Millenium - This is disconcerting....

[Ma Bell]

I guess I had assumed that you would have told your stateroom attendant about the problems. It really is their job to report these kinds of things to the head housekeeper who in turn would report to the Hotel Manager. Since they are the ones who are in the cabin every day it really is their job. They would not get in trouble if you give them the chance to take care of things for you.

 

They have changed the way cabins are attended to and each attendant works with an assistant now. I think the work load is about the same, but now there are two people on a team handling about the same number as two stewards used to handle separately. I do think it's absolutely necessary to tell your attendant if something is bothering you.

 

I know I would not want to be in a cabin where there were things that were really bothering me. We always look around when we arrive and if there's anything that needs to be taken care of we just politely ask our steward and we've found that they bend over backwards to make sure everything is OK.

 

I agree that it would be best if we never had to say anything, but realistically, with the quick turn around and heavy use of cabins, there is always the possibility that something will be skipped over. What is really important to me is how things are handled when I have an issue on board and I can honestly say I think Celebrity is very good in this area.

[badger71]

we are on milli 2-18-07 for those so you sailing between now and then please keep the updates coming re condition of the ship

thanks:)

[cabo de hornos]

K Badger - we'll be on Millie in two weeks until the 24th, and will give our impressions upon return, if not sooner.

 

Cabo

[excitedofharpenden]

I wanted to add to this thread too, having just been on Millennium. This isn't intended to doubt those who have had a problem, but feel it adds balance to the situation and hopefully can be of benefit to those waiting to sail on her.

 

I had a lowly inside cabin (7097) and was extremely pleased with the condition. The mattress and coverings were all new, the carpet was clean and the bathroom was spotless (I looked for mould and found none at all. Perhaps I have been reading the boards too much;)). The cupboards and wood panelling were in great shape. I did smell the very occasional wiff of something not too savoury in certain places, but not in my cabin vicinity and it was very occasionally. The public rooms around the ship looked equally good. Overall I would say it was the best condition I have experienced on Celebrity.

 

I have to agree with Ma Bell. I think it very important to make your feelings known right at the outset if you aren't happy with things. If you do it in the right way, I believe it will be looked upon very positively and will be of benefit not only to you, but to those passengers staying in the same locale on another cruise. If X are so keen for you to complete your comment card at the end of your cruise and you comply, then the least you can do is to make them aware of something they can fix before you put a tick in the box.

 

Phil

[archchic]

I was also on the September 23rd sailing. We were in CC room 8088 and have no sincere complaints about our room or the condition of the public rooms. Maybe we just got lucky with the room. No carpet stains or mold. The edges of the metal walls in the bathroom were a little rusty, but it didn't affect our good time or our ability to use the facilities. I think not receiving our luggage until the end of the second day diminished the significance of any other small problem.

 

I did smell the funky smell a couple of times a day, usually at the same time everyone else was getting up or getting ready for dinner. I wouldn't doubt if it was emanating from the sewage system. It seemed to pass quickly and did not nauseate me. I have a very sensitive nose, so I was worried having read so many negative posts, but it wasn't that severe.

 

I also experienced the difficulty in toilet flushing, but I devised an apparutus to push the button in further and it seemed to solve the issue. I only experienced the problem in our room, all of the public toilets flushed for me on the first try.

 

My only gripe with maintenance was the T-pool. For 2/3 of the trip, the dang thing was out of order. Luckily, we had gone in on the 2nd day so we got to at least experience it. But I thought it was ridiculous that there was no effort to fix it or the hot tubs. What's a cruise with no hot tubs?

[Superman of Inaction]

Anthony, IMO you will two or more distinct sets of opinions here as appears to be the case with most X ships these days.

 

There is the camp that all is well in X land and that none of the "small" issues regularly raised detract from the posters overall opinion of their cruise. It is, after all, only about attitude:rolleyes: and those who have less than glowing things to say are "whiners and complainers".

 

Then you will have a camp of those who believe X truly has declined over the past few years and has real issues with maintenance and service.

 

My last X cruise was not a positive experience but the first four were; I have one booked next month. If Century does not meet my personal expectations then I will not be back on X again.

 

I am of the camp that expect well maintained ships, good bedding, cabin bathrooms to be in very good condition (no cracked sinks, mold etc), decent towels, etc. It does affect my experience and to paraphase a recent poster, I don't live that way at home and will not pay to do so on vacation.

 

Caviargal,

 

Your statement that "I don't live that way at home and will not pay to do so on a vacation" is very well put, and for myself I agree 100%. When spending that much money it should not be, as some have said, up to the passenger to have a problem corrected. How hard is it for on inspection to see stained furniture, mold in the bathroom, hot tubs that don't work, etc. I hate to see the major decline in the maintenance of X ships. No matter how many excuses are made the only explanation that I can think of, is that X simply does not care.

