LIVE Celebrity Millennium LA to Vancouver, May 6-12, 2023

[Betsynh]

So many thoughts as we finish day 2 just having left Catalina Island a few hours ago.

 

The ship is gorgeous, beautifully maintained. We’ve got one of those bathroom nightlights where underneath the counter glows. Much appreciated! Haven’t seen that in a while.

 

Embarkation was fairly smooth - we’re only at about half capacity, being the one itinerary from LA to Vancouver to start the Alaska season. Both evening shows so far have been very entertaining — AJ Jamal the comedian and On Broadway with good quality singers and dancers. We’ve been exhausted pretty early so didn’t stay up for late-night dancing/DJ so can’t comment on that yet. Sarah from England is the cruise director, so far so good with great energy and humor.

 

For gluten-free cruisers, I’ve been impressed so far — everything is well-labeled. There’s a pizza and pasta station for GF items, and a special area for GF bread with a toaster — right next to the omelet station. There was a beautiful assortment of hummus spreads at lunch today, but the only dipping option I found was the GF toast. I’ll look harder tomorrow, our first sea day. Our main dining Maitre’D has promised to find me a decadent chocolate dessert at dinner. The Cafe on deck 5 has macaroons (not macarons) and blueberry muffins. Haven’t tried them yet.

 

So far so good with the Shore Excursions. Booked Discover Avalon today and thoroughly enjoyed the short 9am tour, which also put us on the first tender to shore. Being a Sunday, hubby wanted to hit the 11am mass at St. Catharines, and it was a very short walk from the dock. Sweet little church and it was packed. Met another cruiser there, too. Catalina itself was chock fill of small touristy shops, restaurants, a couple of ice cream places — all things we enjoy.

 

This ship has a pickleball court painted on the basketball court! We hack around at home so it was really fun to try it. Ran into another couple and we played three games against them. The wooden rackets are heavier than we’re used to, but they had four and plenty of balls.

 

The funny thing about this itinerary is that we’ve been able to use our Verizon phone plan for most of the time so far, perhaps because we have a balcony. We aren’t video streamers, so it hasn’t been an issue. Of our complimentary 90 minutes as Elite, I’ve used fewer than 10 minutes so far! Probably won’t be buying internet.

 

Tomorrow is a sea day, next stop San Francisco. It was originally supposed to be an overnight starting tomorrow afternoon, but somehow “migrating whales” changed the itinerary. Hubby packed his binoculars. Not sure if we’ll actually see whales. Who knows? Friends have said SF isn’t as safe as it used to be… I’m wondering if that’s more the reason… Will post more as time permits.

 

[Barwick Cruiser]

Thanks for posting as you travel. Are you staying on for the Alaska leg? What is your itinerary for this leg? Enjoy! 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Barwick Cruiser

[Betsynh]

Sea Day — Learned a couple of new things today!

 

First, the Solarium pool is the equivalent of the Thalassotherapy pools we’ve used in the spa area of different ships, so the water is deliciously warm and has the four waterfall “blasters” to get extra water pressure on your neck, shoulders, etc. We were pleasantly surprised thinking it would be sea temp or slightly warmed.

 

The OVC ice cream station (with at least 10 hard serve flavors and a soft serve machine) is the same location as a gluten-free dessert area. I missed that sign yesterday. I’m still holding out for my chef’s chocolate surprise.

 

The spa ladies were out in the Solarium again today offering short chair massages to entice passengers to book discounted 75-minute massage treatments. The standard $209 is being offered at $159… I’m tempted.

 

Heading off for the 5pm Elite drink dash — water for the cabin fridge and a glass of wine to take to dinner. Last night we finished dinner before 7pm and were able to get a free soda (we’re not big drinkers). I tried for a Bailey’s but it’s not on the list.

 

Passengers spotted lots of whales today and someone mentioned dolphins, too. We saw one whale that actually gave us a tail wave (in my mind anyway). It was very cool! We’re traveling at a snails pace to SF, so it’s great to see everything.

 

Our itinerary is Catalina, sea day, San Francisco, sea day, Victoria, BC, and ends in Vancouver. We’re a 6-night and heading home.

