First Time Celebrity Cruisers Back From Alaska on the Millennium

[love2driveinct]

sillymonkey23, I'm really enjoying your review. I was on the 6/24 NB and had a similar experience -- it was a wonderful cruise and vacation in all respects. I feel like I'm sort of re-living my vacation while reading your review. :)

 

As far as Select Dining goes, though, I was told I could only make reservations one day at a time once onboard. I could call no earlier than 9am the day before. This was a pain and it left me wishing I'd made all of my reservations at home. I had to arrange my schedule around being near a phone at that time because waiting just a few hours could mean a dining time that wouldn't work for our family. (In one case the only time available was 8:30 so we passed on it & ate in the buffet.) I'd recommend to anyone -- especially a group -- to make reservations for the whole week online and then make adjustments if needed/able to later on.

 

All of that being said, we had a group booking of 900 people onboard with special dining times and special foods, so that possibly made everything associated with booking dining that much more complicated and difficult.

 

 

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[sillymonkey23]

Great review. Thanks for posting. We've been considering Celebrity. We've been on HAL, Carnival and NCL. Currently NCL is our favorite, partly due to the quality of the entertainment. As you know, their newer ships have multiple entertainment venues and Broadway style shows. We've heard the crew and and food on Celebrity is better, but the entertainment, not so much. What was your experience?

 

Celebrity Millennium will not offer you the variety of entertainment that NCL's newer ships (Getaway, Breakaway, Escape, etc) will. Though jazz music is offered in the evening at one of the lounges, there is not a dedicated jazz club, for example, on the Millie. On our cruise there was an excellent Billy Joel tribute, a wonderfully funny impressionist, a cirque style show and a Broadway tribute show. These were all rated as very good by various members of our group. On our previous NCL Alaskan cruise on the Jewel, we ended up walking out of a few of the broadway style shows because we thought the singing and dancing was less than stellar.

 

Celebrity works for us because entertainment is not a huge priority. I absolutely agree that we had better food and much better service on our Celebrity cruise than on our last few NCL cruises. I thought the quality of the singing and dancing was also better on Celebrity, but I can't deny there are fewer options for entertainment.

[JHCruiser123]

Hi! We are also traveling in a large, multi-generational group in 2017 and have been debating this exact problem... do we arrive in Seward the day before we sail to do the Major Marines tour, or do the day of embarkation and cut the timing really close. Would you mind coming back here after you return in August and let me know how that goes? Or, you can just email me at katievriezen@hotmail.com. Thanks for any help you can provide! -Katie

 

Sure! After reading all the wonderful info folks provided about the fjords cruise I'm sure it will be fine. We have reservations with Major Marine and they've been wonderful and reassured me we should be at the ship around 6-6:30. They have even offered to store our luggage and deliver us and our luggage to the ship after the cruise. Someone pointed out that there is a train back to Anchorage at 6:00 that some fjord passengers are most likely catching which made me feel even better.

 

I'm looking forward to the whole Alaska trip. We've been planning this for months and now it's just 4 weeks away. I've booked most of our shore excursions (which you have to do way in advance to get times/excursions you want - many of the times I'd have liked were already booked). In Juneau we have a whale Watch tour with Harv and Marv at 1:00 (wanted earlier but it was booked) and we'd like to get to the glacier after and do the hike down to Nugget Falls. With 8 people the shuttle seems way to expensive and it ends at 5:00 anyway. I'm still struggling with how to get 8 people to/from the glacier and back. Taxis perhaps.

[Hydrokitty]

SillyMonkey: That shot of the ship literally sailing off into the sunset is absolutely fabulous!!!!

[sillymonkey23]

Thank you for posting your review. We will be on the Equinox in 2017 which, I believe is a sister ship to the Millenium. I'm very excited to try Celebrity as my cruises over the last 10 years have been on Princess. I noticed your picture of the bathroom. The storage looks great. How is the storage in the rest of the cabin and how is the closet area? I think Princess' closet, the storage where the safe is and the main cabin area is great. If you have any pictures of the closet and thoughts on storage, I would love to read about it.:):):)

 

I was just reading another thread and know realize that the Millenium and Equinox are not the same class of ship.

