celebrity-millennium4

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Ted Spiegel
Email: tspiegel@bellsouth.net
Age: 52
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Millennium
SailingDate: 9/22/00
Itinerary: Western Mediterranean
Cabin: 6118/Suite
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 97
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Oct 2000
Time: 15:46:26
Remote Name: host-209-214-170-8.sdf.bellsouth.net
Remote User:

Comments

We (my wife and I) sailed on the Celebrity Millennium September 22, 2000 through October 2, 2000
sailing on the Western Mediterranean itinerary. The ports of call for the ten night cruise were Genoa
(embarkation and disembarkation), Villefranche and Toulon, France, Barcelona, Spain, Palma,
Mallorca, Valletta, Malta, Naples, Civitavecchia and Livorno, Italy. The itinerary represented a
departure from the published brochure. Originally, the cruise did not include Malta but had the first
and last days at sea. In order to add Malta the route was changed, the fifth day becoming an at sea
day and each other day being spent in port. While I would have preferred an at sea day at the
beginning, the change came about on far too short notice to allow me to effect a change in my travel
plans.

Travel from the United States – We did not let Celebrity make our arrangements for us. First of all, we
did not want to fly on a charter. Second, we did not want to travel coach and Celebrity might have an
excellent travel department but their quotes on business class fares are double if not more than they
can be purchased on the open market. After much investigation I found a British Airways flight directly
from London Gatwick to Genoa and a great connection at Gatwick from the United States via Delta Air
Lines. Since we planned further travel after the cruise we had great flexibility in return plans. Believing
the first day to be at sea, I scheduled a 9/21/00 departure from the U.S. to an early morning British
Airways flight from London. We figured that the sea day could be used to acclimate us to the time
change and recover from the travel. With the Celebrity change in itinerary, no at sea day but shore
excursions to Monte Carlo. If I knew this in advance I would have departed the U.S. a day before and
spent the night in Genoa. The flight operated on schedule and some 14 hours after departure we
found ourselves at the baggage carousel in Genoa with no luggage. This has nothing to do with the
cruise but three missing suitcases in Italy with a formal night the next evening is not the way to start a
vacation. Our friend at the baggage service desk was of little help. He spoke broken English and my
Italian is not good enough to do anything more than order train tickets. The Celebrity representative
assisted us with translations and told us not to worry because ‘this happens all the time.’ After a formal
claim we headed by taxi to the ship.

Airport Transfer – With the help of a phrase book I ordered a taxi and in impeccable Italian told him I
wanted to go to the GTS Millennium located at the sea port Andrea Doria Terminal. With a big smile
we departed the airport. The taxi driver obviously was a Grand Prix racing fan because we traveled
through the streets of Genoa, across a bridge, through a tunnel and up on an elevated highway at
speeds over 75 mph. My wife was frantic but we arrived in one piece. The cost of the taxi was about
$15.00 (28,500.00 lira). Celebrity charged $25.00 per person for this service. The taxi took 10
minutes. For my next trip I am going to memorize ‘slow down’ in the local language of my hosts.

Embarkation – We booked a sky suite so we were given the number Zero. Captains Club members got
the number 1. Suites and Captains Club members had their own lines and embarkation was very
quick. We had our documents filled out in advance and five minutes after arrival at the cruise terminal
we were on the ship. The rest of the terminal was a zoo and people were having a terrible time finding
places to sit. Keeping cool was a problem because Italy is not famous for air conditioning and the
temperature was 80 degrees. Just a hint – spend the $35.00 to join the Captains Club if you do not
book a suite and you are the least bit inclined to sail Celebrity a second time.

The Cruise -- We sailed right on time. That meant for us sailing without our luggage. We were advised
at check-in to notify Guest Services so the ship would be aware of out problems. Remember the ‘don’t
worry’ from the airport. Somewhere between 35 and 45 couples did not get their luggage. Celebrity did
not offer any ship board credits but did give everybody a tee shirt and formal clothes for dinner the
next night. The tee shirts proved very effective in making new friends. You simply went up to a person
wearing it and inquired if they heard anything about their luggage. It is not really funny but we tried not
to get too upset. Now for the major bad point of this cruise, the Guest Relations staff (Purser’s desk).
They are trained to give stock answers and can never answer a specific question. It happens to them
every cruise and they just do not care. Have you located my luggage? ‘ We are Looking.’ Did you
phone the airline? ‘We sent them an e-mail.’ Did they answer it? ‘Not yet.’ What do you intend to do
next? ‘I don’t know.’ It becomes a little disconcerting to the guests but the Millennium’s guest services
manager did not seem to care. I asked her to get me a phone number for British Airways and she got
me a U.S. based number. It is much more expensive to call the U.S. versus the U.K. from a port in
France.

