Celebrity Millennium

The 2000-built Celebrity Millennium cruise ship is the first of the Millennium-class Celebrity liners, with sisterships Constellation, Infinity, Summit. Celebrity Cruises Millennium ship was scheduled for "Celebrity Revolution" drydock refurbishment starting on February 9, 2019.

The vessel (IMO number 9189419) is currently Malta-flagged (MMSI 249055000) and registered in Valletta.

History - construction and ownership

Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 as the Greece-based Chandris Line (cruise shipping operations between 1974-1996). In 1997, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) merged with "Celebrity Cruises Ltd" to become "Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd" (RCCL). The "X" on ship funnels is the Greek letter chi (standing for "Chandris"). Common features of Celebrity Cruises ships include aft located glass-walled dining rooms, signature alternate dining venues, bars and lounges, spacious Atrium lobby areas, a large number of balcony staterooms, large sundecks with swimming pools, The Retreat (adults-only sundeck with full-size swimming pool, Jacuzzi, cabanas, poolside full bar service). Rooftop Terrace (top-deck outdoor lounge-restaurant-cinema), large Spa (with Thermal Suites), premium retail shops selling top-brand merchandise.

The 2200-passenger ship Celebrity Millennium became the first-in-class flagship for Celebrity Cruises, with a new gas propulsion technology and exterior elevators. Nowadays, the vessel benefits from a series of upgrades, created to make the older Millennium-class ships up to par with the new technologies and the modern Solstice-class ships. New cabins (plus AquaSpa accommodations), interesting dining venues, a new modern coffee shop, bars, and an Internet Center create the feeling that the intimate experience is above all. The Millennium boasts a tortoise-shell onyx stairway in the middle and stunning space in the Cosmos Lounge with wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows. The ship is quite impressive, with 14 elevators and a design that makes people forget what they are looking for. Big outside deck space helps in this regard.

Decks and Cabins

Celebrity Millennium staterooms (1079 total, in 28 grades) include 50x Suites, 573x Balconies, 244x Oceanviews, 212x Inside cabins. Most staterooms are sized 170 ft2 / 16 m2. Around 60% of all passenger accommodations have a private step-out balcony. Most cabin balconies are sized 40 ft2 / 4 m2. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 26. The largest are the Penthouse Suites (1430 ft2 / 133 m2 with wraparound terrace sized 1100 ft2 / 102 m2).

The boat has 12 passenger decks, of which 8 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The Metropolitan Restaurant is Celebrity Millennium's main dining room. It offers formal breakfast, brunch on one of the sea days, lunch on select days, and dinner. The entire back wall of the Metropolitan is glass. The decor is a mix of contemporary and Art Deco and makes the restaurant lovely and elegant, thus setting the stage for an equally elegant dining experience. Even though it's a large space, the Metropolitan has been designed in a way that makes it quiet and guests can enjoy a conversation. The Oceanview Cafe is ship's buffet restaurant, situated aft on the pool deck. Tea, coffee, and juices are available 24 hours a day. Food is served from 6:30 am to 1 am.

Follows the complete list of Celebrity Millennium restaurants and food bars.

• The Olympic Restaurant (114-seat, reservations-only specialty restaurant; RMS Titanic-themed; offers French and American cuisine, Five Senses tasting menu, Champagne High Tea Time, with Demonstration Kitchen for live cooking shows and Wine Cellar annex)
• Metropolitan Restaurant (900-seat aft Dining Room, with open seating Breakfast 8:00-9:30 a.m., Lunch 12:00-1:30 p.m., Afternoon Tea 4:00-5:00 p.m., and two fixed Dinner seatings - at 6:00 and 8:30 p.m.)
• Bistro on Five (60-seat creperie all-you-can-eat restaurant; offers lunch and dinner with table-side service)
• Blu (98-seat AquaClass passengers only restaurant, reservations required; also serves Suite guests upon availability)
• AquaSpa Cafe (90-seat complimentary Solarium and Spa bar, self-service; offers healthy food choices for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
• Oceanview Cafe & Grill (568-seat indoor/outdoor self-service buffet restaurant, complimentary; open between 6:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m. for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, with a variety of food stations)
• Mast Bar (alfresco burger bar, poolside; offers complimentary lunch)
• Qsine (86-seat dinner only specialty restaurant; reservations recommended).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Deck 4 is Millennium's entertainment hub. Anyone looking for excitement can easily find it in ship's Rendezvous Lounge, lined with huge windows opening onto the promenade. In the evenings, guests sing karaoke and dance on the center wood floor until the wee hours. The Martini Bar and Crush, with juggling bartenders and ice-topped bar, make great pre-dinner cocktails. The 3-deck Celebrity Theater feels like a real theater with comfortable banquette seating in red and purple hues, double balcony and nonobstructed views. Most of the shows are the typical cruise fare with "The Celebrity Singers and Dancers" and a live orchestra. Guest entertainers also perform. The forward-facing lounge Cosmos, at the top of the ship, is on three sides surrounded with floor-to-ceiling windows. During the day it's used as an observation station and for activities. At night, it's turned into a disco.

