Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises' first Millennium-class ship - the Celebrity Millennium - has today emerged from an $8 million dry-dock with a refreshed feature set that embraces the brand's "modern luxury" image. Its improvements follow those recently made to its sister ships, the Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Summit, just in time for its Alaskan cruise season.
"We are beyond thrilled that Celebrity Millennium will soon be even more stunning than ever before as a result of the $8 million that we're investing in this drydock," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President & CEO, Celebrity Cruises. "We have added new elements and experiences that will help open up the world for modern luxury travelers, from our gorgeously updated Suite Class staterooms onboard to the amazingly delicious Tuscan Grille menu, and, of course, the new Rooftop Terrace."
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The 2,138-guest Millennium now showcases the Rooftop Terrace situated high under the sky astern on deck 12. The new al fresco environment comes complete with a large movie screen, chaise lounges, cabanas, a soundscape and decorative lighting to create sensory experiences such as "A Taste of Film" - a pairing of cultural, culinary or regional cinema with fine dining. Multi-course tasting menus have been crafted under the leadership of Michelin-starred chef Cornelius Gallagher.
Also on the dining side of things, the former Olympic specialty restaurant has been converted into Celebrity's signature Tuscan Grille Italian steakhouse, rolled back from the newer Solstice-class vessels. Highlighted are homemade pasta, a new Italian cocktail menu, a regional wine list and new artisanal salami and cheeses. Fresh fare includes crispy crab arancini with lemon pepper aioli; grilled branzino with spinach and olive oil; swordfish with Castelvetrano olives, fennel and white wine and oven-roasted USDA Prime dry-aged steak.
As for accommodations, the Penthouse and Royal Suites have been renovated with new light fixtures, marble surfaces, bathroom seating, carpeting, drapes and bed linens. Also added is a dedicated portrait studio like the one on the Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Equinox, a new future cruise sales office and an updated Solarium with new furniture, flooring, pool tops and a refinished spa café.
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The ship has come a long way after it was first launched in 2000, originally sporting garish yellow and red exterior accent colors. Perhaps to depart even further from that past and emerge into a more modern future, the casino has also removed its themed decor. Even though the abandonment of the praised Olympic ocean liner dining room is a controversial choice, at least a number of its historic artifacts like charts, maps, an original place setting, a model ship and more have been preserved in a display case at the casino entrance. What's not known is what has become of the classic ship's wooden paneling that was once exhibited.
The Celebrity Millennium will sail in Alaska this summer between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Seward, Alaska ahead of its Asian winter season starting in September.
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