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It seems the cruise lines are all trying to outdo each other by seeing who can build the biggest ship with the most bells and whistles. However, bigger is not always better. Some ports can’t fit the mega ships or accommodate the large number of passengers they bring with them. Other times, the cruise is all about the itinerary and not the ship.

That’s the case with the Celebrity Millennium, the namesake of Celebrity Cruises‘ Millennium class of ships which also includes the Infinity, the Constellation, and the Summit.

All four ships are on the smaller side when compared to Celebrity’s Solstice and Edge class ships, and they don’t have all of the latest and greatest amenities, but they’re very adequate, especially for port-intensive itineraries in Asia.

The Millennium is an older ship, with its maiden voyage taking place on July 1, 2000. However, in 2019 it received an extensive upgrade as part of Celebrity’s fleet-wide modernization effort, which cost the cruise line more than $500 million. The Millennium currently has a guest capacity of 2,218 with 11 guest decks.

The ship’s home port is in Tokyo, and it has spent the past few seasons sailing itineraries around Asia, notably taking passengers to various ports of call in Japan. It will remain there at least through the 2025-2026 season.

Unlike some cruise ships, the Millennium spends a lot of time in port, visiting up to eight ports on a 12-night itinerary. This means the ship is more often a place to eat and sleep when you’re not out exploring, instead of a destination itself — the onboard entertainment options are just an extra bonus.

There are a total of 1,109 staterooms on the Millennium, and 58% of them feature a veranda. There are 10 different room types from which to choose — they range from luxurious suites to concierge-level rooms to basic interior staterooms.

The photo below shows a veranda stateroom on Deck 6, with 170-square feet of space and a 38-square foot balcony. The large bed can also be separated into two twin beds if needed. In addition to the area pictured, the room also features a refrigerator, drawers, a closet and a safe.

The veranda room also comes with a small desk area near the sliding glass balcony door. The desk features several outlets for charging your electronics: two American-style outlets, two USB-A ports and one European-style outlet. There are additional outlets near the bed.

A small bathroom features a walk-in shower along with a toilet and vanity.

The balcony was set up with two chairs and a small table, and included dividers on each side for privacy from the neighbors.

In addition to the veranda stateroom described above, the Millennium has several other room types:

• Inside cabins and ocean view staterooms: These rooms provide 170-square feet of space and either no windows or a porthole window with ocean view, but no balcony. 

• Concierge Class staterooms: Concierge class rooms come with a veranda and are slightly larger at 209-square feet. These rooms have a dedicated concierge and provide passengers with access to exclusive events. 

• Aqua Class staterooms: For those interested in a wellness-focus, these rooms come with a veranda, premium bathroom amenities, complimentary fitness classes, access to the Persian Gardens thermal suite and complimentary dining at Blu, a “clean cuisine” restaurant solely for Aqua Class passengers.

• The Retreat: This exclusive section on the ship is reserved for four different types of suites. The cabins are larger — two penthouse suites clock in at 1,432-square feet each — and guests have access to a private lounge and sundeck as well as a dedicated restaurant, Luminae. In addition to the two penthouse suites, there are 48 smaller suites on offer. 

The Celebrity Millennium is a bit of a throwback to the days where the main dining room was the main attraction, with the Metropolitan dining room taking center stage. However, there are several other dining options on board, ranging from a buffet to specialty restaurants that cost extra.

The Metropolitan dining room is the main dining venue on Decks 4 and 5. The lower deck offers anytime seating where guests can come and go when they want. The seating on Deck 5 is divided into early and late seating, where passengers show up for meals at a set time.

Parts of the restaurant are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the dinner menu changes nightly. Dining in the main dining room is included in the cruise fare.

The Oceanview Café is the buffet on Deck 10 that has a variety of food stations to choose from.

The Oceanview is open for all meals and for late-night pizza. The offerings change daily for lunch and dinner, while the breakfast menu stays pretty much the same.

The Oceanview is also where many special events happen, like special Christmas and New Year’s buffets.

