Celebrity’s Millennium is Timeless

 I really like this time of year because a lot of the ships come back to Florida after spending the summer in Europe and Alaska and start offering up new choices and itineraries.  Celebrity brings several ships back to supplement the Sky and Majesty that are here year round and starts offering 3 and 5 day cruises in addition to their week long cruises.  One of my favorite Celebrity ships is the Millennium which at one time was one of the largest ships in their fleet and has recently been refurbished and is a very classy ship to sail on.

Chihuli glass sculpture

The Millennium offers a harmonious blend of traditional and contemporary styles which provides a wide variety of venues to enjoy on your cruise.  For example, there’s Michael’s piano bar set in what looks like a traditional library compared to Cosmo’s which reminds you of a very modern nightclub.  The art which adorns the ship also spans the spectrum from eclectic to contemporary to traditional.  From a beautiful Chihuli glass sculpture to a translucent tortoise shell onyx staircase to Japanese Buda mask throughout the stairwells.

 The ship holds 1950 passengers and is the first ship to use glass elevators on the outside of the superstructure providing amazing views.  There is a great assortment of dinning venues and the food was all around excellent.  The main two-story dining room was very comfortable and beautifully appointed.  Although the wait staff doesn’t receive individualized tips – tips are typically added onto your bill – they were very gracious, helpful and fun.  The buffet up on the top deck had a large number of stations and offered a very wide array of choices including Italian, Indian, healthy options and tempting deserts.  Out by the pool, were the standard pizza and hamburger stations. There’s one specialty restaurant called the Olympic.  The decor of the restaurant is made from actual pieces from the original Olympic ship and assembled to give you a feeling of the grand days of transatlantic cruising complete with table-top service and a beautiful wine cellar.

Martini show

A voyage on the Millennium provides a lot of entertainment options.  Beyond the usual theater and casino, there’s a steady stream of ongoing events throughout the ship.  For example, in Cosmos, there’s the martini show put on by the bar tenders.  In Michael’s there’s a nightly sing along show.  In the Cova Café de Milano, there’s soft live guitar music or a quartet providing a very enjoyable evening stop-over on your way to the theater or later in the evening before turning in.  There’s Wine Tasting, Galley Tours and the Theater troupe performed on the pool deck several evenings.
 

 The Millennium does something very unique.  Whereas most ships do a midnight buffet – which is not only a little late for the average cruiser, but also not the healthiest thing to do before you go to bed, the Millennium offers an elaborate brunch on a sea day.  This way, you can sleep in and leisurely enjoy the huge spread in the main dining room and then spend the rest of your day relaxing at sea.  The brunch includes waffle stations, every kind of eggs, carving stations, chocolate fountains and even sushi.

Sea day Brunch

The casino was nicely done, but seemed a little small and crowded at times and it felt a little stuffy one evening.  They have the standard table games while some of the slot machines were a little dated.  I played my $20 limit and actually walked away with $60.  The Millennium also provides an indoor pool and solarium for those that want to stay out of the sun and want to enjoy a quieter poolside experience.

Our itinerary this time was a four day cruise with stops in Key West and Cozumel with a day at sea in the beginning and a day at sea at the end.  It was a very relaxing, fun filled and intimate quick get-away. 

Princess is the perfect “fit” for the Panama Canal

The Coral Princess was first introduced back in 2003 with its sister ship the Island Princess.  The unique thing about these two ships is that they were deliberately built just big enough to squeak through the Panama Canal.  And, squeak through they do, with barely inches on each side and a new paint job required after each transit. 

For those that want to experience one of the great marvels of the 20^th Century, a transit through the Panama Canal is truly something you must do and the Coral Princess is the perfect ship to do it on.

The Coral Princess is a mid-sized ship that holds only 1,970 passengers and 900 crew members which makes for a very intimate and up-close experience.  You get the best of both worlds with big ship amenities on a smaller scale.

The most popular itinerary is Ft. Lauderdale through the Caribbean to Panama, into the canal, turn around and back to Ft. Lauderdale which is generally a 10 day trip starting in the fall thru spring months.  They also make a few full transits all the way through the canal starting in Ft. Lauderdale and going all the way up the west coast of Latin America and ending in LA.  The ship tends to attract mostly Americans travelers with some Canadian and British passengers.  The age group is skewed to the 50 and 60’s baby boomers, but there tends to be more kids during school holidays. There are great kids programs and facilities onboard during these periods, but the canal segment is definitely a highlight that kids will remember for a lifetime.