[Betsynh]

Hooray! The chef delivered on the decadent gluten-free chocolate dessert and brought me TWO versions of chocolate mousse, one dense with strawberries mixed in and another airy, lighter version with some fresh raspberries. Both were delicious. Our entire main dining room waitstaff team has been so solicitous wanting to make sure that everything is perfect. A huge shout out to Michel and Presian for their extra effort. (Tomorrow’s dinner I requested they modify a pasta dish to be GF and they’re able to handle it!) They are giving me the menu to order for the following day, but it may not truly be necessary.

 

Tonight’s entertainment was Gabriel the Magician. Hubby loves magic shows and we recently saw David Copperfield in Vegas, so I went reluctantly. Think good looking guy with Italian accent — he was pretty engaging… best effort was getting out of a straight jacket while suspended in the air by his ankles. Impressive!

 

I can’t say enough about how friendly and accommodating the staff have been thus far. They just came off a Panama Canal crossing from Fort Lauderdale with a packed ship, so perhaps they’re getting a little break this week with our light passenger count. Nevertheless, I continue to be impressed with Celebrity staff. More to follow.

 

By the way, we’re far enough out into the Pacific, that we’re not pulling in a cell tower signal to use regular phone service. Hence, I’m writing these in advance and posting when I download my email. (Don’t worry, I’m only deleting the junk mail and not reading the legit messages! They can wait until we’re home.)

 

Have a great night!

[Betsynh]

Stayed up late dancing last night! The Celebrity production cast did a Motown number in the Sky Lounge and got everyone on their feet. I sat through LOTS of dance competitions when my daughter was young — these folks are talented! You can tell they love what they do, and the singers haven’t hit a sour note yet. The DJ set was about the different decades of music. There were maybe 30 of us rocking out — definitely worth staying up.

 

Sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge at 7:20am this morning preparing for docking at 8am. Just got customs clearance around 8:40am. Enjoyed another MDR breakfast, although also had a good experience in the OVC on day 2. For gluten-free readers, I liked the GF french toast more than the pancakes… I think they use Canyon Bakehouse brand bread — a favorite back home.

[Betsynh]

[Betsynh]

Today in San Francisco, we booked the Sausalito and Muir Woods excursion (several months ago). We assembled in the theater at 10am and boarded the bus by 10:30ish. First stop was Muir Woods, a national monument (forest with great paths) featuring Coast Redwood trees (379 feet tall, 2,000 years old, 22’ in diameter). Not as wide as sequoias but so impressive. We both made it to Bridge 3 (1 hour, 1 mile loop trail) and I chilled while hubby did the last half-mile to Bridge 4. It was gorgeous! Took tons of photos. We had 90 minutes in the woods and then headed to Sausalito. I was hoping to catch up with a childhood friend, but our timing was off… We had 75 minutes to grab lunch and enjoy the town. We opted to grab an ice cream so we could hit the galleries and shops. Found an adorable toy store and found unique gifts for the grandkids.

 

We’re invited to the helipad to watch us sail away at 5pm… I’m guessing the view going under the bridge will be exceptional.

 

US cell service worked all day except for the woods and a couple of dead spots in Sausalito…

[Tinknock50]

Looks like a fun trip. Take good care of the Millennium. We will be on her in Alaska.

[Luv-2-Cruze]

We are booked on Millennium for the northbound Alaska leg in a couple weeks.  Frequent cruisers, and big fans of the photo packages so that everyone in the party can be present in the photo memories.  Typically, we buy the all included digital package before sailing for best pricing, but this time we don't see it on the cruise planner.   Is it offered upon arrival, or is that one of the things that didn't survive the post-covid streamlining?  Are there still roving photographers on deck during sailaway and scenic cruising?   Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.   

[Betsynh]

5 hours ago, Luv-2-Cruze said:

We are booked on Millennium for the northbound Alaska leg in a couple weeks.  Frequent cruisers, and big fans of the photo packages so that everyone in the party can be present in the photo memories.  Typically, we buy the all included digital package before sailing for best pricing, but this time we don't see it on the cruise planner.   Is it offered upon arrival, or is that one of the things that didn't survive the post-covid streamlining?  Are there still roving photographers on deck during sailaway and scenic cruising?   Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.   

