LIVE FROM THE DECKS OF THE MILLIE - 5 night 10/17/11 to 10/22/11 (Tuggers)

[joramrose]

Well, Teri, she is doig it without me too.

 

The medical providers, whose prices keep going over the wall, now have all my cruise money tied up for the next two years at least.

 

how about us planning something for 2014?

 

 

Gail, have a great time Miss your old friends -- but not too much.

 

And keep on posting.

 

love

JoAn

 

Where are Rog and Cil?

[dmwnc1959]

Tuggers I wish you would please reconsider. LIVE threads are important to all of us who are getting ready to cruise and we all value you opinions and input. Hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Please. :o

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Dear Friends,

I have been writing "Live from the decks of on Cruise Critic since 2006. Rarely (if ever) have I had a thread 'hijacked' (well once) but it was not to this extint.

I enjoy doing this and I believe that others on these boards appreciate the way I write them. Its a format that is always the same. Something you can count on. However there must be those who think it is getting stale.

I am going to make you all an offer: I will ask Host Walt or Host Anne to delete this entire thread and I will not be doing this again. I put a lot of thought and work into these postings. Maybe it doesn't always seem that way, but I do. To see it run over is more than I can handle.

If I don't 'talk' to you all again, its been a good run!

Tuggers

 

Gail, not sure what you mean by saying your thread has been "run over." I've been watching for your posts, but haven't seen any. What's happening?

 

I, for one, would miss your "live from" threads. I know it's a lot of work to post from the ship and I appreciate the effort you put into it. So I hope the issue, whatever it is, can be resolved.

[Blue_Flame]

I'm confused:confused:. I enjoy your posts, Tuggers, but I found them on another thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1501849&page=3. It looks like there are two "Live" threads going and most of the posts are over on the other one. Is that what others are finding?

[Porter20]

I'm confused:confused:. I enjoy your posts, Tuggers, but I found them on another thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1501849&page=3. It looks like there are two "Live" threads going and most of the posts are over on the other one. Is that what others are finding?

 

BINGO - I think you have sorted out the issue. As a future Millie Traveler, I welcome as many live reports as possible. Keeping posting! We will keep reading!!

[jcpc]

I think Tuggers thinks that KangarooCruiser "hijacked" her thread....but in reality KangarooCruiser also has a "Live From" thread posted and Tuggers mistakenly posted her information on KangarooCruiser's post!

 

I enjoy both individuals posting about the cruise....and I enjoy reading everyone's postings. I don't think KangarooCruiser has "run over" Tugger's thread......they are both posting Live From reports from the same ship! The more reports the better for everyone reading.

[dmwnc1959]

BINGO - I think you have sorted out the issue. As a future Millie Traveler, I welcome as many live reports as possible. Keeping posting! We will keep reading!!

 

I second that! The more the merrier. :D

[Cruiser Susie]

Dear Friends,

I have been writing "Live from the decks of on Cruise Critic since 2006. Rarely (if ever) have I had a thread 'hijacked' (well once) but it was not to this extint.

I enjoy doing this and I believe that others on these boards appreciate the way I write them. Its a format that is always the same. Something you can count on. However there must be those who think it is getting stale.

I am going to make you all an offer: I will ask Host Walt or Host Anne to delete this entire thread and I will not be doing this again. I put a lot of thought and work into these postings. Maybe it doesn't always seem that way, but I do. To see it run over is more than I can handle.

If I don't 'talk' to you all again, its been a good run!

Tuggers

 

Gail, your thread wasn't hijacked... You accidentally posted on another "Live from the Millie" thread that another person also started at the same time as yours... she is on your cruise, too. It's always wonderful to read your posts and follow along... please take a look and you'll see what happened. We all would miss your sharing of your adventures a great deal.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and take care.

