cachouonacruise

The shows at the theatre are at 7 and 9 PM. Sadly, I just disposed a few days ago, all my daily planner copies, so I no longer have them. Sorry!

We just ended a cruise on Millenium on March 11. During that cruise, one or more persons at our table ordered either two appetizers or two entries. It seems to me, that the second appetizer, for example, could be served "as requested" either one after the other or both at the same time! And on lobster night, giving the relatively small size of the lobster tail, I personally ordered a mushroom risotto ( second entree) to be served at the same time of the lobster. None of us had any problems with our additional or special requests. No additional costs for any of us. Celebrity Millenium provided an excellent, professional, courteous service in the MDR. We were all extremely pleased! Bravo Celebrity!

You have to understand where I come from. In my nick of the woods, buried under piles of snow, wildlife is rare... Chickens in our land, are sadly left in barns with very little room to walk about... never seen in the streets. So, seeing a colourful chicken roaming free in a dry street, under the beautiful Caribbean sun really hit the mark! I finally reached the wonderful world of Oz!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

We were travelling with a few other people, and as it turned out, we spent more time in the Martini Bar than the Rendez-vous Lounge. There were quite a few interesting activities like karaoke and dancing planned in that Lounge, but somehow, we did not manage to make it there.

This will be a detailed post, therefore to help people less interested in details, I will begin with a short summary and add a few destination pictures at the end. Our itinerary: Southern Caribbean: San Juan Puerto-Rico, St Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands, St.Kitts, St. Johns Antigua, St. Lucia, Bridgetown Barbados and return to San Juan. Summary: After hearing about post pandemic cut-backs and taking into account that Millenium is an older ship, I was a bit concerned. This said, the relatively recent refurbishing of the ship made it look almost new, and the service on board was exemplary. Our cabin attendant and our Sommelier were amongst the best we've ever had. Our waiter was nice and effective. Staff at the Martini Bar was impressive. We loved the food in the MDR and Sushi at 5. We only went once at the Ocean View Cafe and it was good. We attended almost all shows at the theatre, and with one exception we really enjoy them. We loved most of our ports with a bit of a negative point for St-Lucia, due to the amount of littering in the ocean. In conclusion, our cruise experience on Millenium was a really beautiful, which we will remember fondly. Details: Cabin: Our cabin 8161 was well located near the aft elevator with a bit of a slanted balcony. It's not a huge cabin, but space management was really functional. It was spotlessly clean and the bed and pillows extremely comfortable. Our balcony was a bit bigger thanks to the slant and perfect for our needs. Our Cabin attendant gave us the best welcome aboard we've never had, may be because we checked-in late at 19h due to a delayed flight. Food: In the Cosmopolitan MDR, we were seated on Deck 5, at table 459, near the railing and the back window. Beautiful location! Our Sommelier was an expert, really attentive to our likes and dislikes and made sure to match our wines with our food. We always found something we liked on the menu and the food was always well presented and delicious. Our assistant waiter was effective with the water, the bread and dip and always took time to explain what he was serving or bring more when requested. Our waiter was accurate and effective in his work. he never refused to bring us more than one appetizers upon request or more than one entry. He never became confused with our unusual requests. Lobster night: previous posters were correct. The lobster, although well presented, is indeed quite small. As a result, we all complemented that dish with a second entry and it worked really well! The Ocean View Cafe layout seemed a bit different to me, from what I thought I remembered from Constellation or Infinity. This said, we only went once and the food was good. The hamburgers and fries and the Mast Grill were really delicious! Sushi on 5, it was our second cruise using that specialty restaurant for lunch and we were not disappointed! Every element of our lunch was delicious, well presented and the service very professional. Internet. On this cruise, I wanted to test what I could do with the basic internet. So, I was able to access Facebook and Messenger, to post text and pictures on both and to receive emails. I was not able to access my bank account, the site ArriveCan, or the result of a Google search on weather forecast for home. (I already knew that I could not do Facetime or streaming so I did not try). So, it was a pretty bleak internet experience Entertainment: Like everything else, this is very subjective. But in my opinion, we also had some of the best shows at sea produced on M or S Class ships.. We attended he following: Boogie Wonderland: For personal reasons, this show really, really touched me. We loved it. The Magic of Gabriel: Sadly, this show missed the mark completely. Nobody in our group of 6 had much positive to say about this show. Furthermore, as an asthmatic person, I wish they would include a warning when they plan to use smoke effects... It makes my breathing efforts much more challenging. Elysium, our second production show. It was good and entertaining, this said, and it's not the only ship I have experienced that issue, when the whole cast is singing together, it almost feels that some singers are trying to sing over the others, reaching voice levels that are not always pleasant to hear. Barricade Boys: We sadly missed it. Touch of shine: This was one of the best shows involving two acrobats/aerialists. The combination of their movements, costumes, music and cinematography really touched us. Really well done! iBroadway was the last production show and with a few minor issues mentioned above, it really was a fun and entertaining show. The costumes, the lighting and the transitions from one segment to the other were all very well done. The Abba segment was particularly enjoyable. Very good show! Bars: The staff at the Martini bar was excellent and impressive in their showmanship! Furthermore, their drink selection is excellent. The Sky Lounge Bar, we enjoyed the Zodiac drinks a couple of times and the bar attendent was really kind. Now the Ports: St. Thomas: We went on our own for some shopping and ended up having lunch at the Tickles Dockside restaurant. The food was really delicious and the setting really enjoyable. St.Kitts: Our ship's excursion was cancelled the night before at 21h30. By the time we learned about it, the Shore Excursion Desk was closed. So, we felt a bit stranded for a while. Then, the next morning, we booked a cab to go to a beach, saw beautiful landscapes on the way and spent some time on a beach where rhum and chicken wings are well renowned. St. Johns, Antigua. We took a catamaran tour with a lobster lunch. (A ship excursion sub contracted to Tropical Adventures Antigua). Wow! The crew was really animated, the beaches were beautiful, and the lobster lunch....Deeelicious! St. Lucia. I had so much hope about this port...and I sadly was underwhelmed. We again went on a catamaran excursion with lunch; however, the crew was less animated, the lunch was O.K., and the beach more difficult to manage. For example, on our last beach, we had to go down the ladder and jump into about 4 feet of water....climbing back to the ladder from that 4 feet of water proved to be more challenging for all the guests. But most importantly, as we were sailing away from St. Lucia, we observed a significant amount of debris floating in the water. Curious and concerned about this aspect, I asked our guide what could explain this amount of garbage in the water, for example, did a boat recently sink or what? The response I received left me dumbfounded. The guide told me that St. Lucians don't really have an issue about littering.... Bridgeport, Barbados. We went to the Carlisle Bay Beach Resort. This excursion brought us from...the ugliness of the street to the most beautiful beach, we encountered! Triple wow! Beautiful white sand beach, so soft for the feet and not hot; nice reserved chairs and umbrella, and to top it off, a welcome drink, a "light" lunch that was absolutely delicious. Definitely our best beach experience! In conclusion we really had for the most part, a beautiful and enjoyable cruise. I am presenting this information in case it could help future cruisers. Enjoy the pictures below:

