Latest Millennium Condition

[swooldri]

Have seen/read some reviews/comments on other cruise sites that the Millennium is in bad condition and really showing some neglect? Any resent cruisers comments?:confused:

Thanks, Steve

[mike x ftc]

I was on in Sept and couldn't fault her, we have done lots of cruises and this is possibly my favorite ship, she was solsticized in April and still sparkling....

[kwokpot]

Have seen/read some reviews/comments on other cruise sites that the Millennium is in bad condition and really showing some neglect? Any resent cruisers comments?:confused:

Thanks, Steve

 

If you look several posts down you will see a thread with someone who's on the ship NOW posting, and they have NO PROBLEMS with the ship's condition. here is the link to the thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1766915

 

I was on the ship in October, 2012 and will be on the ship this March. While it's politically correct to say everyone's experiences is valid, I'm sorry, but those people that say the Millie is worn and a wreck needs to have their head examined. I have made numerous comments on how crazy some peoples expectations are. It's NOT A NEW SHIP. Even having said that, there are areas that are as close to new as possible, such as Deck 5. Half of that deck was totally refurbished in April 2012, so if you go to areas Bistro on 5, and Cellarmasters, it looks like a new ship. Places like The Martini Bar and Crush look great, the new Ilounge looks great, The gym looks great, the spa(Men's side at least) looks great, the shopping area looks great, I could go on.

 

Yes, I will agree about the elevator cabs and their worn out buttons, the casino looking a bit dated, and the Solarium, which received a total repainting to all white looking a bit sparse, but that's about it. Rendezvous Lounge looks fine with it's nice paneled walls even though they were not replaced, and The Cosmos Lounge looks great and you would hardly notice it was cut in size with the new decor.

 

Those people with the negative comments REALLY did a disservice to everyone by scaring people off. I suspect it's more due to the problems with the brand new SE Asia itinerary that certainly colored people's perception, since you will see the majority of the negative reviews are during the Asia cruises.

 

Just to give you perspective, I was also on the Solstice and Equinox, so I know what Celebrity's new ships are like.

 

So don't obsess with the negative reviews; instead, spend your time planning the wonderful things you're going to be doing at all these interesting ports of call!

[DiamondDiva]

I must agree with kwokpot about the Millie and its condition. We were VERY pleased with the ship and its condition on our late Oct 12 Hawaii cruise on its repositioning to Asia.

 

This ship is older and not full of the modern metallic and glitsoer frills and decorations of a newer ship like the Equuinox, which we were on 18 months ago. But it looks great for its age and has been well taken care of by Celebrity.

 

His point about many of the negative reviews being part of a difficult new itinerary adjustment and that perhaps carrying over to ship condition complaints is a very valid one. On our trip, many of the complaints began with the difficult bussing from San Diego to Ensenada for departure to Hawaii. After that, for some people, NOTHING could have been good about the ship, its staff, food, service, etc.

 

Give the Millie a try-we will again in a heartbeat and have 2 upcoming cruises-one in a few weeks-on her sister ships because we like the size and style we had on the Millie.

[TommyD3]

Have seen/read some reviews/comments on other cruise sites that the Millennium is in bad condition and really showing some neglect? Any resent cruisers comments?:confused:

Thanks, Steve

 

We were on several of the short Caribbean cruises on the Millennium a year ago. The condition was not bad for a 12 year old cruise ship.

 

I noticed that you are from Florida. We are also from there. We have traveled with another frequent Celebrity cruiser from Florida - the Silverzahn's. They are presently on the Millennium for 4 months. Have you sailed with them? We will also be on the Millennium from Hong Kong to Vancouver in April/May 2013 also.

[kwokpot]

We were on several of the short Caribbean cruises on the Millennium a year ago. The condition was not bad for a 12 year old cruise ship.

 

I noticed that you are from Florida. We are also from there. We have traveled with another frequent Celebrity cruiser from Florida - the Silverzahn's. They are presently on the Millennium for 4 months. Have you sailed with them? We will also be on the Millennium from Hong Kong to Vancouver in April/May 2013 also.

