Cellar Masters on Millennium?

[capsplace]

Just watched a YouTube video about the Millennium and the folks who created the video in early 2023 said that Cellar Masters on Millie is no longer just a wine bar, but a general bar that can make mixed drinks too.  Is that true?  If yes, is it on par with the World Class Bar on S class ships?

[Moochi]

I might sound like a broken record but if you are on Millie now please go see Marren in Cellar Masters before she goes on vacation in April.

 

 

Cellar Masters on Millie is a full bar that serves beers (no draft), wine, liquor, and of course mixed drinks. Not sure if it was just a wine bar before, but it has been a full bar since we first got on Millie a year ago. 
 

I have never been on an S class ship but can share my observation about World Class Bar on Beyond and Cellar Masters on Millie. They both are very good when it comes to craft cocktails and all the bartenders at very talented. You can’t go wrong with either. WCB has a more “craft cocktail” style menu, while CM’s menu is heavier on wine and wine flights, with a smaller section of cocktails. Both bars are fully capable of making your preferred craft cocktails, as long as they have the ingredients. WCB has more limited ingredients, but they are equipped with 2 inch large ice cubes and smoking guns, that CM doesn’t have. CM has a much larger ingredient variety, most hidden in the fridge and cabinets under the bar, and can get ingredients from other bars on the ship when they are not super busy. So theoretically CM can make more drinks. 

[capsplace]

Thanks so much for the detailed response.  We love the WCB, and will miss it on our Millie cruise next month.  But, at least we know CM has options other than wine.  Our last M class cruise was in 2019, so our memory of CM was wine only.  

 

[DCPIV]

It's more along the lines of Ensemble on S-class. Full bar, quieter atmosphere, live music from time to time. 

 

It's not a sponsored bar like World Class, so you actually have a broader selection, but it likely will not have the special ingredients that are at World Class. 

[luv2camp04]

We just got off Millie last Saturday.  Our favorite is Cellar Masters.  Marren is amazing.  She was there last year when we cruised also.  Yes, full bar and wine bar.  I mentioned to Marren that I used to love the Pineapple Ginger Mojito that Celebrity used to have years ago.  The next evening when we got to Cellar Masters she made me on (with fresh ginger!!).  Marren is an amazing mixologist and can make anything you want.  Many people come to her and just ask for her to make "something".  She always comes up with an amazing drink!!

[DaKahuna]

On 3/19/2023 at 2:37 PM, Moochi said:

I might sound like a broken record but if you are on Millie now please go see Marren in Cellar Masters before she goes on vacation in April.

 

I am so sorry to hear you say that.  If she''s leaving in April then I am pretty sure we will not have the pleasure of meeting with her when we sail on April 21st.  I have heard so many wonderful things about her and was looking forward to making her acquaintance.  I hope her replacement is half as good as I have heard her to be. 

 

[Moochi]

2 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

I am so sorry to hear you say that.  If she''s leaving in April then I am pretty sure we will not have the pleasure of meeting with her when we sail on April 21st.  I have heard so many wonderful things about her and was looking forward to making her acquaintance.  I hope her replacement is half as good as I have heard her to be. 

 

Last night Husband and I were talking about the possibility of you meeting Marren on Millennium! Sorry if sounds creepy🤣. For some reason I thought you were sailing on 4/1 or 4/8. 

 

We even looked up if there’s any quick and cheap trip just to see her, but nothing fits in our schedule or budget. I might email to ask about her next contract. 

[DaKahuna]

 Thank you for thinking of us/me.  As I am said I am sorry that I will be missing her, you are not the first person that has told me to make sure to say hello to her.  Will just have to do as always and make the best of what we are dealt.  I am sure we'll find a favorite low key place to hang.  Nice atmosphere, quite music, and good service.  Not a lot of ask for when sailing Celebrity. 