[sammiedawg]

Totally agree it is not the responsibility of the passenger to engineer fixes to maintenance problems. What we encountered on our 1 Celebrity cruise was beyond the clean up stage by the room steward. carpets, bedspread, upholstery with ground in dirt , stains , tears and worn down fibers. The desk chair was broken and wobbly. And a couple bathroom fixtures needed replaced. The phone didnt work so that meant no wake up calls or messaging. TV worked intermittently. Other cruise lines replace these items, especially soft goods, on a much more frequent bases than Celebrity appears to do. Old hotel chains such as Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson failed to maintain their properties and customers voted with their feet. When was the last time you went to Howard Johnsons?

[Ma Bell]

As we all well know Century has just been totally refurbished and unfortunately someone was on one of the last cruises before refurbishment. Since most of the Celebrity ships are fairly new and are in the process of being refurbished I think these comments are a little stale.

[sammiedawg]

Clarification, my Century cruise was almost 2 years ago, I believe the ship was redone in time for summer 2006 sailing season. My cruise was more than a year and a half prior to refurb.

[kaiemiascott2]

No, these comments are not stale. There is simply no excuse for Celebrity to expect passengers to pay for a "upper class cruise line" as they advertise, and put up with staterooms and some of the public rooms to be in the condition they were in. It may not be all of the areas on the ship, but we had a total of 9 cabins, and they all looked the same. I certainly expect ships to show a little wear and tear, but the yellow chairs in the Rendez-vous Lounge were simply just to dirty to sit on. Do you sit on chipped and cracked toilet seats at home? We don't, but had to in our stateroom bathroom.

 

If you look at all of cruise lines on the boards, Celebrity has more negative comments than any of the others. I wonder why????

[Ma Bell]

No I don't and if I had a toilet seat like that I would ask to have it replaced. We had 8 cabins on the 23rd of Sept. cruise and none of them were in that condition. I guess we were just lucky.

[sheilb4]

Oh heck I am really worried now...Please please tell me your cabin #.

I am booked on the Millie for 2/25 in a Royal Suite. It will take all my savings plus many extra hours of work to go and take my Mother as a special treat, and maybe our last cruise together, who knows, so this is really important and a big deal to be happy with the cruise and the conditions....

It sounds really bad and I certainly don't want to pay many thousands $$ for a dirty cabin.

Please let me know. Thanks.

[kaiemiascott2]

Shelbi4,

 

Please do not let the condition of some of the staterooms ruin your trip. We were with a group and had staterooms 2070, 2074, 2078,2082, 2086, 2090, 2094. We had friends that were in a Sky Suite, which was not in great shape either. Their room was better than the rest of the cabins, but certainly not worth what they paid for it. Perhaps, the Royal Suite will be much improved.

 

The food and entertainment was very good, and the service and shore excursions were excellent. I

 

I had been following the boards for several months before sailing and was aware of the sewage smells, and condition of some of the rooms, so I went with the idea I would overlook it, but I was not happy with my room, nor the smell that we experienced each day of the cruise. All of my friends in this group feel the same way, so it is not just me.

 

If I had it to do over, I certainly would have changed to another cruise line, but if you are in a penalty phase, just stick with what you have, if you do not want to loose money on this trip. Just go and enjoy the fantastic sites you will see and, hopefully, bring home some wonderful memories.

 

Since this was my 28th. cruise, I know what is out there, and Celebrity is not for me anymore.

 

Sandy

[mountainmare]

Okay--I can't resist. Just returned from our first non-Hal cruise on the Millennium.

Maybe it was the hype, maybe our expectations for Celebrity were too high.

The itinerary and port experiences made this the trip of a lifetime.

We had already booked the Galaxy for Feb--based on intinerary and price--and Celebrity's reputation.

I was dissappointed by the condition of the ship and by the general service, except for personal waitstaff and cabin help (those who would directly be tipped) I found service and attitude lacking, and the ship (newer than the HAL ships I usually cruise) in need of maintenance.

I tried to book another cruise on another line for our dates in Feb but was not successful. I'm hoping that the glowing reports of those recently back from the Galaxy are true. I'm giving Celebrity one more try---but there definately are some issues with this ship and this crew.

 

The trip was wonderful--I will not cruise an M class ship again.

[katiebeth]

Dear Sheilb4,

 

First of all, with the exception of the shower, I did not think the Royal Suite was dirty. The stateroom attendant and her assistant worked very hard to keep things clean and tidy. My concerns had more to do with the fact that, given the amount of money we spent on the suite for our 12 day Med. cruise, I felt that it was in need of some updating/refurbishment. It was showing some general wear and tear. I am also, admittedly, rather particular.