If you eliminate the Guest Service desk and the luggage problem which was not Celebrity’s fault this
was a perfect cruise. The Millennium is a gorgeous ship. Its public areas are well designed and
decorated flawlessly. The art work is to kill for. The Olympic Dining Room ($12.00 per person
surcharge) is the most beautiful room on any ship afloat. The Celebrity theater is large, airy, excellent
acoustically and does not have a bad seat in the house. It has two balconies. The casino has plenty of
action, the right amount of gaming tables and an excellent ambiance. The ship has a movie theater, a
library and music listening library which provides a great place to get away and be alone if you so
desire.

Pool Area and Aqua Spa -- Like many ships the Millennium has trouble with people trying to save
lounge chairs poolside. There are adequate chairs for all but they simply cannot fit around the main
pool. There are other areas such as the bow at deck 12 and the stern of deck 11 where one can sun
without any trouble, even on at sea days. The pool staff will empty any chair which only has a towel on
it to discourage saving but they are not aggressive if you are inclined to stake a claim. I for one would
probably move your property if I was looking for a lounge and you had a book on a chair for more than
one hour.

The aqua spa has a hot sea water ‘thalassotherapy’ pool which is standard on Celebrity Cruises. The
Millennium is currently the only ship in the fleet that does not charge for its use. It is as advertised and
the spa is as beautiful and as large as the photos. It is a great place should it rain. The spa is
managed by Steiner’s of London. Like any other ship that this company staffs, expect to find the spa
overpriced for basic services and sold out very early in the cruise. The massage therapists get a
handsome percentage of their sales of beauty and skin products so expect the hard sell.

Dining -- Celebrity is known for its food and this cruise did not disappoint. The service in the main
dining room was excellent. The bar waiters and the wine steward are low key. The assistant waiter
made a concerted effort to know your beverage preference and always had it on the table shortly after
you arrived. The one complaint I heard on the ship over and over again was the fact that the galley
was either one or two decks below the dining room and waiters would attempt to minimize their trips
due to this design. For some this might have been an issue but I never found to be even mildly
important. Food was prepared well and not over decorated. The portion size was large enough to be
satisfying yet small enough to allow one to partake in multiple courses including dessert without
leaving the dining room with that stuffed feeling.

Entertainment – I have been on RCCL and Princess before and I found Celebrity’s entertainment to be
excellent. That places it on par with RCCL and ahead of Princess. The production shows were better
than anything experienced at sea previously. The comedian was excellent and we also had a classical
pianist, an Australian song and dance man and a British magician. All of the shows were enjoyable but
the last production show by the Celebrity singers and dancers entitled ‘On Broadway’ was A+.

Ports – Celebrity will not be repeating this itinerary next year. Because of the change, Barcelona,
Naples, Malta, Rome and Villefranche will survive next year. The Millennium will cruise one way from
Barcelona to Istanbul. Each of the ports is enjoyable in their own way. Shore excursions are well run
and well subscribed. You are advised to pre-book. European cruises tend to sell more shore
excursions that other itineraries due in part to language barriers.

Cabins – I had a sky suite which was 261 sq. feet plus a 58 foot private verandah. It was pricey but
well worth it. I got a chance to look at all of the other classes of rooms and found the rooms well
appointed and fairly sized. All rooms have a private safe and more than adequate storage. For suites
you get a butler who brings afternoon snacks and pre-dinner canapés. It is a nice touch. If you have a
suite, you do not see your cabin steward because the butler handles all the non-cleaning functions.
Our butler was exceptional, especially since our luggage did not arrive until the end of the second
day. By then he brought and had altered formal dress for dinner for my wife and me and had our
laundry done and back to us first thing in the morning. Our cabin steward always kept the room
spotless.

Disembarkation -- Celebrity handles this without a hitch. We boarded a bus to Milan which left the ship
right on time and arrived at the airport just as scheduled. Porters are available at the per to handle
luggage.

