Millenium Review Jan 16-23, 2005

[Giorgi-one]

Overall, cruise was very good. Just a few comments.

 

SHIP - Beautiful and clean. Understated Elegance.

 

SERVICE - Very good and staff was very friendly.

 

EMBARKATION - Flew into FLL two days early. Arrived at pier about 11:45 AM and essentially walked right onto ship. We moved so quickly that I actually had to stop and rest a few times since I was carring two bags (carryon and garment bag).

 

DEBARKATION - We had early flight so we were in third group off ship. Did not work quite as smoothly as planned. Idea was to have small groups report to lounge area and then exit the ship. Something must have delayed start of debarkation, so lounge got packed when later groups started to arrive. Once off the ship, everything went smoothly until we got to the airport, but that's another story. Basic problem is that FLL airport is not equipped to handle cruise passenger load.

 

FOOD - Overall good in dining room, but disappointed in menu choices on some nights for entrees. Buffet was OK, nothing special, but no complaints.

 

ENTERTAINMENT - Production shows were surprisingly good. Much better than my last time on Summit when we acutally felt embarassed for the singers and dancers. Could do without FANTASEA show which I saw two years ago and did not seem right for the demographics on Celebrity. Guest illusionist was very good. Did not get to see other guest entertainers (ventriloquist and action/comedian). First night was very rough and my wife got sick. Scheduled show before late seating on last night when we were packing. Might be better to have three production shows and additional guest entertainer, maybe a solo singer.

 

CABIN - Had an aft balcony cabin, concierge class, on Deck 8. Cabin was nothing special but balcony was fantastic - actually larger than the cabin. Also, we enjoyed many of the CC perks.

 

PORTS - Did the Catalinia Island beach break in the DR. Nice beach but a little crowded for my taste. Had seen some comments that there was good snorkeling but that was not my experience. Make sure you use the bathrooms near the dock. If you walk the other way, you will be "attacked" by vendors. A full 40 minute ferry ride each way.

 

Did a waking tour (Frommers) on our own in old San Juan. Very enjoyable since this was the first time we had seen these areas and El Moro.

 

Rainy and cloudy in St. Thomas so we just hung out on our balcony and went to Havensight for a jewelry run. Also, there is an AT&T calling station across the road where you can call US for 25 cents per minute.

 

Went to Andastra Gardens in Nassau. Nice little zoo / botanical gardens. People with us kept comparing it to San Diego Zoo which was annoying. You can take bus for $1 each way or cab for $4 each way. Less than 10 minute ride. $12 Admission. Check their website for more info.

 

Looking at same ship - alternate itineray - for next January.

[awatt]

What time was your early return flight?

[awatt]

Also,thanks for the review!

[mari10]

Thanks for the review, and happy that you had a good time.

Did you get the chance to eat at the Olympic?

We have a noon flight leaving Fort Lauderdale, so I'm also wondering what time did you get to the airport.

 

Thanks,

Mari

[cechase]

 

DEBARKATION - Basic problem is that FLL airport is not equipped to handle cruise passenger load.

 

I agree whole heartedly with your comment. In May, we departed Century and were dumped at the FLL airport in the morning along with the pax from five or six other cruise ships. It was a mess, no seats available, people laying on the floor all over, long long lines for security, etc.

 

We certainly learned our lesson. For our 2/19/2005 cruise on Century, we are staying over Saturday night in FLL, and departing on Sunday morning.

[bongiorno]

I agree with almost everything on the above review. We loved the cruise and were fortunate to be seated with two great couples from the UK. Went to "Olympic" Friday night, and it surpassed our expectations. If you have an appreciation for fine dining, do not miss this restaurant.

[Giorgi-one]

I agree whole heartedly with your comment. In May, we departed Century and were dumped at the FLL airport in the morning along with the pax from five or six other cruise ships. It was a mess, no seats available, people laying on the floor all over, long long lines for security, etc.

 

We certainly learned our lesson. For our 2/19/2005 cruise on Century, we are staying over Saturday night in FLL, and departing on Sunday morning.

 

You will have more time to get to the airport but Sunday is just as busy as Saturday with cruise ships unless you leave before 9 AM.

[Giorgi-one]

What time was your early return flight?

 

My flight was 11:55 AM. Got to airport about 9:30 AM. As I indicated in my review FLL airport is not ready for prime time. We flew Airtran and we just made our flight. I will post thread on Airtran later today.

[sijid]

We also really enjoyed this cruise. It was our first cruise (and our honeymoon), so that may have helped. I agree that the food in the dining room was terrific, but I was also disappointed in some of the entree choices. The lamb shanks were FABULOUS! We ate in the Olympic on Thursday night, and were just overwhelmed with the experience. The food and the service were both beyond expectation.

 

The beach break in the DR was a little crowded, but the ferry ride was nice, and who can complain too much about sitting on a Caribbean beach for a few hours?

 

We also went to the Zoo in the Bahamas, chiefly to see the marching flamingos. It was a lovely little preserve, and the flamingos were a hoot.

 

We're very excited about going on another cruise, but will do what we can to avoid the insanity at the FLL airport. By Sunday afternoon it was a little better, but I'm thinking a Monday flight time might be a lot easier.

