Celebrity's Millennium

Cruise Ships in Review
Celebrity’s Millennium is Timeless
By Jeff Henderson
I really like this time of year because a lot of the ships come back to Florida after spending the summer in Europe and Alaska and start offering up new choices and itineraries. Celebrity brings several ships back to supplement the Sky and Majesty that are here year round and starts offering 3 and 5 day cruises in addition to their week long cruises. One of my favorite Celebrity ships is the Millennium which at one time was one of the largest ships in their fleet and has recently been refurbished and is a very classy ship to sail on.
The Millennium offers a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary styles which provides a wide variety of venues to enjoy on your cruise. For example, there’s Michael’s piano bar set in what looks like a traditional library compared to Cosmo’s which reminds you of a very modern nightclub. The art which adorns the ship also spans the spectrum from eclectic to contemporary to traditional. From a beautiful Chihuli glass sculpture to a translucent tortoise shell onyx staircase to Japanese Buda mask throughout the stairwells.
The ship holds 1950 passengers and is the first ship to use glass elevators on the outside of the superstructure providing amazing views. There is a great assortment of dinning venues and the food was all around excellent. The main two-story dining room was very comfortable and beautifully appointed. Although the wait staff doesn’t receive individualized tips – tips are typically added onto your bill – they were very gracious, helpful and fun. The buffet up on the top deck had a large number of stations and offered a very wide array of choices including Italian, Indian, healthy options and tempting deserts. Out by the pool, were the standard pizza and hamburger stations. There’s one specialty restaurant called the Olympic. The decor of the restaurant is made from actual pieces from the original Olympic ship and assembled to give you a feeling of the grand days of transatlantic cruising complete with table-top service and a beautiful wine cellar.
A voyage on the Millennium provides a lot of entertainment options. Beyond the usual theater and casino, there’s a steady stream of ongoing events throughout the ship. For example, in Cosmos, there’s the martini show put on by the bar tenders. In Michael’s there’s a nightly sing along show. In the Cova Café de Milano, there’s soft live guitar music or a quartet providing a very enjoyable evening stop-over on your way to the theater or later in the evening
before turning in. There’s Wine Tasting, Galley Tours and the Theater troupe performed on the pool deck several evenings.
The Millennium does something very unique. Whereas most ships do a midnight buffet – which is not only a little late for the average cruiser, but also not the healthiest thing to do before you go to bed, the Millennium offers an elaborate brunch on a sea day. This way, you can sleep in and leisurely enjoy the huge spread in the main dining room and then spend the rest of your day relaxing at sea. The brunch includes waffle stations, every kind of eggs, carving stations, chocolate fountains and even sushi.
The casino was nicely done, but seemed a little small and crowded at times and it felt a little stuffy one evening. They have the standard table games while some of the slot machines were a little dated. I played my $20 limit and actually walked away with $60. The Millennium also provides an indoor pool and solarium for those that want to stay out of the sun and want to enjoy a quieter poolside experience.
Our itinerary this time was a four day cruise with stops in Key West and Cozumel with a day at sea in the beginning and a day at sea at the end. It was a very relaxing, fun filled and intimate quick get-away.