Final thoughts – Our luggage arrived at the first port but not until dinner time did we have any idea
that it was on board. We got it and unpacked after dinner. Our friends at Gatwick failed to get it on the
plane to Genoa so it came on the plane that arrived 2 hours after we sailed. Celebrity sent it by truck
to Villefranche. Some who were missing their luggage through the air/program did not get it until the
fourth day. I loved this ship and loved this cruise line. I would sail this line and this ship again in a
minute. This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience in spite of the baggage delay.

Name: Rita Johnson
Email: johnson6ofus@juno.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Property Manager
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Millennium
SailingDate: 12/17/00
Itinerary: Caribbean- Key West, Cozumel, Gand Cayman
Cabin: 9007/9003
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 1
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 1
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 99
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Dec 2000
Time: 12:33:09
Remote Name: dialup-64.154.150.174.austin1.level3.net
Remote User:

Comments

Our family of 6, including 4 sons sailed the inugural Caribbean sailing of Millennium. Check is was a breeze!
Probably the best ever. Even the pushy photographers backed off when you said "no"... that made it more
relaxing... Food, although touted on Celebrity is no better than Holland America (our favorite)or Royal
Caribbean. Most fish was rather bland, and some beef dishes chewy, but overall..ok. Don't miss what they call
"sherbert", it is SORBET! And excellent at that. We found desserts in the 10th floor Ocean Cafe often better than
those served in the dining room. As a result, dining room attendance was really low at breakfast and lunch. We
checked on the new Olympic restaurant, and it's $12 per person "up charge". Menu didn't seem wonderful, and
was very limited. It seemed like a way to sell wine tasting. At $72 per glass, you had better fine wine a real
pleasure in your life to go. I admit, we did not reserve a space to go... Wine lovers might be in heaven though, I
recommend asking for a menu from guest relations, or the restuarant themselves. Our nightmare was being high
and forward on the ship. The Cosmos nightclub is designed to focus and point sound down... we were up until
2AM every night...ugh! Really poor design on an otherwise beautiful ship! Take time to look the ship over.. some
wonderful details in the indoor pool area, and even the 10th floor cafe with it's "see through" ocean view
FLOORS. The limited pressure of the deck bar service personnel and photographers really helped with the calm
atmosphere. Singers and dancers were really good, but the last show- highlighting the producers blues style, is
worth missing. Guest realtions and cruise staff gave the usual "canned" answeres, even when we were delayed
due to an extra stop in Cozumel to drop off an extremely ill woman. If the weather had been better, it would have
been great. Watch out for the damage to "Seven Mile Beach" in Grand Cayman--- apparently quit extensive.
Have a great cruise!

Name: A. Bottomley
Email: abo@eortc.be
Age: 39
Occupation: sales
NumberOfCruises: 10
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Millennium
SailingDate: 17-24 dec 2000
Itinerary: Western Caribeen
Cabin: 7149
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 60
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 5
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 5
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 5
TenderService: 5
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 70
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 60
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 70
EmbarkDisembark: 5
DiscoNightclubs: 60
DeckSpace: 50
Stabilization: 5
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 5
OverallCruiseValue: 40
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jan 2001
Time: 07:09:32
Remote Name: 193.9.8.210
Remote User:

Comments

The Millennium is a beautiful ship, with a huge 7 story glass elevator that looks over the seas as you go up of
down. Beautiful. The grand foyer on the millennium was also a great design, and the Olympic restraunt was
magnificent with the 100-year-old panelling giving it a classical look.

Dinning was a problem. The first night the entire second sitting (some 1200+ bodies) were delayed eating by
45 min. No one felt it was appropriate to explain why we had the problem, or how long it would be delayed.
The second night we were only delayed by 10 min. The service was utterly poor. Our table, on the few times
we dinner there had missing or dirty cutlery, and our waiter was the worst I have experienced. We voted with
our feet, and choose to eat only twice in this dinning room, given the service and the location of the table,
which was next to the kitchen entrance. We tried the alternative dinning, but were surprised to find only a
handful of passangers using it. However, we soon realized it seemed like a training ground for new waiters,
and were quite amused to watch the antics of the staff arguing about serving. We were invited to eat on the
captain's table on the second formal night, and found both the service and quality of food improved. Amazing
what rank can do for you. We found we were hassled in the extreme by our dinning room steward for a tip on
the last day on the Millennium, demanding we pay him! We reported this to front desk, and were told the hotel
manager would see us. However, we heard no more about this. Tables for two are rare, less than 10 or so on
our cruise, and many of these were in bad places, such as the kitchen entrance, so not so hot for
honeymooners wanting privacy and romantic dinning. However, the Olympic dinning, at $25.00 per person is
well worth the extra cost, and does have many 2 person tables, with great service.