Follows the complete list of Celebrity Millennium lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Millennium Theatre (900-seat show lounge for grand musical and show productions; hosts daily trivia games, bingo, classes, movies)
• Millennium Atrium “Grand Foyer” (3-deck open floor area with live music entertainment)
• Michael’s Club (piano bar); Martini Bar; Crush Bar (with a 12-seat table filled with ice cubes in the middle)
• Photo Gallery & Shop
• Millennium Fortunes Casino
• Celebrity iLounge (24-hour Internet cafe/computers room; sells Apple computers; classes available)
• Rendez-Vous Lounge & Nightclub
• The Emporium shopping alley (Atrium boutique shops for duty-free alcohol and tobaccos, watches, luxury jewelry, accessories, fashion clothing, logo items)
• Cafe Al Bacio & Gelateria (72-seat a la carte specialty coffee, patisserie, ice cream; with the Gelateria - Italian Gelato ice cream bar)
• Cellar Masters (24-hour Wine Bar; features an Enomatic wine tasting system; provides Sommelier consultations in the evenings)
• Art Gallery; Library
• Acupuncture Treatments Room; Aquaspa & Fitness complex with Persian Garden (Thermal Suite - rain shower, steam room, sauna, heated loungers), Therapy and Treatment Rooms, Hair & Beauty Salon, Solarium (adults area) and Aquaspa Cafe (spa bar)
• Fitness Center (with separate Aerobics area)
• Solarium Pool area (with adults-only Thalassotherapy Pool and seawater lap pool; 2 Whirlpools)
• Riviera Pool area (with Splash Pool for kids and 4 Whirlpools, outdoor pool bar, served by the Pool Grill)
• Oceanview Bar (alfresco bar, selling fine cigars)
• Cosmos Lounge (observation lounge during the day, show lounge & dance club in the evening)
• Kids clubs by age (Fun Factory 3-11 yo, Shipmates 3-5 yo, Cadets 6-8 yo, Ensigns 9-11 yo, with supervised age-appropriate activities, like arts-crafts, themed parties, games, movies, toys, interactive games, scavenger hunts)
• X-Club (teen-only disco and lounge area); Video Games Arcade
• Tennis Tables, Shuffleboard; Power Walking/Jogging Track; Multi-sports outdoor court; Sun Deck area.

In 2023, Celebrity introduced pickleball playing (at the sports courts) fleetwide. The sports facilities are complimentary, including the pickleball equipment (net, paddles, balls) but operated with separate scheduled playing times for adults and families (with kids older than 6).

Pickleball Court's locations vary by ship class - on EDGE ships is at the Rooftop Garden (Deck 15), on SOLSTICE ships is on the Sports Deck (Deck 15), on MILLENNIUM ships - at the Multi-Sports Court (Deck 12).

Itineraries

Celebrity Millennium itinerary program is based mainly on voyages in Asia with departures from Singapore and Hong Kong. During summer, Millennium sails in Alaska leaving from Vancouver BC and Seward AK. During Transpacific crossings between Alaska and Asia (RepositionCruises.com), the ship visits Hawaii.

Following the Coronavirus crisis, in June-August 2021, for the first time, Celebrity planned to homeport a ship (Millennium) in Philipsburg (St Maarten Island). The Caribbean mini-season included 7-night roundtrips from Philipsburg to Oranjestad Aruba-Willemstad Curacao-Bridgetown Barbados (itinerary1) and Road Town Tortola BVI-Castries St Lucia-Barbados (itinerary2).

• Millennium ship's 2021 ex-Sint Maarten program was based on discounted fly-cruise deals, with package prices from USD 2000 / ~EUR 1680 per person (balcony cabin with double occupancy). Flight bookings were via "Flights By Celebrity". The planned for Celebrity Millennium Alaska 2021 program (voyages between Vancouver BC Canada and Seward AK) was initially canceled.
• However, in July the Caribbean schedule was terminated and replaced with 7-day "Alaska and Dawes Glacier" itinerary (roundtrip from Seattle WA to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway).

In 2023-Q1 (Feb 3 thru Apr 15) Celebrity homeported Millennium in San Juan Puerto Rico. The Southern Caribbean itineraries visited Tortola BVI, St Maarten, Dominica (Roseau), Barbados, Grenada (St Georges), St Thomas USVI, St Kitts, Antigua (St John's), St Lucia, Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao.

The vessel (Chantiers de l’Atlantique yard/hull number R31) has a volume of 91011 GT tons, DWT weight 11928 tons, max draught 8,3 m. The powerplant is based on Twin Gas Turbine Generators (two General Electric/GE gas turbines) with combined power output 50 MW. The registered shipowner is CELEBRITY MILLENIUM INC, while the management company is CELEBRITY CRUISES INC.

