Millennium Review April 9-16

[wolfganghowell]

First, I will confine this mainly to the ship since she will be leaving the Caribbean shortly.

 

Embarkation was a tad slower than I remembered. We were on by noon after being moved in the terminal from one waiting room to another. Lines were moving well but we were among the first group on board. We entered a different way by walking around the ship and entering on deck 4. We were greeted with champagne right off the gangway on the deck - kind of a strange entrance. Rooms were not ready until 1 pm.

 

We checked out our Olympic reservation that we had made by phone a few weeks in advance. Glad we did because they had no record of it. No big deal - we were adding another Cruise Critic couple to it and still got the time we wanted. Then we had lunch - beat the crowd again!! After lunch, the rooms were ready.

 

9038 is our room of choice. Forward starboard at a bend in the ship which creates an overlarge balcony much deeper than others. This was our 4th time in this room - 3 times on Millie and once on Infinity. Room was immaculate - all Concierge Class amenities accounted for. In fact, we had 2 bottles of champagne, never drank them and had no room to take them home. GRRRR. Our attendant Mario was outstanding. I asked for the body and isotonic pillow along with some extra clip hangers - they were there quickly. We had our luggage before muster drill and were unpacked.

 

I found the ship to be in excellent condition with the staff efficient, friendly and very professional. Public rooms appeared to be in great shape. Michael in the Platinum Club Martini Bar is a real showman - ask for his special mojito - you will not be sorry even if you don't like mojitos (which I don't) - it was yummy.

 

Our waiter Dejean ( Day - ahn) was a greal character and was wonderful. We only had 4 nights with him unfortunately - we had one night in the Olympic, one night we ate with friends at another table and the second formal night we ate at the Captains Table (yes, I'll get to that). He brought extras and I asked for escargot for the second formal night. Since we weren' there, he saved it for the last night. What a guy!

 

COntinue later - gotta work. BUT - NO STINKY SMELL FOR US AND NO ILLNESS

[mari10]

 

COntinue later - gotta work. BUT - NO STINKY SMELL FOR US AND NO ILLNESS

 

Can't wait to hear the rest....But so far it's a perfect review!

Thanks,

Mari:)

[wolfganghowell]

They moved late seating dinner to 8:45. (ugh) We were told by several crew people that this was to accommodate the high percentage of Latinos onboard who preferred to eat later. I don't know whether that is the real reason or not but it is what we were told. I was not too thrilled since 8:30 is late enough and wish we had known beforehand. Go back to 8:30 Celebrity - whatever the ethnicity of your passengers, I believe the majority prefer 8:30.

 

Booked a massage and 2 shampoo/blowouts for formal night - hey, getting wavy hair to go straight is NOT my specialty. I used my blow outs for naps! The massage was excellent - Renato has magic hands. Both of my blowouts were very good and lasted well until I got them wet of course! We also did the couples pass on the Persian Garden. I love the Persian Garden but we are kind of go-go-go on a cruise and hubby used it twice, I used it four times. Would not pay for it again unless I knew I would make it in at least 5 times. The Turkish Bath is so hot you feel like you will spontaneously combust in there. The staff was lovely and I really appreciate the ambiance of the spa. They include only a 10% gratuity so if you are used to 15-20% gratuity you will want to add on. I also never got a product hard sell. In fact, I never got a sales pitch at all. Renato began the massage by asking a few questions but he caught on to my grunts pretty quick ( I don't like to talk during a massage).

 

Pool and Aquaspa - chair hogs ruled. I am going to sound very un PC but it is simply stating a fact. 70% of the chair hogs were non English speaking. Maybe there is a language barrier where the cruise line needs to step up and enforce it. I saw one employee enforce the children in the Aquaspa rule - most of which were with parents. If parents don't obey the rules, how can we expect the kids to? 20% of the other chair hogs were over 60 - I really don't understand how people can be so inconsiderate. But then the only real negatives were the rudeness of passengers. The way some of them speak to the crew is beyond me.