[tuggers]

Millennium October 17th – The Adventure Begins!We left home at 4 AM, bound for the Jacksonville Airport. It was an uneventful 135 miles, with a heavy dew but no rain. With a stop for breakfast we were at the off site airport parking by 6:30. Their shuttle was already there so we were at curbside check in before 7.Jacksonville is a pretty easy airport and they have the new big machine you walk into and it scans you. For some reason they wanted to hand check my left pocket, but other than that it was over quickly. We were at the gate by 7:15 for our 8:20 flight.The Southwest flight was unremarkable. With all the news we had heard about the terrible weather in South Florida we were a little afraid we wouldn’t even get to fly. Except for the fact that we had to keep our seat belts on most of the time it was a good flight. Very little turbulence.Once at FLL we had to call GLS to confirm that we had our luggage and were in the correct area curbside. The shuttle was due at 10 and arrived at 10:05. We had to pick up a group of 11 (10 teenagers 16 to 19 and one adult Uncle) before we could leave the airport. Upon boarding, they immediately turned the radio up and generally behaved like kids with no supervision. We talked to their Uncle, who seemed very nice, but to take 10 teenagers on a ship? We thought he really wasn’t very bright or he would have never agreed to the trip. LOL! But I knew they weren’t on our ship as soon as he said the kids were 4 to a cabin. Don’t think X would go for that. Thankfully, we left them at Carnival Imagination and proceeded to the Millie terminal.The GLS shuttle, FLL to Port Of Miami was $13 each. You must have reservations; you can not just pick them up at the airport. It was a 14 passenger van, professional driver, air conditioned and comfortable. I would definitely take them again. We were checked in and onboard by 11:30. Would have been on 15 minutes earlier but our port check in was with an elderly man who was very sweet but VERY slow. It was raining so we knew we wouldn’t be hurrying to get out by the pool so we just enjoyed the fact that he was so nice and let him go at his own speed.Cabins were not available so we went upstairs to the buffet expecting to find a normal, ‘just getting on the ship and we need food’ crowd but surprisingly the place had very few people. We ate lunch and sat for awhile, watching the drizzling rain and chatting.At 12:30 we decided to go up to Words (library) and find a book while waiting for our cabin to be available. Ships libraries seem to always have comfortable chairs and our cabin (8123) was right at the beginning of the hallway. So it was a great place to wait. This library, unlike some X (and other lines) ships I have been on where the ‘honor’ system of checking books out has resulted in very few books on the shelves, is fairly well stocked. And the books are recent ones. Was easy to find something I would enjoy.At 1 they announced cabins were ready so we went to check ours out. It is a typical 170 sq foot cabin, however I did notice a lack of storage space. The closet where I am used to 3 ‘doors’ of space only has 2. The other closet door opens to a shelf, a safe and about 6 narrow drawers. The desk area has no drawers and no behind the mirror storage but the night stands each have 2. Great for short cruises but if 2 people were in here on a 14 night cruise they might not find it adequate. By 1:30 a two hour nap sounded great so I set the wakeup call and we were asleep practically before I hung the phone up. Now take into consideration that on Saturday night we both had gotten 2 to 3 hours of sleep. On Sunday night, I stayed up packing and got 1 hour of sleep. Judy had a couple hours. So you should understand when I say our nap lasted until 6 PM! We missed muster. We missed the sailaway our roll call had planned. We could have missed dinner! But after the nap, we did feel human again!We made the 7 PM show. As usual, it was a sampling of what is going to be in the upcoming shows. The Celebrity Singers and Dancers were, I thought, a little better than what I’ve seen lately. But the star of the show was Metro Park, the acapella group. They were probably the best I’ve ever seen!Dinner was at 8:30 with a table for ten. On the first night there were only six of us but we were a talkative group and I think everyone had a pleasant evening. The food was typical first night fare. I had the Goat Cheese Tart, Mushroom Soup and the Prime Rib followed by Crème Brulee. It was all very good and our waiter, John and his assistant, Sayleh were both great.After dinner I think I intended to walk through the casino but not sure I ever did. I was in bed, and asleep, before 11! I am such a party person!Bye For Now!

[sandyh422]

We cruised Millie on a 7 day Alaska trip last May. One evening they had a dance contest - Dancing with the Stripes - where audience volunteers were paired with ship's officers. It was so much fun. Just wondering if this contest is being done on Millie's 5 day cruises?

[tuggers]

obviosly thscomputerwill not allw meto postusing fonts,colors, sizes. i illhve to rpost from thgehip.mea culpa!guess my little tirade was uncalled for. i took a Xanex.it´s better now. ñ0

[dmwnc1959]

We all have our moments... ;)

[jackdiamond]

Tuggers, since I am not a computer genius what do you mean by saying that your thread was hijacked?

[JWJs]

obviously thscomputerwill not allw meto postusing fonts,colors, sizes. i illhve to rpost from thgehip.mea culpa!guess my little tirade was uncalled for. i took a Xanex.it´s better now. ñ0

 

So glad to see you carrying on! :) Have you used the Blue Dot in the casino yet?

[judygund]

Gail,

 

Enjoyed your post. Sure is getting me in the mood for our October 28th cruise through the canal.

 

Keep up the good work. I think everyone appreciates it.

 

Hi to Terri and Joann...

 

Judy

[teedee]

Well I was confused for awhile, I didn't realize why Gail wasn't posting, or that there were two threads from the same cruise with very similiar titles.

Gail - I'm glad to read your posts, and even happier you are going to keep posting. Even though I wish I was there, very much so in fact, I thoroughly enjoy reading your reviews. I would hate it if you stopped posting. Especially, since like Joan, I have spent my cruise money for the next year or so on various doctors, hospitals and surgeries! I hope you know I will be joining you again as soon as possible! You are right, that margarini is the perfect drink for me. I can't wait to here about the rest of your cruise.

Hi Judy & Joan, I'm hoping we'll all be cruising together again, sooner rather than later! I hope you enjoy your Panama Canal cruise Judy. The one I did on the Jewel was one of my favorite cruises.

Terri

[tuggers]

Millennium October 18, 2011 Day Two

This morning we went to the Elite Breakfast in Michael’s Club. There were not many people and the food choices were not what I have experienced on other ships..

Fruit, mini muffins and pastries, lox, cream cheese, yogurt. That’s about it. I guess it mostly depends on the chef and how much or how little he wants to do for this venue. On Mercury we had a great chef who was always coming in to ask what he could do better for us. Maybe short cruises are not handled in the same way.

One other thing I noticed was that it was hard to get an order taken for a bar drink or specialty coffees. Saw lots of people go up the bar to order. And I placed an order that was never brought. On this first day I found some of the service lacking. Hopefully it will improve.

The rain is still upon us so no pool time today. There are activities scheduled but nothing really suits our fancy so we waste some time looking around the ship. It is a lovely ship. Not showing her age nearly as much as I thought she would.

At 1:30 we had the Captains Club party. It was a very nice affair that took place in the Cosmos nightclub. I would say the attendance was good, not great, but good.

There was sushi, roast beef carving station and one with crepes and all the trimmings, Those were the only things I saw. Again, not the spread I have seen on other ships, but it was still a nice party.

At 2:30 we had the Slot Pull for the Cruise Critic Roll Call. We had 40 signed up and 35 attended. We used a $1, $3 max bet Wheel of Fortune. We all put in $9 and we got $16 back. Plus we all had about an hour and a half of fun! I think everyone who participated had a really good time! I know I did!

We napped again till 5 and then went up to the Cosmos for the Elite Cocktail hour. We met some people from our roll call there and chatted while we sipped. We left at 6:30 because it was formal night and we had to get out our best jeans so we would look chic! LOL!

I had a drink at the Martini Bar before dinner, a Margaritini. Tequila, sour mix and a couple of other ingredients I don’t remember. It sure was good! I think I could get used to those! Very quickly, in fact! I did force myself to stop at one! (Terri, this would be YOUR drink!!!)

Dinner was good, but not what I expected for formal night,

Grenadine Scented Pineapple

Cold Smoked Atlantic Salmon

Beef Carpaccio

Buffalo Style Frog Legs

Captain’s Fish Bisque

Vegetable Consommé

Chilled Tangerine and Apple Soup

Baby Spinach Salad

Crisp Romaine Lettuce

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta

BBQ Glazed Black Salmon

Barolo Braised Beef Ragout

Oven Roasted Chicken Saltimbocca

Roasted Colorado Rack of Lamb

Vegetable Paelia

I had Escargot, Tangerine Soup, Caesar Salad and the lamb followed by Cherries Jubilee.. It was all good but, like I said before, not what I expected for a formal night dinner. Not ‘festive’ if that makes sense. Is this because it’s a short cruise or the decision of the chef? I find all the food so far to be good, just maybe not the ‘way’ I expect it on X. It seems to be missing a small intangible ‘something’.

I don’t want anyone to think that I am not enjoying this cruise because I am. Very much so. I do, however, try to give a fair review of important things like food and service. To say some things aren’t exactly up to my expectations of X by no means infers my dislike. Celebrity has set the bar pretty high for food and service. That is what we have come to expect. Food and service the X way!

Rereading this, I fear it sounds too negative so I will attempt to clarify. I love every Celebrity trip and always find a good time can be had if you just look for it! I would book this sailing again and would more than likely make it a b2b2b so it would be 2 weeks. The officers, staff and crew are lovely as is the ship. So if you are considering trying one of these 4 or 5 night cruises, do it! You will have a great time!

Bye For Now!

[tuggers]

Millennium October 19, 2011

Breakfast in the dining room today. We sat at a nice table of ten (one couple was cruise critic) and chatted. I ordered a cheese omelet while Judy had the French Toast. Afterwards we went to Michaels Club for a Cappuccino.

Arrived in Roatan (Coxen Hole) to hazy, drippy weather at 10 AM. There was quite a crowd waiting to get off so we hung back for a while. We were actually hoping the weather might clear but no such luck.

We got off about 11 and walked through the new (2 to 3 years old) two story ‘mall’

of stores. Mostly Diamonds International and shops of that ilk plus a coffee shop, a restaurant and a man at a small table rolling cigars. We walked on through this area and headed to the main street. This is the part I liked about Roatan on other trips. The people are great here! Kind, helpful and friendly.

Roatan has been hit hard lately with torrential rain and storms. The flooding is evident every where. Little areas where vendors used to set up and sell their wares are now nothing but mud bogs. The internet was lost weeks ago and has not been restored. We stopped for a beer at a nice little restaurant on the main street with seating on the water. The owner told about the toll the flooding has taken on Roatan and how businesses have been affected since the internet went down. Tourism is also not bringing in the money it did before all the rain. More people are staying onboard the ships and not venturing out on excursions.

We went back to what I call a ‘vendor’s mall’ just as you come out of the fenced area surrounding the ship and chain retail stores. I like the hand carved boxes they make here and this is where I often find the nicest ones at the best prices. I could not find exactly what I wanted (I’m partial to the calla lilies) but I did find some nice carved boxes in several sizes to take home.

We came back onboard to have a late lunch and a little rest before going for cocktails.

The buffet yielded some Asian eggplant (pretty good), Chicken Satay (little dry), fresh carved roast turkey w/cranberry sauce (very good) and a fish cake. Best thing was the fish cake. The pizza and fish and chips Judy had were also good.

We took a nap and then went up to the Cosmos for cocktails. The Elite Cocktail Hour has not been really well attended. It’s a large venue and there are little knots of people scattered about but you don’t see the table hopping, stopping to chat camaraderie that I usually see at these events. Maybe it’s a product of the shorter cruise? All I know is that its not quite as much fun as usual.

The show (7 PM for late seating dinner) was Michele Balen, one of the finalists on Last Comic Standing. I was not prepared for her to be as funny as she was. It was a delightful evening with LOTS of laughs. She did a solid hour. That was her one show onboard which is a shame. If you have a chance to see her, go!

Dinner was very good. I was not able to get a copy of the menu but I will tell you what I remember. First, I had the Spicy Cod Fritters, Sweet Corn Soup and Chicken Wellington. Dessert was Chocolate Soufflé. I liked everything. The dessert (served with warm vanilla sauce and vanilla ice cream) was good but it’s no Mowr En Hahn (I may love it but I can’t spell it)! Maybe one day they’ll put it back on the menu!

Other dishes on the menu were Mahi Mahi, Seafood Risotto and a siroin steak.

After dinner we went to the casino for my usual donation. I wasn’t disappointed. They took my money in record time! What a great casino!

We’re on a ship! It’s a GREAT day!

Bye For Now!

[tuggers]

Millennium October 20, 2011

It started out a great day on the Millie! First there was SUN!!! First I had seen since I left home!

Breakfast was first at Michaels Club where I had two cappuccino’s. Took a little to get them ordered (had to go to the bar) and then I was really surprised to find out the ship was out of cream cheese. Lox are just not at good without a schmear!

We went to the buffet where Judy had the waffles, home fried potatoes and bacon. The buffet had no cream cheese either and I was told that the order had not come in with the provisions they took on in Miami. They were to get some today. Hopefully, that happened.

After that I proceeded to make a total @ss out of myself over something I thought someone had done to me when in fact I had done it to them. I’m medicated now so hopefully I’ll be a little more in control. For a while at least! J

We left the ship a little before 11 and took a cab ($13 for up to 4 people) to Paradise Beach Club. We were going out on the beach but we decided to camp out in the lounge chairs that are in the pool (on a ledge built about a foot deep around a good part of the pool). How nice to be able to lay on a chair, while in the water! You are never hot because the water keeps you cool!

I ordered a Mango Margarita and they brought a table to put between our chairs to sit drinks on. How much nicer can you get??? About 2 we ordered Nacho’s $10 (Volcano I think the name was). It was a huge portion with LOTS of cheese, beef, sour cream, salsa, guacamole and jalapeno’s. We shared and it was more than enough. And they were VERY good. BTW, 14 oz drinks were $7.50, cokes $2.50.

Paradise is a very nice place to go when you visit Cozumel. They have rest rooms and fresh water showers plus changing rooms. You can sit on the beach, by the pool or in the pool as we did. Food and drinks are great and the prices are reasonable. You can also get your hair braided, a henna tattoo or have a massage. Pretty much a one stop beach day.

We did a little shopping with the vendors at the International Pier and were onboard the ship at 4:30. We’ve showered, washed our suits and are just hanging out, chilling while we rest up for the evening. Show is at 7 again tonight and it’s a production show. I almost never go to shows (especially the production shows) but it’s all new to Judy so we’re going. I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the shows I have seen.

Again, for anyone I wrongly accused with my little tirade, pls accept my apologies. I was the one at fault, wrong, messed up, whatever word you want to call it.

To be continued...

Bye For Now!

[Sea Breeze]

Thank you for your review of the millennium....glad the sun came out for a good beach day....

[dmwnc1959]

Thanks for the tips on entertainment and buffet goodies! I'm not much for comedians or main show room performances, really don't like campy lounge acts either. I'll have to make sure I catch Michele Balen. I need a good laugh! ;)

[KangarooCruiser]

Millennium October 20, 2011

It started out a great day on the Millie! First there was SUN!!! First I had seen since I left home!

Breakfast was first at Michaels Club where I had two cappuccino’s. Took a little to get them ordered (had to go to the bar) and then I was really surprised to find out the ship was out of cream cheese. Lox are just not at good without a schmear!

We went to the buffet where Judy had the waffles, home fried potatoes and bacon. The buffet had no cream cheese either and I was told that the order had not come in with the provisions they took on in Miami. They were to get some today. Hopefully, that happened.

After that I proceeded to make a total @ss out of myself over something I thought someone had done to me when in fact I had done it to them. I’m medicated now so hopefully I’ll be a little more in control. For a while at least! J

We left the ship a little before 11 and took a cab ($13 for up to 4 people) to Paradise Beach Club. We were going out on the beach but we decided to camp out in the lounge chairs that are in the pool (on a ledge built about a foot deep around a good part of the pool). How nice to be able to lay on a chair, while in the water! You are never hot because the water keeps you cool!

I ordered a Mango Margarita and they brought a table to put between our chairs to sit drinks on. How much nicer can you get??? About 2 we ordered Nacho’s $10 (Volcano I think the name was). It was a huge portion with LOTS of cheese, beef, sour cream, salsa, guacamole and jalapeno’s. We shared and it was more than enough. And they were VERY good. BTW, 14 oz drinks were $7.50, cokes $2.50.

Paradise is a very nice place to go when you visit Cozumel. They have rest rooms and fresh water showers plus changing rooms. You can sit on the beach, by the pool or in the pool as we did. Food and drinks are great and the prices are reasonable. You can also get your hair braided, a henna tattoo or have a massage. Pretty much a one stop beach day.

We did a little shopping with the vendors at the International Pier and were onboard the ship at 4:30. We’ve showered, washed our suits and are just hanging out, chilling while we rest up for the evening. Show is at 7 again tonight and it’s a production show. I almost never go to shows (especially the production shows) but it’s all new to Judy so we’re going. I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the shows I have seen.

Again, for anyone I wrongly accused with my little tirade, pls accept my apologies. I was the one at fault, wrong, messed up, whatever word you want to call it.

To be continued...

Bye For Now!

 

Tuggers,

 

No problem what so ever, I am enjoying your posts - enjoy the rest of the cruise.

[cadburysmom]

Loving this thread. Glad you enjoyed Paradise Beach Club. I'm still trying to decide between it and Nachi Cocum for my upcoming cruise.

 

Also love hearing your drink orders. Cappucinos, yum and looking forward to trying a Margaritini in November!:D

[stinsowm]

Hi Gail,

 

Loving your posts as always! Thank you for taking the time to put in such detail...makes me feel as if I were there!!

 

Walter

[tuggers]

Millennium October 20 2011 (continued)

Went to the show, which was something Boogie. Must admit that it was good. Very high energy. There is a dancer who has long curly red hair. She looks like she really enjoys what she does. And boy, does she work that hair. All the dancers smile but hers is the only one that looks like it is totally real. And she’s one terrific dancer! The show was not well attended but I think everyone who was there left tapping their toes.

Finished up with the show around 7:50, made a pit stop at the cabin and headed in to dinner.

Turns out our waiter is under the weather but Melina was filling in. He was our waiter on Constellation when we were at a large table for ten by the window. JoAn, Terri, weren’t we on that cruise together? He remembered me and the details listed above. These guys have terrific memories!

Dinner was very good. I think it was one of the best so far.

Feta and Fresh Fruit

Curried Chicken Salad

Tomato and Arugula Crostini

Maryland (well not quite!) Crab Cake

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Chilled Black Cherry Soup

Saffron Shellfish Broth

Boston Lettuce and Gorgonzola

Market Fresh Salad

Seafood Fettuccine

Blackened Drum Fish

Quail Delight

JVS Meat Balls

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Honey & Marjoram Braised Barley

I had a Shrimp Cocktail and the Crab Cake plus the Short Ribs. Along with a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir. Dessert was the Baked Alaska which I’m not very fond of anyway but this was a pre-made thing that was served before the ‘dance’. It was terrible. Too bad because the rest of the dinner was great.

After dinner we went up to Cosmos for The Liar’s Club. The panel was The Captain, Michele the comedian from last night and CD Rich’s ‘cousin’ Eugene. It really was a hoot.

Tonight the clock goes forward another hour so I’m hitting the bed. Tomorrow is our last day. I don’t think I will ever take another one of these short cruises. Its just too much trouble for such a short time. If I’m going to do one this short it would have to be b2b2b to make a 14 day or longer cruise. JMO, for me. Other people may be perfectly happy with 4 or 5 nights.

Bye For Now!