 

Sandra

[brigantiner]

We enjoyed the same cruise and agree with review. Service overall was outstanding and Olympic was a great experience. We would repeat on Millennium without hesitation.

[rubens]

:confused: I just read two completly different reviews of recent cruises on the Millenium.

 

According to CC member's review by WILSON (just published in member's review section) sailing 12/04 there was almost nothing good !

According to GIORGI-ONE almost everything was perfect on the same ship a few weeks later.

How can this be? Who's right?

I makes me worry as I will stay on the Millenium at the end of this week.

 

Please tell me the truth.

:confused:

[Giorgi-one]

:confused: I just read two completly different reviews of recent cruises on the Millenium.

 

According to CC member's review by WILSON (just published in member's review section) sailing 12/04 there was almost nothing good !

According to GIORGI-ONE almost everything was perfect on the same ship a few weeks later.

How can this be? Who's right?

I makes me worry as I will stay on the Millenium at the end of this week.

 

Please tell me the truth.

:confused:

 

I just read Wilson's review and another one that rated Millenium low. I did not experience any of the problems they encountered. I thought the ship was very clean, service was great. Celebrity ships are not glitzy which disappoints many peopIe. No 12 story atriums. I did not say everything was perfect. The dining room food was good but not great. Our waiter and assistant waiter were very good and very friendly. We had a lot of laughs with them. As I said, I was disappointed in the choice of entrees on some nights, but what I had was good. As usual for cruise ships, the soup bowls were half full, salads were just some lettuce and croutons. Deserts were good, but only three selections each night - I remember when they used to offer 5 or 6. The lobster was very good (about 6 oz tails) and the prime rib was done exactly as I ordered (medium rare). Portions were relatively small, so I ordered two dinners on most nights. We did not get a chance to go to the Olympic because our traveling partners got sick. Please understand that as far as I am concerned, the food on most cruise ships is about the same. Except for some specialty restaurants and a meal here or there, I would never go to a land restaurant for this food. My idea of a good meal is veal cutlet, seafood (lots of seafood - not broiled fish) and very large prime ribs, none of which you ever see on a cruise ship.

 

Many people do not like Production Shows or they tend to compare them to Broadway shows. Give me a break. The singers on Millenium have very good voices and most of the dancers are very athletic. I really enjoyed the salute to Broadway. I could listen to misic from Phantom, Les Mis, West Side story and Grease all night. Costumes in all the shows were great.

 

As far as cruises go (we have been on 14 including Celebrity, NCL, Princess, Costa, HAL and RCCL), this was one of the best. I believe that in order to enjoy a cruise, you have to enjoy relaxing and being on the ocean. We spend all sea days and even some port days on our balcony. After 3 or 4 cruises, the food, the entertainment and the Caribbean ports are all about the same. The beaches and water are beautiful, but many people are not into beaches and sun which leaves very little to do. As most people on these boards tend to agree, you can buy almost anything cheaper in the US or on the internet.

 

If you have enjoyed previous cruises, you will definitely enjoy Millenium.

[cechase]

You will have more time to get to the airport but Sunday is just as busy as Saturday with cruise ships unless you leave before 9 AM.

 

We have a flight out at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Really don't think that it is as bad as Saturday, because most of the cruises are 7 day cruises.

[Lois R]

Hi:)

 

Rubens....I guess the truth for one person is not the same as for another person. Both cruisers had different experiences.

 

I would tell you to have a positive outlook..........and try to not worry.

 

Hope this helps you a little bit:)

 

I sailed on Constellation last month and had a wonderful time...though I do know one of the other folks on the same sailing did not have a great week.

I wrote a review......and so did they......they were unhappy....and I am sorry it wasn't a better cruise for them.

But I would still recommend the Constellation.......one can only go by what they experience themselves.

 

Go on the Millie and have a wonderful time:)

[Tide Pride]

If anyone ever strays over to the Cruismates Boards you may be familiar with their Features Editor, Kuki. He stated recently he has had 40 plus cruises. He recently did a BB starting with a Carnival Cruise and then on the Millie. He wrote a fairly scathing article on his Carnival Cruise and concluded that his Millie Cruise was his best overall cruise of his 40 plus..

[hajekfam]

We have a flight out at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Really don't think that it is as bad as Saturday, because most of the cruises are 7 day cruises.

We will not fly out on either a Sat. or Sun from Ft Lauderdale - Our millie cruise ended on a Sunday and there were 7 or 8 ships in port that day. The airport was a mess. If we had to fly out on either of those days, we would have as late a flight as possible to avoid the crowds.

I think between all the cruiselines that use Port Everglades there are as many cruises starting and ending on Sunday as start and end on Saturday .

[Giorgi-one]

We have a flight out at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Really don't think that it is as bad as Saturday, because most of the cruises are 7 day cruises.

 

There are Saturday-Saturday and Sunday-Sunday 7 day cruises. We left FLL last Sunday. There were seven cruise ships in port. We were in second group off the ship and had a 11:55 AM flight. We were still in the check in line at 10:30 AM. I would say that your only chance is if the airline does priority boarding for your flight.

