My spouse and I have just returned home from an Alaska CruiseTour with the cruise portion on the Millennium. Cruise started 6/21 from Vancouver and ended in Seward on 6/28. Following is my review of the cruise portion of the trip. If there is any interest, I can do a follow-up post of the land portion.
Background: This was our first cruise on Celebrity and our 5th cruise overall. Prior cruises have been in Caribbean on RCCL and DCL ships. Neither my spouse or I are 'picky' travellers. I view food as fuel and generally won't notice food quality unless it is really good, or really bad. I'm generally happy with any accommodation that has indoor plumbing, hot water, and a good mattress.
Summary: Inconsistent service and quality with a major disappointment in the itinerary. The major disappointment was that we did not get to view the Hubbard Glacier - which is billed as the highlight of the cruise. The morning we sailed into Yakutat Bay, there was fog so dense that you could not see the bow of the ship from the stern. Five miles from the glacier, the Captain made the announcement that lack of visibility had made navigation through the ice floes too dangerous and that he would have to turn around if fog didn't lift within 30 minutes. 30 minutes later we turned around. All of the crew I talked to, many who had been on Millie for other seasons, said that this was the first time this had happened. I later learned that this was only the 2nd Alaska cruise for this Captain. He had boarded in Seward the prior week. I will always wonder if a Captain who had a season of Alaska cruising under his belt would not have been so quick to turn around.
Quiet. Convenient to aft elevator and library.