Help me decide: Millennium vs. Brilliance of the Seas

[newcomel]

Looking to book for our upcoming anniversary. Husband has never been to Europe so I thought a cruise would be fun. I have read the reviews of both as well as created a spreadsheet that compares the ports/prices. BUT, still I cannot decide.

 

Which one would you take if you were planning to go? These are for these sailings:

 

10/24/2007 RCL- Brilliance of the Seas, 12 Nte Mediter/Venice

10/21/2007 CEL-Millennium, 14 Nte Europe (Venice to Barcelona)

 

Any other cruises/lines I am missing that I should consider?

 

Thanks for your help. Usually, I am not so indecisive-- but I just want the right one.

[tmt9367]

Celebrity over Royal Caribbean is a "no brainer"!! I've done over 40 cruises and half have been on Celebrity. Just think Mercedes-Benz or Volkswagon. :D

 

SDT

[The Big Booper]

Celebrity over Royal Caribbean is a "no brainer"!! I've done over 40 cruises and half have been on Celebrity. Just think Mercedes-Benz or Volkswagon. :D

 

SDT

 

Not quite that big a difference in the 2 ships. If the Millie is close in price to the Brilliance than that would be the deciding factor for us 14 nights vs 12 nights. RCI is more subdued on the European trips and everybody runs off the ship all day so the more active pace of RCI isn't always there.

 

 

 

Now if you compared X to CCL then your comp. is valid:D

[Boo's Mom]

Hello Lyn ~

 

Having sailed on RCI and Celebrity, I would recommend Celebrity over RCI.

And, it will take a lot of time/money to get you over to Europe. Go for the 14 night cruise....over the 12 night.

Be sure to stay at least 2 nights pre cruise, too !

One night to rest.

One night to be a tourist !

 

Celebrity is great.

That's my pick.

 

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

My wife and I have been cruising for decades and have been on all of the American and European lines.

 

To say that Celebrity is a Mercedes is a bit of an exaggeration, in my humble opinion.

 

That comparison might only hold true if you then refer to Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Regent and the Hapag Lloyd Europa as a Bentley or a Rolls Royce.

 

However, since over the years and due to economies of scale even the most luxurious lines have become just somewhat massified, in my humble opinion the Mercedes of the cruiselines would be the above lines Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Seabourn, Regent and Hapag Lloyd Europa.

 

We have only noticed a slight difference between Celebrity and RCCL and that difference was the food in the specialty restaurant on Celebrity Mill class ships. The specialty restaurant was indeed as good or better than the food on Crystal, Silversea and the other luxury lines. However, the rest of the cruise experience is very similar between Celebrity and RCCL.

 

I would therefore say that Celebrity is a Buick, and RCCL a Chevrolet.

 

Don't fall for Celebrity's marketing hype which tends to confuse consumers by making them believe that Celebrity is a true luxury lines, because it is not. The specialty restaurant is indeed a luxurious experience, but the rest of the aspects of the cruise are very similar to RCCL.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

If it is your first time to Europe, you should also try to spend some time pre and post cruise on land as well, so you can get a feel for Europe on land and not just touring intensely as a port intensive cruise every day. This will also help you get over the jet lag and adjust to the time difference.

 

Therefore, if time off is not a concern, then by all means do the longer itinerary plus a few days on land in each direction if you can.

 

If time off is indeed a concern, then I would do the slightly shorter itinerary so that you can spend a few days at least pre-cruise, if not pre and post cruise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Host Kewlguy]

Celebrity over Royal Caribbean is a "no brainer"!! I've done over 40 cruises and half have been on Celebrity. Just think Mercedes-Benz or Volkswagon. :D

 

SDT

 

I agree Celebrity is a step above Royal in terms of food and service but I feel the above statement is a major exaggeration. Brilliance is a beautiful ship with a wonderful crew. You can't go wrong with either ship.

[Bruin Steve]

No, Celebrity is not a premium luxury line a la Crystal, Seabourne et al...but it is clearly, IMHO, a cut above the other mass marketed lines...Food and service are clearly better...

 

I also believe the itineraries are better...

I love the one-way Venice to Barcelona...let's you spend extra nights in BOTH cities...

 

And here's another key comparison:

Both Brilliance and Millennium are approximately the same size--a little over 90,000 gross tons...But the Brilliance sails at full double occupancy at about 2,500 passengers, the Millennium at about 2,000 passengers...

 

Follow the logic...Not only is there more room per passenger on the Millie, but figure there are about 250 fewer cabins...with that space being devoted to public areas instead--far more space for far fewer passengers...fewer crowds, shorter lines...easier to get a seat at the show or in lounge...less folks getting off the ship in the morning or crowding on at the end of the touring day...

 

Yes, the Brilliance is a nice ship...Yes, you will have a great experience on either ship...but it's a no-brainer for me...I'd even pay a little more to cruise on the Millenium...

