Millennium vs Westerdam BtoB Review

Millennium(12/17/06) vs. Westerdam(12/24/06) BtoB:

Part 1:

Lauren and I had a wonderful cruise on both ships, so if you are looking for a review that trashes these ships, this is not it. I love wordy, flowing reviews that paint a picture of every aspect of a person’s experience, however, that’s not me. This will be a guy’s review, with few words, and loads of visual marks that will rate selected aspects of our cruise.

This was our 24th cruise together, our 11th Celebrity cruise, and our 4th HAL cruise:

1) Embarkation -- Millennium was just coming out of dry dock (you know, the bearing thing), so with no passengers disembarking, process was smooth and very quick. Within ten minutes of walking into the pier building, we were on the ship. (11:30am) Champagne in hand, guided to our cabin, and we were on our balcony by 11:40am. Score: 100

1.1) After disembarking the Millennium (we asked to be in the last group), we caught a taxi over to the Westerdam. Feeling bad for the driver giving up his position in the taxi line for a 700 yard trip, I just gave him a twenty and off we went. We waited about 30 minutes outside for the doors to open at the Pier building (11:00am). Entered the building, had a short wait in line, and a wonderful young lady checked us in. We were on the ship 15 minutes after entering the building. Cabins wouldn’t be available until 1:00pm. Score: 98

2) Cabin -- Millennium Cabin #7019; 2B balcony (balcony located under a series of three steel “arches” forward). We usually do inside cabins, but we rebooked to a balcony for less than $25 each. Condition of the cabin was excellent . Our cabin guy, and his assistant, were professional, fast and very stealthy. Score: 92 BONUS POINTS +10 for Celebrity’s new beds and bedding. Wow, what a huge improvement!!

2.1) Cabin -- Westerdam Cabin #4168; did an inside guarantee and this was the first time we received no upgrade. No problem, this was a great cabin, and it was spotless! Décor is basic, and the shower was on the small side, but the layout of the cabin was perfect. Nice, easy to use safe. Bedding, as always, excellent and towels were the best. Score: 87

BONUS POINTS +15 for Joe, our cabin guy! Best we have had in 24 cruises!!

He was young, fun, and kept the cabin perfect.

3) Cabin TV -- Millennium’s interactive TV is great. Easy to check on your ship board balance, order room service.., Limited channels and lame movie options. Score: 75 FUMBLE POINTS -5 lack of TV programming.

3.1) Cabin TV -- Westerdam’s TV is not interactive, but they have a good selection of channels and an excellent choice of movies at no additional cost.

Score: 88

Part 2:

4) Dining Room -- Millennium’s dining room is open, formal, and a great place to enjoy the whole experience. We had a wonderful table for two on the railing upstairs. Only down side, was the nasty, whiny, negative couple that sat at the table next to ours. It was difficult to tune them out! Score: 93

4.1) Dinning Room -- Westerdam’s dining room is efficient and has a great look and feel. The all white décor of the last formal night is a wonderful touch.

We had a great table for two. Score: 87

5) Dining Room Service (Millennium) -- Our waiter and assistant waiter were great. Nice guys, always willing to provide the extra service. Celebrity’s waiters are always dressed in impeccable formal ware. Score: 93

5.1) Dinning Room Service (Westerdam) -- Our waiter, and assistant waiter, were great at matching their service to our pace. We eat a bit fast, so they were there just at the right times. Very pleasant and warm service.

Score: 96

6) Dining Room Cuisine (Millennium) -- This is one area Celebrity really shines. The food was excellent. The Galley seemed a bit slow compared to other Celebrity cruises we have been on, and we did get a few luke-warm dishes, but nothing serious. Score 94

6.1) Dining Room Cuisine (Westerdam) -- Great selections and very good food quality. The food was presented well and every dish served at the proper temperature. Just as things felt a bit basic and routine, we would be surprised by a great soup, or salad, or dessert. Our best HAL dinning experience!

