We generally cruise Royal but decided to try something differently and go with their sister line. Everything we had heard was good and how can you not like Alaska? The 7 day north bound cruise was truely awe inspiring. The wildlife and amazing landscapes will be remembered forever. The shore excursions really gave us a wonderful view of this wilderness and its creatures. All of the folks running the excursions were extremely helpful and informative. We were thrilled to see the Hubbard Glacier right from our balcony! That's the good... now the bad. In the cabin, a missing hiinge in the closet made opening it sound like a horror movie special effect and a the tile in the shower was coming loose and kept sticking me in the bottom of the foot. The food was only mediocre despite great service. We ate one night in the Tuscan Grill and were not impressed and didn't go back. The Qzine restaurant is amusing. Two folks making a common dinner menu that both will eat can be either fun or a receipe for a domestic dispute. We enjoyed it. The Amin dining room food was OK but nothing to write home about. The lack ff a burger or hit dig station in the Oceanview Cafe was a minor annoyance. The music in the bars was spotty. The lack of a piano bar was especially disappointing. The two string players were good but each night they only played for two 45 minute sets and then were gone. The Bar ran out our favorite beverage and we were told there was more in the store room "but we cant find it"...After two days, and a call to the concierge, they found it and had to back in stock for our final two nights. The staff did all they could to make the trip memorable and maybe I'm being picky but it's back to RC for us. Read Less