Things may have changed, but for our Alaska sailing in 2018, the cruise fare changed significantly after final payment. Right away, we were informed that we would not be given any refund, however, we were upgraded freely from Ocean View stateroom to AquaClass. In conclusion, my suggestion would be to call Celebrity and check with them, if there would be another way to be compensated for the price change. Good luck!

In my opinion, one the main key positives about using FBC, in addition to have their support when things do not go as planned ( at least, having them as an option) is the ability to book now pay later. This is particularly interesting for people like myself, not buying the most expensive type of fully refundable airfare, allowing me at no cost, to change the airfare (find a better deal) or just to cancel. Direct booking with airlines do not normally offer that option unless you book business or first class.

I may be late to join this thread, because I was not sure what my answer would be, although it is an interesting question. We have not yet sailed an Edge class ship. We're booked on the Edge in February 2024, so my answer may change. On the S class ship, we sailed Silhouette and Solstice. In this class, Silhouette wins, mainly because of the Porch Restaurant and the World Class Bar . On Solstice, the Hot Glass Show and the Cellar Master Bar did not meet my expectations. On the M Class ships, we sailed Infinity and the Constellation. (Booked to sail on the Millenium this Saturday.) I would not be able to pick a winner. I loved our experience on both ships! M Class versus S Class: Love the glass elevators overlooking the ocean on the M Class and the location of the MDR. On M Class, love the smaller group of passengers. While on the S Class, restaurants like Murano and the Porch were really enjoyable experiences. So....still a draw. I would book either class in a heartbeat!

Hi OP, Regarding your stop in Rome, if your hotel is not booked yet, I would recommand you check if the Navona Queen Hotel could be suitable for you. The location is fantastic! Within 5 minutes walking distance, you will find little shops, restaurants and pedestrians streets leading to the Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Within 30 minutes walking distance, you can reach the Vatican and its museums in one direction, while going another way, you can reach the coliseum, and the forum. In another direction, the Trevi, Fontana and the Spanish steps. The hotel is more like a bed and breakfast. Our room was very clean, though a bit small by American Standards. Breakfast was very good. Furthermore, the hotel has a roof top terrace with a bar. Beautiful views and for a fee, you can rent a hot tub. Being a Bed and Breakfast, the price was quite interesting in comparison to other lodging in the areas. If I ever have the chance to go to Rome again, I will book this place with no hesitation. Enjoy your cruise!