The schedule mentions “pop up” photographers. It’s very low key and not obnoxious at all. I’ll see if I can find any info about packages. They do have an area set up for chic nights.

[Betsynh]

Second sea day today as well as second chic dinner. Cold and windy so we spent our time indoors.

 

As “Elite”, we were invited to a backstage tour with two dancers and one singer. Although we’ve done one on a previous cruise, opted to attend. It was actually great — learned more about the audition process, the 8-week cast training program in Miami and got to see the friendly and engaging personalities of the cast.

 

Attended the Captain’s talk about what it takes to navigate such a large ship. Captain Pierre is actually the only captain from Malta and is the youngest Celebrity ship captain! His Slovakian wife and 1-year-old son are apparently traveling with him, but we haven’t seen them yet. The talk, however interesting, lasted about 70 minutes… a bit long for me… actually started to doze off… oops! See photos for some cool ship details.

 

Tonight was lobster night in the main dining room! Same as our last cruise, there’s a fee if you want a SECOND lobster tail — the first one is still included.

 

Spent much of the afternoon chatting with Cruise Critic friends, Frank and Judi, we met during our online roll call that led us to share a shuttle from Hollywood to the cruise port. It’s funny how we’ve been on the same ship for more than four days now and haven’t bumped into each other before lunch today. They are so fun to talk with — it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

 

There are only a couple of insignificant complaints I have about the ship. Day 2 sailing, they had a cake decorating class that sounded fun. We knew there was a fee, but when we went to sign up, learned it was part of a 3-session cooking series at $59pp. I’d have happily paid $20-$30 for a good cake class (even though I can’t eat the result if it contains gluten), but didn’t want to sign up for classes we wouldn’t use, so we left.

 

I also don’t love how the tables are so close to each other in the MDR— you could easily help yourself to the next table’s bread. It’s been okay this week since the ship is half full… and we’ve met some awesome people having breakfast in the MDR, but it’s still awkward. No space to have private conversation, not what I’d consider romantic. Remember the old days when you’d sit with 6-8 strangers and hope you clicked? It’s sort of like that but with just two others. Being on My Time Dining (same time, same table though), we’ve had a “carousel of company” rotating in and out all cruise. Interesting…

[Betsynh]

We attended the aerialist show tonight — Duo VVO: The Power of Love. I think their names were Veronica and Vladimir (hence the VV)… I tend to think “seen one, seen them all”, but these two built their stunts around a story of their lives, how they met, etc., so it I found it compelling and beautiful. So athletic… freaks me out a bit they way they can bend!

 

The Sky Lounge is a great spot for late night fun. Tonight was Silent Disco from 10pm to 11:30pm, and then it kicked in to late night music. The young people were having a blast… we decided to call it a night just before midnight.

 

Tomorrow we land in Victoria around noon, and I’m so excited about the excursion we booked to Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch Castle. However, I’m trying to keep these posts to ship-related content since we’re a one-and-done itinerary.

[Betsynh]

13 hours ago, Luv-2-Cruze said:

We are booked on Millennium for the northbound Alaska leg in a couple weeks.  Frequent cruisers, and big fans of the photo packages so that everyone in the party can be present in the photo memories.  Typically, we buy the all included digital package before sailing for best pricing, but this time we don't see it on the cruise planner.   Is it offered upon arrival, or is that one of the things that didn't survive the post-covid streamlining?  Are there still roving photographers on deck during sailaway and scenic cruising?   Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.   

 

I found this mentioned in the daily promotions in the cabin… does this help?

[Luv-2-Cruze]

Perfect!  That's exactly what I was wondering about.    It used to be in the $200-300 range for a 7-day sailing, so I assume the lower price is indicative of a reduction in volume.  I'll prepare mentally to expect less photographers on board.  (The rest of my party is probably rejoicing inwardly at this news).   

Thanks again for the update and the play-by-play from your voyage.  It's fueling the excitement for our own upcoming trip, so I'm glad I stumbled upon your posts.  I hope the rest of your cruise is fantastic and that you have a lovely time in Victoria.  It's been decades since my last trip to Butchart, but I expect it to be gorgeous this time of year!

[hcat]

excellent review and photos

what a great itin..

might take a look for next cruise cycle

 

 has millie been updated?

