Just Back from Millennium 14 night Med Cruise

[tmt9367]

Hey Rosie!

 

We stayed a couple days longer in Venice and stayed at a hotel on the mainland. We took a taxi to the train station from the pier. Rolling your luggage a few blocks should be no problem, unless you pack everything but the kitchen sink! :D

 

You should have plenty of time see everything by arriving that early in Barcelona.

 

Here's the guides we used and I can't say enough about them. It was a flat fee for the guide and the van, so if you have 4 to 6 other people with you, it's cheaper. They had new air-conditioned Mercedes vans and they're very comfortable. I think the most we paid was about $80 USD per person! They'll even take you a local restaurant for lunch if you want. I recommend doing this!! Very good!

 

Florence/Tuscany - Carla Giomi (giomicarla@lycos.it)

Rome - Max Leotta, Rome Limousine Service (Maxle@tin.it)

Naples/Amalfi Coast - Marcello Maresca (marcellomaresca@tin.it)

 

Shaun

[JNLROSE]

Thanks Shaun! I'll check into these!!!

[lornadoons]

TMT,

 

I would like to know the names of the tour operators you used in Italy. I have looked at a couple to see what they provide.

Hi all... Hi Andy... Lori here from the Aug 1st cruise right before you... Glad to hear about your experiences... We loved it!!! Hard to come back home... and to think we've been home now for a month... We used one tour company for Rome, Livorno and Naples... we used www.limoinrome.com with Claudio and his associate in Naples. Wonderful! We loved Positano! Our favorite site... although Santorini Greece was a close second...

[Francine]

Hi,

 

We will be on Millennium October 12. I just want to be sure I understand something. What were your options for dinner (other than room service) if you came back to the ship after touring and didn't feel like going to the dining room?

 

I appreciate any help. Thanks.

 

Fran

[Andym]

Hi Lori,

 

Glad you loved the cruise. I've been looking out for your postings but couldn't find any. I thought you may have had a bad time, but having been on the M myself, I would find that very hard. We had the best time ever and met some terrific friends from the boards (Hi Norma, Harvey, Toni, Sam) who we are keeping in touch with. We had a great laugh on one day out. We were walking the walls at Dubrovnic and at one point had almost as many CC members together as at the party. What was your party like? We simply had an invite to a room. No refreshments or anything.

We liked it so much that we have booked the return journey (the one you took) for next year on Aug 14.

Bye for now

 

Andy

[lornadoons]

Hi Andy~r~~

 

Oh no, we had a wonderful time! Couldn't ask for more. Just didn't think to post after it... funny... We were away a total of 16 days, over in Munich Germany getting there and staying over in Barcelona and Madrid too on the way back... Not one day of rain!! I couldn't believe it! Our CC party was sub par... a few of us finally called the desk to find out if we were even going to have one because 2 or 3 days out we hadn't heard anything. I think it was finally on day 4 or so... We met in one of the theaters, they had refreshments etc but only half showed up since it was at 10 am and we were docking at that time. Many of us had to cut it short because we were due out on excursions etc. But the 15 or so who did show up were the ones we were corresponding with on the boards so that was nice.

 

The first formal night, my husband and I were invited to sit at the Captain's table. It was the only night he and his wife Joyce were there... (He said he was too lazy to go to the other 2) We felt very special... took a formal picture of all of us, special service, a rose for the ladies... that was the beginning of a great cruise... then we had a special tour of the bridge the next day... I don't know what we did to get special invites like that but we didn't complain!

 

Funny about these boards... I had been corresponding with only a few as you know... We even made arrangements to tour Naples with another couple we had become friends with here. When we got to the ship, I called their stateroom of course and asked their table number at dinner that night, formal night... they were at 408, we at 414. We had been sitting right next to them for 2 nights and didn't know it yet since we hadn't met at that point! We had a great table position at dinner. Bottom level, dead center, a few tables back from the Captain's with those big beautiful windows.

 

I felt the Conceirge Class wasn't worth it... or maybe we just didn't notice... the only thing we really liked was the breakfast on the balcony with the full menu choice. I only ate in the Grill area for breakfast once.