Score: 90

7) Olympic Alternative restaurant -- Wow! This was our fourth visit to one of Celebrity’s Alternative restaurants. They have always had Five Star service, but now the improved quality of the food is has really bumped this experience up a notch or two. No wonder, Frommer rates these restaurants as the “best at sea”, which includes the luxury lines. Can’t say enough about our experience in the Olympic. Score: 100

7.1) Pinnacle Grill -- Okay, we have eaten in the Alternative restaurants on other HAL cruises and fine the food very good and the service excellent, but we could not justify spending $30 per person for this experience. We thought we would catch a lunch in the Pinnacle, but they no longer offer this. Seems the only people eating there had received a free dinner for two from their TA or some other promotion. Score: No score FUMBLE POINTS -10 for HAL raising the fees in the Pinnacle. $15 would be appropriate.

Part 3

8) Buffet restaurant -- Millennium’s buffet offers a good selection. We are not huge buffet fans, so we look usually eat at the specialty stations, like the waffle station, pasta station…, There is a nice area outside the aft portion of the buffet to enjoy your meal. Score: 88

8.1) The Lido is excellent! This is one area HAL really scores well. Great Sandwich and Asian stations. Really enjoy the breakfast selections, great juices, high quality meats…, At lunch the desserts were the best! Only thing I would like to see is an improved options for drinks during lunch. Only tea and water are offered. Score: 95

9) Itinerary -- Millennium = Casa de Campo, San Juan, St Thomas & Nassau

Score: 85

9.1) Itinerary -- Westerdam = Grand Turk, Tortola, St Martin & Half Moon Cay

HAL always seems to be better in this area. Score: 90

10) Entertainment -- On both the Millennium and Westerdam we only attended about 20% of the shows. Just can’t take another production show.

Quick Thoughts: (Alternating points)

--Celebrity always seems to really treat us “famously” -- roses in the room; We were invited to the Captain’s table (this makes six, of our eleven Celebrity cruises); special tour of the Bridge; Delia, the Captain’s Club hostess was wonderful.

--Got our blue lapel pins from the Mariner Society on the Westerdam.

--Elite CC members can disembark at any time slot on the Millennium.

--Every service person on the Westerdam was polite and professional.

--Announcements made at noon only (Millennium).

--Wrap around promenade deck is SUPER! I love this about HAL ships.

--The Aqua Spa, and the Aqua Spa Café, really gives the Millennium class ships an edge over the competition. We ate many lunch time meals at this Café.

--Great Movie theatre, with a nice selection of movies and movie times. (Westerdam)

If you have any questions about specifics, let me know. Celebrity and HAL will remain our top two cruise lines!

Enjoy!

Kel

I really enjoyed the way you did your comparisons. If I were to try a Celebrity ship it would be the Millennium. Although it does sound like the balance themselves out. Sounds like you had two great cruises. Thanks for giving us your fair comparisons.:)

Thanks for the comparison.

But did I miss it??

Final score for each ship??

Also didn't see a score for the Pinnacle.

Thanks for the comparison.

 

But did I miss it??

 

Final score for each ship??

 

Also didn't see a score for the Pinnacle.

Sorry Krazy K, I didn't do a total. We didn't do the Pinnacle this cruise so I thought it not fair to rate it. We did do the Pinnacle on all our other HAL cruises. We really wanted to eat there, but thought the $30 per person was a bit high. Hard to give up the regular dining room.:)

Enjoy!

Kel

Kel:

I know that you also have experienced NCL, RCCL and Princess. Nice to hear that you hold both Celebrity and HAL in high regard.

It will be interesting to watch how this Pinnacle pricing issue unfolds.

Kel, thanks this was really useful. A fair balance comparison from someone without a chip on their shoulder.

kelmac,

Loved the format, boom,boom, boom.

Like you, I sail X and most of the others too. I agree with your comparison of the entire dining room experience, expecially the part that just when you start thinking HAL food is somewhat ho-hum, the next couse is a delightful surprise.

I can't imagine a more enjoyable experience than sailing these two ships, back to back. What a fabulous holiday treat.

My heart belongs to HAL but that Aqua Spa on X calls, from time to time, and I cannot resist.

Thank you for sharing your cruises with us.