In 2009, the Coral Princess was given a facelift.  Princess added its signature Movies Under the Stars® screen on the lido deck and an adults only two deck Sanctuary.  Here you will find a very soothing spa-like atmosphere with complimentary juices and fresh fruit, chilled towels and Evian misters.  All the staterooms also received flat screen TV’s and luxury bedding.  Another nice feature is the self-service Laundromats on decks 8 to 12.  They come in very handy on 10 day cruises allowing you to pack a little lighter.

The Coral Princess cabins are nicely appointed with large closets and efficient bathrooms.   83% of all outside cabins are balconies which I highly recommend when traveling through the Panama Canal.  Princess makes the process one to remember with signs that you can create and display from the balcony on the day of the passing. The ships photographers are allowed to be on shore where they walk along the ship photographing passengers on their balconies for a great and fun picture.  During the canal transit park rangers are on board to comment on the process and explain the history, technology and the difficulty in building the canal back in 1904.  If it is too hot to watch from outside, something fun to do is to sit in one of the many lobbies on a lower level and watch the walls of the locks go up and down by the window.  This will give you a good sense of just how much the ship is being raised or lowered.  Since there are several locks, you can experience it several ways; from your balcony, from the deck and from a lower lobby window.

The Coral Princess’s two main restaurants are the Bordeaux and the Provence which offer dinner seating at 6 pm and 8:15 pm.  The ship does offer “anytime dinning” for those who would like more flexibility.  We chose one night in Sabatini’s, Princess’s specialty restaurant.  Make sure you come hungry because the food is wonderful and plentiful for a modest $20 charge per person. The Bayou Café and Steakhouse is another option for a $15 fee.  It has a New Orleans theme and serves up gumbo, shrimp and premium steaks with jazz playing in the background.  Then there is always Princess’ buffet in the Horizon Court where you have a huge choice of foods almost any time of day.  The Horizon Court is conveniently located near the main pool, so it is easy to enjoy your meal on deck in the open air.

The Coral Princess has many great entertainment options onboard.  They run from your usual Vegas style shows to casinos and first run movies under the stars.  One of my favorite options was to participate in their Scholarship at Sea® program which provides lessons that range from history lectures to computer instructions, dance lessons and fitness just to name a few.

For those who want to be pampered, the Lotus Spa® is just the place.  It is a very calming atmosphere with a Balinese theme throughout and a variety of treatments to choose from.  My favorite part of the spa was the thermal sanctuary with the thermal grotto, aromatic steam chambers and hot stone loungers that melted away my stress and aching muscles from our excursions.  This was by far the best place to take an afternoon nap.

Overall our trip thru the Panama Canal was very enjoyable, educational and memorable.  We’ve sailed with Princess many times and Princess never seems to let us down.  The Coral Princess scored high with us as it does with cruisers in general.  This was made evident by all the returning passengers we met on this cruise.

The Charm of the Allure

One of the perks of being a cruise agent is getting to tour some of the new ships.  Recently, I was treated to a VIP tour of Royale Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas; one of a pair of new ships that now makes it home here in Fort Lauderdale.  I was very excited to see what all the buzz was about.  With 6,300 passenger, I was concerned just how crowed the ship was going to feel.  Surprisingly, you don’t notice it nearly as much as you would think.  There were some exceptions in place like the buffet and on the Royal Promenade during embarkation.  But as people began coming aboard and checking in, the myriad of neighborhoods and venues such as the Central Park™ and the Boardwalk® which run down the spine of the ship really absorbed the people and made the ship feel very comfortable.  However, the size of these ships does have some drawbacks such as the limited number of ports that can accommodate them, so the itineraries are limited for now.  However, this isn’t necessary a problem because the ship has so much to offer, that many travelers just opt to stay on board while in port.It goes without saying that the Allure (launched in November of 2010) and her sister ship, the Oasis (launched in November of 2008), are like no other cruise ships in the world.  They currently enjoy the status of being the largest cruise ever built.  They are both 1,181 feet long – with the Allure about 2.0 inches longer than the Oasis which the builders actually credit more to the temperature of the steel when measuring the ships than by design.  They are both around 225,000 gross tons.  In fact, the ships were so large, they needed to be equipped with telescoping smoke stacks in order to pass under bridges in Europe on her maiden voyage from the shipyards to their permanent home here in Fort Lauderdale. 

