Millennium Transatlantic Review

[wiselindag]

Here is a very long review of our recent experience on the Millennium TA, which sailed from Barcelona on 12/2 and visited Malaga, Cadiz, Lanzarote, La Palma, and Labadee before arriving in Fort Lauderdale.

 

We are a semi-retired couple who have taken many cruises (this was my 21st). It was, however, our first Transatlantic cruise and we both looked forward to the luxury of nine sea days including five in a row crossing the Atlantic with 25 hour days as we headed West. As my husband said mid-way through the cruise in response to the question of whether or not he was having a good time, “if you can’t have a good time on a cruise like this, there’s something wrong with you.” So, for the record, we had a very good time.

 

Embarkation

 

We embarked in Barcelona and found the experience quick and easy. There was no line and no delay of any kind, so we were on the ship within minutes of arriving at the port around noon. A glass of champagne greeted us in the lobby and we were handed notices indicating that the cabins would be available after 1 p.m. We headed for the pool deck where we found some lounges in the shade and parked the hand luggage until the rooms were finished. I made a reservation for the Specialty Restaurant, bought soda cards, signed up for six Yoga sessions and purchased a pass for the Persian Gardens. By that time the rooms were ready and we went down a deck to our cabin… a great start!

 

Cabin

 

We had originally booked a balcony on deck eight, but moved to deck nine in order to have a CC cabin for the same price (summer sale). I had some misgivings about the location (under the pool deck area), but didn’t have many choices left when we moved up. As it turned out, this cabin (9078) had pluses and minuses. The plus was that it was so conveniently situated for the buffet, the pool and the spa. Most days the noise factor came into play when they stacked the lounges around 6-7 p.m. Since we were either in the Spa at that time or getting ready for dinner, it didn’t really make that much difference, although you could certainly hear the thuds overhead. The one night I found really annoying was after the deck party when they stacked the lounges (which means they threw them one on top of the other and made a racket) at 1:55 a.m. (I know the time because they woke me up and I checked to see!). I do wonder why Celebrity positioned CC cabins in this area. For the future, I would think it better to put premium cabins in quieter locations (should anyone from Celebrity read this review).

 

The cabin was equipped with standard Celebrity furnishings (new beds with rounded corners (but a metal piece in the middle that can clip your shins if you’re not careful!), a couch, desk/vanity and chair, small table, and sufficient storage space for both of us. The beds were very comfortable and we slept well throughout the cruise. We had a regular balcony which contained a small table and two chairs. The bathroom was very small, but contained everything we needed and sufficient storage space. It also had nice-smelling lotion and shampoo/conditioner which were replaced throughout the cruise. CC cabins come with Frette robes and Frette towels (which are ridged). For the record, I prefer the waffle robes which are lighter (and used one from the spa the entire cruise) and the regular towels, but I know some people like these CC perks better than I do. Others have commented on the need for refurbishment on the Millie. For the record, our cabin was fine except for a hole in the desk chair. This didn’t present any problems, but was noticeable.

 

I found service for this cabin to be perplexing. Most of the time the service was fine. The room was cleaned well. The towels were resupplied. Manuel, who made up the bathroom was helpful, cheerful, and efficient. The room service breakfast was delivered on time, we requested cheese and crackers instead of the (awful!) pre-dinner snacks given to CC cabins and the cheese and crackers were there every day, and we were always greeted with a smile. There were, however, some oddities. We had two hangers in the closet with clips and needed a few more. I politely asked for two more on the first day and it took two days and a call to the CC number to get them (that really surprised me!) Also, there were no flowers in the cabin (another CC perk). The flowers showed up later that night (I asked about them when I called about the hangers) although they didn’t last for two weeks and we went flower-less again for the last three or four days of the cruise… don’t know if that was typical of other cabins. Not a big deal except that is one of the reasons for moving to CC and is a nice touch when they’re there.