 

 This will be our first time on Millennium or any M-Class ships and I am finding it interesting about the last of answers to the questions I have, although they are quite specific.  Very few CC people seem to write live or detailed reviews of their cruise.  I plan to document our experience in a live, day by day, posting just like I did for our Reflection B2B and our Silhouetted ABC cruise last April.   Mostly it will be about the food and onboard activities and not a lot on shore excursions as we really don't do many of those any more.  We are not beach people and we don't do a lot of shopping, other than walking around the port area. 

 

[Moochi]

3 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 Thank you for thinking of us/me.  As I am said I am sorry that I will be missing her, you are not the first person that has told me to make sure to say hello to her.  Will just have to do as always and make the best of what we are dealt.  I am sure we'll find a favorite low key place to hang.  Nice atmosphere, quite music, and good service.  Not a lot of ask for when sailing Celebrity. 

 

 This will be our first time on Millennium or any M-Class ships and I am finding it interesting about the last of answers to the questions I have, although they are quite specific.  Very few CC people seem to write live or detailed reviews of their cruise.  I plan to document our experience in a live, day by day, posting just like I did for our Reflection B2B and our Silhouetted ABC cruise last April.   Mostly it will be about the food and onboard activities and not a lot on shore excursions as we really don't do many of those any more.  We are not beach people and we don't do a lot of shopping, other than walking around the port area. 

 

 

 

@Ripheusand I look forward to your live review very much! In fact he actually asked me to create a Google calendar invite for "DaKahuna CC review" so he can look for the post lol. 

 

Please update us on Cellar Masters. I'm sure whoever takes over as the head bartender, will be wonderful and makes amazing drinks. Have a great journey! 

[DaKahuna]

49 minutes ago, Moochi said:

 

 

@Ripheusand I look forward to your live review very much! In fact he actually asked me to create a Google calendar invite for "DaKahuna CC review" so he can look for the post lol. 

 

Please update us on Cellar Masters. I'm sure whoever takes over as the head bartender, will be wonderful and makes amazing drinks. Have a great journey! 

 

Definitely will let you guys know and comment in my review. 

 

We start our travel on 4/19 with a stay at our usual pre-flight hotel, Washington Dulles Marriott Suites (my wife loves their French Onion Soup and I am a big fan of the Marriott Cheeseburger, usually without the cheese) followed by 4/20 at our usual Fort Lauderdale pre-cruise, Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel.  I have done pictures of both in other live reviews but chance are will do them again this time for any new people.  (Something to keep an eye out for is we normally have lunch and or dinner at The Boathouse restaurant near the hotel.  We like the food and service there.) 

 

[Schmoe38]

4 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 Thank you for thinking of us/me.  As I am said I am sorry that I will be missing her, you are not the first person that has told me to make sure to say hello to her.  Will just have to do as always and make the best of what we are dealt.  I am sure we'll find a favorite low key place to hang.  Nice atmosphere, quite music, and good service.  Not a lot of ask for when sailing Celebrity. 

 

 This will be our first time on Millennium or any M-Class ships and I am finding it interesting about the last of answers to the questions I have, although they are quite specific.  Very few CC people seem to write live or detailed reviews of their cruise.  I plan to document our experience in a live, day by day, posting just like I did for our Reflection B2B and our Silhouetted ABC cruise last April.   Mostly it will be about the food and onboard activities and not a lot on shore excursions as we really don't do many of those any more.  We are not beach people and we don't do a lot of shopping, other than walking around the port area. 

 

John

 

We just got off Millennium this past Saturday. I promised you I would recap our experiences and I will try to focus on the areas of interest to you. A detailed report…it may not be.

 

I believe you said you are booked in the Retreat for your sailing in April. The Retreat Concierges should be Eve and Briton. Both are very accommodating. The Retreat Lounge was quiet most days when we were there. It’s a great place to hang.