My wife and I are first time cruisers. We took this cruise for our Honeymoon. We also live in Mexico but even with with the not-so-favourable Exchange rate I feel the overall cost of the cruise was very affordable, considering. This is obviously a Budget orientated trip for us but with a few consessions. I had read plenty of reviews before taking this cruise and most of them seem to be from the point of view of older, retired travellers. So I thought it would be appropriate to write a review from the point of view of someone a bit younger. First off, getting through customs, check-in, etc was super easy and quick. One thing I have read in the reviews is that they vigorously check if you have any alcohol over the limit allowed. Well we bought 2 bottles of Don Julio 70 tequila from Mexico for some family friends who we will visit in Seattle after the cruise. Plenty of times we tried to get them documented so they could be kept safe and looked after and given back to us at the end of the trip and no one took them for us! We ended up taking them onboard and then I had 2 bottles of tequila with me that I couldn`t open as they are gifts(A bottle of DJ70 costs easily twice or more in the USA tan what it does in Mexico)! Just once did someone try to sell us the drinks package, I don´t know if that is because we look like the type of couple that does not drink/spend much or drinks or what! Another thing I read in the reviews was that the ship was not very well looked after and the staff were not very courteous. I must say that that certainly was not the case for us! I have spent a lot of time backpacking around the Americas and Asia, paying $1 per night to sleep in dirty 20+ person dorm rooms, spent months living out of a small bag, eating cheap Street food, etc, so my first impressions of the Celebrity Millennium were of luxury! She does show her age everywhere but she is very well looked after. We are in inside stateroom 8119. There seems to be plenty of engine noise here but seeing as we live in Mexico City it doesn’t really bother us. The inside stateroom was small but for me and my wife it was perfect. I don’t need lots of room and we had everything we needed to sleep and bathe. It does feel old and outdated but it is tidy and in good condition. The pillows in the stateroom were a bit thick for us. We slept well over night, no problema with the ship`s movement or noise. The food in the restaurant was generally really good. Remembering that I am used to eating off the Street. Some dishes did not look super well presented but everything tasted nice and the servers were always courteous to us. The food in the Oceanview café was a lot better than I had expected too. A large variety of food and nice thin crusted pizza. Great views as well. The spa café was my favorite. We would head to the gym in the morning, go for a swim and a spa, then head to the spa café for breakfast. The staff were always very nice to us and the food really yummy. Plus it was always a lot less busy that the Oceanview. As for the rest of the restaurants I can´t say as we did not visit then(budget cruise). We did have a few martinis at the Martini bar and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed them. We ordered a Martini flight ($26 + tax) (to celebrate me receiving my degree), which was 7 small martinis in different flavours. The gym was tidy, if not a little small. The exercise machines only have provisions for older ipods/iphones but my heart rate strap with bluetooth linked to each machine immediately each time. The swimming pools were nice, if not in a little need of maintenance. Kids are allowed in the inside pool from 3 to 7 so avoid during those times if you can. The entertainment each night in the theatre was excellent. There were dance shows through to comedy acts. My wifes likes the dance shows while I enjoy the comedy. One night there was a comedian/singer called Shawn O´Shea. Super fun and a barrel of laughs! Celebrity has really made an effort with the entertainment. Mickey and Chelsea, the naturalists, were excellent.. Always really helpful and motivated during their presentations. I highly recommend attending their, “Alaskan Lifers” (or something like that) presentations each evening where they present a little bit of history and things to do in the next port of call. Steve, the cruise director, was always nice and courteous to everyone. I am sure he was tired at the end of the cruise but he was always smiling and taking the time to stop and chat to people. Christian, our room attendant, knew our name from day one, whenever he saw us coming he would stop what he was doing and would go and open our stateroom door and hold it open for us, even if he had to walk half the hallway to do so. We virtually never saw him in our room, he was like a ghost in that respect. We would leave the room to go get something to eat, come back and it was all tidy and clean! Overall every single staff member was always nice to us, saying hello, offering to help, etc. We would be collecting up our plates in the OceanView café and they would come running to take the plates. We felt rude just leaving them there but they always came to take them for us. Just a really great and welcoming atmosphere in every aspect. We were also super lucky when we went to Hubbard Glacier to get very close to the face. Just being there in that atmosphere on the ship was incredible. The only complaints(if you can really call them that) was that most nights during the cruise the service was slow in the main Metropolitan restaurant. More than once we had to rush out without dessert(horrible, I know) so we could catch that nights show. Also, during one of the silent disco nights(highly reccommended!) I asked the DJ if he could put salsa on the Latin channel. He was a little bit rude in saying no to me. In finishing, and bearing in mind that this was our first cruise, I cannot say enough good things about it. My wife and I went in with low expectations after reading all the negative reviews but were very pleasantly surprised. I think some of the guests need to change their attitude. Yes the crews work hard and may be tired, yes the ship is old(I was told that apparently she will be going in for a complete refurb soon),yes the food may not be perfect, etc. But if you are going to spend your whole cruise just complaining about everything, are you really going to enjoy yourself? And maybe you would be better off going somewhere else? Do your research first so you know what to expect(or in our case, to be very pleasantly surprised). Maybe these guests need to spend a few months backpacking around South East Asia so they can see how other people live and travel and so they can learn to appreciate just how good the cruise really is and how good they really have it. As I get older I learn to let the smaller things go and see the world for how beautiful it really is, and it just bugs me seeing people complain about some silly trivial issue while they miss the world going by. Yes, this was our first cruise so we have nothing to compare it to but I really do feel the negative reviews are not justified. When we debarked and we felt really sad to go. In just one short week we really feel that we had made the ship our home. When you step on the Celebrity Millennium, I urge you to look past the faded paint/varnish, old carpets, etc and just leave any prejudices at home and enjoy in for what it is; a comfortable way to cruise Alaska and see all the beautiful sights. Read Less

This was our first Alaska cruise and our third cruise with Celebrity. Compared to other cruise lines I thought the food was very good and the service was great in most places. The only place we weren't pleased with the service was the martini bar - a couple of the bartenders were arrogant and made you feel like a second class passenger if you don't purchase the premium drink package. Otherwise, though, the service in every other part of the ship was outstanding. We went to the after-dinner shows almost every night and thought they were very well done. One night we even went to the "silent" disco, which turned out to be a lot of fun too - I'd recommend checking that out. We ate dinner in the dining room every night and the food was consistently very good - and the sommelier and beverage staff were also very helpful. I had some question on our folio on the last sea day and went to the guest services desk and they were also very helpful and accommodating.Though I didn't get full resolution before we disembarked, the guy who was helping me really went above and beyond to be helpful. Read Less