 

I don't have any pictures of the closet, but I can tell you that I felt the storage was adequate. The two panels closest to the stateroom door open into a nice-sized closet. We were able to hang the contents of our garment bag in there with no problems. Directly next to those two panels is a third panel that opens up to the safe, perched about eye level on a shelf, another shelf just below that and then six drawers under that shelf. The drawers were small-ish but worked for our needs. There is a shelf above the television where we put some of our hats, scarves and gloves. There is also a small drawer in each nightstand on either side of the bed. Finally, there is a small door on either side of the mirrored vanity. If you open those doors you will find two small shelves as well.

 

We stored our garment bag and large suitcase under the bed, rather than in the closet, so that it wouldn't be in the way of our hanging clothes. We also stored our shoes under the bed as we found this was most convenient.

 

All of our bathroom items fit easily in the bathroom, and there are actually a few shelves in the bathroom under the sink if you want or need to use those as well. The shower has two small corner shelves that were perfect for what we needed.

 

We felt the room was very functional and cozy. The television is large and easy to see from the bed. We also enjoyed viewing our charges and ordering room service on the TV, which we could not do on NCL's Jewel, Pearl, Star and Sky.

[sillymonkey23]

SillyMonkey: That shot of the ship literally sailing off into the sunset is absolutely fabulous!!!!

 

How nice of you to say! Thank you so much!

 

This was a particularly dazzling sunset that seemed to light up the sky with a rich, golden hue. I must have dozens of photos of this same sunset.

 

It was taken as we were leaving Juneau and it was such a mild and clear night. We must have sat watching the sky turn colors for at least an hour.

 

Here is another shot from about 10 minutes earlier:

[sillymonkey23]

WOW. That is one fantastic shot! The sunsets are one of my favourite things about cruising to Alaska.

 

Thank you! We also LOVE our sunsets at sea! Nothing better than enjoying a drink and some good company while watching the sky light up. They also make for fantastic photo opportunities.

 

Here is a pic of my brother and his wife, enjoying the cruise:

 

[sillymonkey23]

sillymonkey23, I'm really enjoying your review. I was on the 6/24 NB and had a similar experience -- it was a wonderful cruise and vacation in all respects. I feel like I'm sort of re-living my vacation while reading your review. :)

 

As far as Select Dining goes, though, I was told I could only make reservations one day at a time once onboard. I could call no earlier than 9am the day before. This was a pain and it left me wishing I'd made all of my reservations at home. I had to arrange my schedule around being near a phone at that time because waiting just a few hours could mean a dining time that wouldn't work for our family. (In one case the only time available was 8:30 so we passed on it & ate in the buffet.) I'd recommend to anyone -- especially a group -- to make reservations for the whole week online and then make adjustments if needed/able to later on.

 

All of that being said, we had a group booking of 900 people onboard with special dining times and special foods, so that possibly made everything associated with booking dining that much more complicated and difficult.

 

 

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We were able to email in advance for reservations at 6 PM the first night and then as we were leaving each night we would check in at the hostess stand and make a reservation for the following night. It worked out great! We had the same table and servers each night and were able to be more flexible with our time. There was one night we needed to call to make a reservation (I think it was for the second night) and we called the number on the back of the daily. We had to call a few times and we got transferred around a bit, but we finally got our reservation.

[kpd21880]

With 8 people the shuttle seems way to expensive and it ends at 5:00 anyway. I'm still struggling with how to get 8 people to/from the glacier and back. Taxis perhaps.

 

 

We have the same issue! Someone recommend renting a car to me. I'm going to look into that option soon.

 

 

 

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[liptastic]

Hi Sillymonkey23

Thank you for the wonderful review, pictures and posts from Alaska. Really enjoyed your posts. We will be on our third Alaska cruise next month. We are very excited about the trip to Taku Lodge. I see you mention the insect repellent. Here in Scotland we have the midgie. I am not too familiar with the mosquito repellent. Is it one you applied to exposed areas or spray around you?

You were so lucky with the visitor at the grill after the food was served. Hoping to see him too.

Thanks again for sharing your travels. Jean.

[Djaye]

Was there a show every night - and what time? Trying to figure out dining reservations. Your review has been wonderful and full of much appreciated information!