The general organisation of the Millennium was a mess. Chaos theory rules ok on this ship. Embarkation
showed that they were all learning, we were one hour latter than scheduled to get one, and no one seemed to
know why, or what the problem was. The food bars and services often were late opening, and again it seemed
like everyone was leaning what, why, how and when to there job. Activities generally were on time, but forget
to basketball or tennis, as no one seemed to know where the balls or rackets were. Disembarkation was a
mess. People in wheel chairs were left to wait for many able bodies to get off and it all became a joke. The
immigration office was quite rightly shouting at the crew of the lackluster attempt to coordinate the
disembarkation.

The cabins were great, we had a outside with a balcony, and it was very sound proofed. The cabin service
was perfect and very friendly.

Fellow passengers on this ship were quite young, generally between 20-55 and at times quite tense. Over
400 kids, and it was overbooked with 2400 bodies on baord rather than the stated 1950 in the
advertisements. So all services were overused, and quality was lost.

The ship still vibrates, despite the dry docking just before our cruise. A clear design problem.

Overall, the huge number of passengers and lack of experience and ability of the staff and crew to cope with
the numbers led this is be one of the poorest quality cruises we have been on.

Name: Susan Smith
Email: suesmith@execpc.com
Age: 54
Occupation: professor
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Millennium
SailingDate: 12/31/00
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: 8085/9
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 99
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Jan 2001
Time: 14:50:08
Remote Name: d158.as14.nwbl0.wi.voyager.net
Remote User:

Comments

The ship is absolutely beautiful, and I believe that everyone will have a wonderful time. The lamb was
especially good. The artwork wouldmade a wonderful slide show if it was shown in a class. We did not
experience long lines, or lack of any type of chair. There seemed to be enough of everything to go around.
The cabins are quite small now that they put in a small couch and table. When you saw open doors it seemed
that there were things everywhere. Our cruise had Regis, his wife and best friends onboard. They were on
many decks throughout the week. The cruise director interviewed him on Thursday pm. The spa now bans
children under 16 so it is a refurge. Thespa cafe seves breakfast and lunch so you will not be tempted to
overeat at those meals. The shore excursions and port calls are very short. I don't know that I would
recomend this ship or this cuirse line to people who really want to spend time on land.The spa treatments are
good but way overpriced, and unfortunately they really push products during facials. I asked my person to
keep the pitch for goods until later, but then he really tried to sell me a booklet full of things. The average
price of one lotions is about $80-90 US. Don't visit the spa except for the Persian Chamber which is really
great at $17.00. My husband and I were the only ones in it. It was very relaxing. Now that the crew is getting
used to the new ship, everyone is trying hard to please and generally succeeding. I think you will have a great
trip.

Name: Dan Farley
Email: dfarley@sprintmail.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Millennium
SailingDate: 8/26/00
Itinerary: Baltic
Cabin: 3022 - Ocean View
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 92
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 40
CabinSteward: 89
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 92
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 82
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 85
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 92
DeckSpace: 82
Stabilization: 88
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Feb 2001
Time: 20:38:31
Remote Name: node-d8e97c26.powerinter.net
Remote User:

Comments

My wife and I loved the Baltic Itinerary and many of the amenities aboard the Millennium, but Celebrity's
service was subpar in several areas. We would definitley think twice about cruising with them again.

Exceeded Expectations: First of all, the itinerary was incredible. It was amazing to visit so many different
cities/counties in a two week period. It was nice crusing on a new ship with up-to-date facilities. Our room was
very comfortable, though a bit small. The Platinum Club and Michael's Club were a pleasant surprise and
provided outstanding service. The exercise facility was first rate (and regular us almost offset all the food we
ate). The variety and quality of the dining room food was excellent, as was the service. The music library was,
surpisingly, one of the less crowded areas on the ship and proived an good selection of CDs. The bar prices
were more reasonable than expected.