 

Another odd incident occurred near the end of the cruise and this one is very much Celebrity’s fault. We had no beach towels in our cabin since we were going Transatlantic and certainly didn’t need them until we got to Labadee – our beach day. Since they weren’t in the cabin I imagined they would be at the place where we picked up the tenders, but when I went down there, there were no towels, although some people said they had been delivered to their cabins. As a result, I had to go all the way upstairs to the pool deck to get some towels to take to the beach. When I asked the cabin attendant about this later in the day, he said it was my responsibility to ask him for the towels the day before! All of this could have been avoided if Celebrity had put a notice in the Daily about where to obtain towels, but it was my fault???

 

Finally, on the last day I expected the gratuity voucher envelope in the cabin (we prepaid them on our cruise card but usually receive vouchers to hand out when you thank the staff for their service). A call to reception and two conversations with the cabin attendant finally yielded a set of vouchers -- again this was a first in my experience. (At this point you might think it had to do with the size of the tip, but I had actually given him more than the recommended amount). On other cruises I have had better service in the lowest level of cabin so why the level of service for a CC cabin on this ship was lower, I never did figure out, but it is an issue Celebrity should address.

 

In general, service on the ship was excellent. As is the norm on Celebrity, staff people throughout the ship routinely greet passengers and go way above and beyond to be helpful. Bar staff, wait staff in the dining room and the buffet, spa staff, cleaning staff, front desk staff, and even repairmen were friendly, cheerful, and helpful.

 

The Ship

 

As indicated elsewhere, the Millennium is overdue for a carpeting and upholstery overhaul. Stains were apparent throughout the ship on the carpeting, but I was told the new carpets were actually on board and about to be installed when we arrived in Florida, so by now this issue should be moot.

 

All of the C Class and M Class Celebrity ships are well designed with lovely areas for dining, relaxing, and generally enjoying your cruise. The Millennium is no exception. I prefer the artwork on some of the other ships (okay, I admit Century is my favorite), and the pottery that predominates on this ship is strange, but stairways and public areas are attractive and well maintained.

 

I particularly like the two-level dining room and the theatre. These spaces are lovely and both functional and comfortable. Also wonderful is the Thalassotherapy Pool, which we used most days. I decided to give the Persian Gardens a chance on this trip (with 14 days I figured maybe I could benefit from the eucalyptus vapors and perhaps I could get to like the steam baths), so I purchased a pass and made it a habit to use the T pool and the Persian Gardens most days before getting ready for late seating. What I do find odd is that the entrance to the Persian Gardens is near the entrance to the Men’s Dressing Room and a long walk around to the Ladies’ Dressing Room – definitely could have been better designed! Nonetheless, I enjoyed the spa experience and met many very friendly and pleasant people in the hot tubs, steam rooms and the sauna.

 

Dining

 

One of the reasons we select Celebrity for many of our cruises is the food. I think the new menus in the dining room are a “work in progress.” On the whole, many of the dishes were familiar and most of the meals were quite good, but there are issues. As is usually the case, the beef dishes were particularly enjoyable and consistently excellent. When you order rare beef, it comes rare… a fact which I appreciate. One problem is that there are some nights when it’s difficult to choose because so many dishes are appealing and other nights when I had difficulty finding an entrée I wanted to eat. I actually chose pasta dishes as entrees for dinner three times on this cruise – something I’ve never done before. I asked the Assistant Maitre D about the inconsistency of the menus and he said he had noticed this too and didn’t know why they weren’t all well balanced. I had Prime Rib twice and it was good both times. Other entrees I enjoyed were Tournedos Rossini and Filet Mignon. The duck was okay and the Lamb Chops were edible, but not great. The worst entrée I had was the Chicken Kiev on the last night – definitely not like any Chicken Kiev I’ve ever had and a meal I would hope to never have again! Dinner salads were consistently good. Soup on Celebrity is hit or miss (I used to really enjoy the cream soups on RCCL and I love the cold soups on NCL). The best soup I had on this cruise was the Black Bean (lunch in the dining room) with the Captain’s Fish Bisque a close second. The worst was the Boston Clam Chowder. Despite having fewer choices the dinner desserts were quite good… lots of chocolate choices, which makes me happy. The only disappointing dessert was the “Floating Islands.” Oeufs a la neige is usually a wonderful dessert, but the one that appeared on our table wasn’t very good.