[dkbustr]

Hello Lyn,

 

You might want to also consider Oceania Regatta...there is a 14 day Venice to Barcelona October 30, 2007. It really depends on what you are looking for in your cruise. The Oceania fares will appear higher, but remember that they include "free air". The free air does not include taxes, but if you look at both, Oceania will probably be priced only somewhat higher than the Millie for a similar cabin. The Regatta is a smaller ship (684 pax) and can get into smaller ports. There are more port days I believe, on the Regatta, so therefore it can be very port intensive. Both lines have their advantages, and both have their die hard cruisers, but it is something you may want to consider...I believe Bruin Steve may agree with that, since their next cruise is on Oceania. Am I right, Steve???

 

Mike

[Mike Andrews]

It has to be the Millennium without question

[Bruin Steve]

You might want to also consider Oceania Regatta...there is a 14 day Venice to Barcelona October 30, 2007. It really depends on what you are looking for in your cruise. The Oceania fares will appear higher, but remember that they include "free air". The free air does not include taxes, but if you look at both, Oceania will probably be priced only somewhat higher than the Millie for a similar cabin. The Regatta is a smaller ship (684 pax) and can get into smaller ports. There are more port days I believe, on the Regatta, so therefore it can be very port intensive. Both lines have their advantages, and both have their die hard cruisers, but it is something you may want to consider...I believe Bruin Steve may agree with that, since their next cruise is on Oceania. Am I right, Steve???

Actually, Mike, it was our LAST cruise that WAS on Oceania...a 14 night Istanbul to Venice itinerary on the Nautica this past July...

Yes, it is a very worthwhile option as Oceania has some very good itineraries with different ports than you'll find on some of the others...

The food is EXCELLENT...The ship itself was very nice...

There are some pluses and minuses with the smaller ships--the space per passenger ratios are actually just slightly worse than Millennium, but in the same general ballpark...Dinners are all "open seating"--good for fitting into your port tour schedule, but bad for getting service from waiters who get to know you...Entertainment was a bit amateurish...but not everyone goes on these cruises for the entertainment...There are also fewer activities onboard at night and on at sea days...and very limited food other than room service during non-meal hours...

 

But, overall, it as a pretty good product...

 

The price, from my calculations, if booked early (the free air and 2-for-1 specials go away as the cruise gets closer), Oceania tends to be about 15-20% costlier than Celebrity...but, beware, all of the extras are far costlier...The shore excursions have a greater premium, the hotel packages are WAY overpriced...They charge for transfers even if you've booked both air and cruise through the line...Photos, drinks, gift shops, etc. are all higher priced...They seem to make up for keeping the cruise price low by "getting" you elsewhere...Book your own hotels and pay for the air deviation...and book your own excursions and you can still keep it reasonable...

 

But, if you desire a smaller ship, their prices are much better than Crystal, Seabourne, etc.

 

And, again, the main criterias for a Med cruise is the itinerary...and Oceania has some very good ones...that's what attracted us to our cruise with them:

Istanbul (overnight) --at sea --Kusadasi --Rhodes --Mykonos --Athens --Santorini --at sea --Taormina --Amalfi --Kotor --Dubrovnik --Venice (overnight)

[gratefulguy]

If you are planning a cruise in that time-frame, have you considered a Med/Transatlantic repositioning cruise which gives you the sea days at the end to relax after all those intensive port days? They often are lower-priced which would allow either an up-graded cabin (balcony, at least), or more days pre-cruise in Europe. I (solo) took one Nov.1st on Princess that left Barcelona for 6 Med ports before heading to Ft. Lauderdale/Galveston for a total of 17 nights. In a balcony cabin, it cost much less than a 14 nt. Celebrity Baltic/Scandinavia cruise in an inside. I did prefer the food and ambience on the Baltic cruise but, as a couple, you will have a different experience anyway.

Happy Anniversary!

[The Big Booper]

From Cruise Critic news -

 

January 2, 2007Propulsion Malfunction Slows Celebrity MillenniumCelebrity Millennium, currently sailing an Eastern Caribbean cruise, has experienced an electrical short that provides power to the ship's port propulsion system. As a result, the ship has been forced to slow down -- reducing its cruising speed from 22 knots to 17.

 

This has resulted in the cancellation of one port -- the Dominican Republic's Casa de Campo -- but the ship will make it to San Juan, its next call, as scheduled. It is expected that Celebrity specialists and engineers will meet Celebrity Millennium there and make repairs.

 

Compensation was offered based on fare paid; a Celebrity spokesman would not reveal specifics.

 

According to a statement from Celebrity, it is not expected that the wiring problem will impact upcoming cruises; but we'll let you know if there's more to report.

How many instances of engine malfunctions is that for the M class. :eek: Give me the Rediance types any day of the week. JMHO.