Thanks for the great review. I appreciate that the comparisons were direct and that you're not a nit-picker.

Thanks Kelmac. I've been reading your reviews for years and have learned to respect your opinions. I'm a Celebrity cruiser who is boarding a HAL ship (Noordam) for the first time tomorrow and I'm lookin forward to it even more after reading your reviews of the Milly and Westerdam.

Dear Kel - thanks for this review! we are loyal Celebrity sailors but due to the limited caribbean itinerary this year, are trying the Hal for the first time in 6 weeks - will be on the Westerdam during Pres. week break - can't wait - sounds like you had a wonderful trip on both ships (although we will miss the Aqua spa cafe!). Happy future sailings! vicky

Thanks very much for your review. One of these days, I'll have to try Celebrity!

I'm surprised you found only tea and water in the Lido restaurant at lunch. On HAL ships I have always seen tea, iced tea, coffee - decaf and regular, lemonade. I think that milk is also available. There are also bar stewards circulating to offer sodas or other libations, (these for a price, of course.)

Like Barbels and Vicky (funny, we are all from NY), we are also trying HAL for the first time after numerous Celebrity cruises, with other assorted thrown in. I agree that Celebrity 7 day Carribean itineraries leave much to be desired. Your comparison was wonderful Kel, so now I am really excited. We are going on the Oosterdam 2/24. Couldn't resist the bargain we got on it, and am even willing to take the cross country flight. It's always hard to try something new, but you gave me a comfort level that I can live with. We did the same X itinerary as you did 2 years ago, and I am surprised that you gave it such high marks. In my mind it was one of their worst.

What I always say about these boards is that people think the word Critic means to criticize, and that's what you get from their reviews. Just curious, but did you post the same thing on the Celebrity board? Will have to read that.

kelmac....thank you for your post. I appreciate this kind of "reporting".

Thanks Kelmac. I've been reading your reviews for years and have learned to respect your opinions. I'm a Celebrity cruiser who is boarding a HAL ship (Noordam) for the first time tomorrow and I'm lookin forward to it even more after reading your reviews of the Milly and Westerdam.

barbels,

Have a wonderful time!! The Noordam will be a different experience, but a good one.:)

Enjoy!

Kel

Thanks very much for your review. One of these days, I'll have to try Celebrity!

 

I'm surprised you found only tea and water in the Lido restaurant at lunch. On HAL ships I have always seen tea, iced tea, coffee - decaf and regular, lemonade. I think that milk is also available. There are also bar stewards circulating to offer sodas or other libations, (these for a price, of course.)

Hi the2ofus,

Lemonade would have been perfect, but none available. Kind of strange because at breakfast they had a great selection; apple, grape, fresh squeezed OJ, pinapple...,

Enjoy!

Kel

Like Barbels and Vicky (funny, we are all from NY), we are also trying HAL for the first time after numerous Celebrity cruises, with other assorted thrown in. I agree that Celebrity 7 day Carribean itineraries leave much to be desired. Your comparison was wonderful Kel, so now I am really excited. We are going on the Oosterdam 2/24. Couldn't resist the bargain we got on it, and am even willing to take the cross country flight. It's always hard to try something new, but you gave me a comfort level that I can live with. We did the same X itinerary as you did 2 years ago, and I am surprised that you gave it such high marks. In my mind it was one of their worst.

What I always say about these boards is that people think the word Critic means to criticize, and that's what you get from their reviews. Just curious, but did you post the same thing on the Celebrity board? Will have to read that.

Robinsilver,

Oosterdam sounds like a great choice! And yes, I put an exact copy of this review over on the Celebrity board.

Enjoy your cruise!

Kel

Thanks, Kelmac.

We are contemplating either the Westerdam or the Millenium for a Fall Transatlantic. Sound like a win/win whichever we pick.

Thanks for the great comparison. We were supposed to be on the Millenium cruise the week before yours (12/10) and of course got cancelled due to the mechanical problems. This was the second time we had tried the Millenium and got cancelled at the last minute (2003 Med Cruise). So this review was very helpful for the comparison to the Westerdam, as we have been on HAL seven tiimes before but have not been on Celebrity yet. Thanks for the excellent comparison, we look forward to trying the Millenium.

