7 Day/Night Eastern Caribbean
Michael J. Czarnecki
Celebrity Cruises is a mass-market cruise line that has made a steady and determine evolution from premium to luxury, and is delivering a quality of service far above that which is usually considered mass-market.
June 17, 2000, the date Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium made her maiden voyage, must have been a very exciting day for Celebrity as it was the first of four Millennium-class vessels that have come to define a whole new level in cruising, “premium with a taste of luxury.” At 91,000 gross tons and occupancy of 1,950 passengers, the Millennium proves that a premium cruise vacation is not reserved for only those guests aboard the smaller, pricier cruise lines.
We cruised aboard the Millennium from December 7th to the 14th, 2003, on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Ports of call included Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, USVI; and Nassau, Bahamas. The deep blue hull of the four Millennium-class ships is a nice change from the usual white ship hulls and rightly gives an air of distinction to these ships.
The Greek Officers aboard the Millennium are lead by Captain Iordanis Adamidis, Master. Unlike some ships on which the captain and officers are seldom seen in the public areas, we observed Captain Adamidis and his officers mingling with the guests and dining at the various onboard venues. We met with Captain Adamidis on the bridge of the Millennium. In 1972, Captain
damidis joined Chandris Cruises. (The Chandris Group founded Celebrity Cruises in 1989.) He has sailed the majority of Chandris Cruises’ vessels and has been the Master of every Celebrity ship except the Constellation. Aboard the Millennium, special arrangements can be made through the Photo Gallery for guests to pose for a picture with a member of the ship’s personnel of their choice.
Winnie Hung, the Social Hostess aboard the Millennium, is an outstanding example of a person in this position. Winnie is an outgoing individual with an abundance of energy. She not only took the time to meet with us personally but also arranged for us to meet with several other staff members and to tour the bridge.
Boarding a ship with the capacity of 1,950 passengers can be trying at best but Celebrity Cruises seems to have solved this problem as demonstrated on our October 2003 cruise aboard the Constellation and again on this Millennium cruise. Upon arriving early at the pier in Ft. Lauderdale, we were quickly taken into a seating area to wait for boarding. During the wait, we were very impressed with the Celebrity Cruises’ representatives who moved from person to person assisting with filling out last minute paperwork and answering questions. Their answers were thorough and their explanations clear. Their multilingual talents were also impressive. Following a short wait, we proceeded to the Priority Check-in for Celebrity Captain’s Club members. In a matter of minutes, we were checked in and boarded the ship. Once onboard, as with all Celebrity ships, we were greeted with a glass of Champagne (or if you prefer, juice).
Staterooms
The Millennium has 975 staterooms, 80% with oceanviews and 76% of those oceanview rooms having verandas. We were in a Category 2A veranda stateroom (170 sq. ft. room plus 38 sq. ft. veranda). One entire wall was glass and included a sliding glass door to the veranda. The light colored room furnishings and large window/veranda door gave the room a light airy feeling. The veranda was large enough to accommodate 2 comfortable non-reclining chairs and a small table.
At the veranda end of our room was a convertible love seat, oblong coffee table, writing desk/chair with 110/220 electrical outlets, and a large mirror above the desk. The queen size bed that could be converted into two single beds was in the center of the room with nightstands (containing two drawers each and reading lights on each) on either side of the bed. The beds rounded corners at the foot allowed for more useable space between the foot of the bed and the floor to ceiling mirror on the wall at the end of the bed.
A built in corner-shelving unit held the 20” interactive television with a small shelf below the TV. The refrigerator/mini-bar (not complimentary) was stored behind a locked wooden door at the bottom of the corner-shelving unit. The stateroom attendant will unlock this for you at the beginning of your cruise. One double closet with numerous wooden hangers made storage space for hanging clothes more than adequate. An additional single closet with a small safe, 2 shelves and 6 drawers greatly increased the storage space. Other amenities in the room included complimentary use of bathrobes and a direct dial telephone with voice mail.
In the bathroom, a large storage area under the sink and two glass triangular corner shelves made for considerable storage space for toiletry items. The shower area was large with a convenient wall-mounted shampoo dispenser. Located above the bathroom counter was a wall-mounted body lotion dispenser and wall-mounted hair dryer. A crystal-look covered container was refilled daily with cotton balls and cotton swabs.
Our stateroom aboard the Millennium was smaller by 21 square feet than our stateroom aboard the Constellation. Fortunately, this size difference was accomplished by using the extra space we had at the veranda end of our room on the Constellation rather than by taking space away from the bathroom size or closet area. The smaller square footage of our Millennium stateroom was barely noticeable. The more noticeable difference in the room sizes was a decrease in the desk space (top and shelf storage areas). Also, there was no floor to ceiling shelf unit next to the desk as was on the Constellation.