 

Dining room service was excellent. Our wait person, Daniella, was a jewel – very knowledgeable and helpful when consulted… very professional in demeanor and efficient in getting the right food to the right person quickly. She always asked us if we liked our food and offered to get us something different if we didn't. I also enjoyed visiting with her in the buffet during lunch, where she always had a smile and a positive outlook. Our bar waiter, Mike, was fabulous – we had soda cards and he made sure we had plenty of diet coke every night.

 

One disappointment on this cruise was the menu selection in the dining room for lunch. Celebrity seems to have done away with dining room service on port days and from the offerings on this cruise, it appears that they aren’t devoting much effort to lunch in general. I have never found such poor choices for lunch before… and twice ended up selecting a cheeseburger (that’s how weak the other choices were!). The buffet was also puzzling. The entrees ranged in quality – best was fish and chips. The pasta station was generally good. Pizza was ok. The soup/sandwich/French fry station was a popular choice every day and by the end of the cruise I was eating sandwiches for lunch in the buffet (also a first for me!). What I really liked were the Indian selections, but for some reason they were only available some days and not others. I would recommend that they have the Indian buffet section open every day. Also, it would be nice if they added mango chutney and raitha to the condiments. A big plus was Michael, the waiter who staffed this area and always had a big smile – a great guy!

 

The grill also needs mprovement. Two years ago we sailed on Century and they offered fried chicken, ribs, onion rings and other goodies at the grill every day. On this ship it was hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and one special dish each day and I didn’t see much more than this… definitely cutting back on the food budget, but on a 14 day Transatlantic such meager selections shouldn’t be tolerated. We didn’t eat in the Spa Café, but I walked through several times to take a look and the salads and other items on display looked good. I have eaten in Spa Cafes on other ships, but since we usually met friends in the buffet, this wasn’t a good option this time.

 

Breakfast in the buffet was fine… we were so close to the buffet and it was so good, that we didn’t bother going to the dining room for breakfast. After several days of overeating in the buffet we began to order room service breakfast. The CC breakfast menu really is the main reason to go CC (if the price is right). It’s worth ordering just to get the fresh squeezed orange juice (too bad that isn’t available elsewhere!) Ordering room service breakfast and then eating it on the balcony was a great way to start the day. We ended up with just raisin bran, fresh fruit, juice and hot chocolate…a real treat and not nearly as fattening as going to the buffet or the dining room. Tried the waffles for a Saturday treat They were good, but for some reason I remember them as bigger (thicker) and better on the Century… maybe they were or maybe it’s just my imagination.

 

Dinner in the Specialty Olympic Restaurant was wonderful. This is one area Celebrity has gotten right. The food was delicious and the service made the evening memorable. Thanks to Giovanni for his wonderful service and to Moustaffa, who handled the cheese course with such expertise and courtesy. Tony was a delightful host and the harp music of Anna Lisa Underhay also made the occasion special. The Olympic is also a beautiful space on this ship and eating a meal here is highly recommended.

 

Activities

 

Yoga was terrific. I wanted an introduction and both instructors were great at varying the difficulty level so beginners and more advanced practitioners could all participate. Classes were offered at 9 a.m., but getting up with all the time changes wasn't really a problem.