 

We were fortunate enough to go to Olympia Greece since Athens was out due to the Olympics... Olympia was so interesting. I loved seeing it again on tv when they featured the shotput there and gave all the history about it that we had just experienced. I agree with others here.. i thought Pompeii was great, although others didn't. We had a great guide, he even brought us through the "special area of erotica" as he put it... Now that was surprising! We never saw those pictures and sites in our history books in school!

 

I would love to do this cruise again... Let me know what you thought about your cruise... We did hear a lot of people complain... about a lot of minor things in my opinion. Keep in touch! Lori

[Andym]

Lori,

 

I'm really glad that you had a great time.

 

We stayed in Barcelona prior to the cruise in the Majestic and it was just that. We ate that night at a restaurant recommended by someone on the CC boards, les Quinzes Nits and it was superb. Next day we were picked up at the hotel by Celebrity at 11:00 and 20 minutes later we were on the ship, no lines at all.

We had an outside stateroom on deck 3 which was very good, the lack of a balcony doesnt bother us, we'd rather spend the £500 on excursions and drinks.

We were so lucky that we met the nicest people on the cruise. Our tablemates were something else, and apart from when we each ate in the Olympic, which far exceeded any expectations, our table was full every night (table for 12). Our CC friends were the nicest of all, and special mention as I said previously goes to Sam, Toni (toniwoods) and Norma and harvey (jezzdog).

 

Villefranche sur Mer, we did Monte Carlo on the train and visited the Casino.

 

Livorno, we did the Volterra countryside tour with lunch (this was recommeded by Bruinsteve and was the best advice we had, it was fantastic).

 

Rome, we did on our own and vistited the Colloseum, Forum, Trevi fountain, Panthenon and St Peters, Phew. (I have some great tips how to avios lines at the Colloseum and St Peters if ayone is interested)

 

Naples, we caught the train into Pompeii and spent 5 hous there. we have been before and still have things left to see.

 

Malta, we had family frinds who live there and they picked us up and gave us a tour of the island.

 

Mykonos, Santorini and Katakolon, we just went into the towns and wandered around.

 

Dubrovnik, Thought this was super, the walls were the place to see the town and the views were superb. We had a drink in Hemmingways which although not cheap, was an experience.

 

Venice, again did our own thing, but there is so much to see.

 

The only let down of the whole cruise was being dropped off at the airport by Celebrity with a 5 hour wait until check in. There was nowhere to sit and people were on the floor, suitcases etc.

[toniwoods]

Francine,

 

Having skipped 5 out of 14 nights of dinner while on our August 13 cruise on Millie in the Med, I feel well qualified to answer your question! We didn't skip dinner because we got caught on tours that ran over, but rather because we had late seating (9:00 on our cruise) and some nights just didn't feel like going through the motions of getting dressed etc. Also, some nights (particularly on the sea days), we were hungry way before 9:00, so we would just go ahead and eat and then skip dinner.

 

2 of the nights we went to the buffets on the pool deck. One night was a BBQ theme that was quite good, and the other was a Greek buffet with Greek wine, food and Greek dancers (couldn't miss that!). The 3rd night we had sushi for dinner (light, but good). The 4th I believe was a sea day and we were hungry by about 6:00 in the evening, so we ate at the Aqua Spa Cafe (I think their food is excellent; they were open until 8:00 p.m. most nights). On the fifth night, I don't think we ate. I was feeling a little under the weather and went to bed very early that night.

 

I hope this helps to answer your question.

 

Hello to my fellow August 13 cruisers - Andy, Bea, Norma, Harvey and everyone else who may be reading this!

 

Toni

[Francine]

Toni,

 

I really appreciate your help.

 

Did you have to make reservations in advance for any of these alternatives dinners?

Did you have to pay or tip the waitstafff?

We have heard several different answers.

 

We are so excited about this cruise! :)

 

Fran

[toniwoods]

Hi Francine,

 

The only time there is a suggested gratuity for the waiters (other than your regular gratuity to the servers in the Metropolitan at the end of the cruise of course!) is if you make reservations for alternative dining. We never utilized this option, but I noticed that for our cruise, they set tables at the back of the Ocean Cafe. They set it very nicely with linens, candles etc, but you are not required to dress up. It's casual. The suggested gratuity for this service I believe is $2.00 per person.