Len & Anita Hubbard

I posted this a couple of weeks ago and thought I'd give it a bump since, like Kelmac, we also did B2B on Westerdam and Millennium - Westerdam (12/10)/Millennium (12/17). Hope this comparison between HAL and X adds to Kelmac's informative and well-written review.

When our 12/10 Millennium cruise was cancalled due to pod problems we booked that week on Westerdam instead. It was our second HAL cruise, the first having been on Statendam some ten years ago. We've cruised on virtually all the lines but as loyal Celebrity cruisers (25 X cruises) we were curious to see how HAL would stack up against our favorite cruise line. To cut to the chase, we enjoyed our Westerdam cruise and would sail HAL again provided price, itinerary and ship were to our liking but...for us, Celebrity still comes out ahead and remains our favorite.

Westerdam is a beautiful ship but lacks the elegance and spaciousness of X ships. It's three-story atrium is unremarkable and it's art collection which is touted as spectacular (HAL even offers an onboard IPOD tour of the collection) is, IMHO, unimpressive. The art collections on X are far more interesting, although admittedly, far more eclectic too. Westerdam is tastefully decorated and the abundance of fresh flowers around the ship is impressive. We're definitely not fans of glitz and neon but I think perhaps HAL put a bit too much emphasis on "understated" in Westerdam's decor.

Westerdam was designed with many smaller lounges and public spaces to avoid the feeling of a mega-liner; however, we found the design offered public spaces that felt more confining than intimate as intended. The theater and dining rooms are lovely but don't compare to those on the C-class or M-class ships. Cabins are comparable to those on X, perhaps a bit larger, but the bedding on Westerdam is superior - even to the new bedding on X. There was an ice bucket in our cabin as there is in X cabins but we missed the pitcher of water we've gotten used to having on X. Bathrooms on Westerdam are considerably larger than those on X. The shoe shine service and fabric laundry bags provided on Westerdam are nice amenities and it was a nice touch to have our laundry returned from the valet wrapped in tissue paper.

Westerdam has two pools as do the M-class ships. Unlike X, however, the main pool on Westerdam is the indoor pool which like the indoor pool area on the M-class ships has a sliding roof. While there's lots of space around the pool, we were surprised to find very limited seating - not because of chair hogs (as is often the case on Celebrity) but simply because there just aren't that many lounges there. The outdoor pool is small and located aft; the area seemed virtually unused in spite of the great weather we had.

Food on Westerdam was quite good. Breakfast and lunch buffets were more extensive than those on X and the food was presented nicely. HAL tops X by serving fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning, but doesn't offer lemonade and fruit punch the rest of the day as does X. The bread pudding was wonderful. After being on so many X cruises, it was nice to have a real change of menus for dinner. The dinner menu always offered a nice selection but the plating and presentation on X is, IMHO, far nicer. Unlike on X, salads arrive at the table already dressed and sauces which are offered tableside on X, are already on your plate when served. We remembered Dutch night from our previous HAL cruise and were as underwhelmed this time as we were last. (I think it's time for HAL to give up on the hats.) Mints, ginger, nuts, dates and figs are offered from a cart when you leave the dining room after dinner which is a nice touch.

We always opt for late seating and as such don't bother with late night snacks or buffets. Out of curiosity, however, we did check out the late night buffet on Westerdam and thought it was meager in appearance. (Can't comment on quality since we didn't indulge.) We thought the much-acclaimed Chocolate Extravaganza was much ado about nothing - Celebrity's Gala Buffet is far more elaborate and far more beautiful.

Entertainment on Westerdam was better than we had on Statendam years ago, but it was just ok. The production shows were good but not quite as good as those we’ve seen on X ships (and even those don’t always make the cut). The talent featured on the other nights was a mix of pretty good and rather poor. Like X, Westerdam has gone to many pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers – something we disliked on HAL as much as we do on X.

