Sister ships: Infinity, Summit, Constellation

Ship capacity: 1,950 based on double occupancy

On our sailing: 1,890 passengers. A summary of nationalities from the passenger manifest looked like the roll call for a United Nations’ meeting. We met Russians, Danes, Swedes, South Americans, Greeks, Chinese, Brits, Irish and Dutch.

Announcements came in four languages: English, French, Spanish and German. Each day, we saw Asians playing board games at card tables and Spaniards dancing (and singing) to live performances by Spanish guitarist Pepe de Lopez (pictured). This was truly an international cruise.

“Usually, North Americans make up the majority of cruise passengers on Celebrity,” says Renato Chizzola, Millennium’s Hotel Director. “However, on this itinerary almost half are international.”

Our stateroom: We cruised ConciergeClass, a program that offers 25 additional services and amenities for guests who pay an average 15 percent upcharge. OnMillennium (and on other Millennium-class vessels) Premium Oceanview with Veranda staterooms (191 square feet) on Sky Deck are designated ConciergeClass staterooms. Each Millennium-class vessels features 228 ConciergeClass staterooms.

Is ConciergeClass worth the additional outlay? “It certainly helps with the little things that irritate, such as standing in line,” says frequent Celebrity cruiser David Ingall (pictured), from North Yorkshire in England. “We checked in much more quickly, and it will be a big advantage getting off, because we have a flight at noon.” ConciergeClass guests get priority for dining reservations, shore excursions, luggage delivery, embarkation and disembarkation.

Within 30 minutes of arriving by taxi at the cruise terminal, I was inserting the key into stateroom 9133, shortly after 11 a.m., an amazing feat given that passengers had only disembarked this morning. A bottle of champagne, a bowl of fruit and fresh flowers awaited my traveling companion and me, all complimentary upgrades for ConciergeClass guests.

Mary, our delightful stateroom attendant, delivered the pillow menu, another perk that allows ConciergeClass guests to choose between four types of pillows. The most popular, Mary told us, was Isotonic, described as a slow-acting, marshmallow-like foam that reacts to your body temperature and physique to provide true, customized relaxation. Clearly this is much more than a pillow.

ConciergeClass bedding offers duvets instead of blankets and pillow-top mattresses. There are upgrades in the bathrooms ranging from oversized Egyptian cotton towels to double-thick Frette bathrobes.

ConciergeClass guests also order from a special room service menu that offers fruit smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices not offered on standard stateroom menus as well as an 11 a.m. cut-off for breakfast room service as opposed to 10 a.m. for standard stateroom guests.

During the cruise, we also made use of the ConciergeClass priority tender passes left in our staterooms each night before calling on ports where tendering was required. The tender priority passes are particularly valuable if you’re doing shore excursions on your own.

ConciergeClass amenities also extend to the 41-square-foot veranda, which features a table large enough for dining al fresco (a good place to consume the canapes delivered daily to ConciergeClass guests), cushioned chairs, and high-powered binoculars for zooming in on scenery throughout the cruise.

Millennium Moments We Enjoyed:

• Breakfast in the AquaSpa Cafe on deck 10 forward. We went there almost daily for the Light and Healthy Breakfast served from 7 a.m. till 10 a.m. And occasionally we went for lunch or dinner during Healthy Choice All Day Dining from noon until 8 p.m.
• Custom-made pizza at midnight. From noon to 1 a.m., choose from more than a dozen toppings to make your own pizza. Located on deck 10 aft in the Casual Dining Boulevard.
• Pre-dinner snacks at the Sushi Cafe. Open from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. on deck 10 aft in the Casual Dining Boulevard.
• Dinner at The Olympic restaurant, featuring Edwardian decor highlighted by the original paneling from the premier restaurant on the classic liner Olympic, sister of the Titanic. Additional charge for dining in the reservations-only restaurant: $30 with an optional wine pairing package available for $27.
• High Seas Computer Center. Jam packed each sea day for those interested in learning more about how to master their computers. Classes included several levels of learning Adobe Photoshop Elements.
• Sending e-mail for $2 per message. There’s no charge while you’re composing, so take as long as you like. The $2 charge to send (or receive) covers the first 100 kilobytes of text (about 18 pages of text). For simple text messages, this is the way to go. You’ll receive a unique e-mail address for the cruise, and you’ll be alerted by a message on your stateroom phone when you receive an e-mail. Internet is also available (including WIFI in many public areas) for 75 cents a minute, with packages available that take the per-minute price to as low as 50 cents.
• Cova Café and Patisseria. The hot spot each afternoon, as passengers danced (photo, right) to the music of Spanish guitarist Pepe de Lopez. Grab a glass of wine or a cappuccino, and be sure to visit the Patisseria before 11 a.m. for freshly baked almond croissants.
• Staff. From the European-trained dining room staff to the room attendants, service on Millennium was exceptionally friendly and professional.

The Bottom Line

Built in 2000, Millennium continues to impress — and improve, particularly with such additions as Acupuncture at Sea, the High Seas Computer Center and ConciergeClass. Mid-size Millennium offers a slew of amenities and public areas for a vessel designed to carry slightly south of 2,000 passengers. While Millennium’s ambience was lively, those seeking a serene experience will have no trouble finding quiet and intimate areas.