Celebrity Millennium Review

Fantastic Honeymoon Aboard Celebrity Millennium in June 2007

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Celebrity Millennium
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Erebus
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s

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Sail Date: Jun 2007
Cabin: Ocean View 4

My wife & I took our honeymoon aboard the Celebrity Millennium on a 13 day cruise during June of 2007. The departure port was Barcelona, Spain visiting Villiefranche, Pisa/Florence, Rome, Naples, Santorini, Athens, Dubrovnik, & finally finishing in Venice, Italy.We handled our own flight arrangements into Barcelona by flying in on Easyjet the morning of the cruise. It did take us sometime to find the Celebrity representative to take the bus to the cruise port since they did not have any sign directing passengers unlike the Disney cruise. Unfortunately we had a wait about an hour before we could depart because of additional passengers flying in the airport. The bus ride was not to long and after about 20-30 minutes then we arrived at the port to get aboard the ship. Check in was quick and easy but boarding of the ship did not begin for another hour so my wife & I had lunch in the shopping area of the port. Once aboard we headed to our stateroom, Celebrity advised us they would not be ready for another 2 hours but when we got there our room was clean & our luggage had arrived. My wife quickly took a nap since she was recovering from a bad bought of hay fever she had gotten while we were in England before the cruise. Our room was 9000; ocean-view stateroom, on Sky Deck. The room was very large since our room was one of the few ocean-view's on the deck, and apparently where the balcony was normally located we had an additional small pull-out couch and storage space. Closet & storage space was ample for all our luggage (which is a lot for a 2 week cruise). My wife was very impressed with the vanity mirror in the room. Our room also had a full couch which was very nice. The bathroom was a good for the size of room we had. The stateroom's TV & ordering system was easy to use and figure out. We used the TV a few times to order room service & breakfast during the trip. Room service was always delivered quickly and nearly always on time. Both our primary & secondary stateroom attendants were very polite and friendly throughout the cruise. Clean towels and other items were always in good supply. Since we were honeymooning, I had booked honeymoon package. The items were always promptly delivered on time for every night we were to receive them. The only issue we had with our room during the cruise it was located near a crew entrance for the bridge area. A few times during the cruise my wife & I were awoken by crew members coming & going through the door.The Millennium was enjoyable and was easy to get around. I definitely prefer the Millennium shop layout compared to other cruise ships. The staff of these different locations were always very helpful even on topics relating to the cruise and it's ports. The coffee bar makes an especially nice cappuccino & espresso in my opinion for you coffee lovers. The front desk staff were always helpful and the ATM & cash exchange services were located right next to it. Even though the weather was perfect for our entire trip the Millennium indoor pool is a great amenity on those warmers days when you just enjoy a good swim and not deal with the crowds outside. I was disappointed to learn once aboard that Celebrity has just gone to policy of no smoking inside the ship. When I booked the cruise it had there was a cigar bar located aboard but when we arrived it had been converted to a piano bar. Millennium offers a large variety of dinning & drinking venues aboard and we enjoyed them all while aboard. There were plenty of activities during our cruise though we only attended some because of being so tired after spending so much time in port during the trip. Our days at sea normally involved sleeping in late and going to various activities like art shows, shop sales, and other presentations. Since we were newly weds we did attend the ships get together for honeymooners & people celebrating anniversary's. If you are adventurous you can even participate in the game show during the event. One of the funniest moments of our honeymoon occurred watching the game show. My wife & I also won the contest for being the youngest newly weds aboard the ship. We got a nice prize packing including t-shirts, cards, mugs, a cake, and even a bottle of champagne. Food aboard the ship was very enjoyable. While Celebrity tout's their normal dinner service being very close to high class fine dinning, it fell a bit short of my expectations. Even then, the Millenniums food is far above both Carnival & Royal Caribbean ships I have sailed on. Dinner in the dinning room was always an event in itself normally involving 4-6 courses. I consider myself an adventurous eater and the nightly menu's always had something new to try plus having the classics as well. DJ our head waiter did a fantastic job during the entire cruise. DJ had been working on the Millennium for several years so he knew the menu's, the