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Is Millennium still the best?

After ranking first in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2002 reader’s survey of World’s Best Ships, Celebrity’s Millennium slipped to ninth in the poll published in the February 2004 edition.

A trendsetter when launched in 2000, Millennium trailed all three of its newer sister ships – Constellation, Summit and Infinity – in the latest returns. So our question was: “Is it possible Millennium has slipped that much in a year?”

Our conclusion, based on a 14-day transatlantic repositioning cruise in late April, was that the Millennium should demand a recount.

While now in its fourth year, Millennium is in tremendous shape -- better, if anything, than the Summit which we sailed on when it was just over a year old. And while we have not yet had an opportunity to sample this year’s No. 1, Constellation, or No. 5, Infinity, if they actually surpass Millennium, they must be fabulous indeed.

While our Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona crossing was a virtual sell-out, the Millennium seemed remarkably uncrowded. The breakfast area on Deck 10 was busy first thing in the morning, and at the start of the lunch hour. But otherwise, there was a great feeling of space, and one never had a sense that this was a ship with some 2,000 passengers on board.

What particularly impressed us about the elegant public areas of the Millennium -- beyond the understated and extremely tasteful decor -- was the absence of signs of normal wear and tear. A ship that has been in service for three years is not a candidate for a major refurbishing, but in three weeks, we did not spot anything that looked in need of cleaning, touchup or repair

This is not intended to be a comprehensive review, but here are some pros-and-cons from our two weeks with the Millennium.

Pros:

Service: It would be hard to say enough good things about the staff. Both from a standpoint of attitude (unfailingly cheerful and eager to please) and service efficiency, the men and women of the Millennium draw top marks.

Acupuncture: Celebrity last year became the first cruise line to offer acupuncture at sea, and the service was making its debut on the Millennium on our crossing. We used it several times (with ambiguous results), but the practitioners appeared knowledgable and the program appeared quite popular with guests.

Spa Cuisine: At both breakfast and lunch, one could forego the traditional fare and opt for a light meal at the AquaSpa Café, located near the Thalassatherapy Pool. The cold and hot entrée selections offered at lunch were well thought out and executed, and left one feeling no sense that one was sacrificing by eating “healthy.”

Olympic Restaurant: The specialty restaurant on the Millennium is visually stunning, and provides an outstanding three-hour dinner experience. While some passengers were grousing about the recent increase in the supplement (from $25 to $30 per head) for dining there, the service is outstanding. As an added inducement for repeat dinners, non-menu specials are offered that keep one coming back to see what new culinary treat lies in store.

Cons:

Internet Rip-Off: Celebrity now appears to have subcontracted internet services to a third-party vendor, and the $10 per day rate for unlimited connect time from your room of a year ago has now been replaced by a charge of $25 per day for 50 minutes. And if that is not bad enough, the vendor tracks the 50 minutes not by the calendar day, but on a 24-hour clock which when you are changing time zones, renders it almost impossible to keep track of how much time you have used in a given period. Unused minutes also do not roll over. All the way around, not a change for the better

Food quirks: We found it hard to understand why the omelette station finds it necessary to close at 10 am on sea days, when one could otherwise sleep in. We also were puzzled by the lack of regular coffee at breakfast at the AquaSpa Café.

Overall:

We would give the Millennium extremely high marks, and would not hesitate to fly to Barcelona this fall to escort her back to Florida. In fact, that is starting to look like a better idea by the day.

--MB&TB