Not a fan of Millennium
Celebrity Millennium Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska
Alaska Northern Glacier Cruise
Sail date: May 26, 2017
Ship: Celebrity Millennium
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 6019
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
We just returned from our Alaskan cruise and love, love, love Alaska! We will probably go back, but it wouldn't be on Celebrity Millennium.
Our main complaint was with the food and beverage portion of cruise, which is a really big deal, as that is one of the reasons we cruise... no switching hotels or deciding where to eat.
Upon arriving on the ship around lunchtime , we went to the buffet since that was only area open. The food appeared to have been out for a while and steam tables were at a full, rolling boil, pushing steam out from under the pans of food. Most of the food was grossly overcooked. It lacked any basic seasoning, as simple as salt and pepper.
we walked to the martini bar afterward and met the bartender, Adrian. We had the classic drink package (mid-range) and asked if we could get a couple of martinis with the liquor from our package. He said no and he couldn't help us, saying that we might as well go ahead and upgrade to the premium package. He then walked away, leaving us flabbergasted by his sheer rudeness. We left and didn't return to that bar for the duration of the cruise.Other bartenders seemed confused by the rules of each package, misquoting prices and options. Servers wer few and far between. The entire ship seemed understaffed. Most cruises we have been on, you couldn't swing a cat without hitting someone trying to sell you a drink. On this sailing, it was a virtual waitstaff ghost town. The crew members we did see were more interested in flirting with fellow crew members than serving guests.
We have been on two European cruises and one other domestic and have never encountered anything like this.
The food in dining room was lackluster. They offered us Alaskan King Crab (we were in Alaska) at the grill for an up charge and never offered it in the dining room. Every piece of fish we ordered was overcooked.
Our cabin steward was outstanding. The ship is beautiful and the ports we visited were well prepared for ships with no tendering needed. That was a great change from a few of the tiny European ports!
We did an excursion in Juneau that we booked ourselves to take a helicopter ride and land on a glacier. Coastal Helicopters with the yellow 'copters were great and we highly recommend them! Also, Juneau whale watch was good too!!
The only excursion we did through the ship was the WPYR railroad trip, in Skagway, mainly because we could walk off the ship and climb aboard the train without having to walk into town to catch it.
We walked the town and wandered on our own in Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan. In Seward we booked a whale watch and salmon bake trip that was around 3.5 hours. The company was Major Marine Tours. The ships crew also cooked the all-you-can-eat buffet as well! Great bunch of people.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
I would maybe take a different ship. We have heard great things about Celebrity, but our experience was not great. We love Holland America and had a great experience on both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Other cruisers who had been on other ships said they thought it may be this ship.
Ports of call
Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia
Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska
Traveler Photos