 

Bingo on Celebrity has gone way downhill. I used to love to go to all the Bingo sessions, but on this ship I often voted with my feet (stayed away). There used to be five games and now there are four. The dollar amount of the prizes on this sailing was minimal. Raffle prizes were skimpy as well. They often had a Bingo game in the theater between shows – I hate this practice. The serious Bingo players (this might be an oxymoron, but yes, I think there are serious cruise bingo players and count myself among them!) should be able to play a full set of Bingo, not a single game that is rushed because dinner is about to begin. I especially didn’t like the fact that they had the final jackpot game as a singleton between the shows. This event deserved to be part of a full set and should have taken place in the afternoon of the last sea day. That’s usually the game where the other games have big payouts (because of the crowd there for the jackpot) and Celebrity has found a good way to maximize their Bingo earnings and minimize payouts for players. They have become so cheap that they don’t even have small prizes for players (e.g. key rings or lanyards). On RCCL they once gave out a tee shirt to people who played bingo a certain number of times. That was a good strategy for encouraging people to play. Also, most of the time the Bingo session was focused on the life of the Bingo “Queen” and in-jokes between activities staff. People do not go to Bingo for this! Sometimes people would say, “just call the numbers!” Plus, what happened to the free cruise giveaway??

 

If Bingo was bad, the casino was worse. I have never been on a ship with a more miserly casino, so if gambling is your thing, this cruise wouldn’t be very satisfying. I find the tight slots perplexing. If they loosened the slots a little bit, many more people would be in the casino (often empty on this cruise) and like me, most players would give back what they “won.” So I think looser machines would yield more money for Celebrity and, at the same time, be more entertaining.

 

Entertainment

 

This is another area where you can really see the cutbacks. We were surprised to find that some nights showtime was very “thin,” and one night there was no show at all – NO SHOW AT ALL??? (They claimed the Newlywed Game was the Show!) Even on a very cheap Greek cruise with no theater they had a show every night! Fourteen nights and no comedian? No magician? No acrobats? A few years ago I went on a one-week Celebrity cruise with more entertainment than we had on the 14 nights of this cruise. The two high points were the artistry of Brooks Aehron (a terrific pianist and storyteller) and the soprano, Jennifer Fair. They each did two concerts one at night and one in the afternoon and both of them were excellent. The orchestra was on stage every night and they were excellent with kudos to the pianist – now there’s a performer who could have done a terrific concert for us! The rest of the entertainment was mediocre at best and included only three production shows. This ship had been doing two weeks cruises all summer. Celebrity should have provided more production shows. We also found the sound system and the level of “loudness” in the theater problematic. Way too loud! Because the orchestra played (loud!), the soloists all had to sing over them and the result was not beautiful music. Everything was also overmiked…if they turned down the sound system, everyone would sound better.

 

Some people enjoyed the lectures, but I was surprised that the first week it was either gossip about famous entertainers (dead and therefore not able to defend themselves) and a group singing class. I had somehow expected at least a few topics with more intellectual heft. Another disappointment was the Cinema. On the flight to Barcelona we had a choice of many recently released DVD’s…lots of good movies. On the ship the movies on offer (both in the Cinema and on the TV) were ancient and generally unappealing.. Also, we had the new flat screen TV in the CC Cabin on the Century last year. They haven’t been installed on the Millie CC’s– not sure if there is a plan to put them in, but they should.

 

I think Cruise Director Lisa did a good job as CD, but the entertainment budget appeared to be insufficient. This was especially true because many people on board were doing a back-to-back and were on the ship for 28 nights. We all deserved better.

 

Itinerary/Ports

 

The itinerary for this cruise was very good. I enjoyed every port and loved the stop at Labadee – the best beach I have ever seen in the Caribbean! In general port stops were handled well… easy off… and easy on. My one complaint pertains to Malaga. Celebrity has decided that an easy $20 can be made from each couple on the ship by charging for a shuttle bus from the ship to the entrance to the port at this stop. This is not a shuttle bus that goes to town (which Celebrity used to provide free in the not too distant past) but a shuttle to simply get out of the port! This is the same sort of bus that is provided free in Barbados and many other ports where the dock is far from the entrance. Such charges are, in my opinion, a form of robbery and Celebrity should refund every passenger who paid for this bus so they could, in effect, get off the ship. What will be next… Charges for tenders??? Nickel and diming is epidemic on this cruise line and many others, but charging to get out of the port should not be part of this practice on Celebrity or any other cruise line.