ship, and the port inside & out and provided us with valuable information. DJ was even able to help my wife & I get a very nice table at the Nautika restaurant in Dubrovnik since he was friends with ones of it's managers. The only issue we had with dinner service was our sommelier. My wife & I quickly befriended another honeymooning couple dinning with us. We decided to share a bottle of wine every night with them, our sommelier did not like this arrangement in addition she got upset for me during one meal for getting a class of cheaper wine that was a type that I particularly liked. Our final dinner service our sommelier never even came to our table. Our friend left the dinning room to order bottle of wine. The staff in the bar asked the reason and she explained the situation. They said they would take care of the delivery and a few minutes later our sommelier delivered the bottle of wine and an apology. The Ocean Cafe & Grill had enjoyable food for the most part. The made to order waffles are must to try while aboard. The nightly sushi bar was very good as well, always a popular place for a mid afternoon snack. We did notice a few things throughout our cruise that the previous nights dinner menu cakes & pies were often cut up to make desert for the next day's lunch. Towards the end of the cruise the ship began running out of fruit juice & fresh fruit for the buffet. The Platinum Club also had very nice martini's, I especially enjoyed the flight of martini's which was a great deal. My wife & I also had dinner in the fine dinning restaurant the Olympic while aboard. I purchased the dinner with the full wine package. Our food was fantastic and the service from the large staff of waiters/waitresses, sommiliers, and other individuals was superb. The wine pairings for each course were pretty spot on. Since again we were newlyweds the Olympic staff gave a entire cake to celebrate besides the regular deserts we received with dinner. The Olympic is a must for any foodie, but I would not recommend for children.As part of the honeymoon package I purchased we did get over an hour in Roman bath with skin treatments. All we had to due was to call and book an available time during the cruise. The treatment was in small private bath much like steam room. The experience was completely new for both my wife & I but was enjoyable. The only problems my wife & I had during our entire cruise was when leaving the ship. I bought some scotch & wine to take home. We were repeatedly told to put all alcohol in our carry-on luggage which my wife & I did. As soon as we left the ship and reach the airport that is where things got unpleasant. At Venice's airport you can not check in for your flight until 2 hours in advance. Since the Millennium and 2 other cruises ended their cruises on the same day, there were several thousand people stuck in the airport for several hours before they could check in to their flights. Luckily I found a table in the food court so my wife & I were able to sit while waiting, most people had to sit on the floor. When we finally checked in for our flight we headed through security which the Italian customs agent said I was not allowed to bring my alcohol through. He tried his best to help me put in our checked luggage but it had already left to the terminal. He was very upset about having to take it, which I did my best to assure him it was not his fault. Upon returning home I contacted Celebrity concerning the issue of my alcohol but never received a good answer on why the instructions were mixed up.The first port we visited was Villifrance located in between Nice & Monaco. I had booked a shore excursion to take us to both Nice & Monaco. The ships tender took us to our waiting bus where we headed to Nice first. The bus dropped our group off near old downtown just near the flower market. There we were free to walk around the city for over 3 hours. My wife & I enjoyed walking through the local street markets and local stores. We even took the opportunity to try some of the local pastries which were very enjoyable. We then headed to Monaco for the rest of our bus tour. The bus took us to Old Monaco which was some way from Monte Carlo where some people wanted to go. My wife & I enjoyed the old city and visited the royal family's home and then went shopping before we had lunch. We arrived a week after the F1 race so racing clothes were on sale everywhere. Lunch in a local Italian restaurant was great and the Monaco beer the owner said was terrible was quite good in you like a amber style beer. For sea lovers you can visit the aquarium which is world renowned. We than headed back to the ship and the drive was very scenic and enjoyable. My wife & I then walked around downtown Villefranche before heading back to ship. Contrary to the opinion rude Parisians have bestowed on their fellow countrymen the locals of Nice & Monaco were very friendly and talkative. The area was one of our favorite ports of the entire trip.Our second port was to area outside Pisa & Florence. Again I booked a bus tour to visit both locations. The drive to Pisa was not too long, but we quickly learned from our tour guide there isn't much to see in Pisa besides the leaning tower. Sure enough she