 

We did get a chance to meet Marren when we were on board, but I have to tell you… the staff behind the bar were busier than all get out. This was the first time in a long time where we have seen Cellar Masters as active as it was. That’s a good thing. We were there just the one night, but passed by it every night.

 

Our best hang time was definitely at the Martini Bar. We went at initial opening (3pm) and we almost had the place to ourselves. The other reasonable times were around 8:45pm when other cruisers were either heading for late dinner or heading to the later show in the Theatre. If you go, look for Guna. He remembered us from May 2022 when we last sailed on Millennium. 
 

The Rendezvous Lounge was also a nice place to relax with or without a drink before dinner. Nice music and comfortable chairs…hard to beat.

 

Luminae service and food were exceptional. Now, in fairness, we did order some items from the MDR menu, but all in all, it was a pleasant improvement vs our last sailing in Luminae on Summit in October. On that sailing, I needed a microscope to see the scallops and lobster on Evening Chic Night. This time, on Millennium, the scallops and lobster were still not “full grown” but they were certainly more respectful. We ate in Luminae 5 of our 7 nights and the service team was like a well-oiled machine. One of my weak spots is pumpernickel bread. They had rolls this time…what a treat! If they are not presented to you and you enjoy pumpernickel as much as I do, ask and you will receive.

Our Maître’d was Alex. If you get Edwin as your waiter in Luminae, you will be in great hands.

 

I understand you enjoy Sushi on 5. It was quiet at lunch during our week, but that was mainly due to the 5 port stops. The restaurant was open from 12:00pm-2:30pm each day. We went there 3 times and I had the Shrimp and Scallop Dynamite each time we visited. The shrimp and scallops had also grown in this dish vs our last cruise on Summit. If you like the fresh wasabi, unfortunately it is no longer available. As well, if you have previously ordered the Spicy Mango Martini, it is no longer available. We did not go there for dinner.

 

We all went to Tuscan Grille on Day 3 of our cruise. I usually order half portions of short rib pasta and lobster rigatoni. I decided to order the snapper so that I could break out of my rut. The waiter actually suggested I not order that entree as he indicated other client feedback was not good. He then suggested the pork belly and branzino. What a great recommendation. The wines in Tuscan were very nice. I asked for a Super Tuscan and our sommelier did the rest. Overall, a very nice evening.

 

La Petit Chef has a new animation as well as a new menu. We have eaten ourselves through all of the other menus and were not really looking forward to this one, other than the fact that our children and grandchildren had never been there. Thank goodness we went. The food on the main menu that goes with the animation was fresh and delicious. For those with kids, the restaurant really looked after our 4 grandchildren. Pizza, caesar salad, pasta, dessert and a bottomless glass of Shirley Temples. Everyone was happy.

 

We never went to the Oceanview buffet at dinner, but we did go there for some breakfasts and lunches. The selection on both was well varied and we were never stretched to find plenty to fill our plates.

 

Cafe Al Bacio…the King of Hangouts. What more can be said that has not been said before.

 

Depending on your suite location, hopefully you will get Radu or Nicasio as your butler and if you are really lucky, you will get Bernadeth as your stateroom attendant. We had Radu last year, and the combination of Nicasio and Bernadeth this year. We are proud to call them all friends.
 

Millennium will be forever in our hearts for creating memories that will stay with us forever. May all of you who are about to sail on her, have the same good fortune as we did. We wish we were still on board.

 

Hope this helps

 

Randy

 

 

[capsplace]

Who was your Captain and Cruise Director?

[capsplace]

16 minutes ago, Schmoe38 said:

John

 

We just got off Millennium this past Saturday. I promised you I would recap our experiences and I will try to focus on the areas of interest to you. A detailed report…it may not be.

 

I believe you said you are booked in the Retreat for your sailing in April. The Retreat Concierges should be Eve and Briton. Both are very accommodating. The Retreat Lounge was quiet most days when we were there. It’s a great place to hang.

