

There’s a nice outdoor bar by the pool where you can order drinks and you can also order food for poolside delivery.

After our swim we changed and went to dinner at 15th Street Fisheries. The restaurant is so close to the hotel there’s probably a back way to walk there, but I knew it would be dark by the time we left and wasn’t sure how well traveled that route may be at night, so for safety Gen Z and I took an Uber there and back. It came to about $12 each way with tip, small price to pay for peace of mind.

I’d never been there before but saw it recommended often on cruise forums for pre-cruise dinning. The recommendations are well earned because the restaurant turned out to be a FANTASTIC choice. There’s an upstairs dinning room that is quiet and more upscale with its own separate menu that takes reservations (can be made online in advance) and the ground floor is more casual and has an outdoor dinning patio right on the docks of Lauderdale marina. With Mini Me in tow and knowing she has 4 nights of fine dining ahead of her, I decided to go the more casual route and we ate downstairs on the outdoor patio. A tip: if you’re planning to go and dine in the downstairs portion, they don’t take reservations for that area so may be best to plan for an early or late dinner. We arrived right at 6pm and had to wait about 15 minutes for an outdoor table. By 7, the lobby was packed with people on waitlist (and this was on a Wednesday).

While we waited for our table, Mini Me enjoyed looking at the fish in the lobby aquariums. Service was a little slow but there was a live guitarist playing on the patio and a ton of MASSIVE tarpons live in the water next to the restaurant, so between the music, coloring the kids menu and watching the fish, Mini Me never got bored or restless.

After perusing the kids menu, she decided to have the pan seared salmon from the adult menu and I ordered the spiny lobster. Most entrees ran around $20 (including choice of side dish) but the lobster was one of the pricier things on the menu. Based on the app menus it doesn’t look like we’re getting a lobster night on the cruise, so I wanted to get some in on my vacay.

We started dinner sharing the fried gator appetizer (Gen Z and I have a tradition of finding a place to get it every time we’re in Florida). Then, you would think after all that food my kid would be stuffed, but Princess Growth Spurt decided we had to have dessert and she had no intention of sharing hers with me. She got the fried cheesecake and I had the bread pudding. We both enjoyed everything we ate and with the exception of hitting a wall halfway through the desserts, we finished everything on our plates.

Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at the gift/bait shop next to the restaurant where they sell bags of frozen shrimp for kids to feed the tarpons from the dock. Gen Z LOVED this and on the ride home, she declared the whole experience “the most fun dinner of my LIFE!” Sounds like the poor Millennium has some big shoes to fill the next few days!

Sharing some pics below. Sorry I forgot to get a pic of the kids menu before Gen Z started coloring on it. Love her artistic temperament LOL