was correct and the tour only spent about hour in Pisa. Be warned do not buy anything from the street vendors since it is illegal and you can face a 1,400 euro fine. We then headed to Florence which was a very beautiful drive. We walked to Dante's church to begin our free time within the city. Many headed to see the statue of David but my wife & I walked around to visit some of the cathedrals and old buildings. My wife definitely enjoyed the great number of fine leather and clothing stores located in the city. We had some additional time so we tried to go & see the statue of David after all but the wait was over 4 hours so were returned to shopping district to grab a bit to eat & get some gelato. If you don't have time to see David don't be depressed there are a number of other version commissioned as well throughout the area including a stone one in the center of the city. Overall Florence is a very interesting city to visit, if you are a big fan of the Italian Renaissance or shopping you'll most likely enjoy it.Our next port of call was Rome. Unfortunately President Bush was in Rome for a state visit and there were mass demonstrations across the city. It was advised Americans should be travel with as much discretion or not at all. We decided to stay at the Port of Civitavecchia and walk around. Since it was Sunday most of the stores were closed and nothing was going on there was not much to see or do.Naples was our next stop. I had been warned even before our trip to be extremely cautious in Naples by my history professor who had lived there for several years. Celebrity and especially the foreign cruise staff warned all passengers at length not to go into the city itself and to stick with your tours at all time. We were told to take no valuables with you and make sure you have hidden copies of the required travel documents just in case. Upon leaving the port you quickly find that Naples is a extremely dirty city with shanty towns and packs of roaming wild dogs. We boarded our bus to Pompeii, and as you drive there you can see the piles of trash every where because of the city's on & off trash strike. Pompeii itself was an enjoyable place to visit and would have been more so if we had not had the slowest tour guide I have ever experienced. Since my wife & I are both lovers of history and very familiar with the site from books, we asked to separate ourselves from the tour so we could move faster and see more of the site. The original idea was return to ship and take a cab to the Naples Museum of History, but some of our table-mates had taken a cab to Pompeii and on their return trip the cab driver tried 4 times to drop them off in strange parts of the city. Based on that and plus our tour guide and the locals telling as well not to go into the city we did not. I did enjoy a nice afternoon on the ship taking in the view of Mt. Vesuvius. The ship when departing did sail past the scenic island of Capri, which I told was by other passengers was a beautiful and interesting location to visit. All in all when enjoyed visiting Pompeii but nothing else really about our stop in Naples, so be forewarned about the port.Santorini was our next stop and by far the best stop on the entire cruise for both my wife & I. We took the ship's tender the cable car to take us up to Thira. Unfortunately there were also 2 other cruise ships anchored so the wait was about an hour. We didn't not want to take the foot path because of the distance or ride the really smelly donkeys. Upon reaching the top you get a breathtaking view of the entire volcanic caldera. After taking a few minutes taking in the view, we headed to main road north of Thira to get a taxi ride to the town of Oia. The cab ride was quite an adventure since the cab driver was driving very fast while dodging 4-wheelers & mopeds driven by tourists. Upon reaching Oia we quickly began walking around the local churches and shops. We did stop to help a local who had spilled his shipment of tomatoes down one of the walkways in the town. He was very appreciative of my wife, other tourists, and my help in rounding them all up. Walking along the path towards the northern point of the island is fabulous. I don't think I have seen more breathtaking views in my life. The local buildings are beautifully decorated with their white walls and brightly colored roofs and windows. All the while my wife & I visited the islands local shops buying some jewelry, drinks, and taking plenty of pictures. When the other tourists began moving in force into Oia, we headed to a local restaurant for an early lunch. The restaurant had a breathtaking balcony reaching over the edge of the caldera allowing for some great pictures. After lunch we headed back to Thira were we visited more shops, which my wife was impressed with the variety of fine jewelry stores. In the early afternoon we headed back to the ship, to cool and prepare for dinner later. At sunset we and a lot other passenger headed to the rear of the ship to take in what is considered one of the best sunset sets in all of the world. In the end, if my wife & I had one place to pick to visit again it would be Santorini. Though locals told us the beginning or end of the season is the best time to visit