We travelled with 3 seniors in their 70s, my 46 year old daughter and her 14 and 12 year old kids. We had an outstanding experience. The staff was very helpful and always had a smile . Our cabin steward Cliff was a genie. We rarely saw him but even if we left our cabin for a few minutes, we returned to find things tidied up and our bedspread perfectly smoothed. We went to the entertainment 5 nights and each show we saw was well worth a $50.00 ticket. (though of course we didn't have to pay). We ate breakfast and or lunch in the Oceanside grill and found the food good with lots of variety. At peak times it was a little dicey finding a table. We ate dinner in the Metropolitan Restaurant which was an exceptional 4 star experience. We had the same table every night next to a window. Our waiter Arun from India was very attentive and helpful as was his assistant Nelson. There was an excellent variety and very well prepared appetizers, entrees and desserts. I really miss the wonderful food and their attentive service. We saved a little money by getting an inside cabin which worked fine for sleeping, showering and storing our purchases. There was plenty of chairs and lounging areas to sit out on various decks and watch the beautiful scenery. It was great that there was plenty for the teenagers to do. They particularly enjoyed the pool, hot tubs, playing ping pong and the disco. I went to the "silent disco" with them which was a unique experience that I enjoyed. We took 3 of the excursions (the Skagway train, the whale watching trip and misty fiords) which weren't misty because it was 75 out. I've been on other cruises and my only concern going in was the size of the ship. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't seem crowded and was very comfortable. Celebrity staff were all very helpful and I'm looking forward to using Celebrity to see the Caribbean. Read Less

Having been on 12 cruises I can definitively say that this ship did not live up to the hype of Celebrity Cruise Lines. I know it is going into dry dock soon for a major upgrade but man, the wear and tear is visible everywhere and the staff are largely untrained and do not speak good English. There were a few very good people working on board who could hold a conversation but many you had to exhaustively repeat yourself to and then finally give up because they couldn't understand you. That aside, the itinerary itself was good except for excursions. These need work. Icy Straight Point Ocean Raft was basically a drive out into the ocean and back and paled in comparison to the day before where knowledgeable guides worked to ensure you got your monies worth from the trip. Likewise, the last day excursion of Kart Adventure, again, it was basically a drive out into the bush to bake in the abnormally sunny and humid day and then drive back. We had 100 times the fun on the same type of excursions we booked ourselves in Denali. Buffet had a ton of Indian vegetarian items but not much American, loads of "fish" signs that one could not decipher what they were eating (am I eating crappy Chinese Tilapia or a local fish?) Aside from that, we ate in the main dining room one day and decided that since it wasn't amazing that we would just eat at the buffet and not have to change our clothes to go sit with perfect strangers. (We like Norwegian much better as they don't force you to do this nonsense) We did have an unlimited premium beverage package and WIFI. The only problem was that you had all bars having only certain things and often they were out or didn't know where to find things so it was hard to enjoy this premium capability when you were reduced to one or two choices that you can get at home for cheap. In concierge class (which we paid extra for), the upside was special pillows to choose from but aside from that I don't see what we paid for...warm seafood based snacks delivered to our room and discovered well into the late hours of the night (as in when did they arrive? Are they safe to eat? What is it?) We just set it outside for fear that it was too old to safely eat. I would skip that if I were the cruise line. Gross. Cabins were cleaned nicely and promptly on a daily basis. Laundry service is $50 a bag...need I say more. Entertainment was from the 90's. I've seen better on other cruise ships, we tried two shows and walked out. No trivia games, other day time activities other than opportunities for the cruise line to upsell you on something or sell their goods from the shops. Again, other cruise lines like Norwegian do this way better....must have day time activities for adults that don't involve buying things. They did have a nice tea time in the buffet daily but it wasn't advertised which I thought was strange. Why not tell people about something you are doing? Instead it was listed very vaguely in the program guide for the day on the back page. I didn't even discover it until day 4. That's about all that is worth mentioning. Embark and Disembark was smooth. Back bar overlooking the ocean was the only one worth going to... Read Less