Service on Westerdam was good. We hardly saw our cabin steward but he did a fine job, as did our waiter and assitant waiter. We found, however, that staff and crew on Westerdam weren’t quite as friendly and outgoing as we find staff and crew on X ships to be. They were certainly efficient and did their jobs well but, in general, they seemed a bit aloof and smiles were often hard to come by.

There were a lot more announcements on Westerdam than on X - soemthing that tends to get old really fast. We much prefer the once-a-day announcement from the bridge on X ships to the constant reminder of bingo, art auctions or other goings on around the ship.

Unlike X which still has informal nights, HAL has gone to two formal and five casual nights on its seven-night sailings. Many Celebrity cruisers complain bitterly about how the dress code on X has gone with the wind. We found that to be much more the case on Westerdam and were amazed by the vast number of people on our cruise (and I can only speak from our experience) who ignored the suggested evening dress entirely. So much so that my husband opted not to wear his tuxedo on the second formal night because he felt so out of place in a tuxedo the first formal night. Jeans were common place in the dining room every night at dinner; shorts, sneakers and tee shirts were NOT a rarity and we were disappointed that so many people who were improperly attired by even the loosest standards, were allowed into the dining room.

As I mentioned at the outset, we enjoyed sailing on Westerdam. HAL offers a good product but one which, in our opinion, falls a short of that offered by Celebrity. Each line has its own special touches, its own strengths and its own weaknesses. We’re glad we tried HAL again but after having done so, now appreciate the Celebrity product even more and X will continue to be our first choice.

I posted this a couple of weeks ago and thought I'd give it a bump since, like Kelmac, we also did B2B on Westerdam and Millennium - Westerdam (12/10)/Millennium (12/17). Hope this comparison between HAL and X adds to Kelmac's informative and well-written review.

 

When our 12/10 Millennium cruise was cancalled due to pod problems we booked that week on Westerdam instead. It was our second HAL cruise, the first having been on Statendam some ten years ago. We've cruised on virtually all the lines but as loyal Celebrity cruisers (25 X cruises) we were curious to see how HAL would stack up against our favorite cruise line. To cut to the chase, we enjoyed our Westerdam cruise and would sail HAL again provided price, itinerary and ship were to our liking but...for us, Celebrity still comes out ahead and remains our favorite.

 

Westerdam is a beautiful ship but lacks the elegance and spaciousness of X ships. It's three-story atrium is unremarkable and it's art collection which is touted as spectacular (HAL even offers an onboard IPOD tour of the collection) is, IMHO, unimpressive. The art collections on X are far more interesting, although admittedly, far more eclectic too. Westerdam is tastefully decorated and the abundance of fresh flowers around the ship is impressive. We're definitely not fans of glitz and neon but I think perhaps HAL put a bit too much emphasis on "understated" in Westerdam's decor.

 

Westerdam was designed with many smaller lounges and public spaces to avoid the feeling of a mega-liner; however, we found the design offered public spaces that felt more confining than intimate as intended. The theater and dining rooms are lovely but don't compare to those on the C-class or M-class ships. Cabins are comparable to those on X, perhaps a bit larger, but the bedding on Westerdam is superior - even to the new bedding on X. There was an ice bucket in our cabin as there is in X cabins but we missed the pitcher of water we've gotten used to having on X. Bathrooms on Westerdam are considerably larger than those on X. The shoe shine service and fabric laundry bags provided on Westerdam are nice amenities and it was a nice touch to have our laundry returned from the valet wrapped in tissue paper.

 

Westerdam has two pools as do the M-class ships. Unlike X, however, the main pool on Westerdam is the indoor pool which like the indoor pool area on the M-class ships has a sliding roof. While there's lots of space around the pool, we were surprised to find very limited seating - not because of chair hogs (as is often the case on Celebrity) but simply because there just aren't that many lounges there. The outdoor pool is small and located aft; the area seemed virtually unused in spite of the great weather we had.