 

We did get a chance to meet Marren when we were on board, but I have to tell you… the staff behind the bar were busier than all get out. This was the first time in a long time where we have seen Cellar Masters as active as it was. That’s a good thing. We were there just the one night, but passed by it every night.

 

Our best hang time was definitely at the Martini Bar. We went at initial opening (3pm) and we almost had the place to ourselves. The other reasonable times were around 8:45pm when other cruisers were either heading for late dinner or heading to the later show in the Theatre. If you go, look for Guna. He remembered us from May 2022 when we last sailed on Millennium. 
 

The Rendezvous Lounge was also a nice place to relax with or without a drink before dinner. Nice music and comfortable chairs…hard to beat.

 

Luminae service and food were exceptional. Now, in fairness, we did order some items from the MDR menu, but all in all, it was a pleasant improvement vs our last sailing in Luminae on Summit in October. On that sailing, I needed a microscope to see the scallops and lobster on Evening Chic Night. This time, on Millennium, the scallops and lobster were still not “full grown” but they were certainly more respectful. We ate in Luminae 5 of our 7 nights and the service team was like a well-oiled machine. One of my weak spots is pumpernickel bread. They had rolls this time…what a treat! If they are not presented to you and you enjoy pumpernickel as much as I do, ask and you will receive.

Our Maître’d was Alex. If you get Edwin as your waiter in Luminae, you will be in great hands.

 

I understand you enjoy Sushi on 5. It was quiet at lunch during our week, but that was mainly due to the 5 port stops. The restaurant was open from 12:00pm-2:30pm each day. We went there 3 times and I had the Shrimp and Scallop Dynamite each time we visited. The shrimp and scallops had also grown in this dish vs our last cruise on Summit. If you like the fresh wasabi, unfortunately it is no longer available. As well, if you have previously ordered the Spicy Mango Martini, it is no longer available. We did not go there for dinner.

 

We all went to Tuscan Grille on Day 3 of our cruise. I usually order half portions of short rib pasta and lobster rigatoni. I decided to order the snapper so that I could break out of my rut. The waiter actually suggested I not order that entree as he indicated other client feedback was not good. He then suggested the pork belly and branzino. What a great recommendation. The wines in Tuscan were very nice. I asked for a Super Tuscan and our sommelier did the rest. Overall, a very nice evening.

 

La Petit Chef has a new animation as well as a new menu. We have eaten ourselves through all of the other menus and were not really looking forward to this one, other than the fact that our children and grandchildren had never been there. Thank goodness we went. The food on the main menu that goes with the animation was fresh and delicious. For those with kids, the restaurant really looked after our 4 grandchildren. Pizza, caesar salad, pasta, dessert and a bottomless glass of Shirley Temples. Everyone was happy.

 

We never went to the Oceanview buffet at dinner, but we did go there for some breakfasts and lunches. The selection on both was well varied and we were never stretched to find plenty to fill our plates.

 

Cafe Al Bacio…the King of Hangouts. What more can be said that has not been said before.

 

Depending on your suite location, hopefully you will get Radu or Nicasio as your butler and if you are really lucky, you will get Bernadeth as your stateroom attendant. We had Radu last year, and the combination of Nicasio and Bernadeth this year. We are proud to call them all friends.
 

Millennium will be forever in our hearts for creating memories that will stay with us forever. May all of you who are about to sail on her, have the same good fortune as we did. We wish we were still on board.

 

Hope this helps

 

Randy

 

 

 

Who was your Captain and Cruise Director?

Edited March 23, 2023 by capsplace

[Schmoe38]

3 minutes ago, capsplace said:

Who was your Captain and Cruise Director?

Captain Pierre was the Captain and Ernest was the Cruise Director.

 

Randy

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, Schmoe38 said:

 

Hope this helps

 

Randy,

 

 This helps tremendously.  I am very glad that you and your family had such a wonderful experience. 