 

Depending on when you were on the Millie last year, there was an extensive refurbishment of the ship in April 2012. There were substantial changes to deck 5 as well as other decks since there were new cabins created in former public spaces.

[TommyD3]

Depending on when you were on the Millie last year, there was an extensive refurbishment of the ship in April 2012. There were substantial changes to deck 5 as well as other decks since there were new cabins created in former public spaces.

 

You are correct that the Millennium was "Solsticized" after the cruises which I was on. I was on the Summit after it was "Solsticized" and unfortunately the process added many more staterooms (and therefore passengers). The dining room had MANY expanded tables and it was impossible to pass in MANY locations. The back of one of the chairs at the table next to us was almost touching our table with the passenger seated. We complained to the dining room manager and he did not care:confused:

[SoBe2010]

Been on the Millie last Oct on Panama Canal. Ship ist spotless und very beautiful.

Could even imagine to choose it over a Solstice Class ship if itenerary is the same.

[mommo6]

Have seen/read some reviews/comments on other cruise sites that the Millennium is in bad condition and really showing some neglect? Any resent cruisers comments?:confused:

Thanks, Steve

My husband and I were on the Millennium this past November to December, and we were disappointed in some things about the ship. My husband noticed right away when he was on our cabin balcony that there was chipped paint and rust on the exterior of the ship. Also, there was a buldge in the carpet in the main dining room that I almost tripped on several times in the evening when leaving after dinner. It seemed as though mostly what was done during its Solsticizing was that additional dining areas (which charge a fee) and balcony and Aqua class cabins were added to make more money.

[patty1955]

My husband and I were on the Millennium this past November to December, and we were disappointed in some things about the ship. My husband noticed right away when he was on our cabin balcony that there was chipped paint and rust on the exterior of the ship. Also, there was a buldge in the carpet in the main dining room that I almost tripped on several times in the evening when leaving after dinner. It seemed as though mostly what was done during its Solsticizing was that additional dining areas (which charge a fee) and balcony and Aqua class cabins were added to make more money.

The exterior was panted in April 2012. We were on the first cruise after the solstization and while we were on the bridge tour they were discussing the cost of the paint job. The canal transit is so tight they actually scrapped the side of the ship.

[kwokpot]

My husband and I were on the Millennium this past November to December, and we were disappointed in some things about the ship. My husband noticed right away when he was on our cabin balcony that there was chipped paint and rust on the exterior of the ship. Also, there was a buldge in the carpet in the main dining room that I almost tripped on several times in the evening when leaving after dinner. It seemed as though mostly what was done during its Solsticizing was that additional dining areas (which charge a fee) and balcony and Aqua class cabins were added to make more money.

Hmm, it's A SHIP THAT'S ALWAYS IN THE OCEAN;there will ALWAYS be rust. :rolleyes:

[JTSpitfire]

My husband and I were on the Millennium this past November to December, and we were disappointed in some things about the ship. My husband noticed right away when he was on our cabin balcony that there was chipped paint and rust on the exterior of the ship. Also, there was a buldge in the carpet in the main dining room that I almost tripped on several times in the evening when leaving after dinner. It seemed as though mostly what was done during its Solsticizing was that additional dining areas (which charge a fee) and balcony and Aqua class cabins were added to make more money.

Aside from the rust and carpet bump......how was the cruise? Staff, food, entertainment, etc.? I guess I am viewing the term "condition" as more inclusive than the exterior paint and interior carpeting. Thanks for whatever else you can add about your Millie experience.

[Gig103]

I was on her less than 5 months ago (end of August Alaska cruise) and I thought the Millennium was in great shape. The crew were super friendly and the service impressed us enough so much, we bought a Passages certificate (which we can't even use because 1,2,3,GO is better!).

[gimletgal]

My husband and I were on the Millennium this past November to December, and we were disappointed in some things about the ship. My husband noticed right away when he was on our cabin balcony that there was chipped paint and rust on the exterior of the ship. Also, there was a buldge in the carpet in the main dining room that I almost tripped on several times in the evening when leaving after dinner. It seemed as though mostly what was done during its Solsticizing was that additional dining areas (which charge a fee) and balcony and Aqua class cabins were added to make more money.