[sillymonkey23]

Hi Sillymonkey23

Thank you for the wonderful review, pictures and posts from Alaska. Really enjoyed your posts. We will be on our third Alaska cruise next month. We are very excited about the trip to Taku Lodge. I see you mention the insect repellent. Here in Scotland we have the midgie. I am not too familiar with the mosquito repellent. Is it one you applied to exposed areas or spray around you?

You were so lucky with the visitor at the grill after the food was served. Hoping to see him too.

Thanks again for sharing your travels. Jean.

 

You will LOVE the Taku Lodge! The kind of mosquito repellent that we wish we had brought is the kind that you spray or wipe on yourself. I recommend the brand called OFF!

 

It comes in a small, travel-sized, spray can or in towelette form that you can wipe on. I recommend covering yourself in it as much as you can and bring it with you. Though we had on sleeves and long pants, we found many bites on skin that was covered. The mosquitoes were aggressive!

 

Hopefully this is not an issue for you at all. It did not ruin our day but it made it a bit more difficult to stop and take pictures because as soon as we stopped moving, we would found ourselves getting nibbled on.

[sillymonkey23]

Our next stop was in Icy Strait Point (Hoonah). I have heard many people state that this was their least favorite port but my husband, brother and sister-in-law had a great time! The dock is new so you don't have to tender, there is only one ship in town at any time, and you don't have to venture far to find an authentic Alaskan experience. The area surrounding the cruise ship dock is fantastic.

 

Our group split up on this day. My parents enjoyed a relaxing morning on the ship and then walked off to have some amazing chowder at the restaurant closest to the cruise ship dock. They did the nature trail and before heading back to the ship. My sister-in-law's parents and aunt and uncle did a city tour and tribal dance. They said it was good and informative, and they also loved the authentic feel of the town.

 

My husband, brother and sister-in-law rented bikes for the day ($30 per person) and rode into town. We passed a father and his son working on building canoes and totem poles. We stopped and chatted with them for a bit and then we rode our bikes to the Icy Strait Brewing Company for some refreshments. This was very nice because it is new and has a deck overlooking the water. Then we went next door to The Office Bar for the most delicious crab I have ever had! When we were there it was $25 for a crab and a cup of clam chowder, so our group ordered two crabs and two clam chowders. The crab comes whole so you will need to crack it. Dip the tender crab meat in the melted butter they give you and enjoy! I am salivating thinking about it!

 

TIP: when visiting the Office Bar, bring cash and wait to ask for the wifi password until after you order.

 

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[Hydrokitty]

You will LOVE the Taku Lodge! The kind of mosquito repellent that we wish we had brought is the kind that you spray or wipe on yourself. I recommend the brand called OFF!

 

It comes in a small, travel-sized, spray can or in towelette form that you can wipe on. I recommend covering yourself in it as much as you can and bring it with you. Though we had on sleeves and long pants, we found many bites on skin that was covered. The mosquitoes were aggressive!

 

Hopefully this is not an issue for you at all. It did not ruin our day but it made it a bit more difficult to stop and take pictures because as soon as we stopped moving, we would found ourselves getting nibbled on.

 

Second this post!! Our guide at lodge told us the mosquito was their national bird!!! I used Deep Woods Off in wipes that I bought at a camping store....by the end of the dinner I was out of them (people actually offered me $$$ for them) but I had plenty of them in my luggage.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Hydrokitty

[liptastic]

Thanks for the bug repellent info. I will research where I can get these. Jean.

[tortgirl]

I've been reading the review since it was posted. I'm enjoying the details of what to expect on the ship. I'll be on the southbound August 26th voyage and this will be my first time on Celebrity. My husband and I are in our mid to late 30's. Your perspective is extremely insightful.

 

Do you happen to have any menus from room service? I'm curious about what's available. Actually, any other menus would be helpful too. I hear the food is great but I am curious about what's being served.

 

Thanks!

[sillymonkey23]

Was there a show every night - and what time? Trying to figure out dining reservations. Your review has been wonderful and full of much appreciated information!

 

I am so glad you are finding it helpful!

 

Yes, there is a show every night at 7 and 9 PM, except on the night we left Seward. On our very first night, there was only a 9 PM show because of the 7:45 muster drill. We enjoyed eating dinner around 6 PM and having time to catch some live music and a martini before the 9 PM show.

