Nice Cruise, Unacceptable Ship

Item: Celebrity Millennium
Rating: 3.8
Author: roccoz18

Celebrity Millennium Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

roccoz18

Contributor Level: Second Mate

109 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 48

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

7 Night Southern Caribbean

Sail date: April 15, 2023

Ship: Celebrity Millennium

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 1000

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

I cruise frequently on RCCL and this was my first cruise on Celebrity. Disappointing is an understatement. I thought Celebrity was supposed to be RCCL's "mid-level" cruise brand. The staff of the Millennium were all wonderful. But, the food was no better than a Ponderosa/ Sizzler/ Golden Corral. And the ship was in embarrassingly bad shape. Throw in few activities and ho-hum entertainment (the comedian was the best), and it added up to a mediocre experience at sea. And, I don't include Effy Jewelry events and wine/ martini tastings in the list of onboard activities.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Main dining room- 4-stars Buffet- 1-star Specialty Restaurant (Le Petit Chef)- 3-stars The buffet was AWFUL. Cold, overcooked, unimaginative, repetitive. The late buffet was even worse; cold pizza and cold cuts that reminded me of why I don't eat at Subway. Not much else except for some desserts (which are always the highlight.) Lobster tail night was even horrible. How do you dry out lobster tails? it's very difficult, but, Celebrity managed to do just that. And, the meat stuck to the shell. And it wasn't just me, that was the buzz in the dining room as well as the topic of conversation around the ship for the evening.

Le Petit Chef

4 out of 5

The food was excellent as was the service. But, the food that was served looked nothing like the food that was in the animation, which is the entire point of Le Petit Chef.

The Martini Bar

5 out of 5

The highlight of the trip. The bartenders working the Martini Bar knew your name immediately and are a genuine asset to Celebrity.

Oceanview Café

2 out of 5

Awful. Every roast at every roasting station on every night was dry and overcooked. The menu alternated on odd and e even days, so, what you had on Monday, you're getting Wednesday & Friday. And what you got on Tuesday, you're getting on Thursday & Saturday. Lack of quality was noticeable, too. Very few options.

Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria

5 out of 5

Cafe al Bacio is the ONLY place onboard that you can get drinkable coffee drinks. All the other coffee onboard had me cringing. al Bacio is also excellent for desserts. Don't bother with the gelato because the ice cream (for free) in the Oceanview is actually better.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

This cruise was filled with plenty of trivia and kitschy activities that would be at place in a geriatric home. The only physical diversions on board are the gym, the pool, and the hot tubs. But, when you close ALL of the pool area by 10:00 at night, the best time to go to the hot tubs is lost.

The Casino

3 out of 5

Small, tight, noisynot enough tablesnot enough machines

Fitness Center

5 out of 5

Technogym treadmills. The industry leader.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

The three shows were just warmed over musical revues with the same cast. The most positive thing I could say about the shows is that they used a live house band and not recorded music. The performers far outweighed the productions, which had very little imagination and looked like it was done on a VERY low budget.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

All onboard personnel were attentive and genuinely concerned with quality of service.

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

Maybe the worst ship in the Celebrity line. The top deck shows VERY obvious signs of age; cracking paint, shoddy repairs, rusting everywhere, worn furniture, cracks in the steps and deck. Repairs such as painting and lubricating valves took place while guests were on the decks. The smell of paint was intolerable. The amount of excess lubricant that dripped onto deck chairs and the cordoning off of decks to do "on the fly" repairs made for a bad experience.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

3092 was my second cabin. It was very nice and comfortable. But, my first cabin, which I switched from, smelled like the sewage system had gases backing up. The common areas leading to our stateroom had really bad paint touch up. It looked like someone just slapped an extra layer of paint and didn't mind spatter or paint overreach. Detracting and truly an eyesore.

Ship tip

While the entire crew is wonderful, this ship is old and tired and the food in the buffet was horrible. Think about going on a different ship.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Yes, you're in the Caribbean, but, your still in the good 'ol United States. Beautiful place, beautiful people.

Thumbs Up 2

Basseterre, St. Kitts

5 out of 5

A hike to the inner part of the island is a must to see the caldera of a dormant volcano.

Thumbs Up 1

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

3 out of 5

Dutch side- 5-stars French side- 1-star The entire time our tour bus was using the facilities on the French side, the attendant yelled at people to "not pee on the seats", "men, use better aim". Total arrogance.

Thumbs Up 1

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Traveler Photos

My Shirt After Coming In Contact With Shipboard Lubricant

Cracking Paint and Rust Everywhere on the Top Deck

Open cables and REALLY bad, slapped on paint repair

Air exhaust tower on top deck. Filthy & rusty & right in the middle of the pool area

Rusty joints and corners were so plentiful on the top deck that it added up to one big eyesore

6 Comments

LorieAnne 1 year ago

We are currently on the Celebrity Millennium, we find your review accurate. The food is repetitive, and we feel we are being served left overs with some added sauce most days. The majority of the staff is pleasant, but our room attendant is non-existent. We have found the experience to be unorganized and not well planned. We will write our review when the cruise ends, but as for now...you are spot on!

Thumbs Up 0

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willwork4cruz 1 year ago

I don’t think it’s fair to both complain that the ship needs paint/repairs and then to complain they are cordoning off areas to perform that maintenance and of the smell of fresh paint. I took that same ship a couple months ago and also found the food to be lackluster (still better than RC though) but I never noticed those items in your pics. I’m sure they were there, as all ships constantly need maintenance, but I wasn’t looking to find things wrong with my cruise. Overall it was in great shape for a 20 year old ship. Try a newer Celebrity ship, I’m sure you will like it better.

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Sorry this cruise didn’t meet your expectations.

Thumbs Up 0

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javawoody 1 year ago

Appreciate the feedback

Thumbs Up 1

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks

Thumbs Up 1

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cruising2004 1 year ago

I’m sorry to hear your cruise was a disappointment. Hopefully your next cruise will be more to your liking.

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Great cruise