In addition, these ships also have many firsts and set a new standard in many other ways.  For example, their 1,380 seat theater allows them to put on true Broadway shows such as Chicago®.  They can host amazing synchronized swimming and diving spectacles in their Aqua Theatre®.  They have ice skating rinks on board, a two-deck dance hall and they are the first ships in the world with their very own Starbucks.It must be pointed out, however, that although these ships are indeed very large, they are not at all intimidating and are actually quite fun for just about anyone regardless of what they are looking for.  In fact, if you are looking for a great vacation that has something fun for all generations, these ships are a great option.  There are plenty of adult only activities and even some relatively kid-free locations to spend some quiet time.  However, there are also a ton of things for kids and active adults to do and see including the FlowRiders® which let you actually try your hand at surfing, H2O Zone® aqua park for kids, the Dreamworks® Animation Parade and even Zip Lines that sour above the open atrium. 

As for dining and cabins, the choices are nearly endless.  However, one unique feature of the ship is their interior balconies which are actually open to the sky.  They either overlook Central Park or overlook the Boardwalk where you can often watch some of the Aqua Park shows and even provide views of the ocean off to the side.

Although Royal Caribbean has done a wonderful job making these grand ships fun and entertaining for the whole family, there is no denying that they are very large.  To compensate, I highly recommend planning ahead and making reservations at the more popular dinning venues and facilities.  It’s also a good idea to make up a place to meet at certain times.  Unlike other ships, where you can expect to just run into your cruise mates, you have to think more like rendezvousing in a small town.  In fact, we often joke that when it comes time for departure, you’re never quite sure if it’s the Allure is pulling out of Fort Lauderdale or Fort Lauderdale is pulling away from the Allure. 

Alaska's Pearl

For years, I was told that I just had to go on an Alaskan cruise.  Since I have been all over the world on over 35 cruises to exotic places like China, Russia and Egypt, Alaska seemed a little anti-climactic and was, therefor low on my list.  However, after yet another friend told us that we just have to go, this past summer we decided to give it a try.  We were very happy we did! It was everything everyone said it would be and more and after a very hot summer here in Florida, the cool mild weather of the Pacific Northwest was very refreshing!  

Alaska is one of the most popular cruise destinations after the Caribbean, so there were lots of ships and itineraries to choose from.  We selected a 7 day round trip Seattle cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship the Pearl.  This trip stopped in the capital Juneau as well as Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC, had 2 sea days and a full day of scenic cruising in breathtaking Glacier Bay.  We selected the Pearl because of its onboard amenities and reputation for a fun crew. 

The Pearl was first introduced into NCL’s fleet in 2006.  It is one of Norwegian’s Jewel class ships and comes with several innovative features in its lounge and dining options and a first at sea bowling alley.  There is also a five story rock climbing wall, water slides and a teen and kids club.  Since we had kids traveling with us, this ship was a no brainer.

The first thing you notice about the Pearl is its “jewel design” and color themes throughout the ship.  The Pearl is in the Caribbean for a good part of the year and in Alaska during the summer months.  The lobby has a beautiful Chihuly sculpture and very unique two-story video screen which features stunning high definition pictures of Alaska scenery – when it’s not showing a ball game or concert. 

The Pearl’s cabins contain the latest amenities including flat screen TVs, in-room coffee makers and luxury bedding.  When traveling to Alaska, I would highly recommend booking a balcony stateroom.  There were a few days where we just sat on our balcony looking at snow-capped mountains with pods of whales passing by.  It was very relaxing, but make sure you have a camera ready because you never know when one will pop up and breach the surface.  The Pearl also offers courtyard villas at the top of the ship.  Here you have private hot tubs and a plunge pool and special amenities such as butler service, private restaurant privileges and other VIP treatments. 