[sillymonkey23]

I've been reading the review since it was posted. I'm enjoying the details of what to expect on the ship. I'll be on the southbound August 26th voyage and this will be my first time on Celebrity. My husband and I are in our mid to late 30's. Your perspective is extremely insightful.

 

Do you happen to have any menus from room service? I'm curious about what's available. Actually, any other menus would be helpful too. I hear the food is great but I am curious about what's being served.

 

Thanks!

 

How fun! You guys will have a great time! I'm so glad you're enjoying the review and that it has been helpful.

 

I don't have any actual photos of any of the menus, unfortunately. But I will share what I remember and a few photos of some food that we ate in the MDR.

 

I am pescatarian, which means the only meat I consume is fish and fish products. So I eat crab and salmon and shrimp and lobster but would not eat anything with chicken or beef broth and no animal meat (other than fish). I had some anxiety prior to our cruise that I would be eating garden salads and pasta all cruise long. This was really not the case. There was always a vegetarian option and a Broiled Salmon option on the always available part of the menu. At the end of the cruise I realized that I never once ordered from the always available section of the menu because every night there was at least one fish entree and one vegetarian entree that sounded delicious. On lobster night, I ate a lobster and a very yummy plate of gnocchi.

 

My husband is a full meat eater who LOVES his food. He was very pleased with the ribeye steak, sirloin steak, steak diane, lobster, duck and lamb dishes. There was a blue cheese souffle on the appetizer menu one night and it was so yummy. Our desserts were VERY good. We had baked alaska one night and the creme brulee was on the always available on the menu. The ice cream was very nice as well. One night they had pistachio and it was great.

 

I remember feeling happy with the choices for room service. You can actually order room service on your TV. All the options are clearly marked that they are either included or cost extra money. You can order bottles of wine to your room as well and the price per bottle is listed on the TV. Since we had the Premium Drink Package, the husband would just run down to Cellar Masters for wine while we were waiting on our food. We ordered cookies and a cheese plate one afternoon and cookies and a cheese pizza one late night from room service.

 

Wish I had more pics and menu information but I hope this was helpful!

 

 

 

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[Djaye]

I am so glad you are finding it helpful!

 

Yes, there is a show every night at 7 and 9 PM, except on the night we left Seward. On our very first night, there was only a 9 PM show because of the 7:45 muster drill. We enjoyed eating dinner around 6 PM and having time to catch some live music and a martini before the 9 PM show.

Perfect! Thanks so much. Is the muster drill finished in time to enjoy the sail away from Seward?

[sillymonkey23]

Perfect! Thanks so much. Is the muster drill finished in time to enjoy the sail away from Seward?

 

I remember that the ship started moving right at the very end of our muster drill. We went up to our room to grab our coats and then headed outside to deck 10 and were able to enjoy sail away for at least an hour before we got to cold.

[sillymonkey23]

After we turned our bikes back in, we walked the nature trail that is very close to the cruise ship. It is beautiful! There were three eagles sitting in one of the trees, just showing off their beauty. We had such a great day!

 

 

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[tortgirl]

Thanks so much for the food overview and more pictures. Looking forward to more of the review!

[onespots]

Enjoyed your photos & review. We did a similar trip last September. Your review should be very helpful to fellow travelers. We are in our late 60's & tried some different adventures as well. Thought I would add a few photos.

 

Happy Travels, John

 

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Matanuska Glacier on our trek

 

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Clouds change the lighting on this galcier

 

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Kenai Peninsula Boat Tour Seward Alaska

 

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Taku Lodge Salmon Barbecue

[cpl100]

Quote: We all agreed to view the glacier from the helipad, so we bundled up, grabbed our cameras and headed to deck 5, all the way forward. Some members of our group had trouble finding the helipad, as you do have to walk through the Celebrity Theater and into a "Crew Only" area to find it. We got there just before 1:30 PM and grabbed a nice spot at the railing on the starboard side. It never felt very crowded and we got amazing pictures from there. We allowed anyone who asked us to step in and get some photos at the rail. Aside from the photos, the experience of being THAT CLOSE to such a GIANT WALL OF ICE was something I will remember for a long, long time.

 

So, anyone can go up to the helipad to view the glaciers? Could you give precise directions please. Thank you.

[h20cruzer]

Love, love, love your review and pictures. I did this same cruise on the Millie 2 years

ago and everything was great. I am happy to hear things have not changed.

Norma