Wow! Thanks for sharing this positive new development!

My question to Mr. Liberty: A lot of the effort made in ship design and on-board experience seems to be extremely focused on Suite guests. Although I understand that suite guests contribute significantly more financially, are you aware that Celebrity's decision to deprive non-suite guests of a forward view venue on Edge Class ships, is making these non-suite guests ( beside the gym) feeling like annoying mosquitoes the cruise line has to endure?

Thank-you very much for your review. We will be on Edge ( for our first Edge Class cruise) next year.

It's been my experience that my special requests, regarding MDR seating arrangements have been fairly successful by taking the following actions: Including our request in my reservation, And as soon as possible, once aboard, go to the MDR to say hello to the Maitre D. Maitre Ds have been quite helpful and if something can be arranged to meet your needs, they will do it. Mind you, we always use the classic dining option. ( same set time).

The "all included" fare normally includes basic internet, classic beverage package and gratuities, unless something has changed very recently.

I agree with previous posters. Our 14 day cruise last June on Silhouette was a blast. We definitely enjoyed our traditional Cafe al Bacio and Martini Bar and discovered a few new experiences: Mixology and drinks at the World Class Bar and our lunch experience at the Porch Restaurant were really enjoyable. We also really pleasant experiences at Sushi on 5 as well as Murano. You won't be bored on Silhouette!

I look forward to your Port Experience Review OrcaGirl. We are sailing a similar itinerary from San Juan next month, on the Millenium.. Thank-you so much for sharing your adventure with us!

Apologies if this has been discussed before. This said, my understanding prior to receive my Edocs, was by reading on these boards and my recent cruise, that Celebrity no longer mail home luggage tags. So, I was mentally prepared to print my luggage tags. This said, I just received Edocs for an upcoming Caribbean cruise in March. On the last page, where the luggage tag is illustrated, the following is mentioned: "For those guests who may not have had an opportunity to order their personalized Bag Tag Mailer through www. celebritycruises.com, please follow the instructions below." This text, made me doubt my understanding about luggage tags and went back to the site, to assess if I could still order them? Nope! No joy! Question: Did Celebrity forget to update the information on the Edocs regarding luggage tags? Already mentioned or worth mentioning to Celebrity? or, is there something I am not understanding correctly?

I joined the Cruise Critics Community to be in communication with people who are passionate about cruising and if possible to learn from them and, who knows to get the opportunity to meet them on board. And I am so glad, I did! Some cruisers on these boards are so generous with sharing their experiences and expertise! Our little cruise community, in my opinion, is very diverse, yet it is reflective of our societies in general. The pandemic, the war, the inflation and the associated political discussions, sadly, have put people on edge, and I have observed, at times, a lack of patience from people agreeing to disagree. In my opinion, there is no need to be rude, with someone writing a different opinion than mine...I just have to go read something else... This lack of patience or flexibility is also at times expressed against changes made by the cruise lines and is reflected on these boards. To survive the pandemic and subsequent inflation pressures, cruise lines have had to make decisions, sometimes very tough. And understandably, these changes are difficult to accept from people accustomed to what used to be. I was also the kind of person reluctant to accept changes....until one of my former bosses told me point blank: better get accustomed to change, because the only thing that will remain constant, is change itself... Positive versus negative feedback regarding Celebrity experiences, is only information to me; as long as the poster clearly describe "why", it was positive or negative. Food appreciation, show appreciation, service appreciation can be very subjective. Something positive or negative can be written on the same experience, based on their perspective. It only becomes pertinent to me if they explain "why". I can then ascertain if I would have also been disappointed? Or also overly satisfied? And then prepare accordingly. In short, I still enjoy reading information on these boards. I still learn so much. Thank-you so much Cruise Critics Members and keep writing!

Thank-you very much for the warning! Are the flies only ashore or also able to get to you on deck? ( My wife is a bit phobic about insects, so I am just trying to assess where in the Sounds is the risk to encounter the flies.). Thanks again for the warning!

Thank-you very much every one for the very interesting suggestions! Lots of ideas to consider! I really appreciate the feedback!

Thank-you very much for the insight! I really appreciate it!

Thank-you very much for the suggestion TMLAalum, I will keep it in mind, since it does not yet seem to be offered by Celebrity at this time. We're still 13 months away from the cruise, may be more options will be posted in the future.