since during peak season as many of 8-10 cruise ships can be anchored any give day making Thira & even Oia very crowded. Athens was our next stop, and like our other stops we took a bus tour to the Acropolis. We left out Piraeus getting good bus tour through the city. The group made a short stop the spot where the first modern Olympics were held. The route to Acropolis was very winding threw the city but we finally reached our destination. Our tour guide gave us our ticket and told us what time to meet back the bus. We then walked up to entrance, and upon reaching there you begin to be screamed at by Athenian tour guides trying to move the crowds in & out the Acropolis. Reaching the summit you get to see the sight of the Parthenon. The Parthenon then, still, and for sometime in the future is going under restoration. Scaffolding covers certain sections of building and parts of the Acropolis are covered with blocks of marble being repaired or replaced. The experience is still exciting and the site allows from some great views of city of Athens. After returning to bus we stopped for a bathroom break at tourist shop run by a "friend" of the tour guide. We then proceeded back to the ship. It was unfortunate that my wife & I had to choose visiting the Parthenon or Athens History Museum. I hope they offer future shore excursions that include both. All in I enjoyed the experience greatly, though my wife found the Acropolis a bit boring.Dubrovnik, Croatia was surprisingly enjoyable port. We took the tender ashore and a bus to Old Dubrovnik. Its massive stone walls were very impressive. My wife & I headed to well known photo gallery dealing with the Yugoslavian/Bosnian conflict. The gallery was quite small for the entrance fee, but still a moving experience. After that we left headed into the city shopping at some of the local stores and enjoying the scenery. When finished we headed to the Nautika for lunch. Nautika is upscale seafood restaurant with a well known reputation in Europe. With the help our waiter DJ on the Millennium my wife & I got a very beautiful table on the porch overlooking ocean. The food was fantastic and I had the best calamari I've ever had in my life. Dubrovnik is quaint and very enjoyable destination and I look forward to the chance to visit there again in the future.Our final port was Venice. It is an interesting experience heading into port past St. Marco's square on a cruise ship. Once there you can easily take a water taxi from the port to St. Marco's. My wife & I then headed out on foot by ourselves to take in the city. Contrary to what many people had told us the city really had no odor and was pretty clean. Of course you do have to very careful of pigeons in St. Marco's square. My wife & I had a women walking right in front us get a hair full of poop. I would recommend walking in the covered areas as much as possible around the square. We decided not to take a gondola ride because of the high cost, plus my wife does not like small boats. We enjoyed our time walking and taking in the buildings and shopping in the many stores of all kinds variety. Venice ended up a lot better then what my wife & I expected since so many people had made negative comments about it before we left. It was definitely a very enjoyable place to visit.All in all the the honeymoon was fantastic and Celebrity & the Millennium lived up to nearly all the expectations and opinions I had heard before going on the cruise. Both my wife & I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone in the future minus maybe visiting Naples.

Cabin Review

Ocean View 4

Cabin 04

Once aboard we headed to our stateroom, Celebrity advised us they would not be ready for another 2 hours but when we got there our room was clean & our luggage had arrived. My wife quickly took a nap since she was recovering from a bad bought of hay fever she had gotten while we were in England before the cruise. Our room was 9000; ocean-view stateroom, on Sky Deck. The room was very large since our room was one of the few ocean-view on the deck, and apparently where the balcony was normally located we had an additional small pull-out couch and storage space. Closet & storage space was ample for all our luggage (which is a lot for a 2 week cruise). My wife was very impressed with the two vanity mirrors in the room. Our room also had a full couch which was very nice. The bathroom was a nice size for the size of room we had. The stateroom's TV & ordering system was easy to use and figure out. We used the TV a few times to order room service & breakfast during the trip. Room service was always delivered quickly and nearly always on time. Both our primary & secondary stateroom attendants were very polite and friendly throughout the cruise. Clean towels and other items were always in good supply. Since we were honeymooning, I had booked honeymoon package. The items were always promptly delivered on time for every night we were to receive them. The only issue we had with our room during the cruise is was located near a crew entrance for the bridge area. A few times during the cruise my wife & I were awoken by crew members coming & going through the door.

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