 

I was not sure I would make my flight so I booked a backup flight at 1:30 PM on Southwest Airlines. The ticket was refundable and I will get my money back since I did not use the ticket.

[cruisebunny32]

If you make sure you are one of the first groups off, as soon as you exit the terminal make a left and go around to the taxi's. The airport is very close and you can be at the airport in no time! We made an 11:30 flight with no problem!

[lindajeff]

We were on the 11/28-12/5 Millie. Just the first cruise for us (but most in our group of 25 were experienced cruisers), and EVERYONE thought that it was a GREAT cruise. Nothing will ever be 100% perfect on any 7-day vacation regardless of type/location/cost, but this was probably about a 97%er in my book.

 

We hit FLL at around 10:30 or 11:00 on Sunday morning. Crowded but not overwhelming. Had plenty of time to catch our 1:30 (maybe 2:00?) flight.

[trcori]

1. For the person who is confused by conflicting accounts of this cruise ... I haven't gotten around to my review yet but have posted positive comments. 12/12/04 Millennium Eastern Caribbean was our fifth X cruise in the past few years and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Excellent food, service, accommodations, etc.

 

2. For Giorgi-one -- for what it's worth, the entertainment lineup DID consist of three production shows during our cruise; clearly they've shuffled. We had Fantasea, Broadway something-or-another, and the new I Love the Nightlife.

 

3. Re: FLL airport, unless you are in a mega-hurry, I advise waiting until mid-to-late afternoon to fly out. We have done that from FLL three times and have NOT encountered crazy crowds at the airport. Each time, we rent a car for the day and go tooling around for a while, then take it right back to the airport and catch the shuttle bus over. (Just be forewarned, Avis does not pick up at the cruise port, so don't book with them.)

 

TR

Mercury AK 8/26/05

****

Millennium EC 12/04, Mercury CA-MX 4/04, Infinity AK 8/03, Century WC 3/03, Century EC 9/02

[ezi-amy]

We are leaving next week on the Millie. We were worried after reading some of the reviews. Now we feel better about it. My Wife and 14 year old son Love to Cruise. Ezi

[Giorgi-one]

We are leaving next week on the Millie. We were worried after reading some of the reviews. Now we feel better about it. My Wife and 14 year old son Love to Cruise. Ezi

 

We have been on 14 cruises over the last 8 years. IMHO, if you don't llike Celebrity Millenium class ships, then you just don't like cruising. The only exception would be for those people who like much smaller ships.

[cechase]

There are Saturday-Saturday and Sunday-Sunday 7 day cruises. We left FLL last Sunday. There were seven cruise ships in port. We were in second group off the ship and had a 11:55 AM flight. We were still in the check in line at 10:30 AM. I would say that your only chance is if the airline does priority boarding for your flight.

 

I was not sure I would make my flight so I booked a backup flight at 1:30 PM on Southwest Airlines. The ticket was refundable and I will get my money back since I did not use the ticket.

 

One slight hope that we might have since we decided to leave on Sunday Morning to fly back to our warm abode in the high mountain desert - is that we are in First Class on American West. That should shorten the check in line. We discovered by accident our last time flying to FLL was that it is very inexpensive to upgrade to first class on American West. The extra charge is $200.00 per passenger to upgrade - round trip. Since my dear and lovely Nedra has ocassionally a bad back, and anxiety about being close to a rest room, it is worth it to us.

[joelmarj]

I too was on the sailing with TRCORI and did not experience the complaints expressed by those others. It was a great cruise, and am actually shocked about the comments regarding it being dirty. Quite the opposite, every inch of the way there were people cleaning something somewhere. The carpets were getting cleaned constantly to the point where we commented that we were surprised they weren't worn out looking from so much cleaning.

 

The food was very good with a good assortment. Salads were ok, but just that. As for only 3 desserts, those were usually the specials, but you could always get assortments of ice cream and other stuff - Just had to ask. Our table frequently had mulitiple desserts all with ice cream added. The Olympic was a wonderful experience and the food was extremely good there. Keep in mind, it is not mass produced as it is in the main dining room

 

I think overall, everyone's opinion is very personal based personal tastes and needs. A Carnival Cruise vs. a Celebrity cruise are two different experiences and either can be an enjoyable experience if it measure up to your particular tastes. What I have learned is you can kind of learn to read between the lines on an overly negative or overly positive review. Average them out and you have a better picture. I know that's what I did and was not disappointed at all by my trip on the Millie. Now I'm going through the same excercise for the Constellation. Funny, they are sister ships, but also completely different reviews and experiences by many.

 

I think you will really enjoy the Millenium, especially if you have an optimistic attitude!

[bongiorno]

We read some of the negative reviews and had some concerns about our Millie E. Caribbean Cruise on 1/16. Do not be concerned. This was a great cruise. When eating in the main dining room, have realistic expectations. They are feeding 2,000 people, and they do an incredible job. We met great people each day, in the gym, at the pool, in the dining room, and on the excursions. Not only will every staff member greet you with a smile, they will respond to any complaints you have. Clearly, some people take the term "cruise critic" too seriousely and think they are Roger Ebert reviewing a movie.