[ehogan]

We completed a back to back Brilliance Med. trip in May/05. You can seem my photos at www.cruisemates.com if you click on "interactive", "photogallery" and do a search using "brilliance". The photos are under "ehogan". This was a fantastic trip, on a beautiful ship with excellent service.

 

We have not been on the Millenium, but have cruised Celebrity twice. In my opinion the food and service are slightly better on Celebrity, but we found the ships a bit dull in the activities area.

 

I think you should choose based on itinerary, since the differences between the ships are not that great. A Europe itinerary is so port intensive, the time spent actually enjoying the ship is less than you might expect. We found ourselves getting a quick breakfast, off to a shore excursion, returning just in time to get ready for dinner and more often than not, so tired afterwards that we simply went to our cabin to get some sleep for the next day. If this is your first trip to Europe, you will be pretty overwhelmed.

 

Any way you do it, you will have a wonderful time. We enjoyed it so much we will be back in March 2007, but this time it is on the new Carnival Freedom.

[mountainmare]

I agree that you should choose on itinerary--not the ship. We sailed on the Millennium in October for the 12- day Barcelona to Venice. This was the trip of a lifetime (so far) but I was not overwhelmed by the ship or service. That being said on such a port intensive cruise it is all about the ports, not the ship and the Millennium was a very nice way to travel.

As you start your research look not only at the ports, but the amount of time that you stay in port. We were lucky to stay in Santorini until midnight and were able to take part in the sunset celebration in Oia.

You might also want to check and see how many other ships are in port with you and use that info to help you decide.

 

If at all possible plan on at least one day pre-cruise to get over your jet lag and get used to being in Europe, we loved Barcelona so much that we were in no hurry to get to the ship. So if time away is a concern you may look at the shorter itinerary (although if thie Milli is overnight in Rome I would go for it).

 

Have fun planning!!!

[Host Kewlguy]

With the recent news of it's continuing pod problems I would now have to rethink sailing a transatlantic on Millennium.

[SkiCruiser44]

I would have to agree with Big Booper - I would hate to have my heart set on the trip of a lifetime and have it cancelled at the last minute because of pod problems. This has happened over and over again with the M ships. I've sailed on Millie & Infinity and also Radiance - I'll take the Radiance class ship any day. The food is slightly better on Celebrity - but I'm not one who cruises for the food. The Radiance class ships are the most beautiful afloat and with all the glass there's always a view. More than anything I'd pick the itinerary I wanted first. I also want a "dependable" ship when I'm sailing.

See you on board in Sept.

Kathy

[pcur]

We have sailed in the Med several times: twice for DH and three times for me. We've been on the Brilliance, and this coming April will be on the Millie. It will be our third cruise on X. I'll post back with my opinions after our cruise, since you're going in 10/07.

 

However, a few general comments:

 

The evening activities may not be as energetic on the Millie, but with a port intensive European cruise, you're not too energetic in the evenings! The ships on these types of cruises are truly more hotels than anything else. You are traveling and touring all day (as in ALL day), and I wouldn't put a lot of emphasis on the evening activities.

 

Food is slightly blander on X, in our opinion; not as much seasoning. However, it's not a showstopper type of thing.

 

The Brilliance is a truly elegant ship. I've heard the same of the Millie, and I'll find out in a few months. I really enjoyed the openess and views on the Brilliance while in Europe, especially Venice. The elevator lobby, for instance, on the Brilliance, has huge wall size windows.

 

Without sailing on the Millie yet, I would tend to veer toward the longer cruise, also. I know both brands can be trusted to deliver a good quality cruise, and I'm with the above poster that you should try to get the most days out of your cruise dollar. If one stays in Venice longer, then that would decide it for me. Venice is magical, IMO!!!

[newcomel]

Well, after reading tons of reviews and with your input we have decided to book the Millie. The longer trip along with the ports did it for me. We are going to do a few days pre & post cruise to take advantage of being over there.

 

My boss just approved 15 days of vacation time off for me. I am SO excited.

 

Not, it's just time to book hotels and tours.

 

This site is amazing for all of the help.

[pcur]

Oh, boy, Lyn, now the REAL research is going to start!! I spent a ton of time reviewing all the boards here for our ports, and now subscribe to the daily summaries to keep up with all of it.

 

You are correct that these CC boards really are a wealth of information. I also use TripAdvisor.com for hotel reviews. I found a great (I think!!) little hotel in London for our precruise. It's budget, but got great reviews on TripAdvisor.

 

What are your ports? You won't regret your choice, and I am also very excited about the Millie for our April cruise.

[naples queen]

We did the Venice to Barcelona on the Millenium last summer and it was fabulous! We had no complaints in any area. You wouldn't regret this choice. Hopefully the pod problems will be resolved by then.