 

We cruised in June of this year, prior to the new beds/bedding upgrades. I would guess that the staterooms look a little fresher as a result of these enhancements.

 

The service, the food, the itinerary, and the shore excursions were terrific. You will also enjoy the added perks of being in a suite (afternoon tea, butler service, priority embarkation and tendering, etc. We traveled with my parents who are in their mid to late seventies and had a very memorable and enjoyable time. I did not let the concerns regarding our suite impact the overall enjoyment of our cruise. Also, the Olympic Dining Room (the speciality restaurant) is truly outstanding.

 

I certainly would not cancel your cruise. I am certain you will have a memorable time with your mother.

 

If things are not up to your standards, I would let the head of housekeeping and/or the hotel manager know immediately. In hindsight, I should have said something right away (particularly with regards to the mold). I am not sure the other issues could have been addressed during our cruise. It really has more to do with the frequency of replacement of soft goods.

 

We have sailed Celebrity several times over the past few years and have always had outstanding service. We very much enjoyed the Constellation and the Infinity. The Millennium's public rooms are in very good shape and it sounds like from other posts on this thread that there are many who were very pleased with their staterooms. I just expected more given what we paid for our suite.

 

Go and have a good time!

 

Nancy

[Superman of Inaction]

Shelbi4,

 

Please do not let the condition of some of the staterooms ruin your trip. We were with a group and had staterooms 2070, 2074, 2078,2082, 2086, 2090, 2094. We had friends that were in a Sky Suite, which was not in great shape either. Their room was better than the rest of the cabins, but certainly not worth what they paid for it. Perhaps, the Royal Suite will be much improved.

 

The food and entertainment was very good, and the service and shore excursions were excellent. I

 

I had been following the boards for several months before sailing and was aware of the sewage smells, and condition of some of the rooms, so I went with the idea I would overlook it, but I was not happy with my room, nor the smell that we experienced each day of the cruise. All of my friends in this group feel the same way, so it is not just me.

 

If I had it to do over, I certainly would have changed to another cruise line, but if you are in a penalty phase, just stick with what you have, if you do not want to loose money on this trip. Just go and enjoy the fantastic sites you will see and, hopefully, bring home some wonderful memories.

 

Since this was my 28th. cruise, I know what is out there, and Celebrity is not for me anymore.

 

Sandy

 

Sandy,

Thanks for taking time to post your experiences. Wow, with that many cabins you really had an opportunity to get a good overview of the overall condition of the cabins on the ship. It is always nice for people like myself who are trying to find out about a cruise line see posts from someone who was there and reports their experience. It does seem kind of strange to see the conflicting reports from posters who were not even there. I agree with you that if you are in the penalty phase, I would just hang in there.

Sammiedawg,

Looks like you and I agree that it is not the passengers responsibility to point out obvious problems, when you are paying thousands of dollars and have every right to expect a ship to be in good condition. I guess I just don't understand why it should be required to go on a cruise with low expectations, to insure that you will not be dissapointed.

Happy cruising to all,

[sheilb4]

Thanks so much for your encouraging words, I would have been very surprised to have found such neglect on Celebrity...you still never mentioned your cabin #, would you mind? also how large was the balcony? was there much sun and would I be able to lie out there all day in the sun? or is it coverered over?...I hope not.

Did your hot tub work out there as I have read that they do not always function? I knw my Mother will be in heaven if it does! Thanks. for any info.

[Sky Sweet]

We cruised on the Millennium a few years ago and the ship was in excellent condition at the time. Based on that experience and its fantastic Mediterranean itinerary, we had planned to book a Mediterranean Cruise on her. However, based on some reviews I have read on these boards, I think I will defer such plans until this ship has its cosmetic issues and sewerage odor problem corrected. I realize differrent things are important to different people, but the sewerage odor problem alone is enough to ruin a cruise for me.

[Ma Bell]

I can only speak from personal experience. We were onboard Millennium 3 weeks ago so I think my opinion is valid. My experience includes about 45 cruises 28 of them on Celebrity. I am considered a neat freak at home. Our party of 15 people on board had no complaints about our cabins. Was everything perfect...no. The ship is just in the beginning stages of refurbishment and it was obvious that much of the upholstery in the public rooms had been redone and there are some areas that are still in need of refurbishment. On the whole I thought the ship looked pretty good considering the complaints I had heard before we went.

 

Our cabins were in good shape and ours was particularly clean. The mattresses and bedding were all new. The upholstery on our sofa was unblemished. The carpet in the hallway on deck 8 needs to be replaced and there were some areas of the floor that were uneven. There were no cracks in anything and we also had a brand new shower curtain. No mold of any kind was seen. Occasionally walking down the hall I got a faint sewer odor. It was only occasional and not lingering. I've smelled it before on almost every ship and cruiseline.