 

Debarkation

 

For us, this was almost as easy as embarkation. We were given beige tags, exchanged them for brown tags (we were in no hurry), were assigned to wait in the Cinema, and went there after a leisurely breakfast in the buffet. There was a delay in starting the debarkation process (probably due to the fact that it was a Sunday in Fort Lauderdale and there were eight or nine ships in port). When they called our color, we walked off, claimed our luggage and went out to the crowded area in front of the terminal. One of our tablemates had given me the very useful information that rental car agency shuttle buses would circulate outside the terminal. We simply asked where to find these buses, waited for one to appear, and hopped on. For others, debarkation was a nightmare (I’m told not enough buses for those with transfer tickets and a general free-for-all for the not enough taxis (because of the number of ships). I know several people had difficulty catching their flights.

 

After reading the above, I find there are more negatives than I expected. I am an X fan and have been on eight cruises on Celebrity dating back to 1996. I hope the quality of the Celebrity product on this ship is not part of a downward trend and that future cruises will demonstrate that this cruise, for whatever reason, was an anomaly.

 

Overall, I loved this cruise. That’s because it’s hard to beat a 14 day cruise with beautiful weather in calm seas with a great group of sailing companions. I have read the review of the Century transatlantic and it sounds as if the “rude” passengers took that cruise. Our cruising companions were wonderful… a very good mix of Europeans and Americans from many different states. Every day we met lovely people all over the ship and enjoyed chatting with them. I joined the Roll Call for this sailing last summer and have never been part of a more active and friendly Roll Call. For months we got to know one another, had tee shirts made up and mailed out, organized a gift exchange, had dinner together in Barcelona prior to embarkation and did a fun tour in Malaga with rental vans. Once on board we got together four times (two formal CC gatherings, a sailaway get-together, and a group photograph on the last formal night – thanks to Donna for organizing most of these!). We also had lovely parties thanks to the hospitality of Donna and Justin, Will and Carol, and George and MaryBeth. I hope we get to sail with many of our new friends again in the future... it was truly a great group?

 

I’m sorry if this review was too long, but it was a 14 day cruise and there was a lot to report. I hope it is helpful, and I hope Celebrity is paying attention to its loyal cruisers! Please feel free to ask questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

Linda

[Keith1010]

Linda thank you very much for taking the time to write a very thorugh and a balanced review about your recent cruise.

 

Keith

[CajunLiner]

Why Linda, you're making me blush:o !

 

It was a joy to sail with you and Chris. Linda fails to mention the wonderful job she did arranging dinner in Barcelona pre-cruise for the CC folks there. We did not get to make it (thanks to our whole street being closed down for a political protest of some kind), but heard fabulous reviews from those who did!!

 

Love your review, Linda.

 

Donna

[wiselindag]

Donna and Keith -

 

Thanks for taking the time to comment. That's what makes writing a review worthwhile.

 

Linda

[BBsails]

Thanks for your very informative review. We're on the Millenium in May from SF to Alaska.

[IngramTXcruisers]

Linda - Enjoyed your critique. You, Donna and the other Roll Call members helped make this cruise better than it was. It was fun meeting new people and attending the functions that were arranged for us. I didn't think the cruise added up to the TA I had made on the Galaxy in '05. Seems a lot of little extra things had been deleted. But all-in-all we enjoyed the cruise and hope to meet up with a lot of people we met on another cruise.

 

Next: 14 Feb - Crown Princess - Southern Caribbean

27 Apr - Voyager of the Seas TA from Galveston

 

Vickie

 

PS - Still hope to get the list Donna has made. She has sent it to me but for some reason I haven't been able to get it on my computer.