Fell Short of Expectations: Celebrity obviously does not know how to handle a full itinerary of passengers.
There were always long lines in the Ocean Cafe, especially during breakfast when you had to fight to find a
table. The elevators on the ship were slow and overcrowded. The bank and front desk seemed to have lines
that never subsided. Speaking of the bank, the spreads on the currency exchanges were criminal -- a good
example of taking advantage of a captive audience rather than providing a much needed service at a
reasonable rate. Upon boarding we were offered a welcome drink -- fortunately we didn't take it because other
surprised passengers were charged $8 apiece for this "opportunity" (with the cost being disclosed once they
had accepted). The entertainment was bland and obviously targeted for the older crowd. The one night
Cosmos Lounge was packed was for 70's night. Celebrity seems oblivious to this fact and insisted on playing
Big Band and Showtunes the rest of the time. Seven days into a fourteen day cruise they managed to run out
of tea in the tea room and, even worse, didn't really seem to care. The cabins were small, adding to the
cramped feeling felt elsewhere throughout the ship. Although the dining room food was excellent, the Midnight
Buffets were horrible (for example, on the Asian Buffet night the Japanese family in line in front of us could not
identify what most of the dishes were supposed to be). Lastly, I was surprised by how rude and immature the
majority of our fellow passengers behaved -- shoving on the elevators, shoving on the busses, shoving in the
Cafe, and bickering like children on a constant basis. There were way to many pampered, spoiled fossils who
were used to being catered to and were incapable of playing well with others.

Overall, the cruise was a memorable experience, but do not expect premium service for the premium price
Celebrity charges. And don't bother filling out the comment cards -- Celebrity doesn't care enough about their
service to respond to your comments, even if you ask that they do.

Name: Nancy Draisin
Email: ndraisin@skychefs.com
Age: 58
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Celebrity-Millennium
SailingDate: February 4, 2001
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 8096-1B
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 96
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 99
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Feb 2001
Time: 15:06:26
Remote Name: www.skychefs.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise for our 35th anniversary celebration. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of
it. We did not do the land/sea combination offered by the cruise line because we wanted to go in a day
earlier to avoid possible bad weather delays.

Our embarkation was wonderful. We went through in about 5 minutes and went straight up to our
room. The room was wonderful, although about 2 feet too narrow. It would have been perfect had it
been a little wider. We were able to find a place for everything since the room has plenty of available
spaces for all your stuff.

We had chosen the early seating and we are glad that we did, since we saw the late seating people
coming out of the dining room at almost 11PM since dinner takes about 2 hours. We felt that each
dinner was like eating in a fine restaurant every night! The service, the selections and the presentation
were wonderful. I had read a previous review which has said that the service was terrible since the
kitchen is on another floor, but this was not our experience.

As for breakfast, we had room service twice for breakfast where we were pleasantly surprised that the
food and coffee arrived hot and on time. It was very pleasant. But it is necessary to be very specific
about what you want or you won't get it, but this was suggested to us before we ordered. The buffet
breakfast and lunch also work very well. There were never any lines and seating is plentiful, bright, all
near windows with waiters escorting you to the table and coming around with coffee. There was
enough staff to clear the tables frequently. The variety was adequate for us with many hot and cold
selections.

The only disappointment was the entertainment in the Celebrity Theater. We felt that it was okay, but
too short (only 45 minutes) and basically the same with a different theme and different songs. The
nightclub was very well designed so that you can enter on different levels. There is plenty of legroom
and the couches are quite comfortable.

We usually went to the Rendezvous Lounge after the show since they usually played trivia and we
enjoyed that. The duo who sang there were quite good although they did not speak English.

There was not too much smoking but we had to move from time to time since we sometimes sat down
on the wrong side of the ship. Most people observed the rules and it was not a problem.

I could not rate the Casino, the Exercise room, or the Beauty Salon since we did not use them.

The private island (Catalina) was a little bit of a disappointment since it got very crowded after a while
and we don't like that. There was also a line for lunch (the only time we waited on line for anything). Of
course, we could have waited and possibly have avoided the line. The tender service was very good
and there was not wait for them either. They are very well organized.

All in all, we feel that everything runs very smoothly since they are quite efficient. The service is
excellent in all areas and very responsive to questions. We had a fabulous experience and would do it
again in a minute if we had the time.

Kudos to Celebrity and keep up the good work. We would go with them again.

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