On July 11, 2014, My wife and I and two other couples boarded the Millennium in Seward. The only outstanding experience is the short boarding time. Being that we were Aqua class, my friends and I expected a little better attention. Other than free water, some tea, binoculars for use, and terry robes, the rooms were just adequate. The staff was polite and did their job..no better, no worse. However, eating dinner in the Blu restaurant was for the most part a major disappointment. Since the food was delivered a deck below by escalator, it was often served late and usually cold or lukewarm. Our waiter did the job of waiter and busboy, and did his best to make our dinner enjoyable. He was outstanding! Often, we were tempted to eat in the main dining room which, by the way, had sometimes better choices on the menu. On the third day, after complaining to the maitre'd, things got better. The food on the ship was just ok, very little that was memorable. The only place we had a fabulous dinner was the Olympic at $45 extra.
The ship as a whole seemed like it need some painting attention as some pipes on the balconies showed rust. Some parts seemed tired and worn. There was also a toilet smell in the hallway, but thankfully not in our room.
On the plus side were the ports of call and entertainment. With an exception of a fiords tour which was much too long that it became somewhat boring. The rest we took were very good. The captain and crew were wonderful and did their best to show the passengers the best of cruising Alaska.
As far as we were concerned, the only difference between lowest fare passengers and Aqua class passengers was the Aqua class logo on your boarding card!