Once again, I am hoping to enhance our Australia/New-Zealand trip, by asking travellers who have experienced it, their feed-back. Your reviews, suggestions and opinions, of Celebrity Excursions will be very much appreciated! We are booked on the Edge for the February 4, 2024, Australia, New-Zealand cruise. It will be our first, and likely last opportunity to travel to that area. Prior to open this thread, I have done my homework, using Googles, Cruise-Critics including the search engine and the Ports Reviews, without finding as much details as I hoped. DW and I, without being athletics, are fully mobile and able to walk long distances and climb steps. What we enjoy: Hands-on experiences with food, culture, sceneries. We're not looking in something too "thrilling" nor too "passive". For example, we have passed the age of going bunjee jumping, yet, we don't enjoy too much sitting on long bus rides, where we only stop for a few photo ops. We're not too interested in museums or "castles" either having had the chance to visit quite a few; unless there is something absolutely unique to discover in that building. I am trying to mix our experiences a bit to enjoy this trip as much as possible. Our budget is not unlimited, yet, for a unique experience, it can be stretched a bit. This said, I am nervous about some of our selections, and I am concerned to miss something really fabulous. I have done a preliminary selection of possible excursions. Please, feel free to comment, if you have done these excursions or believe there is something better to do in that port. Of note, the Celebrity web site is not specific on excursion descriptions regarding the amount of time spent in a bus, a train versus time spent at a specific location. So, this may contribute to my uneasiness. Dunedin: Speights Brewery and Dunedin Panorama Tour. Christchurch: Willowbank Wildlife and Kotane Maori Experience. Wellington: Zealandia Sanctuary and Cable Car Experience. Napier: Hawkes Bay Panorama. Bay of Islands: Glow Worm Caves and Kauri Forest. Thank-you very much in advance, for your time, support and experience sharing.

i am sorry OP, for your challenging experience with FBC. I sure can understand your frustration! This said, flights for my first few cruises had to be dealt directly with the airline, because I was using their frequent flyer program. That process proved to be quite challenging. Then the name issue. Having a French Canadian name, which can be spelled in different ways and is really not well understood by American representatives, I always have to check the spelling immediately after making a reservation, and so far, fingers crossed, it's not been an issue with Celebrity. Furthermore, when the pandemic began, we were booked on a cruise from Hong-Kong to Shanghai. Wrong spot, wrong time! Celebrity initially re-routed the cruise to leave run instead from Tokyo to Singapore. This occurred after final payment. It had been my first time using Flights By Celebrity. Oh boy! Was I glad we did! Our departure and return flights were promptly changed at no cost to us. Then, the cruise was cancelled. FBC promptly refunded our airline tickets, without any issue. Wow! Fast forward to 2022, we booked a cruise to the South Caribbean departing San Juan in March 2023. Initially, the only flights available from our home town, were connecting flights and fairly expensive. Airlines were not completely operational back then. About 4 months later, direct flights became available and appeared to be at approximately the same price. So, I called FBC and our flights were promptly changed ( I was so happy to avoid the stop over, especially during our Canadian winter) and, the resulting price was cheaper by about $100 CDN per person. Had I booked this economy flight directly with the airline, I know, the airline would not have changed it without financial penalty. In conclusion, nothing is perfect and your experience with FBC is a significant testimony to that effect. However, from our perspective, all of our transactions with FBC were positively impressive!

Dear OP, Our cruise experience is a bit similar to yours: We began with 2 RCCL, 2 HAL and now did 4 on X, with two more booked on X. We did the RCCL when we were younger, including one with our children! We really enjoyed their activity programs on both ship. This said we did not sail one of RCCL's mega ships. On HAL, we really feel we had a beautiful "classical" cruising experience. The food was excellent, the Rotterdam was almost a museum in itself, including beautiful artefacts and woodwork. This said, despite being in our fifties, we found HAL a bit too quiet at night. It was a hard transition from RCCL to HAL, and I was not adequately prepared. In short, we thoroughly enjoyed our port days on HAL and I ended up being a bit bored on sea days. I will definitely bring a book to read if I sail HAL again. This said, On HAL we have found memories of the piano bar. Then we found X. It really seems to be a good match for us in this time period in our lives. We are very pleased with the food and service, for the most part. We really enjoy Cafe al Bacio, Trivia, Deal or no Deal, etc. The shows on "M" and "S" Class ships are hit or miss. Some we loved, some not so much. This said, we also loved the service in the MDR, the specialty restaurants, and most bars. The Martini Bar and the World Class bar are particularly enjoyable. The indoor pool for adults only is a nice touch. For some reasons, Celebrity seems to have the correct vibe for us: not too crowded, no too stuffy yet classy. (tip: booking early on Celebrity has been very beneficial for us. We ended up with really good deals). I wish you good luck in finding your cruise line. Personally, I feel like a winner every time I have the opportunity to cruise....regardless of the cruise line.