Questions for those of you just back from the Med and Millie...

[bevrun]

Hi,

 

1. Can you tell me the actual times of the main and late dinner seatings? Also, how late did they allow people to arrive at the main seating?

 

2. In Santorini, at which port did the ship dock?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Bev

[MSBYRDY]

I don't remember the exact times, but you have 30 min. from the stated time and the doors close.

 

Santorini is a tender port, you will be anchored where the donkey and cable car go up to Fira.

Marilyn

[SASSYSC]

Hi,

 

Just got off the ship May 21st. The main seating is 6:30 and the late is 8:45. A couple of times we were rushed to get to our table but no problem. Our waiter was Zoran and he was great!! We were also at a table for just our group of four as well, don't know if that is why it was never a problem being late. We got there a little after 7:00 and it was fine. They say that they close the doors at 7:00 but we did not find that to be the case. But I would try to be there as close to the dinner time as I can. Hope this helps.

 

As for Santorini, it was a tender but if you expect to have a view you better be on the starboard side at most all of the ports if not all. Very disappointing for us as we booked port side to have the views of the ports but did not.

[bevrun]

Thank you both for your replies. Just the information I needed! I had asked about Santorini because we are renting a car and the agency owner is picking us up. So if I tell him we will be at the Old Port in Fira, would that be correct?

[Luvcrusin']

Sassy,

We just booked 2 cabins on the port side of the Millie. We are doing the Barcelona to Venice....will we get views of any ports???

HELP!!

[graciepuppy]

MSBYRDY or SASSYSC could you please tell me when the formal evenings were on your cruise. We are sailing Venice to Barcelona. Thank you!

Barb

[SASSYSC]

The formal nights on Barcelona to Venice were when we were in Livorno and then the 2 at sea days.

 

As far as views, if they park the boat the same way as they did for us then your best bet is the starboard side. The best views were in Villefranche, Mykonos, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Venice and they were all on the starboard side. Villefranche and Santorini were tenders and they still faced the starboard side to the port and the view. In Dubrovnik we did face the port only to have a huge yellow crane right outside of our balcony that I could almost touch and come to find out when we went upstairs the great view was once again on the starboard side. Especially in Venice, I just decided to leave my suite and go upstairs and it is a good thing we did because we would once again have missed the view, it was on the starboard side.

 

We typically book the port side because on Princess and every other ship I have been on they always made sure that the port side faced the port. I do not know if this is because it was in Europe as this was my first med cruise. The others have been in Alaska and Caribbean.

 

We tried to find out after we saw what happened in Villefranche if the starboard side was going to always get the views but no one aboard could give us an answer. We would have been willing to change cabins. If they park the ship the same way as they did, then I would want to be on the starboard side.

[Petoonya]

Hello SassySC,

 

Another question for you...wondering if Celebrity still offered transportation to Piazzale Roma on disembarkation when you cruised. (We did the same cruise in May 2003 and have rebooked it for May 2005.)

 

We had Zoran the magnificent as our waiter on Galaxy about a year ago- he was terrific. Strangely we felt the same way about the quality of food on Millennium on that cruise tho. I don't know why it was so lackluster- have been on many X cruises and this was the only one that disappointed. Can understand if you don't want to give X another chance...I think I would have not wanted to if that was our only experience dining on Celebrity. It was an outstanding cruise overall but meals disappointing.

 

Thanks for the info!

[graciepuppy]

Thank you SassySC for the info.

Barb

[SASSYSC]

Hi Petoonya,

 

Sorry I have not been on the boards in a while and did not see your question. But I do not have the answer, I do not remember if they had transportation to Piazzale Roma. Sorry.

 

Sassy

[Artemis]

We were on the Millie 6/2-14 Barc-Ven.

 

Yes, there was a free vaporetto shuttle from the port to Piazza San Marco and back.

 

Re: food, this was our first X cruise, so perhaps we set our expectations too high from all of the hype on this board and elsewhere, but we were underwhelmed. Although the food quality was consistently above average, the dining experience overall was uninspired and didn't Wow! us--lackluster menus, dishes obviously prepared to please the masses (fairly bland) and service just ordinary. I'm not complaining. We had a lovely cruise overall, and we give high marks to the food aspect of our cruise. I'm just not ready to join the "nothing but X" club. YMMV

[jezzdogg]

Really upset about the fact that the views are all on the starboard side of the ship, we booked the port side for that reason, and of course, the ship is sold out so unless, someone does not show up and we can upgrade or stay the same on the starboard, we will have to go upstairs, to watch us come into the ports

[SASSYSC]

I totally understand. At least you know before you go. We did not know and every day we just got angrier and angrier every time we pulled into another port. And the worst part to me was that the Celebrity personnel were not helpful and clueless. The last night before Venice we incidentally asked our waiter if he knew which way we would be coming in to Venice and he said starboard side because that was the way they came in the previous year. He knew and yet the concierge and bridge officer did not. So, I assume that has not changed and that it has been that way this whole med season as well, I do not know. Maybe others that have been on the med cruise in June can tell you. If they say the same thing I would definitely continue to try to get on the starboard side!!!

 

Sassy

[Petoonya]

Jezzdogg,

Don't be too sad if you can't get a starboard stateroom. The view is much LARGER on deck. Much more of a panorama and much better pictures than from our boxed in balcony.

 

I was booked on this itinerary again for May 2005- but since Oceania released their prices for 2005 a few weeks ago we switched over to them. Still love Celebrity and the best cruise of our lives was Millennium in the Med, but want to try doing it a little differently this time. Best wishes to everyone.

 

Zoran the magnificent is still the best waiter we've ever had! To Sassy SC...remember "SHOWTIME!" ???

[mmmyna]

On the 6/14 Venice to Barcelona Cruise, the formal nights were the day we were in Dubrovnik (no problem since we left the port at, I believe, 5 pm), the second sea day, and worst of all, the day we were in Florence. I guess since the last day was a sea day they couldn't have it be a formal night, and the day before that was in Villefranche until 11 pm, so THAT couldn't be a formal night, but it was sure a scramble to be on shore excursions all day and dash back in time to get dressed for our main seating dinner. The evening before, our Assistant Maitre d' was at the table telling us what a special dinner it would be, and I told him, we'll be here if we get back in time, and he said, "oh just come when you can, we'll let you in."

We made it before 7 pm, anyway. Hope this helps!

[boydsdaughter]

Thanks to everyone for the tips about port and starboards sides for best views of the ports. We're booked on the Galaxy next May and had chosen a port side cabin. Thanks to the posters here we switched to the starboard side (exactly same location) so we're very happy. How disappointing it would have been to miss all the great views.

We're in 9184 now, has anyone stayed in this cabin? Would appreciate any input.

These boards are great:) .

[diannedri]

Bev!

How can you be asking this question? You, Bevrun, were on the cruise with us that just finished the Med cruise???

[JoePDX]

Bev!

How can you be asking this question? You, Bevrun, were on the cruise with us that just finished the Med cruise???

Bevrun posted her question back on 5/29/04.......it's just been resurrected.

 

Joe