 

Interesting that the "bulge" in the carpet in the MDR is still there! :) It was near our table on our cruise in May, 2010 as well. I was on the Millie's last sailing last year before the refurb, and they replaced the carpet in the MDR while we were on the ship. That "bulge" (to have been left there) must be important!! :D Still - the Millie and her crew are one of my favorites!

[mommo6]

Aside from the rust and carpet bump......how was the cruise? Staff, food, entertainment, etc.? I guess I am viewing the term "condition" as more inclusive than the exterior paint and interior carpeting. Thanks for whatever else you can add about your Millie experience.

Ok, I will provide some positive feedback about our cruise on the Millennium. The food was excellent (except for the Bistro on Five), and all of the crew were wonderful and friendly. Now for more negative feedback: Tendering was required from the ship to most of the ports. It was obvious to all of the passengers that Celebrity had not planned ahead well for the tendering. Most of the tenders were hired from local companies at each port, and the people operating the tenders had a lot of difficulty tying up along side of the ship. They had to make multiple passes to accomplish this, so a lot of time was wasted doing this. There were a number of times that the ship left later than originally scheduled because of this problem. Also, it took so long to get to shore in Cairns because of the tendering, that by the time we got to where we could arrange for a boat tour, they were all gone. Also, we were in Concierge Class, but the amenities we received were not as advertised, i.e. we didn't have upgraded bedding, and we only got fresh flowers once (at the very beginning of the cruise). Of course the flowers were a minor detail, but my point is that we paid extra to be in Concierge Class, and we didn't get everything that we paid for. Also, on the whole, we didn't think that the entertainment was up to par with the entertainment on other Celebrity cruises. In fact, we walked out of several shows early because of this, and we were not the only passengers who left shows early. Our cabin had an unpleasant odor from the time we boarded, and I had to ask for a room deodorizer because of that. As far as the ship being scraped when it went through the Panama Canal, our cabin was on Deck 9, so the ship shouldn't have been scraped that high up. We went on the Infinity last March through the Panama Canal, and we thought the Infinity was much nicer than the Millennium. Hopefully this information is helpful.

[Italy52]

Ok, I will provide some positive feedback about our cruise on the Millennium. The food was excellent (except for the Bistro on Five), and all of the crew were wonderful and friendly. Now for more negative feedback: Tendering was required from the ship to most of the ports. It was obvious to all of the passengers that Celebrity had not planned ahead well for the tendering. Most of the tenders were hired from local companies at each port, and the people operating the tenders had a lot of difficulty tying up along side of the ship. They had to make multiple passes to accomplish this, so a lot of time was wasted doing this. There were a number of times that the ship left later than originally scheduled because of this problem. Also, it took so long to get to shore in Cairns because of the tendering, that by the time we got to where we could arrange for a boat tour, they were all gone. Also, we were in Concierge Class, but the amenities we received were not as advertised, i.e. we didn't have upgraded bedding, and we only got fresh flowers once (at the very beginning of the cruise). Of course the flowers were a minor detail, but my point is that we paid extra to be in Concierge Class, and we didn't get everything that we paid for. Also, on the whole, we didn't think that the entertainment was up to par with the entertainment on other Celebrity cruises. In fact, we walked out of several shows early because of this, and we were not the only passengers who left shows early. Our cabin had an unpleasant odor from the time we boarded, and I had to ask for a room deodorizer because of that. As far as the ship being scraped when it went through the Panama Canal, our cabin was on Deck 9, so the ship shouldn't have been scraped that high up. We went on the Infinity last March through the Panama Canal, and we thought the Infinity was much nicer than the Millennium. Hopefully this information is helpful.

 

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate hearing about other experiences. We were on the Millennium in June and really enjoyed Bistro on 5. Could you elaborate on your experience --- just curious why you didn't like the food.

 

I can relate to your flower comment. We went on one cruise and the flowers were never refreshed. Yet, on another, the flowers were refreshed often. I truly believe that a good room steward makes all the difference in cabin experience.

[mommo6]

If you look several posts down you will see a thread with someone who's on the ship NOW posting, and they have NO PROBLEMS with the ship's condition. here is the link to the thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1766915

 

I was on the ship in October, 2012 and will be on the ship this March. While it's politically correct to say everyone's experiences is valid, I'm sorry, but those people that say the Millie is worn and a wreck needs to have their head examined. I have made numerous comments on how crazy some peoples expectations are. It's NOT A NEW SHIP. Even having said that, there are areas that are as close to new as possible, such as Deck 5. Half of that deck was totally refurbished in April 2012, so if you go to areas Bistro on 5, and Cellarmasters, it looks like a new ship. Places like The Martini Bar and Crush look great, the new Ilounge looks great, The gym looks great, the spa(Men's side at least) looks great, the shopping area looks great, I could go on.

 

Yes, I will agree about the elevator cabs and their worn out buttons, the casino looking a bit dated, and the Solarium, which received a total repainting to all white looking a bit sparse, but that's about it. Rendezvous Lounge looks fine with it's nice paneled walls even though they were not replaced, and The Cosmos Lounge looks great and you would hardly notice it was cut in size with the new decor.

 

Those people with the negative comments REALLY did a disservice to everyone by scaring people off. I suspect it's more due to the problems with the brand new SE Asia itinerary that certainly colored people's perception, since you will see the majority of the negative reviews are during the Asia cruises.

 

Just to give you perspective, I was also on the Solstice and Equinox, so I know what Celebrity's new ships are like.

 

So don't obsess with the negative reviews; instead, spend your time planning the wonderful things you're going to be doing at all these interesting ports of call!

I must admit that you have very valid points, but I have to reply to your last comment about "spend your time planning the wonderful things you're going to be doing at all these interesting ports of call!" One of the things we wanted to do the most on our last cruise on the Millennium was to take a tour to the Great Barrier Reef. Before we boarded the ship, I had booked a tour through Celebrity to Whitehaven Beach which included an Aussie Barbeque. I had also booked ahead of the cruise through Celebrity a tour the second day we were in Cairns that included the train to Kuranda and skyrail over the rainforest. About 2 days before we were supposed to go on the Whitehaven Beach tour, the Celebrity Excursion Desk informed us that the tour had been cancelled because there was not enough participation. By then it was too late to book another tour that would take us to the Great Barrier Reef. So we were hoping to be able to do that in person when we got to Cairns the first day. But because of the length of time it took to get to shore by tender and then take the bus arranged by Celebrity to where we could book a boat tour, all of the boat tours had already left. So much for seeing the Great Barrier Reef upclose. We had to settle for seeing it from a distance as we sailed by on the Millennium.

[mommo6]

Thanks for your comments, I appreciate hearing about other experiences. We were on the Millennium in June and really enjoyed Bistro on 5. Could you elaborate on your experience --- just curious why you didn't like the food.

 

I can relate to your flower comment. We went on one cruise and the flowers were never refreshed. Yet, on another, the flowers were refreshed often. I truly believe that a good room steward makes all the difference in cabin experience.

We had dined at the Bistro on 5 on the Infinity in March 2012 and really enjoyed it. But we didn't think the food quality was up to par at the Bistro on 5 on the Millennium. In fact, I didn't even finish my crepe because it was too rubbery. We thought the food in the main dining room was better. I don't blame our room steward about the flowers. I asked him a couple of times about it, and he said that they hadn't received any fresh flowers. It seemed as though it was a problem with availability at the ports??? This seems strange since we saw beautiful flowers at all of the ports that we visited.

[Italy52]

We had dined at the Bistro on 5 on the Infinity in March 2012 and really enjoyed it. But we didn't think the food quality was up to par at the Bistro on 5 on the Millennium. In fact, I didn't even finish my crepe because it was too rubbery. We thought the food in the main dining room was better. I don't blame our room steward about the flowers. I asked him a couple of times about it, and he said that they hadn't received any fresh flowers. It seemed as though it was a problem with availability at the ports??? This seems strange since we saw beautiful flowers at all of the ports that we visited.

 

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.

[lj77346]

I just returned from the Millennium's January 6-20 cruise round trip from Singapore and in my opinion, the ship was in good shape. Only the public bathrooms seemed to be in need of renovation - they looked old and doors on some of the toilet stalls did not latch properly, which seems like a problem that could be easily fixed. I had a very enjoyable cruise. Even though a majority of the ports required tenders, tendering went much better than I expected, but there were a few problems. In Benoa, we got a better anchorage than the ship's first visit there and the tender ride was 20 minutes rather than 40 minutes. However, on the first day in Benoa there was a problem with a local tender as a line snapped when it returned to the ship and passengers were stuck on it for quite awhile before it was safe for them to get back on the ship. In Lombok, there was a bit of a logistics problem as it seemed that all the tours arrived back at the dock at the same time which caused a huge line for tenders and long waits (and if you were unlucky, in the rain). Of course no one enjoys waiting for tenders, but that's the cost of doing business if you're on a tender port intensive cruise. I took the cruise because of the itinerary and was not disappointed.

[kwokpot]

I must admit that you have very valid points, but I have to reply to your last comment about "spend your time planning the wonderful things you're going to be doing at all these interesting ports of call!" One of the things we wanted to do the most on our last cruise on the Millennium was to take a tour to the Great Barrier Reef. Before we boarded the ship, I had booked a tour through Celebrity to Whitehaven Beach which included an Aussie Barbeque. I had also booked ahead of the cruise through Celebrity a tour the second day we were in Cairns that included the train to Kuranda and skyrail over the rainforest. About 2 days before we were supposed to go on the Whitehaven Beach tour, the Celebrity Excursion Desk informed us that the tour had been cancelled because there was not enough participation. By then it was too late to book another tour that would take us to the Great Barrier Reef. So we were hoping to be able to do that in person when we got to Cairns the first day. But because of the length of time it took to get to shore by tender and then take the bus arranged by Celebrity to where we could book a boat tour, all of the boat tours had already left. So much for seeing the Great Barrier Reef upclose. We had to settle for seeing it from a distance as we sailed by on the Millennium.

It is unfortunate when there are things you want to see and ship mishaps happen that prevent you from doing that. Incidentally, I've done a land tour of Australia and really enjoyed the Great Barrier reef and we also did the Kuranda and the aboriginal cultural center; that was very interesting!

 

 

I've been fortunate in my life where at 51 I've been able to have sailed close to 40 cruise, and I can HONESTLY say none have been horrible and the 'worst' time in my life. I will say it again that kind of hyperbole from cruisers do a disservice to others.

 

My 'worst' cruise happened to be a couple of years ago on the NCL Jade during a Egypt cruise. There was a large noro virus outbreak in which my mom got sick and could not make the overnight Cairo/Giza tour. There was a sick passenger that had to be helicoptered off of the ship; another passenger DIED on the cruise and when the body was removed at a port it caused a delay in disembarkation.

 

We were delayed four hours in debarking Alexandria, but luckily our private tour guide waited and we got to see everything planned, but didn't get to the hotel until 10:30pm! We were also delayed disembarking on another port.

We also had some service issues in one of the dining rooms.

 

Yet I would consider that cruise one of the most memorable cruise experiences and definitely of the best times that I've had on a cruise.

[mommo6]

It is unfortunate when there are things you want to see and ship mishaps happen that prevent you from doing that. Incidentally, I've done a land tour of Australia and really enjoyed the Great Barrier reef and we also did the Kuranda and the aboriginal cultural center; that was very interesting!

 

 

I've been fortunate in my life where at 51 I've been able to have sailed close to 40 cruise, and I can HONESTLY say none have been horrible and the 'worst' time in my life. I will say it again that kind of hyperbole from cruisers do a disservice to others.

 

My 'worst' cruise happened to be a couple of years ago on the NCL Jade during a Egypt cruise. There was a large noro virus outbreak in which my mom got sick and could not make the overnight Cairo/Giza tour. There was a sick passenger that had to be helicoptered off of the ship; another passenger DIED on the cruise and when the body was removed at a port it caused a delay in disembarkation.

 

We were delayed four hours in debarking Alexandria, but luckily our private tour guide waited and we got to see everything planned, but didn't get to the hotel until 10:30pm! We were also delayed disembarking on another port.

We also had some service issues in one of the dining rooms.

 

Yet I would consider that cruise one of the most memorable cruise experiences and definitely of the best times that I've had on a cruise.

We too were on a cruise in the past (a Scandinavian Cruise on a Holland America ship) when one of the passengers had to be air lifted off of the ship via helicopter due to a serious illness while we were in the middle of the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Sweden. As a result, we arrived in Stockholm late, and because we were there on a Sunday, we had to leave earlier than originally scheduled. We had planned to meet my cousin in Stockholm since he lives there, so it was disappointing to only be able to spend a relatively short time with him because of these circumstances. But some things are beyond our control, and a person's life is much more important than missing out on a few hours in a port. There was a serious outbreak of the norovirus on the Mellennium on the cruise from Hawaii to Sydney right before we boarded the ship. So there was quite a delay letting passengers board the ship in Sydney while the crew scrubbed down the ship with disinfectant. Then for the first 5 days of the cruise, there were a lot of precautions put into place aboard the ship to try to prevent another outbreak, e.g. the crew served everyone at the buffet (you could not help yourself to anything including drinks), salt and pepper shakers were removed from the tables, and you had to ask your waiter to add that to your food, and you were supposed to use liquid hand sanitizers when entering and exiting the dining areas. This was all good because it did prevent another outbreak of the norovirus. So, kudos to the crew of the Mellennium.

[mum and son]

I just returned from the Millennium's January 6-20 cruise round trip from Singapore and in my opinion, the ship was in good shape. Only the public bathrooms seemed to be in need of renovation - they looked old and doors on some of the toilet stalls did not latch properly, which seems like a problem that could be easily fixed. I had a very enjoyable cruise. Even though a majority of the ports required tenders, tendering went much better than I expected, but there were a few problems. In Benoa, we got a better anchorage than the ship's first visit there and the tender ride was 20 minutes rather than 40 minutes. However, on the first day in Benoa there was a problem with a local tender as a line snapped when it returned to the ship and passengers were stuck on it for quite awhile before it was safe for them to get back on the ship. In Lombok, there was a bit of a logistics problem as it seemed that all the tours arrived back at the dock at the same time which caused a huge line for tenders and long waits (and if you were unlucky, in the rain). Of course no one enjoys waiting for tenders, but that's the cost of doing business if you're on a tender port intensive cruise. I took the cruise because of the itinerary and was not disappointed.

 

I was on the same cruise and agree with your points. Great itinerary, nice ship... yes, the public bathrooms were in need of a re-do and it's a shame that the Cosmos Lounge is closed every day during sailaway for the elite gathering. They were my only issues really.

 

I agree that the tender process was better than expected (except for a few hiccups in Lombok), especially considering this was X's first visit to these ports. Some fools on that Bali tender you referred to above were signing petitions and demanding compensation :eek:... for a less than perfect tender ride!

 

I don't understand how anyone could complain about being on a cruise... think about the poor suckers who are at work. :rolleyes:

[Kevnzworld]

My two cents:

I sailed on the millennium in October for the first time. Yes, it's an older ship that's been recently remodeled .

I am a fan of the newer Solstice ships, but if the itinerary was good, I would sail on the Millennium again.

[LynnObie]

We were aboard Millie for 30 days B2B Panama Canal late September / early October last year. The food and service was great in MDR, Qsine, Olympic, Bistro on 5 and Oceanview Cafe. Most of the staff we found to be excellent and very helpful including Cruise Director Rich Clesen who went out of his way to personally deliver to our stateroom some information we had requested when we met him at our Connections Party M&G. Our MDR Select Hostess, Gabriella and Asst. MDR Mgr, Sasha, were also extremely helpful. While the new iLounge is great, the only somewhat negative experience we had was with the repeated unavailability of an internet connection but that was a satellite outage issue that could have happened on any ship. We loved our experience aboard the Millennium and would not hesitate to cruise Millie in the future.:)