In order to avoid disappointment regarding your stateroom size, you should ask your travel agent for the actual measurements (not just the square footage) of the room in which you are booked, keeping in mind that this size includes the bathroom and closet space. Later when you are home, measure off an area by which to judge the room size. If you feel this area is going to be too small for your needs during your cruise, buy up to a larger stateroom before getting on the ship as there may be no availability in the larger stateroom categories once you are onboard. On embarkation day on the Millennium, we saw several incidents of guests attempting to upgrade their accommodations solely because they said the room they had purchased was smaller than they expected. Some were disappointed as there was no availability within many categories.
Celebrity Cruises continues to have some of the roomiest and most comfortable stateroom afloat. All staterooms no matter what the category, include a direct dial telephone with voice mail, individual safe, hair dryer, Egyptian cotton towels, complimentary use of bathrobes, complimentary 24-hour room service and refrigerator/mini-bar (not complimentary). The 20” interactive television allows guests to play casino video games, book/review shore excursions, order in-room movies ($8.99 each) and order room service. There are also several music channels on the TV including rock, jazz, classical and country.
Because the Millennium was the first of the 4 ships built in that class, it has accommodated more passengers and thus is a bit more worn than the others. In our stateroom, a metal plate that should have surrounded one of the electrical outlets was missing, the plastic hooks were broken on our bathroom waste can causing it to open wide enough to hit the toilet stool, and our stateroom carpeting was worn and stained in some areas. Fortunately, staff has worked very hard to maintain the Millennium’s appearance, and overall, it is still one of the nicest looking ships afloat.
If you are booking a balcony stateroom, ask your travel agent to try to book you into one of the staterooms that have a larger veranda size than most in the same category. For example, staterooms 6048 and 6053 have largest verandas in Category 2C due to a widening in the hull of the ship. We were in Category 2A, stateroom 8146, and it had a larger veranda than most others in that category. The same is true in each category for those staterooms with a triangular shaped veranda. Although Celebrity Cruises’ reservationists do not have this information and will tell your travel agent that the larger looking verandas on the brochure deck plans are not accurate, believe us when we tell you that on the Millennium, the brochure deck plans are accurate.
As part of Celebrity’s “Taste of Luxury”, they have added the Celebrity Concierge Class (Category CC). These staterooms are what were formally Category 1A veranda staterooms on the Sky Deck with plush amenities and priority services being added. Benefits for those guests in the Celebrity Concierge Class include fresh fruit and flowers, personalized stationery, oversized bath towels, priority luggage delivery, extended room service, a Hansgrohe massaging showerhead, and many other extra amenities. Aboard the Millennium, guests could schedule a personal viewing of a Concierge Class stateroom. You should try the Concierge Class if you are one of those people who cruise in nothing less than a veranda stateroom but want to experience a bit of luxury.
Public Areas, Activities and Entertainment
The essence of the Millennium’s sophisticated elegance lies in her three-deck atrium with its onyx staircase, softly backlit to present a warm welcoming glow. Pillars of soft white drapery surround the staircase. Many of the inside public rooms, as well as small intimate seating areas with great sea views, are located around the atrium’s perimeter on Decks 4 and 5. The shore excursion desk, guest relations desk and onboard bank are centrally located on Deck 3. Six glass elevators just off of the atrium provide oceanviews as you move from deck to deck. Many of the atrium perimeter rooms have glass walls looking out onto the atrium. The rest of the Millennium radiates out from the atrium area. For such a large ship, the Millennium is beautifully laid out and easy to get around. Almost as surprising, we seldom encountered long lines or congestion.
One of our favorite stops in the atrium area was the Cova Cafe di Milano, an area inspired by the outdoor Italian cafés. Coffees, lattés, and cappuccino are served to guests at candle-lit tables. Complimentary pastries and snacks are served in the morning and afternoon.
Also located in the atrium area is Online@Celebrity, the 24-hour Internet Café. The 20 laptop computers at Online@Celebrity are configured in such a way as to provide some privacy for each user. The only time the Internet café is closed for general use is during computer classes conducted for guests who wish to sign up. The Internet cost of .75 per minute is somewhat higher than we have experienced on other ships, however, packages are available that lower the cost down to .50 per minute.
The Millennium’s 11 passenger decks are packed with interesting and fun spots including Cards, the card room located in the atrium area that was extremely busy on our cruse due to a large number of Bridge players; Words, a two-story library; Notes, a music library with individual state-of-the-art listening stations and Apple® iPOD rental for personal use around the ship; a small but very comfortable cinema that shows first run movies; and The Conservatory, a beautiful garden area with its own floral boutique and area for flower arranging demonstrations.