 

Food on Westerdam was quite good. Breakfast and lunch buffets were more extensive than those on X and the food was presented nicely. HAL tops X by serving fresh squeezed orange juice in the morning, but doesn't offer lemonade and fruit punch the rest of the day as does X. The bread pudding was wonderful. After being on so many X cruises, it was nice to have a real change of menus for dinner. The dinner menu always offered a nice selection but the plating and presentation on X is, IMHO, far nicer. Unlike on X, salads arrive at the table already dressed and sauces which are offered tableside on X, are already on your plate when served. We remembered Dutch night from our previous HAL cruise and were as underwhelmed this time as we were last. (I think it's time for HAL to give up on the hats.) Mints, ginger, nuts, dates and figs are offered from a cart when you leave the dining room after dinner which is a nice touch.

 

We always opt for late seating and as such don't bother with late night snacks or buffets. Out of curiosity, however, we did check out the late night buffet on Westerdam and thought it was meager in appearance. (Can't comment on quality since we didn't indulge.) We thought the much-acclaimed Chocolate Extravaganza was much ado about nothing - Celebrity's Gala Buffet is far more elaborate and far more beautiful.

 

Entertainment on Westerdam was better than we had on Statendam years ago, but it was just ok. The production shows were good but not quite as good as those we’ve seen on X ships (and even those don’t always make the cut). The talent featured on the other nights was a mix of pretty good and rather poor. Like X, Westerdam has gone to many pre-dinner shows for late seating passengers – something we disliked on HAL as much as we do on X.

 

Service on Westerdam was good. We hardly saw our cabin steward but he did a fine job, as did our waiter and assitant waiter. We found, however, that staff and crew on Westerdam weren’t quite as friendly and outgoing as we find staff and crew on X ships to be. They were certainly efficient and did their jobs well but, in general, they seemed a bit aloof and smiles were often hard to come by.

 

There were a lot more announcements on Westerdam than on X - soemthing that tends to get old really fast. We much prefer the once-a-day announcement from the bridge on X ships to the constant reminder of bingo, art auctions or other goings on around the ship.

 

Unlike X which still has informal nights, HAL has gone to two formal and five casual nights on its seven-night sailings. Many Celebrity cruisers complain bitterly about how the dress code on X has gone with the wind. We found that to be much more the case on Westerdam and were amazed by the vast number of people on our cruise (and I can only speak from our experience) who ignored the suggested evening dress entirely. So much so that my husband opted not to wear his tuxedo on the second formal night because he felt so out of place in a tuxedo the first formal night. Jeans were common place in the dining room every night at dinner; shorts, sneakers and tee shirts were NOT a rarity and we were disappointed that so many people who were improperly attired by even the loosest standards, were allowed into the dining room.

 

As I mentioned at the outset, we enjoyed sailing on Westerdam. HAL offers a good product but one which, in our opinion, falls a short of that offered by Celebrity. Each line has its own special touches, its own strengths and its own weaknesses. We’re glad we tried HAL again but after having done so, now appreciate the Celebrity product even more and X will continue to be our first choice.

lysolgn,

Thanks for the review! I agree with you pretty much across the board. Celebrity is just starting to offer the great itineraries that HAL has been doing of years, and I'm sure we will continue to switch back and forth between these great cruise lines.

Enjoy!

Kel

Kelmac,

I think once X tweaks its Caribbean itineraries and the new ships hit the fleet (two former Renaissance ships this spring and three new-builds over the next couple of years), it will be a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

Kelmac,

 

I think once X tweaks its Caribbean itineraries and the new ships hit the fleet (two former Renaissance ships this spring and three new-builds over the next couple of years), it will be a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

lysolqn,

Lauren and I will be on the Journey for it's fourth cruise to Bermuda in May. Most people are very positive about these 30,000 ton ships Celebrity picked up!

Lot's of rummors about how these ships will differ from other Celebrity ships; things like Butlers, dress code, seating..., It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Next up: Maasdam -- 10 nights deep Caribbean at Spring Break!:)

Enjoy!

Kel

Thanks so much for the comparison!! :D

I missed the thread earlier as we were cruising on the Volendam. We will be cruising Celebrity Infinity for a 13 day cruise to Alaska, selected for the itinerary which is unlike anything HAL is offering.

Good to know that Celebrity is on par with HAL, though I know I will miss the HAL crew, the Bread Pudding and Nasi Goreng.:rolleyes: