HeinBloed's Blog from CELEBRITY MILLENNIUM April 2014 Hong Kong - Shanghai

[HeinBloed]

Slowly it's boring...

 

It's quite simple: Is somebody forcing you to read my blog?

 

It's written for adults and not for kids!

[FRMPEI]

I am sorry I gave this a click and too much work clicking here and there. To confusing. Your Review/Trip Report should be posted here and not asking readers to click outside of CC. Just my opinion.

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

[HeinBloed]

Day 9 = the 1st of three days in Tianjin, China - in two chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-91-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

Big Brother is watching you. Be careful when you are on your balcony. The Chinese authorities worked with an aerial drone to check what you are doing there!

 

Celebrity is the best! If you like Chinese Fairy Tales... "For the moment the Chinese authorities only allow guests with booking for the Xian-Flight to leave the ship..." - There is always a little bit truth in a fairy tale...

 

 

 

One hour later: still the the same announcement in your cabin that only Xian-guests are entitiled to leave... but meanwhile in the theater: "Group 24 may leave the ship now"

 

So if you booked independent tours you might get off at...

 

 

 

So not too much time left to see anything from Beijing...

 

but we had a great tour operator who made the best for us of the remained time: like a visit with a Noodle Maker... NOT TWISTING!!!

 

 

Next: the mission of the voyage: letting my father see his birthplace. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog. If you are only interested to see the ship and ship's life you need to wait one more day!

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[gimletgal]

I am really enjoying your review! Thank you for your observations. Those "Easter rolls" were probably hot cross buns - an Easter tradition! :)

 

(It is unfortunate that some have chosen to come to this thread, read your review, and then criticize you for describing your experiences. If they are that unhappy with it, I would think they would just go elsewhere to read something more to their liking? :rolleyes:)

Edited June 9, 2014 by gimletgal

[shipfriend_max]

I cannot blame him for its opinion!

But IMHO it is definitely wrong to generalize people, who like Celebrity as Celebrity fanboys who accept everything what is offered on board!

I think more differentiation would be senseful.

And it is a no-go to judge about such people without even knowing them!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[HeinBloed]

Day 10 = the 2nd of three days in Tianjin, China but in Shenyang, China - in two chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-101-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

Back to the roots: My father and his family in three generations in his home town: Shenyang.

 

Everything what my father got when he was a little boy: in a restaurant which existed when he was living in China.

 

 

 

The most important moment of the whole voyage: My father found the gate of his school and was very proud to show this to his granddaughters.

 

While we were in Shenyang the other went to the Great Wall: wonderful weather.

 

 

 

The Ming-Tombs.

 

A wonderful Acrobatic Show.

 

 

Next: back to the ship on the 3rd day of the Tianjin-call. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog. If you are only interested to see the ship and ship's life you need to wait one more day!

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

Day 11 = the 3rd of three days in Tianjin, China - in two chapters

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-111-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Click on the right of the bottom "Newer Post" to continue to the next chapter.

 

 

All ten of us together in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China

 

When we left two days earlier the ship for our overnight stays in Beijing we read that the gangway is available until 17.45 hrs. Now after we are back we learned we had to be back at 15.30 hrs... who should read this earlier before? Everyone was in Beijing. And the best: you are liable to get to Shanghai yourself on your own expenses.

 

 

 

We got a letter that they cleaned our balcony.

 

Like Esther Williams in "Bathing Beauty".

 

 

 

Food and service in The Olympic - I love it.

 

"Defying Gravity" out of "Wicked" - I love it.

 

 

Next port of call = port of debarkation: Shanghai, China - but there are two more days at sea until we arrive in Shanghai. I revert when I completed the next day of my blog. If you are only interested to see the ship and ship's life you need to wait one more day!

 

Greetings

HeinBloed

[jkgourmet]

I'm not sure I understand what you have posted, Heineblod. So please forgive me if I misunderstand.

 

Are you saying that debarcation was two hours earlier than scheduled in Beijing? And that this was ONLY disclosed with a small announcement in the dailies?

 

Did anyone miss the ship?

Edited June 13, 2014 by jkgourmet

[HeinBloed]

I'm not sure I understand what you have posted, Heineblod. So please forgive me if I misunderstand.

 

Are you saying that debarcation was two hours earlier than scheduled in Beijing? And that this was ONLY disclosed with a small announcement in the dailies?

 

Did anyone miss the ship?

 

When you left the ship it was stated that you need to be back by 17.45 hrs.

 

But while everyone was in Beijing they decided that you need to be back by 15.30 hrs instead.

 

It was not because they wanted to sail earlier but 18.00 hrs.

 

It was because the Captain remembered how long it took the year before before they could set sail and so they decided that they need more time before sailing at 18.00 hrs. That was why they set the return time from 17.45 hrs on 15.30 hrs - and nobody knew but those passengers who stayed on board.

 

Finally we sailed at 19.00 hrs. We arrived around 15.15 hrs at the cruise terminal because the roads were empty and no congestion.

 

I do not think that someone missed the ship because they would occur real trouble with guests.

 

The next port would be the port of debarkation:

 

Guess what would happen if anyone missed the ship and then arrived in Shanghai to start to pack and to vacate the cabin???

[harz99]

Finally we sailed at 19.00 hrs. We arrived around 15.15 hrs at the cruise terminal because the roads were empty and no congestion.

 

So the change in time had no effect on you.

 

I don't understand why you are so exercised about this time change. The revised time was only relevant to those of us who had not gone off on multi day trips to Beijing, and were doing days out locally. Nobody in their right mind would be doing a day trip a long distance away on sail day anyways.

 

I suspect that particular revision was simply to enable a start to be made with Chinese Immigration on the 100% passport and documentation check that was done before the ship sailed.

 

If everyone had turned up shortly before all aboard time, the checks would have taken until nearly midnight at least, and then only if the authorities were willing to work that late - just think back to how many hours it was on arrival at Tianjin before you got off.

[HeinBloed]

Generally I dislike the idea to move the on-board-time forward!

 

Especially when you were two days off and had no chance to notice.

 

More I dislike: you are liable to get to your next port although you did everything right and planned to be back at 17.45 hrs.

 

More: they knew about the time they need for all handlings and they decided very short notice.

 

Tianjin - Shanghai is 673 nautical miles (equal to 1,246 km / 774 miles) away.

 

The max. of CELEBRITY MILLENNIUM is 24.5 knots (equal to 45 km/h / 28 mi/h)

 

In case they delay the set sail to stay for 17.45 hrs all aboard they could make this distance in 28 hours on max. speed.

 

which means as we had originally 37 hrs from 18.00 hrs of the 23rd to 07.00 hrs of the 26th.

 

But for the comfort of the crew and fuel efficiency they decided against the guests and moved the on board time earlier to 15.30 hrs.

 

It's the thinking behind the move what I dislike.

 

I would understand: a typhoon: no chance to keep the ship in port without danger for life, ship etc. and they had to move earlier. That's fine: than they would arrange to get you to the next port.

 

But here: an announcement in the daily programme nobody could read and the remark you have to arrange everything yourself.

 

That is not correct for my taste.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[Piggeldy]

So the change in time had no effect on you.

 

It seems the change in time didn't really have an effect on anybody as all they changed was the all aboard time, not the departure time. I guess they were just trying to encourange guests on local day trips to be back on board early to make sure they could depart as early as possible. With the earlier all aboard time everybody who was not on a multiple day tour should have been aboard by 3.30 pm so hopefully less people returning last minute. Not that I would think it smart to plan to be back on board at 5.45 pm after a private multiple day tour if that is all aboard time. Too much to go wrong with a plan like that.

 

Nowhere does it say that guests who arrive after all aboard time would be left behind, it just states that it would be your responsibility to rejoin the ship if you were not there for the (unchanged) 6 pm departure time. Had they changed the departure time to 3.30 pm I would definitely see the problem and that would likely have been a problem for many on private overnight trips.

 

What I would love to know is how long the gangway was open in the end? Did Celebrity stop people arriving after 3.30 pm to come back on board and just had the ship sit in port until 7 pm? Or did the gangway remain open until everybody was back (or 5.45 pm respectively) and they just stopped people from getting back off?

 

Our departure time from St. Thomas was moved from 4 pm to I think 5 pm (due to immigration after the TA being a pain and the lifeboat drill for the crew was delayed by hours) which we found annoying because we weren't informed until we arrived back at the ship... with the delayed departure of the tour and the mess that immigration had been we would have loved to spend that additional hour on land instead of hurrying back. Did it really impact our vacation? Not at all.

[TMLAalum]

What I would love to know is how long the gangway was open in the end? Did Celebrity stop people arriving after 3.30 pm to come back on board and just had the ship sit in port until 7 pm? Or did the gangway remain open until everybody was back (or 5.45 pm respectively) and they just stopped people from getting back off?.