The pool area on Deck 10 is very comfortable with a wide walking and sitting area on Deck 11. Deck chairs and space was abundant, even on sea days. The main pool area includes both a shallow and a large pool along with four whirlpools. A glass covered Thalassotherapy pool area just off of the main outdoor pool area was surprisingly seldom crowded. Each afternoon at sea, sunbathers were presented with cold towels, ice water and iced tea. To further heighten the pool experience on the Millennium, at 2:45 p.m., a parade of tuxedo clad assistant waiters paraded and provided sorbets that had a very cooling effect.
Celebrity Cruises’ custom-branded AquaSpa(SM) by Elemis is without question one of the best spa programs in the cruise industry. It provides guests with a serene environment where touch, texture and architectural design come together to cleanse and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. The 25,000 sq. ft. AquaSpa(SM) facilities include 16 spa treatment rooms, a full service beauty salon and a fully equipped fitness area. The Pilates and Yoga classes are very popular even though a small fee is charged.
Activities throughout the daytime and into the early evening include Bingo, a variety of seminars on such subjects as gemstones, health/fitness, flower arranging, and ports of call, many trivia contests and mind-teaser games and a wide variety of sports activities including a full-size basketball court, compact football, ping pong, paddle tennis, volleyball, jogging track, shuffleboard and a state-of-the-art golf simulator. Park West Gallery, an art gallery based in the United States, displays a large collection of art works from world-renowned artists as well as new artists with art auctions being held on several days throughout the cruise. The Emporium, Millennium’s duty-free specialty boutiques that line the corridors of Deck 5, have a large selection of souvenir items as well as jewelry and clothing with most shops having very reasonable prices. An activity that drew a large crowd one evening was a nicely presented fashion show in the atrium, a great three-deck location for such an event.
Celebrity Cruises has joined some of the more upscale cruise lines in presenting Enrichment Speakers. Political Analysis, Steve Schier, was on the Millennium and presented several lectures encompassing the presidencies of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Children, what children? In spite of the fact that they were seldom seen or heard, there were a large number of children on our cruise. The programs for children and young adults aboard the Millennium are well organized and seemed to be enjoyed by the children (as well as their parents). There is a teen club, The Tower, along with an area for the younger children, the Fun Factory.
There are 10 lounges/bars aboard the Millennium, each with its own distinct style and some serving specialty drinks, such as the Martini Bar and the Champagne Bar. Michael’s Club, at one time a cigar bar, is now a piano club. Throughout the ship we found numerous lounges/bars tucked away with a large variety of seating arrangements ranging from areas that could accommodate a large party to areas where two people could quietly talk. Two of our favorites were the Ocean Café Bar, a small outdoor but covered bar on Deck 10 aft, and Cosmos Nightclub (and Disco), a lounge on Deck 11 forward with panoramic views and lighting over one of the dance floors that slowly changes colors. Other lounges/bars aboard the Millennium include the Mast Bar, Riviera Pool Bar, Rendez-Vous Lounge, Fortunes Casino Bar and the Extreme Sports Bar. Starting early each evening and continuing late into the night, a wide variety of live music ranging from piano to guitar, from harp to string quartets can be found in the lounges and atrium area. We especially enjoyed the acapella singing group “Sea Tones” consisting of four young men who sang songs that took us all down memory lane. In addition to the large selection of live musical acts, a very funny late night comedy/juggling act was presented by Thien Fu, and of course, there was the late night disco.
The Celebrity Theater, the main show lounge aboard the Millennium, is designed exactly like that aboard the Constellation and, again, is one of the best planned show lounges we have seen. The main area and stage is on Deck 4 with more veranda seating on Deck 5. Seating is angled down to the stage in such a way as to make for clear viewing from almost anywhere in the theater. The production shows presented by the Celebrity Singers and Dancers were outstanding. Our favorite was “Classique: A Musical Odyssey”, a musical review with several different styles including classical and pop.
Dru Pavlov, Cruise Director, performs the undaunting job of overseeing all onboard activities on the Millennium. He is a marvelously talented gentleman who has a knack for putting guests at ease and seems to be able to be in three places at once. During a private meeting with Mr. Pavlov, we asked about the production company used aboard the Millennium. Mr. Pavlov stated that Celebrity is beginning to have their own production company to produce their stage shows in-house. They have found that land-based production companies tend to produce shows that are geared for land-based audiences. By producing their shows in-house, the shows are geared to cruise guests.