 

For the buffets and all of the other options I mentioned, there is no gratuity required.

 

We went to the Olympic one night as well. I highly, highly recommend it. There is a service charge of $30.00 per person, but it is well worth it. Goat Cheese Souffle, Steak Diane and Chocolate Souffle for dessert! The atmosphere is lovely; there is a harpist playing. The service is superb. We went with a group and sat in the wine cellar. I have done this 2x now - once on the Constellation and now on the Millie, and I have enjoyed these dinners immensely (also spurred on by the fact that I went with wonderful people both times and they were people I met on the Cruise Critics' board!).

 

You will have a wonderful, wonderful cruise! Wish I was going with you!

[Francine]

Thanks again, Toni for your quick and most helpful response.

Actually, we were on Summit in December, 2001 and had the same pleasure you had. We had a wonderful dinner in the Normandy restaurant as well. I also had the Goat Cheese Souffle. It was excellent! I believe I had the Rack of Lamb and Michel Rioux' Surprise dessert. We dined with friends and it was a lovely evening.

 

If we go again on Millennium, the Goat Cheese Souffle will definitely be repeated.

 

Thanks again.

 

Fran

[Liat]

It may be possible to both Sorrento and Capri in one day, but it would be rushed unless your ship was in port 12 hours.

The hydrofoil to Capri was next to the cruise pier and takes 50 minutes at 24 Euros, round trip per person. We spent a full day there, walking to Tiberius' Villa and taking in the Blue Grotto. This last is pricey, and very dependant on sea conditions; but worth the trip. We ate at a restaurant called Pergola, which was quite nice. We had researched Capri on a website at: http://www.italy-weekly-rentals.com; which has a section called Excursions List, and we found a 12 page article on Capri

walking tours. The whole day, lunch, Villa fee, funicular, hyrofoil and Blue Grotto cost us 55 Euros each. We will try the Sorrento tour, which involves winding roads, the next time.

[Nerell]

Hello from Australia ;)

 

We did the Mill Barcelona/Venice 20JUL...what a SHIP, could not fault a single thing except happy hours does mean half price drinks here in Australia...On board it means USD$1 off :(

Anyways, Mill do offer a FREE transfer from the port in Venice to Plaza Nationale (Train Station/Bus stop) but I guess your hotel is several "bridges" from there. The day we disembarked was TOTAL bedlam, suggest u buy the Celebrity transfer as getting a water taxi cld take all day...otherwise take the Free shuttle to the Train station and get a water taxi from there (expensive approx: EUR 70)

Anything else u need to know just ask;)

[Nerell]

Are there options ??? There is nothing but options on beautiful Millennium ! We had the early sitting so missed most dinners anyway there is also the Sushi bar/Pool BBQ u could even be squeezed in for the late sitting

[Nerell]

Hi,

 

I think they are more strict in Europe, but we did manage to bring back 2 x bottles of Bellini to drink in our cabin...no questions asked !

[ritarose]

do you know about transportation from port to town in Messina Sicily (Taormina) and from Livorno to Florence. saw a message about train from port to Rome. have been to these places (Rome for a week) and would like to roam around on our own. thanks

 

Rita Myszkowski

[Lisa Waverley]

Thanks

Great reviews with lots of tips.I would like to hear more about your trip to Tuscany. I am considering all options at this pointeven though we have not yet been to Florence.

[Andym]

Lisa,

The tuscan countyside tour Volterra and San G offered by Celebrity was probably one of, if not the best we have ever been on, especially if you line wine......wine and more wine.

 

Andy

[Kiliki]

We're going on the Millie on May 15, our first time. Thanks for all the tips and reviews! I have a few questions about the Olympic restaurant. What is the dress code? Do we tip in addition to the $30 per person, or is that the tip? Which night would you suggest going: formal, informal, casual?

 

Thanks!

Christy and Rich