[Betsynh]

Not-so-pleasant surprise this morning when we got up early to use the solarium hot tubs and they were only luke warm at 7:30am. My goal was to warm up sore muscles from so much dancing! The solarium pool was also cold… they must have turned the heat off at night. Bummer.

 

So, I wandered into the Spa changing area and there was a publicly available (free) dry sauna and steam room. At least I was able to warm up. One gentleman in the hot tub said the spa area shower water was hotter than the cabins, so opted to shower there. We had a port day pass to the Persian Gardens so headed in there to check it out. Again, a giant bummer. This one had a heated lounging bench, not individual loungers — nothing like the heated loungers in the Persian Garden (same name) on the Norwegian Pearl. I’m only 5’1” and way too short to rest my neck on the curved neck-rest area. I really wanted to heat my lower legs, and had to sit sideways to get one of my calves on the hot area as there was no foot/leg rest of any kind… At 6’, hubby was in better shape. It was so disappointing. I noticed an infrared sauna, salt room and steam room, I think… didn’t stay long enough…too annoyed that the one thing I really wanted (individual heated lounger) wasn’t what I imagined from other ships. I’m so relieved I didn’t pay for a fancy pass. Sorry to be so whiny!

 

Enjoyed a MDR breakfast — hello gluten-free french toast and berries — and then took some hilarious videos of hubby joining the Irish Step Dancing class. He’s so heavy-footed, it’s a running joke with us. Chilling in Cellar Masters wing chairs now as we approach Victoria.

 

Cell phone plan (US/Canada) is working again! Grabbed a pic of our location a while ago… views on both sides of the ship!

[Betsynh]

41 minutes ago, Luv-2-Cruze said:

Perfect!  That's exactly what I was wondering about.    It used to be in the $200-300 range for a 7-day sailing, so I assume the lower price is indicative of a reduction in volume.  I'll prepare mentally to expect less photographers on board.  (The rest of my party is probably rejoicing inwardly at this news).   

Thanks again for the update and the play-by-play from your voyage.  It's fueling the excitement for our own upcoming trip, so I'm glad I stumbled upon your posts.  I hope the rest of your cruise is fantastic and that you have a lovely time in Victoria.  It's been decades since my last trip to Butchart, but I expect it to be gorgeous this time of year!

We’re also a 6-night, so not sure if that makes a difference! 

[peanut head]

Would love to hear about your Victoria excursion...please tell all.

[Betsynh]

41 minutes ago, peanut head said:

Would love to hear about your Victoria excursion...please tell all.

Will do! We just pulled in and are waiting for clearance to depart. The Solstice just docked next to us. It was fun to watch! 

[Betsynh]

Walked by the Solarium and the water temp is back up in the hot tubs and pool. Just don’t get excited about early morning soak and you’ll be fine. ❤️

[Betsynh]

Spent yesterday docked in Victoria, arriving early afternoon and departing at 8pm. The timing allowed us to enjoy an early OVC lunch before meeting our excursion on the pier. We chose an excursion to Craigdarroch Castle and Butchart Gardens. Both were amazing! I dozed off during the 40-minute bus ride to the castle, so don’t recall fun facts shared, but the double decker bus was comfy… We had about an hour to tour the castle (washrooms available in the welcome center) and then headed over to Butchart Gardens, which was breathtakingly beautiful. We caught it in the height of tulip season and everywhere we looked was another gorgeous photo opp. Will post some photos below. We used our 90 minutes efficiently, wandering around snapping photos — the rose garden wasn’t blooming yet — and bumped into a gelato stand 10 minutes before its 4:30pm closing time. After feasting on gelato, we wandered the massive gift shop and purchased a couple of things. They also had a coffee shop and plentiful restrooms located throughout.

 

The bus offered to drop anyone off downtown on the return trip, but we didn’t get back until 6pm anyway and had an all aboard time of 7:30pm. We decided to hustle back to dinner as our team was expecting us at 5:30pm and we thought the timing was too tight to explore much more. It’s definitely a place we could go back to see more. Friends recommended we visit the Empress Hotel and we only got to see it driving by… maybe next time!