 

We were on this cruise and in Beijing we had a 2 night private tour with 19 other roll call friends. I was the only one who noticed the changed 'all aboard time' sign as we exited the ship and was quite perturbed, especially since this time was 2 hours sooner than had been published in the daily! We did visit all the sites included in our itinerary for our final morning in Beijing and were on the road back to the ship @1:30.

 

We arrived back in Tianjin @4pm and we were fine. Enroute to port from Beijing, our tour bus passed several large Celebrity busses, including a couple that were stopped at rest areas!

 

We didn't have a veranda cabin dockside, so I can't speak to how late the gangway was kept open. I do recall that we left Tianjin well after our scheduled departure time.

[HeinBloed]

Day 12 = one of two more days at sea - just one chapter.

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/seetagday-at-sea-12-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

Time to go home. I do not want to stay any longer on board.

 

Therefore no more essential new discoveries but many things I was missing since my first sailing with Celebrity 2008. Sorry but I hate "Modern Luxury" and I missed "Classic Luxury" with my dinner experience in the Main Daining Room:

 

 

Anyone remembered the tray service for desserts? You did not get the dessert menu. They showed up with the tray and you picked from the tray.

 

Anyone remembered the special desserts which were prepared on the cooking trolley? Thinks like Crepes Suzette or Banana Flambé.

 

 

 

Anyone remembered the daily available menu which has lobster bisque on? Or frog legs were on the menu?

 

Anyone remembered the chocolate you got with the end of a gala dinner? All the small things which made dining in a Main Dining Room with Celebrity special and made the difference to other cruise lines. All cancelled.

 

 

 

The only chance to experience "Classic Luxury" is to book for meanwhile 50 USD cover charge The Olmypic where you can experience the "Classic Luxury" which was not limited to the alternative dining then.

 

And lobster you at the 12th day of 13 nights in the Main Dining Room: Very poor for "Modern Luxury".

 

 

Before we come to the end of the blog: one more day at sea. I will revert once this day is completed.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

Day 13 = the very last day at sea - just one chapter.

 

http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/seetagday-at-sea-13-auf-deron-celebrity.html

 

 

Drinking with style - no glass was offered or on the table... I will never forget... Thank you!!!

 

A small item which makes Celebrity different from other cruise lines... Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Something I will miss because you cannot get the iced tea this way on other cruise lines... Thank you!!!

 

Always good to surprise his guests: Dexter - Washy Washy - someone who made the cruise unforgettable... Thank you!!!

 

 

 

The kids will never forget Shubert and Kevin who made them memories for their life... Thank you!!!

 

Another unforgettable moment: entertainment at the table... Thank you!!!

 

 

Next time I am back: debarkation in Shanghai!!! I will revert once this day is completed.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[HeinBloed]

Day 14 = going home - just one chapter.

[url]http://heinbloed-x.blogspot.com/2014/04/tagday-14-auf-deron-celebrity_26.html[/url]

[img]http://www.heinbloed-cruiseblogs.de/Ships-C/Celebrity-Millennium/2014-X-MILLIE-140608.jpg[/img]

Saying good-bye to new cruise-friends.

673 miles from Tianjin to Shanghai - 61 hours time to go - sailed with 60 minutes delay... and made up only 40 minutes (= arrival with 40 minutes delay)...

[img]http://www.heinbloed-cruiseblogs.de/Places-Asia/China-2014/2014-X-MILLIE-140415.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.heinbloed-cruiseblogs.de/Places-Asia/China-2014/2014-X-MILLIE-140801.jpg[/img]

Sharing our coach with cruisecritic.com-cruise mates... 20 USD for each of us... a great bargain...

Easy decision for the next Asia-cruise... They were everywhere in the airport terminal...

[img]http://www.heinbloed-cruiseblogs.de/Places-Asia/China-2014/2014-X-MILLIE-140904.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.heinbloed-cruiseblogs.de/Ships-C/Celebrity-Millennium/2014-X-MILLIE-141010.jpg[/img]

No regrets to say good-bye: pouring rain in Shanghai...

Finally: I need sleep after two weeks as tour guide...

[img]http://www.heinbloed-cruiseblogs.de/Ships-C/Celebrity-Millennium/2014-X-MILLIE-141207.jpg[/img]

Next time I am back from Venice on NORWEGIAN JADE in September 2014... seeing one more time St. Mark's Square from a cruise ship... nobody knows how long you can do it...

Regards
HeinBloed