 

The Olympic was fabulous - we also eat there once. Service impeccable, food for everyone at the table was prepared perfectly. Instead of our usual steak diane, we had chateaubriand (special that night) and it was so tender you didn't need a knife. Also had a special banana souffle that night which was marvelous.

 

The second formal day I was in our stateroom about to go to the pool to join hubby when the phone rang. It was Guest Relations asking if we would be able to join the Hotel Director at the Captains Table that night. Since we had been away from our table the last 2 nights and we had already asked Dejean for some special requests, I asked her if I could check with the husband and call her back. I assured her I would call back in 5 minutes since I knew she would be waiting to fill the table. His answer, "Of course." Our last cruise on Royal Caribbean we had also been asked so now we are going to terrorize our TA and tell her we EXPECT to sit at the Captain's Table. It was a table of varied and interesting people. I have no idea how we were selected - we are Select Captains Club but there was a couple at the table on their first cruise so who knows. One woman at the table has been on 39 cruises on X in 6 years time - needless to say, we know why she was there! Nice experience, great view of the staircase for the Baked Alaska parade, interesting company. We were honored to be there.

 

Next post will be the Cruise Critic party and Disembarkation along with anything else I can think of. Questions welcome. And have I mentioned that there was no stinky smell? Our toilet did go out for a short time but it was just our hallway and our SA Mario told us someone had thrown something in the toilet so they had to clear and test the lines before opening them again.

[calberry]

9038 is a cabin we are looking at booking, but are also considering the far aft concierge cabins. You clearly have a preference for 9038, so I was just curious as to why you prefer it to the aft cabins.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[wolfganghowell]

Steve - you will feel a lot of motion aft. You will also have a long walk to many places on the ship. It's really just individual preference - I know the balconies back there are very big and that those cabins are popular. We love this location because the balcony is oversized, we are a few steps from an elevator and stairs but it is around a corner so we don't get traffic noise. We like being on 9 so we are close to the pool, the Aquaspa and the buffet. We don't get any noise from above but love the height when at sea for a great view. Hope this explains it. You can probably find another who will rave about the aft. Our dining table was at the very back of the dining room and we could feel the vibration and the rocking there more than anywhere on the ship.

[calberry]

Thanks. We appreciate that it is subjective. I just keep hoping we will find the one piece of info. that we hadn't thought of, or others haven't mentioned, that will sway us one way or the other.

 

Our last cruise was on the Windjammer Mandalay, and there the seas were so rough at times that you had to hang onto overhead ropes just to stand up...so motion is not a big concern for us. But location is.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[Katelab]

There was a stinky part of the ship. It did not last long because the seas were so smooth that week.

the smell is usually a design issue concerning water traps on the sewer lines being inadequately designed to handle the waves.

Depending on waves, design, etc. the stink could be minimal or more pronounced from sailing to sailing.

[calberry]

So Wolfie, you've convinced my wife and you know what they say,"If momma ain't happy ain't NOBODY happy!".

 

So, with your mulit-cruise in the same cabin experience, what do I need to do to be 1st in the queue to get that cabin (or the sister on the other side)? I called Celebrity last week and it will be a couple more weeks before our Sept. 07 cruise is available for booking.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[va-va-voom]

HI sharon and katelab; I must be nostalgic for the cruise already since I'm reading your posts and looking forward to the further installments. So far I agree with everything, EXCEPT that there were a few times when I got off the elevator on 7 forward and got a most pungent jolt of the stinky smell. It would be an immediate PHEEEEWWWW!!! and I was happy it did not trail me to our cabins at the furthest point forward. Let me just add that Sharon and her husband are lovely and knowledgeable and you can take to the bank anything they say; it is no surprise to me that X is cultivating them!

[nicenspicy]

EXCEPT that there were a few times when I got off the elevator on 7 forward and got a most pungent jolt of the stinky smell. It would be an immediate PHEEEEWWWW!!! and I was happy it did not trail me to our cabins at the furthest point forward.