[Betsynh]

Last night’s show was Boogie Wonderland, filled with new choreography and music as compared to their long running show of the same name. The singers and dancers were once again top notch and the audience rocked out the whole time. Who doesn’t love the 70’s? We were asked to have luggage out by 10pm, so packed strategically and hung out at the Sky Lounge until midnight. Yes, we were the two old people dancing like kids… so much fun!

 

This morning, they booted us off the ship, but we’d booked a ship-to-airport excursion for Shannon Falls and the Sea to Sky Gondola for some added fun — it was a 3pm drop off and well worth the time and effort. More gorgeous pics to post below.

 

Walk off disembarkation started at 7:30am, but the first luggage wasn’t called until closer to 8:20-8:30am, as we were #1. Something about Canadian customs held us up, but we didn’t have to go through any line or anything to get to our bus. The tour bus rolled out half hour late, but used the built-in half hour buffer, so all was well.

 

Both excursion stops were great — we had an hour at the waterfall and two hours at the gondola. Both had restrooms, and the gondola had a handful of different places to get breakfast and lunch food, beverages, snacks as well as a gift shop at both the bottom and top of the gondola ride. We crossed the suspension bridge for some more amazing photos. Bus dropped us and our luggage at the Vancouver airport by 3pm. The tour guide was taking the metro back downtown and offered to show people staying overnight how to get back to town.

 

Our flight isn’t until 11:29pm (overnight to Boston), so booked a 6-hour day-use hotel room at the Fairmont right inside the airport. We’re here now having enjoyed the soaker tub, a lengthy nap and some chill time to try to make the night flight a little easier. We need to be out of here by 8pm, but it’s given us a 5-hour respite — such a great idea — I highly recommend it! One elevator flight down, we can drop our luggage and head to the gate.

 

This trip truly confirmed for me how much I love Celebrity for their amazingly friendly staff, knowledge of gluten-free dining, and great options for itineraries and excursions. They talk about striving to provide top ten service and I truly believe they deliver on that promise.

 

Happy cruising everyone! It’s time to start researching where we want to go next!

[Betsynh]

So… when they tell you to arrive 3 hours before an international flight, they really mean that the counter doesn’t open until 3 hours before… grateful there’s a food court with plenty of choices outside of the secure area. At least we’re down to only a 30-minute wait to check our bags. 
 

Grabbed a pic of our day-use room. Sixth floor on the quiet side. It was great! 

[Betsynh]

Also strange… we had our bags scanned at the ticket counter and wheeled them down a long hallway and dropped them ourselves… then went through the X-ray area and then Customs. Now that we’re in the terminal, arrived at our gate to find that it’s walled off with a notice it won’t open until 30 minutes before boarding. This is a flight to JFK and there are only about 50 seats lined up outside the gate. I’ve never seen anything like this! 
 

Can anyone explain this to me?

[Tinknock50]

14 hours ago, Betsynh said:

Spent yesterday docked in Victoria, arriving early afternoon and departing at 8pm. The timing allowed us to enjoy an early OVC lunch before meeting our excursion on the pier. We chose an excursion to Craigdarroch Castle and Butchart Gardens. Both were amazing! I dozed off during the 40-minute bus ride to the castle, so don’t recall fun facts shared, but the double decker bus was comfy… We had about an hour to tour the castle (washrooms available in the welcome center) and then headed over to Butchart Gardens, which was breathtakingly beautiful. We caught it in the height of tulip season and everywhere we looked was another gorgeous photo opp. Will post some photos below. We used our 90 minutes efficiently, wandering around snapping photos — the rose garden wasn’t blooming yet — and bumped into a gelato stand 10 minutes before its 4:30pm closing time. After feasting on gelato, we wandered the massive gift shop and purchased a couple of things. They also had a coffee shop and plentiful restrooms located throughout.

 

The bus offered to drop anyone off downtown on the return trip, but we didn’t get back until 6pm anyway and had an all aboard time of 7:30pm. We decided to hustle back to dinner as our team was expecting us at 5:30pm and we thought the timing was too tight to explore much more. It’s definitely a place we could go back to see more. Friends recommended we visit the Empress Hotel and we only got to see it driving by… maybe next time!

Have been to Butchart Gardens many times. Always beautiful but agree the time I caught the tulip season was the most stunning.