The Pearl has 12 of its signature Freestyle restaurants and 11 bars and lounges.  This allowed us to pick and choose the restaurant and time we wanted and since Alaska offered such a wide variety of excursions and activities, this came in very handy.  Although the décor of the main dining room called the Summer Palace with large paintings of Czar Nicholas and his family and Faberge egg capped banisters was unique and impressive, the arrangement of the tables made it look a little like a cafeteria and the food and the service was nothing special.  The buffet was good and offered a wide variety and was open pretty much most of the time. A special feature of the Pearl on their Alaska cruises is the open-air barbeque up on the pool deck. This was great.  On sea days while just cruising past amazing scenery, the crew would whip up large caldrons of paella and heaping piles of barbequed chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs salads and of course desert.

A few of the venues had a modest surcharge (between $10 and $25 per person).  Two of our favorites were Teppanyaki and Cagney’s Steak House.  Teppanyaki is a Japanese Hibachi style restaurant were the food is prepared in front of you.  Cagney’s Steak House provided traditional NY-style ambiance and the food was fantastic.  Book early since these venues do fill up especially on sea days.

Entertainment on board the Pearl had something for everybody.  The Stardust Lounge provided reasonably decent entertainment.  In addition to the cruise ship staple tribute to Broadway, one night, we were treated to a pretty awesome magic show and they even had Chicago’s Second City troop perform some impressive improve.  Not quite as spectacular as Blue Man Group and Cirque Du Soleil that NCL is offering on their flagship Epic ship, but still quite fun and not meant to overshadow the natural beauty that everyone goes to Alaska to see in the first place.  The real shows where going on outside as we sailed past one majestic snow-capped mountain range after another.

Although each of the ports we hit offered something unique and visually stunning, Glacier Bay was by far, the most spectacular.  The Pearl pulled into the bay early in the morning, picked up our guide at the ranger station and we spent the entire day cruising with the guide narrating over the ships PA system.  It was breathtaking at times.  The trick, we discovered, was to find a well located table in the back of the ship outside on the deck.  This afforded the best views and was near the food and bar for day long “replenishment”.  This turned out to be no small feat, but lucky for us, our traveling companions were early risers and scored a great table for all of us.  It was here that we saw the amazing snow covered mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and occasional whale or sea lion pass by.  There were also Eagles soaring overhead and large mammals on the shore.  When we reached the head of the bay, the Pearl positioned itself right in front of a mammoth glacier.  We could see for miles as the glacier meandered down the valleys between the mountains and we learned from our on-board guide what gives them the bluish hues.  We were even lucky enough to hear the “white thunder”, so named by the local Indians as a huge chunk of the glacier cracked off and tumbled into the bay.  Passengers on board cheered and clapped for the wonderful show that Mother Nature was putting on just for us.

NCL's Epic is fun for the whole family

The Epic is the first in a new class of ships from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).  This ship pretty much breaks the mold from their previous ships with new solo cabins, name brand entertainment and a very unique overall style.    NCL differentiates themselves from other cruise lines with their emphasis on “freestyle cruising”.  Freestyle Cruising is all about giving passengers the freedom of choice to have their style of vacation.  Relax or be adventurous. Eat a burger or filet.  Dress up or go casual.  No fixed schedules or restrictions. They say “It's your vacation, so make sure it's exactly what you've been daydreaming about.”  The Epic sure lives up to this motto!

This winter, the Epic alternates sailings between the eastern and western Caribbean and will be in Europe this summer.  You can even catch it for a repositioning cruise as it sails across the Atlantic in late spring or early fall.  I recently sailed on the Epic out of Miami on their western Caribbean itinerary which made port in Mexico and Honduras.  The fun started immediately, with their Sail away Party which had the impression of a well-choreographed ship-wide play.  The entire staff played a role and even their onboard Nickelodeon characters engaged the kids and ensured that everyone was having a festive time.

As we started to explore the ship, the first thing we noticed is the scale.  The Epic is NCL’s newest and biggest ship.  Everything is big, very big.  But, even at 155,873 tons and 4,100 passengers, the ship never felt crowded.  NCL has done an amazing job to make things easy and accessible for their guests and lives up to the “freestyle” hype at every turn.  For example, the interior design of the ship ranges from contemporary to elegant with everything in between, so you can easily find a venue to match your mood.  Stairwells on the starboard side of the ship are blue in color, and those on the port side are orange to help passengers more easily find their way around.  They have touch screen directories near the elevators and throughout the ship that not only help you navigate, but also provide helpful timely information about what is going on throughout the ship.  They also have the highest crew-to-passenger ratio in the industry, so there’s always someone around to help you out. 