This cruise offered the ports and timeframe that best suited us, Vancouver to Seward. We had cruised Celebrity before in the Ssky Suite. This time we were in a superior veranda suite which seemed a little tight. There was plenty of storage space but we were constantly ducking either other and waiting to open a door or cabinet. It was spotlessly clean though and the bed was very comfortable. We had a couple minor issues which were quickly corrected. Our cabin attendant was super. In fact all the crew were exceptionally professional and friendly. Very impressed with the entertainment which was varied and all very good, probably the best overall of any cruise we’ve been on. Food in main dining room was generally above average to quite delicious. Buffet was spotty, some tasty, some bland. Breakfast was generally good. Hard to find a table in the buffet if you went in prime time. Qsine was terrific. Did not use room service. Table in room was so small it would have been hard for two to eat on it. Specialty coffee shop very good. We did not do any ship excursions as they seemed overpriced as compared to private ones easily booked online. Embarkation and disembarkation were very smooth and quick. Efficient in ports also. Good selection in shops. Too much photo hyping but we dodged it. Read Less

Though it's been many years since I have done a Celebrity cruise on the Summit, it was a memorable cruise and I always held other cruises to that standard. Celebrity is not what it used to be. The service was not very good overall. Particularly in the buffet area. The food was disappointing for the most part, as well as it's presentation. The buffet was so-so and the deserts were awful for the most part. Most of the cakes feel like they drenched in water. Possibly from unfreezing? The main dining lacked luster as well and same issues with food. They served things like cold lava cake and ice cream? Nobody ate it at the table. Every night I was hounded with the waiter trying to get us to eat in their speciality dining. I kept telling him, why do I want to pay more for what should be perfectly good food. The shows that were offered were good, but the cruise overall lacked a "fun" component. They didn't offer enough comedy shows. I think this was my last cruise with Celebrity. Read Less

We chose this cruise for an easy, indulgent one week vacation (live in Victoria so no long flights or time changes to deal with). We have cruised several times on Celebrity, and really like their overall service. Sure, like all cruise lines there is more and more pushing for packages etc...but they don't make it uncomfortable and it was quite low key on this cruise. The ship Very good shape, contrary to some of the reviews. We are fairly picky, but had no complaints. In my opinion not much different from Equinox that we last sailed on. Dining We had aquaclass so ate most of our meals in Blu. Top notch...both food and service. The wine steward was very good (best we have had). Really like the more intimate space in Blu. We had a couple of meals in the Tuscan Grill, which was up to usual standards. I always try not to eat too many appies, but failed again and was too full by the time our fantastic main courses showed up!!! Our 2nd meal there was with a couple of the officers (HR and Houskeeping) and was even better (hard to believe)...we really enjoyed the meal and the company!! Kudos to all that arranged this for us (thanks Graeme!!). We did get a wine package (5 bottles) which was not a bad deal. Entertainment and Activities We cruise a fair bit, and being lazy this time skipped most of the entertainment. Saw one show which was good...from what others said most of the shows were pretty good. Service Overall service was good to excellent throughout the ship. I can't recall better on average. Lots of instances where we noticed staff going the extra mile...and did not seem forced. Nice feel. Ports We have done the same itineraries before (RCL) so did not go for any orgainized excursions. jUst went for good walks in all the ports (weather was very good). Our best day was in Juneau....lovely sunny day and we took the bus to Mendenhall glacier and hiked the walking trails there....what a lovely day that was. The day we went to Hubbard Glacier was also fantastic...in my mind (being a native on the west coast) this is the wow factor in Alaska. The naturalist on board made it even better with his commentary etc. Icy Point was a nice change. Make an effort walk into the town (not far) and meet some of the great people there. Captains Club We are elite, so get some nice perks on Celebrity. We were lucky on this cruise to have Graeme as our host...we had some great chats and he certainly went out of his way to make sure all CC passengers had a great time. Graeme - if you read this know that we really enjoyed our talks and it made our trip so much more...hopefully our paths will cross again some day!! We loved the daily CC event...met some other great passengers. Our past few cruises we had the drink package...and while that is nice, it is a shame the daily get together with drinks and appies suffers. All of the servers at the daily cocktail event were excellent. I can't recall all the names, but the lovely young woman from Mexico was especially sweet! Overall If you like Celebrity....you will like Millenium. Do not fret over some of the reviews....we were a bit nervous (what a waste of time). This ship has a good feel and is certainly NOT run down. Thanks to all the staff and crew that gave us such a wonderful week!!! Marcus and Val Read Less