Two of the Millennium’s “Taste of Luxury” concepts are worth special mention. “Elegant Tea” was served on two occasions during our cruise, once in the Metropolitan Restaurant for all guests and once in the Olympic Restaurant for Captain’s Club members. It was a jacket required activity with all the pomp and circumstance of high tea on the ultra-luxury cruise lines. The other “Taste of Luxury” was Davanti, a boutique in which you can be fitted for custom-made clothing.
Dining
Celebrity Cruises has a well-deserved sterling reputation in the area of dining, and our experience on the Millennium only served to further reinforce this. Celebrity continues to offer both assigned meal seatings and a variety of alternative dining options. Under the guidance of Master Chef Michel Roux (who happened to be on the Millennium during our cruise), Celebrity’s culinary delights are made from scratch and seasoned with fresh herbs. The Millennium shines when it comes to food quality, presentation, variety and service.
The ultimate dining experience aboard the Millennium is the Olympic Restaurant. It is named after the White Star Line luxury liner RMS Olympic that entered service in 1911 and was a sister-ship to the ill-fated Titanic. Original panels from the RMS Olympic displayed in the Olympic Restaurant are a feast for the eyes. Reservations are required and should be made early in the cruise as limited seating does not allow for all guests to partake in this experience during a 7-night cruise. Even with a $25.00 per person charge, we strongly encourage you to try this elegant dining experience. The service, lead by the Maitre d’ Dominique but with an entire team of waiters and much tableside preparation, makes for an unforgettable evening.
The Metropolitan Restaurant, the main dining room that accommodates two assigned meal seatings, is a two-story (Decks 4 and 5) masterpiece with a gorgeous aft view. Evening meals are exceptional and are enhanced by live music.
The Casual Dining Boulevard on Deck 10 encompasses several areas and provides a variety of food options during the majority of the day and evening. The Ocean Café has breakfast and lunch buffets that include omelet and pasta/sandwich stations along with theme lunch buffets of Oriental, Mexican and Italian food. During the evening, the Ocean Café becomes a casual dining alternative complete with waiters and white tablecloths. Reservations are suggested, and there is a $2.00 per person charge. Guests choose from a several course menu. Although the menu selection is not as extensive as in the Metropolitan Restaurant, the food quality, presentation and service are still top notch. According to Sharon, the lasagna she had one evening at the Ocean Café was the best she has ever tasted. Other food options available at the Casual Dining Boulevard are a pizza/baked pasta station, soup and salad buffet, Sushi Café, and an ice cream station.
Because we used the pool almost daily during our cruise, we became very familiar with the Riviera Grill located on Deck 10 next to the pool area. That wonderful scent of outdoor grilling lured us to the delicious burgers, hot dogs and French fries on several occasions. Pizza was also available at the Riviera Grill. The location is great as it is close to the Ocean Café if you prefer to dine indoors. For the more health conscious guests, the Spa Café located in the Thalassotherapy area offers healthy spa-inspired foods such as healthy breakfasts and light meals, including smoothies. The Spa Café is located in a low traffic area and was often less busy than other dining areas.
Let’s not forget the 24-hour room service! The breakfast menu aboard the Millennium includes a variety of choices for a full breakfast, including omelets. If you make your breakfast room service order by phone or by leaving the order card on the outside of your door at night (rather than by ordering via your interactive TV), we found that you could make additions and enhancements to you order. For example, we asked for items such as fruit yogurt, bananas, and ham and cheese omelets (rather than plain omelets ). Each of our requests was honored with no hesitation. Lunch and dinner room service choices range from pasta and sandwiches to steak. We received all of our room service orders promptly and with a pre-notification telephone call to let us know that our order was on its way to our room.
Do you know about Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Escape(SM)? Celebrity EscapeSM are Celebrity’s cruises exclusively for guests over the age of 21. They are for parents who need a vacation from parenting and for guests who like to cruise without children on board. These cruises include extended hours for the pool and the AquaSpaSM, late night comedy acts including an adult themed show, a romantic Valentine’s Night at sea and an enhanced room service breakfast menu.
Do you know about Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club Membership? One of the best cruise past passenger clubs is the Captain’s Club. The Captain’s Club membership is now free as opposed to the former $35.00 membership fee. There are three levels to the club based on the amount of sailed cruises, Classic Member, Select Member and Elite Member. Each level adds rewards and benefits. Priority boarding, complimentary wine tasting and one-category upgrades are just a few of the benefits. A welcome packet and invitations to various private events are delivered to your stateroom throughout your cruise. If you have cruised with Celebrity Cruises before and are not a member of the Captain’s Club, join now. It will enhance your next cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises.
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