The Millennium cruise ship departs from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida. Throughout the year, she offers ocean cruises to Caribbean
and South America.
Check Dates & Prices for cruises to Caribbean and South America.
Began service: 2000 Guest capacity: 1,950 Total staff: 999 Length: 965 feet Passenger decks: 11 CDC
inspection score: 99
Millennium Overview
A trendsetter when it was launched in 2000, Millennium
was the first ship to have glass-walled exterior elevators, a super
spa and a music library. The first of a new class of vessel -- faster
and larger, but still able to sail through the Panama Canal -- she
represents a new chapter for Celebrity.
Among other firsts that Millennium has clocked for Celebrity
include incorporation of a gas propulsion technology that reduces
emissions, noise and vibrations and enables it to cruise at 24 knots.
The ship can reach more destinations in less time. However, another
innovation has been somewhat less successful. The first ship ever
to use a "mermaid pod propulsion system," Millennium,
along with Infinity, Summit and Constellation,
has suffered from repeated breakdowns of the unit -- and resulted
in cruise cancellations. Celebrity Cruises has taken the unusual step
of filing a $300 million lawsuit against the mermaid pod creators.
In the meantime, the company has assured travelers that the breakdowns
represent no safety hazard and will continue to offer generous compensation
to passengers whose cruises are cancelled or interrupted as a result
of the balky system.
Ultimately, this ship is a good choice for all types of cruisers.
Highlights include the cuisine of a Michelin-starred chef, elegant
public rooms, museum-quality art, top-notch entertainment and lavish
suites.
Cabins
Of nine types of staterooms and suites, a good choice is an
Ocean View Stateroom (categories 4-8). At 170 sq.
ft., these cabins offer panoramic windows, sitting areas with sofa
beds, and two convertible beds. Eighty percent of the accommodations
have ocean-views; 74 percent of those with verandas. A veranda is
great in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, but may be too cold
in northern Europe. Balconied cabins include a Premium Ocean
View Stateroom with Veranda (categories
1A-1C) measuring 191 sq. ft. with 41 sq. ft. veranda, sliding glass
doors, sitting area with sofa bed and two convertible beds. Other
balcony cabins include Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom
with Veranda (categories 2A-2C; 170 sq. ft. with
38 sq. ft. veranda) and Large Ocean-View Stateroom
with Veranda (category 3; 271 sq. ft. with 242 sq.
ft. veranda). Four kinds of suites include palatial Penthouses
(1,432 sq. ft. with 1,098 sq. ft. veranda), Royal Suites
(538 sq. ft. plus 195 sq. ft. veranda), Celebrity Suites
(467 sq. ft. with floor-to-ceiling windows) and Sky Suites
(251 sq. ft. plus 57 sq. ft. veranda). Suites include butler service.
However, if your budget allows for only modest accommodations, Inside
Staterooms (categories 9-12) aren't too shabby. They are
170 sq. ft., with similar layout as the Ocean View Staterooms,
but windowless. All cabins offer interactive TV's, mini-bar, safe,
voice mail and hairdryer.
Dining
The two-level Metropolitan Restaurant offers
panoramic views and feature cuisine of of a Michelin-starred chef,
Master Chef Michel Roux. Lean and light selections are offered and
special diets are available (request at least 15 days before sailing).
The service, by a European-trained staff, is attentive. A quintet
entertains. The Olympic, a 134-seat alternative restaurant
(fee is $30 per person) with Edwardian decor, is highlighted by the
original paneling from the premier restaurant on the classic liner
Olympic, sister of the Titanic. It offers a demonstration kitchen,
dine-in wine cellar, and tableside cooking of dishes such as Caesar
salad, steak Diane and crepes Suzette. Reserve early! The outdoor-indoor
Ocean Cafe offers buffet-style breakfasts and lunches
and the no-fee Ocean Grill offers casual dinners
of steaks, rotisserie chicken and salmon with waiter service. Other
food treats include Elegant Tea, themed buffets,
and Gourmet Bites (tempura, mini-empanadas, etc.)
at midnight. Complimentary 24-hour room service includes sandwiches,
boxed gourmet pizzas, salads and desserts (guests can also order from
dining room menus during meal hours).
Entertainment
Options include Broadway-style revues and an interactive game show
in the Greek-style Celebrity Theater; first-run movies;
CDs in Notesmusic library; disco
in Cosmos; and a night-cap in one of the lounges.
Extreme Sports is popular and so is the Fortunes
Casino featuring 228 slots and 13 tables for blackjack, roulette,
Caribbean Stud Poker and dice.
Fitness & Recreation
The Riviera on
Resort Deck is a hedonistic spot with two pools,
four whirlpools, two bars, outdoor grill, bandstand, dance floor,
sun shop, and access to the Ocean Cafe & Grill.
Considered one of the best spas afloat, the 25,000 sq. ft. Elemis
AquaSpa offers a free hydropool in a glass-domed conservatory
setting. Facilities include 16 treatment rooms (for hot stone and
other first-at-sea therapies), sauna, steam, a cafe, an ocean-view
gym. The gym includes aerobics and 50 pieces of cardiovascular and
resistance equipment. Other facilities include a jogging track, volleyball,
basketball, paddle tennis, and golf simulator. Celebrity has enhanced
its daytime recreational programs to include enrichment lectures and
folkloric groups from ashore. Computer clinics are available for $59
an hour.
Public Areas
The Grand Foyer has
glass-walled exterior elevators that offer ocean views. The Cova
Cafe offers cappuccinos, chocolates and music by a harpist.
The Rendezvous Lounge on Promenade Deck
is the preferred place for pre-dinner cocktails. It has comfortable
seating, music for dancing, and leads to the lower level of the MetropolitanRestaurant. One deck above is the Platinum
Club. It houses Celebrity's Martini Bar
and Champagne Bar with a caviar display - and overlooks
the Rendezvous' dance floor/stage. Extreme
Sports, Celebrity's first-ever sports lounge, features sports-themed
art and big-screen TV's. Intimate
spaces include The Tower, a lounging area with sea
views and a conservatory ambience. Online@CelebrityCruises
is the line's first Internet Cafe with 18 individual
stations; the basic fee is 95 cents a minute. There is no self-service
launderette (laundry and dry-cleaning available for a fee).
Kids
There are free, supervised activities
for four age groups: 3-6, 7-9, 10-12 and 13-17. All participants 3-10
must be signed-in/out of the Fun Factory club by
a parent/guardian. Each child wears a wristband for identification.
Parents' Night Out is on formal nights with free
babysitting; counselors take the children to a pizza party. Limited
private babysitting is $8 per hour per family (maximum two children).
Make arrangements onboard through Guest Relations
or Stateroom Services. Group babysitting for children
ages 3-12 from 10pm to 1am is $3 per hour for one child, $5 per hour
for two or more children from the same family. Teenagers have their
own club.
Expert Millennium reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
Check Dates & Prices
for cruises to Caribbean and South America.
Millennium cruise reviews
Cruise
Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced
CDC inspection. Millennium Score:
99