Other free dining venues on the Millennium include:

• Café al Bacio on Deck 5 has coffee drinks, both boozy and traditional, as well as a case with breakfast pastries in the mornings and desserts all day.

• Spa Café on Deck 10 in the Solarium has healthy dishes for free and a juice/smoothie bar (which you have to pay for unless you have a premium or non-alcoholic drink package). 

• The Mast Grill is near the outdoor pool and has grilled hamburgers, veggie burgers, turkey burgers and hot dogs. It’s also the place to get great French fries that are perfect to eat while getting some sun near the pool. 

There are also two restaurants that are exclusively for those staying in certain cabin types.

Luminae on Deck 4 is for guests staying in suites in The Retreat. It is always open for breakfast and dinner and serves lunch on days at sea. 

Blu is on Deck 5 and is for guests staying in AquaClass cabins. It is open for breakfast and dinner. 

The Celebrity Millennium also has four specialty dining venues that either have a prix fixe menu or a la carte fare:

• Le Petit Chef at Qsine combines food, entertainment and 3D mapping to create a unique dinner show experience. 

• The Tuscan Grille is a combination of an Italian restaurant and a steakhouse. 

• Sushi on Five is exactly what it says it is, a sushi restaurant on Deck 5. 

• The Gelateria is also on Deck 5 and serves gelato charged by the scoop. 

As with any cruise, there’s no shortage of places to partake in a cocktail or enjoy a glass of wine. Drinks and lounges are available on each deck, and you can carry drinks from place to place.

The Sky Lounge is located on Deck 11 and features great ocean views as well as music and dancing after dark.

Cellar Masters is on Deck 5 near the Metropolitan Restaurant. Wine is the specialty here and they serve vintages that are not available at other bars.

At the Martini Bar and Crush on Deck 4, bartenders put on a show for guests while constructing complicated drinks, all atop an ice-covered bar.

The Rendezvous Lounge is on Deck 4 near the lower level of the Metropolitan Restaurant. It’s a great spot for a pre-dinner cocktail or after-dinner dancing.

The Sunset Bar is also the outside seating area for the Oceanview Café on Deck 10. It’s a great place to watch the wake when the ship is sailing or catch some live music in the evenings.

The Celebrity Millennium is one of the line’s smaller ships. There is a main atrium area that runs through Decks 3, 4 and 5.

If you need to visit guest services or the shore excursion desk, both are in this central area on Deck 3.

The Theater spans Decks 4 and 5. During most cruises, there are several shows featuring singers, dancers and aerialists as well as other shows with musicians and comedians.

The Casino is on Deck 4. It is closed while in port, but open when at sea. There are plenty of slot machines, roulette wheels, blackjack tables and more.

The Celebrity Millennium has two main pools. One is outdoors and for all ages. The other, dubbed The Solarium, is indoors and for adults only. Both are on Deck 10.

The main pool has chairs situated around its perimeter. Some are in the sun while others are under cover. There are also several hot tubs passengers can use here. A dual-purpose jogging and walking track circles the pool up on Deck 11.

The Solarium is near the front of the ship and features a relaxing waterfall. The Spa Café is nearby, as well as the entrance to the spa itself.

A multipurpose sports court is located on Deck 12. At times, it’s used as a basketball court, while other times it is for pickleball.

There are also nearby cabanas for taking a break between games.

Above the Sunset Bar on Deck 12 is the Rooftop Terrace, a space with cabanas, comfortable chairs and an outdoor movie screen.

Shopping is not a big focus on a smaller ship like the Celebrity Millennium, but there are a few shops on Deck 5. You can find necessities like toiletries, as well as indulgent items like jewelry.

The Celebrity Millennium may not be the newest or biggest cruise ship, but it’s an adequate vessel for port intensive itineraries like Asia, where it will be sailing at least through the 2025-2026 season.

If you’d like to sail on the Millennium, itineraries range from 11 to 14 nights and may include stops in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Top photo by Tiffani Sherman.