We chose this cruise because of its itinerary, activities, and dress code. We were taking our three adult children and spouses, and seven grandsons and felt this ship matched their needs. We booked fhree inside cabins across from four balcony cabins and this worked out very well. The cabin steward for all of us, Ahmed, was absolutely wonderful. Cabins were a bit smaller than we have experienced on other lines ( only a love seat not a sofa), but there was adequate storage and hanging space. The refrigerator was small and filled with their products for sale. The bathroom was fine with a larger shower than usual on cruise ships. The ship is getting older, but we found it to be very clean. The Oceanview Cafe was fine for breakfast and lunch although there were times it was hard to find a table; pizza was very good. The Cafe was a disappointment at dinner time and we ended up eating dinner in the Dining Room most nights. The cafe is sprawling and it does take time to find everything. Dining room staff were very good with one exception; on one evening our grandsons (ages 18-25) were told they could only have one entree. While the portions are very adequate for us "old folks", they were not nearly enough for the boys. The problem was quickly resolved by another waiter. I did not like having to weave my way through the casino to get from one end of the ship to the other. The setup includes chairs that intrude upon the walking space. The photographers were not the best and our $25.00 photos were of poor quality. Read Less

This was a family trip and 4 of the 5 of us had never been on a cruise before. It was a wonderful first time experience. The service was everything we expected and more. My brother in law was severely injured a couple of weeks before and required a wheelchair for the trip. The staff was always more than willing to help and always with a smile. Our rooms were always spotless. Our room steward was friendly, very helpful and very efficient. We had seen some comments about the ship being old and worn but we didn't find it to be in bad shape and the crew was constantly working on cleaning, painting, maintaining, etc. We had an ocean view cabin and found it to be comfy and had plenty of room. My favorite spot was sitting in the window!! We found the food and the service in the main dining room to be excellent. There were plenty of options to please everyone. The buffet was not as impressive as we thought it might be (but then we are big fans of Vegas buffets so that is hard to beat!). Breakfast was much better in the main dining room than the buffet but we found the buffet was good for lunch or a late night snack. All ports in Alaska were beautiful of course! We booked our excursions through Celebrity and enjoyed all of them very much. I would particularly recommend the Helicopter and dog sledding on Norris Glacier and the Salmon Bake at Gold Creek in Juneau. Both were AMAZING! Both embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly with the exception of one misplaced bag which they found and got to the airport before our flight left. As for Vancouver.... whereas it was clean and friendly I think the best thing about it was that it was where we got on the ship! It is much prettier from a distance as you sail away than it is up close and we didn't find much of interest to do in the day and a half we were there prior to sailing. Most of the entertainment was excellent with the exception of the comedian who was really not funny. We booked our next cruise 3 days into this one!! Booked a sister ship with the same set up and even booked the exact same room we had this time! We might be hooked!! Read Less