 

Your comments about Cellar Masters and Rendezvous Lounge were spot on.  How was the live entertainment in Cellar Masters?  I saw you liked it at the Rendezvous Lounge.  We like sitting and enjoying the quiet music in the Ensemble Lounge on S-class ships and are hopeful both of those venue will offer something similar. 

 

We will definitely be having lunch a couple of times in Sushi on Five.  As you know my DW has to have her rice!  

 

We have a reservation for Tuscan Grill on night five, as that is usually the night with our least favorite offerings in Luminae.  Branzino is my default dish there but I have heard great things about the filet that I want to try that so maybe I'll create my version of surf and turf.   So question - What is the "Super Tuscan?"  We've eaten at Tuscan at least once on every cruise and I do not recall seeing a wine by that name?  I normally just tell the Sommelier what I am having and leave it up to him to select something to go with it, as long as it's red!  

 

Will see if we eat there more than once or if I can finally talk my DW into trying LPC otherwise we only have that one reservation so far.  She has seen the video's of it and says it's not for her.  

 

Our suite is on Deck 6 just forward of the elevators but on the starboard side (your DW can explain which side that is). 🙂 

 

Thanks again for following up and again, very glad you enjoyed your Millennium experience! 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by DaKahuna

[Schmoe38]

John

 

There was no entertainment in Cellar Masters specifically. It’s really just a smaller bar with quite a bit of table seating with comfy chairs. There is a separate section that is used for tastings, but can also be used for overflow seating. It’s position on the ship is right across from Sushi on 5. The only music you will hear there is the piped in version or music from other venues on the ship.

 

A Super Tuscan is a red wine that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. It went very well with the Branzino and Pork Belly. Many sommeliers on the ship like it when we leave the decision making to them The good ones will not disappoint you. Our daughter in law ordered the filet in Tuscan and was very impressed. I have ordered the rib eye in the past but have found it has been hit and miss.

 

We were on the starboard side of the ship as well. I remember it this way, “port” and “left” both have 4 letters. Thus starboard must be right!

 

If you can remember, and you have either Nicasio or Bernadeth, please say hello to them for us. 
 

Randy and Connie

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

John

 

There was no entertainment in Cellar Masters specifically. It’s really just a smaller bar with quite a bit of table seating with comfy chairs. There is a separate section that is used for tastings, but can also be used for overflow seating. It’s position on the ship is right across from Sushi on 5. The only music you will hear there is the piped in version or music from other venues on the ship.

 

 

Thanks for clearning that up.  I thought i had read somewhere that there was live entertainment in Cellar Masters.

 

2 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

A Super Tuscan is a red wine that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. It went very well with the Branzino and Pork Belly. Many sommeliers on the ship like it when we leave the decision making to them The good ones will not disappoint you. Our daughter in law ordered the filet in Tuscan and was very impressed. I have ordered the rib eye in the past but have found it has been hit and miss.

 

 

Sounds delicious.  I'll be sure to order it.  I had only seen you drink white wine on Quantum so was not aware you liked reds as well.  I recently have taken a liking to GSM's (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedr) and had an excellent one at Vint Hill Craft Winery. 

 

I do not know why but I have always found rib eye to be a little too fatty for my liking., When I make it I do not trim all the fat but I trim enough that it makes it easy to render most of what is remaining.  When I get prime rib I end up trimming a lot of fat off.  

2 hours ago, Schmoe38 said:

 

We were on the starboard side of the ship as well. I remember it this way, “port” and “left” both have 4 letters. Thus starboard must be right!

 

If you can remember, and you have either Nicasio or Bernadeth, please say hello to them for us. 

 

For years when we trained for emergency drills on the ships the annoucement always included "up and forward on the starboard side, down and aft on the port site."  To this day every time I am doing the stairs on a ship this thought goes through my head. 

 

I head it as port wine is red and red lights are on the left side.  Green lights are on the right side. 

 

Will find Nicasio and Bernadeth and say hello for the two of you.