Celebrity Cruises Millennium ship is one of the company's Millennium-class, with sisterships Constellation, Infinity, Summit. Originally named "GTS Millennium", this is the first vessel in this series, with inaugural cruise/maiden voyage on June 17, 2000. The propulsion system COGAS (combined "gas and steam turbines" power plant) was installed for the first time on Millennium. Another interesting ship fact is that some of the wooden panels used in the MDR restaurant are originals from RMS Titanic's sister - the ocean liner RMS Olympic. Panels were removed in 1935 when the Olympic ship was scrapped.

The Millennium cruise ship was extensively refurbished ("Solsticized") in May 2012. During that 3-week dry-dock, the ship was renewed with AquaSpa cabins, the AquaSpa signature "Blu" restaurant, its "Celebrity Suites" were upgraded with balconies.

Celebrity Millennium ex-St Maarten cruises 2021 summer

Following the Coronavirus crisis, in June-August 2021, for the first time, Celebrity homeported a ship (Millennium) in Philipsburg (St Maarten Island, Dutch Antilles). The Caribbean mini-season included 7-night roundtrips from Philipsburg divided into two different itineraries.

7-day "Aruba, Curacao and Barbados" itinerary

Prices started from USD 1700 per person with double occupancy.

7-day "BVI, St. Lucia and Barbados" itinerary

Prices started from USD 1600 pp.

Celebrity Millennium refurbishment 2019 review

Ship's January 2019 drydock (done in Singapore) resulted in the following changes:

• The vessel received the company's new color scheme (hull and superstructure).
• All passenger staterooms were redesigned (via partnership with Hirsch Bedner Associates USA, and Kelly Hoppen UK) for a boutique hotel feel. All cabins were upgraded with "Celebrity eXhale" bedding (cashmere mattresses), electronic locks (RFID technology), Xcelerate (fast Internet), Bluetooth capabilities.
• The completely redesigned Qsine Restaurant was added. It offers "Le Petit Chef" (virtual dining-entertainment experience) created by Skullmapping and presented by TableMation Studios - exclusively for Celebrity Cruises.
• Main Dining Rooms, Oceanview Cafe (buffet restaurant) and Sunset Bar were redesigned and upgraded with new textures and finishes.
• The SPA was upgraded with an expanded SEA Thermal Suite.
• Retail shopping was expanded with new brands - including Hublot (luxury Swiss watches) and Shinola (luxury watches, jewelry, premium leather goods).
• Luminae Restaurant (Suites-only) was redesigned and new custom-made menus (by chef Cornelius Gallagher) were introduced.
• Added was The Retreat (adults-only sundeck) with full-size swimming pool, Jacuzzi whirlpool, private cabanas, padded loungers, poolside bar service (food and drinks).
• Most public venues (including all bars and lounges) were renovated, including Passport Bar (Atrium lobby bar lounge) and Gastrobar (serving 40+ craft beers).

Millennium became fleet's first liner upgraded by the "Celebrity Revolution" fleet renovation program - budgeted USD 500 million and scheduled for the period 2019-2023.

Celebrity Millennium refurbishment 2016 review

The Millennium ship’s 2016 refurbishment resulted in the following deck plan changes:

• On Sports deck 12 a new relaxation and entertainment area was added (aft location) named “Rooftop Terrace” (taking some space from the sundeck area at the stern).
• On Plaza deck 3, “The Olympic” restaurant was replaced by “Tuscan Grille” (steakhouse restaurant). Also on Plaza deck 3 a new office for “Future Cruise Sales” was built (separate from the Captain’s Club) and a new portrait studio was added. The Cinema was redesigned to function also as Conference Center.
• On deck 5 a new retail store was added.
• On deck 11 was added the Qsine restaurant.
• Major renovations were done to all Suite accommodations (in categories Royal Suites and Penthouse Suites), including new furniture and amenities upgrades. Among the changes were also upgraded bathrooms (marble surfaces, comfortable seats, new lighting system), new carpeting, new drapes, new bed linens.

Renovations were done to the Casino area (on Promenaded deck 4) and to the adults-only complex “Solarium” (on Lido deck 10). Both areas received new furniture and flooring. Also on the Lido deck, the pool area and the Spa Cafe were renovated. The Casino’s theme decoration was removed.

Celebrity Millennium refurbishment 2012 review

The list of deck plan changes after ship's drydock in May 2012 included:

• 60 new passenger cabins were added.
• 107 balcony rooms were upgraded to AquaClass category Spa cabins.
• The balconies of all Sky Suites (mini-suites) were updated and refurbished.
• Celebrity iLounge (Apple Computers reseller, Internet, enrichment classes)
• Bistro on Five (creperie) was added on deck 5. Later in 2016 was renamed to “Sushi on Five”.
• On Promenade Deck 4 (midship starboard, in the Grand Foyer area) were added two new bars – Martini Bar and Crush Bar.
• Michael’s Club menu was upgraded with 60+ craft beers.
• The Wi-Fi was upgraded to shipwide coverage.
• On Lido Deck 10, the pool deck’s sunbathing area was refurbished with new sun loungers. New gym equipment was installed in the fitness.

Major renovations were done to all passenger cabins and public areas (HDTVs, carpeting, tiling, furniture, upholstery, etc).