[raudacruise]

Vickie, I forwarded Donna's pictures and address info to the address on the business card you gave me. If you don't get it could be because of size limitations. I can try sending it to you in chunks if thats the case.

 

If you haven't gotten anything let me know.

[Andy]

Hi Linda !

 

Thanks very much for your wonderful review. You made some comments that were spot on, and I will try to comment more on them tomorrow. Welcome home, and Happy New Year !

[Drew B]

I decided to give the Persian Gardens a chance on this trip (with 14 days I figured maybe I could benefit from the eucalyptus vapors and perhaps I could get to like the steam baths), so I purchased a pass and made it a habit to use the T pool and the Persian Gardens most days before getting ready for late seating. What I do find odd is that the entrance to the Persian Gardens is near the entrance to the Men’s Dressing Room and a long walk around to the Ladies’ Dressing Room – definitely could have been better designed!

 

I'm confused. On the Summit, there are two entrances to the Persian Gardens - one near the men's and one near the women's changing rooms. Aren't the different M-Class ships set up the same? Is there a chance there was another entrance and you just didn't realize it?

[wiselindag]

Hey Andy,

 

Nice to hear from you. I'd be very interested in your comments and how this cruise stacks up with any recent experiences you have had. As you may recall, I loved the new Century last year, but that cruise didn't measure up to the one we had on Century for Christmas/New Years in December '05 (figured that was because it was only a 5 day cruise) and this one certainly didn't either, but for a 14 day TA I had expected more, not less.

 

Hi Drew,

 

On Millennium the entrance was next to the Spa Reception Desk (so people at the desk can see who is going in and out). This was the side of the ship with the Locker Room for Men. There was a door on the other side of the Persian Gardens, but it was an emergency exit and I was told that I would need to walk all the way around each time. I never saw anyone leave that way and certainly didn't see anyone enter through that door. I can't remember how it was set up on the Connie, but think it was this way on that ship, too... could be wrong.

[rebeccaluvscruising]

I'm booked on the Millenium Nov. 2008 from Sydney to Auckland in Concierge Class and am wondering if I'll be disappointed. I was expecting great service and nice surroundings, but it sounds like things are sliding. Anyone else have recent experience in CC on Millenium? Are they planning to refurbish soon?

 

Thanks,

Rebecca

[Drew B]

Hi Drew,

 

On Millennium the entrance was next to the Spa Reception Desk (so people at the desk can see who is going in and out). This was the side of the ship with the Locker Room for Men. There was a door on the other side of the Persian Gardens, but it was an emergency exit and I was told that I would need to walk all the way around each time. I never saw anyone leave that way and certainly didn't see anyone enter through that door. I can't remember how it was set up on the Connie, but think it was this way on that ship, too... could be wrong.

 

 

Huh. When I was on Summit, women used that other door all the time. I guess they changed the policy. There were probably people who hadn't paid sneaking in and using the facilities, so they felt they had to keep a closer watch. That's a shame...

[Jamara]

Rebbeca - we were in CC on the TA and we were very dissapointed in our Stateroom. Lots of mould in the bathroom, we asked for a new shower curtain immediately and the replacement was just as bad. We had bad marks on the carpet and top cover on the bed. The whole room looked worn and like a Days Inn. Our balcony was horrible with filthy chairs and a dirty floor.

 

The ship needs quite a bit of work. There are stains on lots of the public area seating and broken tables throughout the theatre.

 

Overall we had an OK time but we will not be back.

[rebeccaluvscruising]

Wow - now I'm really re-thinking going on this one. I wanted to try Celebrity because of it's enthusiastic following, but I want to feel like I'm in luxurious surroundings. Days Inn does not cut it!

 

Anyone else have any thoughts? Which ships are better?

 

Thanks again!!

 

Rebecca