The Epic is leading the industry in innovative cabin choices.  From the introduction of solo cabins to private luxury villas, there’s a cabin configuration and a price point to meet everyone’s desire.  The Epic is the first main stream cruise ship to offer (128) 100-sqft studio cabins for solo travelers with a full-size bed, flat-screen TV, a one-way window to the corridor, trendy ambient lighting and separate areas for the bathroom, sink and shower.  It’s a convenient and cost effective way to have your own room and not have to share with someone or incur the typical cost of sailing alone in a cabin designated for two.  Studio passengers also have access to an exclusive Studio Lounge where you can start your day with a morning coffee, mingle with other Studio guests and even have a bite to eat.

Equally innovative is Epic’s private courtyard villas.  This ultra-luxury space is basically a ship-within-a-ship consisting of 60 suites ranging in size from 300-sqft to 800-sqft centered around a two-deck-high private courtyard with a private pool, two whirlpools, saunas, sunning area, a fitness facility, private indoor/outdoor dining, a bar and a concierge lounge.  Some of the cabins have features such as floor-to-ceiling windows and separate living, dining and bedroom areas.    

While the Epic’s room design of curvy walls, rounded beds and arched sofas was a good attempt to maximize space and create better flow within the cabins, it doesn’t seem to be too practical.  Being six feet tall, I found my feet hanging off the curved bed and the cabins are narrower than industry norm.  Another possible concern reported by some passengers I talked to is that the toilet is in one cubicle and the shower in another.  Each has a frosted glass door which doesn’t offer much privacy and the overall bathroom is only separated by a curtain from the bedroom area and the sink is actually in the bedroom in some cabins.  Although an efficient use of space, this might make some people uncomfortable.

The Epic is taking aim at the mega ships to become the cruise ship with the most thrilling activities.  They have skillfully loaded the ship with just about anything you could want while on vacation; an Ice Bar, two pools, five hot tubs, an AquaPark features three multi-story water slides and the 200-foot Epic Plunge, a rock-climbing wall, bungee trampoline, rope adventure course, a 24-foot-tall enclosed climbing cage called the Spider Web, 21 dining options and 20 bars, murder mystery lunches, an immense casino and world class entertainment such as Cirque Dreams® dinner theater, Blue Man Group and Legends in Concert, the longest running tribute show in entertainment history.

One of my personal favorites was O'Sheehan's, a 24-hour pub and bowling venue with a Victorian ambience offering good hearty food such as fish and chips, soups and burgers.  I also liked the Garden Cafe which is one of the nicest and most diverse buffets I’ve encountered at sea.  It is laid out well and I never encountered a line. 

I also liked Spice H20 which is an adults-only pool and lounge area in the back of the ship.  However, if you are bringing along the kids or grand kids, NCL has teamed up with Nickelodeon to create Nickelodeon at Sea with meet-and-greets with the characters, story hours, interactive game shows, character breakfasts and poolside performances.  And let’s not forget the bowling alley, water slides and rock wall which kept all the kids on my cruise quite busy.

It is important to note that reservations are typically needed at Epic's for-fee venues, but you could always tell which restaurants had availability via the touch screen monitors located around the ship.  Passengers must also get tickets for all onboard shows -- even the free ones.   Also, although the Cirque Dreams® dinner theater was very fun to watch, it only had a prefix menu and it is served during the show which is a bit of a distraction at times. 

Overall, the Epic was one of the most innovative ships we’ve sailed on and signals some real exciting changes coming to this fast growing industry.  With all the neat new things, there are still a few kinks to be worked out, but all in all, I found the Epic one of the most fun and relaxing ships I’ve sailed.

Jeff Henderson is an independent cruise travel specialist who resides in South Florida.  Jeff has over 20 years of cruise experience who has sailed all over the world and delights in helping people find just the right cruise line, ship and destination.  For questions or comments about the Epic, email him at jhenderson@cruiseone.com.