Millennium

Founded in 1989 by the Chandris Group, Celebrity ships – identified by stacks with the big X logo to go with a tagline of "a true departure" -- exemplify classic, elegant cruising updated to current lifestyles. Since 1997, Celebrity ships have sailed as the premium brand under the Royal Caribbean International umbrella, making a point to continue exceeding expectations with spacious staterooms and suites, grand style, attentive service and exceptional cuisine. Celebrity identifies potential guests as buyers well informed about products and services, who regard quality and value as essential for vacation choices. In 2004, Celebrity sails to Alaska and California, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Europe, and among major brands, its nine-ship fleet continues as the youngest afloat. Domestically, Celebrity’s 2004 schedule includes departures from 11 U.S. cities, from Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Tampa in Florida to New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk on the east coast, heading west to Galveston, Texas, San Diego and San Francisco, California, and Seattle Washington, ensuring that a ship with an X logo awaits within driving distance from just about anywhere. In 2004, European adventure awaits aboard Millennium with an assortment of Mediterranean cruises including a 12-night adventure departing Barcelona and ending in Venice, with calls at Nice, Liverno, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Mykonos, Santorini, Athen, and Drubrovnik.

Quick View

As the largest ship ever built in France when entering service in 2000, the 1,950-passenger Millennium, constructed at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, became Celebrity’s first of four Millennium-class vessels -- the sisters being Infinity (March, 2001), Summit (October, 2001) and Constellation (May, 2002). Millennium rang in several new features and amenities, many of them industry firsts: 80 percent ocean-view staterooms (and 74 percent of those having verandas), the industry’s largest Penthouse Suites with verandas, and the AquaSpa as the largest, most sophisticated spa at sea. Among new elements first offered to guests on Millennium and then rolled out fleetwide are expanded options and hours for AquaSpa by Elemis, a broader range of enrichment lectures, increased choices in cuisine including a Sushi Café, happy hours with live music and refreshments, extended dining hours with something to whet appetites 24 hours, sunset yoga classes, frosty towels and sorbet service poolside, and more opportunities for guests to mingle with ship’s officers. Celebrity shore excursions, bookable in advance of sailing, cover a lot of ground. Some excursions include fine dining in restaurants selected by Celebrity to provide outstanding tastes of local flavor. All excursions, led by professional guides, offer special insights into the history, culture, wildlife, and geology of each destination. Celebrity’s Captain’s Club rewards repeat guests with benefits increasing depending on the number of Celebrity cruises booked.

About Gratuities
Per person, per day gratuities suggested by Celebrity for the waiter ($3.50), stateroom attendant ($3.50), and butler in suites ($3.50), for the waiter’s assistant ($2), and the Maitre d' (75 cents).

Disabled Access
Millennium has 26 wheelchair-accessible staterooms in various categories, including several suites. Public areas are wheelchair accessible.

Ship Features

Brass, marble, and live tropical plants star in the Millennium motif, where exterior glass elevators provide dramatic sea views, and a showstopper lobby with flowing draperies alongside mahogany pillars stretching three decks high also has an onyx stairway backlit in yellow neon. Other Millennium hallmarks include spacious cabins with superb amenities, suites with butlers, private verandas, and the sophistication of a Michael’s Club cigar bar, martini/caviar bar, music library with personal listening stations, the most extensive spa facilities at sea, plus a full-service florist. Olympic Restaurant, Millennium’s gourmet alternative venue known for tableside service and flambé offerings, features original walnut paneling from the restaurant of the historic cruise ship Olympic, sister to the Titanic.

Staterooms
Suite options include a pair of 1,690 square-foot Penthouse Suites with wraparound balconies, Royal Suites (562 square feet), and Celebrity Suites (498 square feet). Sky Suites (254 to 362 square feet) have walk-in closets, whirlpool tubs and large balconies. Private veranda cabins measure 184 square feet, and standard inside and outside staterooms are 172 square feet.

Stateroom amenities
Butler service comes with suites, and Concierge Class priority services cover luggage delivery, dining time and seating preferences, shoe shine service, VIP invitations to shipboard events, priority shore excursion bookings, early embarkation/ debarkation privileges, and a one-touch button on the phone to reach a Concierge Class desk rep. Concierge Class staterooms have special amenities and priority services, including welcome aboard champagne, fresh flowers, fruit, afternoon canapes, a leather key holder, personalized stationery, oversized tote, and upgraded bedding. Standard amenities include TV with CNN, closed-circuit and pay-per-view movies, radio, direct dial phone, robes, refrigerator; large baths with shower and shampoo dispensers, and hair dryer. Interactive TV technology allows guests to order wine for dinner, book shore excursions or try luck at games of chance without leaving staterooms.

Kid & Teen Stuff
Although Celebrity has added adults-only sailings to its schedule, the line treats youngsters to good times, especially during summer and holiday sailings. Activities are designed for Shipmates ( 3-6), Celebrity Cadets (7-9), Ensigns (10-12) and Admiral T's, 13-15 and 16-17. Babysitting at a fee is available in the youth room for ages 3 to 12. Private babysitting is available in staterooms for a maximum of two children. "Parents' Nights Out" is a complimentary service where youth counselors take children to a pizza party during dinner on formal nights of a seven-day cruise.

Cruises Specials

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Life Aboard

Dining
Celebrity’s reputation for gourmet cuisine has been enhanced by London-based, three-star Guide Michelin master chef and culinary consultant Michel Roux, who trains the fleet’s executive restaurant staff. Roux’s wife Robyn became Godmother to Millennium during debut festivities. Elegant two-tier main dining rooms at the stern have two-deck-high windows providing sweeping daytime panoramas, and acoustics allow for pleasant conversations over meals. The Lido Café serves casual fare from buffet breakfasts to past midnight including lunch pizza, afternoon tea and late bites.The Grill toward the back is for casual dinners, served a la carte, with reservations required. Burgers, hot dogs, and pizza are available poolside during the day and there is 24-hour room service.

Sports / Health / Fitness
Celebrity’s 25,000 square foot AquaSpa by Elemis, with expanded options and hours, allows indulging in head-to-toe pampering at sea unlikely to fit into hectic land-based schedules. It’s best to book shortly after boarding, since time slots fill quickly. Spa packages can be booked in advance of sailing. Massages can be scheduled in staterooms. A glass-enclosed Thalassotherapy Pool adjacent to the Spa is lined with inviting teak lounge chairs. Guests can start exercise programs under guidance of a personal trainer in the gym that has a socko ocean view and more than a dozen treadmills and exercise bikes, plus stair-steppers, rowers and more. Aerobics classes run throughout the day.

Entertainment
Apart from production shows in the Celebrity Theatre main showroom, Millennium offers a more sophisticated experience than other premium lines, with its elegant alternative dining venue, and the Rendez-Vous Lounge where guests dance to a live band. Other magnets are Words, a delightful library, and Notes, the music library with personal CD players and headsets for some 1,500 selections. There’s also a chess area and a cyber café. A15-store shopping emporium carries baubles from H. Stern along with designer duds and chic gifts.

Casino
Fortunes Casino provides a winning atmosphere for guests to try their luck with slots, dice, roulette, poker and blackjack.

Bars
Martini/caviar bars, a champagne bar and Michael’s Club, a welcoming cigar room are especially popular, as is the Cova Café, Milano, ideal for sipping cappuccino. Sports devotees congregate at Millennium’s Extreme Sports Club, with giant-screen TVs tuned to whatever’s hot.