 

Say it isn't so! I'm leaving on April 23rd on the Millenium in room 7031. How bad was it? Was it all the time? Can we switch rooms if it is unbearable? I've got a sensative nose.

[iandjm]

Hey,

 

Thanks for the reviews. Great to hear Millennium is up to scratch. I can't wait to get oncoard in 5 weeks.

 

Ian :D

[mari10]

Hey,

 

Thanks for the reviews. Great to hear Millennium is up to scratch. I can't wait to get oncoard in 5 weeks.

 

Ian :D

Ian,

I get to go first, but I'll make sure there's a martini or two left for your cruise! Ha...

Hope you have a great cruise.

Mari:)

[va-va-voom]

Don't worry I don't think it will be a major concern. We made many trips back and forth and noticed it on only a few occasions. Certainly it was not anything I would seek to move over, not that there were any empty cabins. I was very concerned before the trip but honestly I only posted cause the problem has not been fixed. You'll know what I mean if you get the whiff! P.S. I didn't mean to call Wolfie Sharon...Wolfie it is and wll be!

[wolfganghowell]

I'll answer to anything - some other posters a few years back named me that and insisted I put it in the signature. The real Wolfie has not objected so far. As for being cultivated (hee hee) I truly have no idea how the captain's table happened. We are select CC so it could have been that they had run through their elite members. They may really want to cultivate me after the June issue of Vanity Fair. Pending final editing, my response to their article on the Smith disappearance is slated to run. Ha - finally, I may be published (I was a writing major so it has been a bit of an in joke).

[calberry]

OK, got it. We are now booked in 9038 for the Sept. 23, 2007 (Soooo long to wait!) cruise. Thanks for your advice.

 

Steve

[greywolf19]

Also agree that cruise was just great .. also for those of you who joined with us for the Passover Seder [there were 200 attendees] and enjoyed 2 little girls asking the questions dont you think that the Staff and Celebrity did a great job !

The 2nd meeting of CC people was a little lean but never the less still enjoyable.

I mentioned to Simon that they really should have the spot light on the airealists and not all over the place .. they were fantastic ..

next cruise is a 30 night back to back Venice to Ft Lauderdale .. just around the corner !!

[Katelab]

the stinky part of the ship is hard to identify.

 

It seems to be the water traps on the sewer lines being insufficiently sized in some locations. the rocking causes the water to spill out of the trap and allowing air to vent from the sewer line.

 

the more waves the more rocking. nearer the bow the more rocking. But the trap has to be insufficiently sized/oriented as well.

 

our cruise was very smooth so it did not last long and the hall ways I walked on were not bad. But I spoke with a few people with their doors open (that I wish were clossed) and their rooms smelled horrible.

 

Some rooms are more affected than others. Some rooms closser to the bow were not affected. Maybe the water traps were better sized for these rooms? (I do not know I was cruising not disassembling the boat:) ).

 

It certainly did not occurr with very smooth sailing and we had alot of calm seas. The water trap issue was taught to me by a sea captain on another ship with similar problems in some rooms.

 

BTW to fill a water trap in a sewer line simply run some water. Unfortunately if the seas are rough you have to run the water all the time. Not an ideal solution, but it was not an ideal design either:)

[CCSSDRC]

our cruise was very smooth so it did not last long and the hall ways I walked on were not bad. But I spoke with a few people with their doors open (that I wish were clossed) and their rooms smelled horrible.

 

How horrible was the smell?

 

How many rooms were affected?

[YaMamma]

Hi, we were on this cruise also. We were in room 7102 and the room never had a smell. However, on several occasions when getting off the elevator on our floor (7), "the smell" would hit us instantly. It would be in the hallway, but not in our room. I didn't go to any other passenger/cabin floors, and I can assure you that in any public area we were in, we did not smell "the smell".