 

We had a fabulous waiter and room steward, the itinerary was wonderful, the company was great, the food was good and the entertainment was good, not great.

 

I'm sure there were people on board whose cabins were not as good as ours. I'm sure they had a different experience than we did, however please don't discount my experience as well. We had a wonderful trip.

[katiebeth]

Dear Sheilb4,

 

Sorry, I thought I posted our suite number. We were in Royal Suite 6137. You can go to the Celebrity website and get the specific dimensions of the suite. As I recall, it was around 500 square feet and I believe it included the balcony. The balcony was a nice size. It had a table with four chairs and two lounge type chairs. We did not try the jacuzzi on the balcony. It looked rather dingy and didn't feel comfortable getting in it. Please note I am rather picky about such things. I think part of the condition of the jacuzzi could be the exposure to the sea salt and not necessarily the fact that it wasn't clean.

 

The balcony was only partially covered as I recall and I am sure you will be able to get sun. Our cruise was very port intensive and we didn't spend as much time on the balcony as I would have liked ...mostly in the evening as sail away which was great!!

 

Go and have a good time.

 

Nancy

[sheilb4]

Thanks again for your response I feel much better now. Phew....I am in a different RS cabin but will certainly talk to H/keeping, or H/Manger if I find any of the issues mentioned right away. I have a cruise on CCL Glory and Inspiration before my cruise on Millie, but this is the one I am looking forward to the most.

Just having such a great cabin and the luxury of a butler etc....oh yes!

[Superman of Inaction]

She is far from a rust bucket and far from a grande dame. Perhaps right in the lower middle.

 

Everyone who cruises has different expectations. I never expect everything to be perfect, but I certainly do not expect to stay in a stateroom that has dirty carpets with many large stains, a toilet seat that had chips and cracks on it, mold in my shower, the smell of sewage everyday off and on, and toilets who sometimes would not flush. We had 8 other couples cruising with us and we were located next to each other. These couples were experiencing the same conditions in their stateroom, so it was not just me.

 

This was not a cheap cruise and I do not have much respect for Celebrity, who would put their clients on a ship in this condition and still say they are an upper level cruise line.

 

Just maybe if people would stop cruising with them, and they start to feel it in their pocketbooks, they would see to it that there ships are well maintained.

 

Yes, we were told they were going into dry dock in late March, but what about all of the poor folks who have spent their hard earned money on this cruise and have to put up with these conditions.

 

However, I would like to say I enjoyed my trip, liked the excursions, and the food and service was very good. Just maybe some people do not mind conditions that I mentioned above. As far as I am concerned they were unacceptable.

 

Sandy

 

I have seen many posters reply to someone who has encountered what you did and reply with "well the ship is going into dry dock in a year or so".

I have often wondered how this in any way relates to the passenger who has a valid complaint about maintenance issues, for a cruise that they have just returned from. Also I have noticed that many posters always counter any problems with glowing reports, implying the the OP is lying or making the whole thing up.

Thanks again for taking time to share your opinions.

[Ma Bell]

I have seen many posters reply to someone who has encountered what you did and reply with "well the ship is going into dry dock in a year or so".

I have often wondered how this in any way relates to the passenger who has a valid complaint about maintenance issues, for a cruise that they have just returned from. Also I have noticed that many posters always counter any problems with glowing reports, implying the the OP is lying or making the whole thing up.

Thanks again for taking time to share your opinions.

 

I thank those who have poor experiences for reporting them too. It's important to hear when things have not gone well. I also think it's just as important to share the good experiences. As you can see people on the same cruise can have vastly different experiences. I don't think anyone is implying that the other person is lying or making anything up. It's important to hear both sides and especially important to hear from people who have actually been on the ship.

[Rubinof]

First, let me agree with the previous posters, regarding the condition, of the Celebrity ships, of late. None of this matters, as much as the deplorible condition of the mattresses, in our room.......We were stunned, when we peeled back our bedding, to reveal all kinds of human fluids and stains. My husband took photos, which I am going to be forwarding to the main office. In respect, for Celebrity, I will not name names, nor will I post the photos. However, those of you who intend to cruise, PLEASE peel back your sheets and inspect your mattress. Hopefully, the situation has improved. This is a sanitation issue, as well as a trust issue!!

[Lois R]

Hi, Did you go to the Head of Housekeeping and let them

know you wanted another mattress?

 

I can appreciate you wanting to let HQ know what happened.

But my only question is did you bring it to someone's attention

while on your cruise? Since it was that bad, I would assume

you didn't choose to continue to sleep on it.

 

I am sailing Millie next month. I have friends who recently returned

and said they had all just received new bedding.

 

Sorry for your bad experience.