***

Saturday came around and it was time to check out of the Hyatt Regency Tokyo and embark on a 14-night transpacific cruise on Celebrity Millennium. We had a great 5-night stay at the hotel - the room was comfortable, the location in Shinjuku was on the Airport Limo Bus route and close to the subway station, and the complimentary breakfast and evening cocktails at the Club Lounge from using an Explorist Club Access Award were very enjoyable. I highly recommend staying at the Hyatt Regency.

last breakfast in the lounge

While reading the roll call board for this cruise on the Cruise Critic website (a fantastic resource), I learned that Celebrity Millennium would be anchored at Oi port, a working industrial area that would be too busy and dangerous to walk through. My initial plan was to take the subway to the closest station to Oi, then take a taxi. However, a Tokyo resident on the boards let us know that there was a free shuttle to the port available from Shinagawa Station - perfect! Celebrity Cruises did not provide any of this information to us; perhaps it was only for locals.

As our 72-hour subway pass had expired, Kaleb and I already preloaded the Suica pass into Apple Wallet on our iPhones, allowing us to pay for the fare with a simple tap on the turnstile. It worked like a charm. We took the subway to Shinagawa at a cost of JPY 400 per person, much less than a taxi or private transfer. (though luggage needed to be carried up and down stairs in the stations) Finding the port shuttle was a bit harder as Shinagawa was enormous. We made it to the Konan exit; there was a person standing there with a small sign stating "Shuttle bus to Oi". Kaleb and I were directed to use the elevator to get up to street level. It was not obvious where the bus was. Two locals in our elevator asked if we were looking for the shuttle and pointed us in the right direction. Eventually, we saw a coach parked on the side of the street with several staff members standing around. They took our bags as we approached. There were already around 15-20 people on board, and once we found our seats, the shuttle took off.


Once at the port, signage was abundant to direct guests. Luggage was collected efficiently. Groups were called to board based on letter groups like A, B, C, and so forth. As we were sailing in a concierge class cabin, we received a priority ticket in group K. The waiting area was inside a warehouse with folding chairs set up and port-a-potties available outside. When the next lettered group was called, port staff would walk up and down the aisles displaying the letter and directing guests to the check-in area, located in a separate building.

very orderly

refreshments while you wait

free wifi didn't work

even port-a-potty area looked organized

Check-in was efficient - we were on board in no time.


Celebrity Millennium had recently been "revolutionized", with renovations completed a few months ago. I had sailed on Millennium a long time ago (pre-blog), but I couldn't remember what it used to look like, so the ship was brand new to me.

Our cabin was ready for occupancy. The room was decorated in a contemporary fashion, akin to Celebrity's newest ship, Celebrity Edge. I liked the sleek decor and modern features like outlets and USB power next to the bed. Concierge class cabins come with amenities such as complimentary use of binoculars and golf umbrella, pillow menu, welcome champagne, robes, upgraded bathroom toiletries, massaging shower head, hors d'oeuvres delivered every evening, and more.

mini bar not included

free use of binoculars

Day 1 planner page 1

Day 1 planner page 2

Day 1 planner page 3

Day 1 planner page 4

room service breakfast form

room service breakfast choices

room service lunch/dinner menu

room service beverage menu

Captain's Club Classic and Select events

Captain's Club Classic and Select discounts

Traditional early dining was full since we booked last-minute, so we opted for Celebrity Select dining, similar to eating at a restaurant on land. You show up whenever you want, and can choose to eat alone or with a group.


We headed up to the Oceanview Cafe for a bite to eat at the buffet. The place had a nice clean look, many food stations, and lots of space to move around.


When we returned to the room, we found that our room steward had already left us a plate of hors d'oeuvres, plus a birthday cake for Kaleb.


We spent the rest of the day exploring the ship.

Cafe al Bacio (drinks extra, food is free)

Gelateria (extra charge)

hot tub in the solarium

Persian Garden (extra charge)

hammam area

sauna and rain shower

salt room

fitness center

sports deck

retreat sundeck

As sailaway time approached, we heard a band playing on the dock, so we headed down to Deck 4 promenade to watch. They played until the ship pulled away from the pier.

17-second video of the sailaway band (click here if you cannot see the preview below):



Afterwards, we headed down to the Metropolitan dining room around 7pm and didn't have to wait too long in line. Dinner was good. Since we had the non-alcoholic drink package, we ordered a large bottle of San Pellegrino mineral water to accompany our dinner (and every meal during the cruise). When it was time for dessert, to our surprise, the wait staff presented a cake to Kaleb and sang "Happy Birthday".

Day 1 dinner menu page 1

Day 1 dinner menu page 2

fresh bread with dips

endive arugula salad

wild mushroom soup

escargots - my fave

prime rib

Day 1 dessert menu

happy birthday!

vanilla lychee and guava sorbet

After dinner, we stopped by the bar and cafe to pick up some bottled water and hot tea to bring to the room. (need to extract the most value from the drink package)

turndown chocolates

The next day, Celebrity Millennium was at sea.

Day 2 planner page 1

Day 2 planner page 2

Day 2 planner page 3

Day 2 planner page 4

buffet breakfast offering

freshly baked pastries in the buffet

theater

trivia in the Sky Lounge

nice views from the Sky Lounge

pay arcade

kids club

teen club

Details regarding visas and immigration in the upcoming ports of call were distributed in our cabin. Japan immigration procedures would be done on board, and lots of steps were required for Russia.


It was cold and windy, so the outside grill was closed; burgers and hot dogs would be found at the Oceanview Cafe.


The spa cafe offered lighter fare, juices, and smoothies. I decided to try the Purple Rain smoothie, but it was awful. I thought it would be freshly blended, but the server pulled out a pitcher from the refrigerator and poured the liquid into a plastic cup, not icy or creamy. I had to throw it out after a few sips.

paper straws

With the help of some internet research, Kaleb was able to hook up an HDMI connection to the cabin TV. It wasn't easy as the Celebrity network disabled the ports. At least now, we had video games and TV/movies loaded on our iPad/iPhones to pass the time during the many days at sea.

playing Nintendo Switch

this evening's hors d'oeuvres

Tonight, we went down to the Metropolitan dining room around 5:30pm. There was a sign pointing out the different lines, but in the end, it didn't really matter, reservations or not, just queue in the shortest one. The dress code was evening chic, but no one was wearing anything super fancy. We were led to a table for two in the main part of the dining room that had high ceilings, next to the windows. I liked sitting here compared to last night. We ended up being seated in this area for the rest of the cruise, alternating between waiters depending on the table. Since we were doing Celebrity Select dining, we could choose to sit at a table for two, or with a group. In our area, the tables for two were mere inches apart from each other, so it would be easy to strike up a conversation with your neighbor if you wanted to be social. On the other hand, if you don't want to talk, don't make eye contact.

Day 2 dinner menu page 1

Day 2 dinner menu page 2

those chairs next to the window are cool

Metropolitan dining room

of course, escargots

mushroom vol au vent

seared duck

Day 2 dessert menu

blueberry froyo, after-eight ice cream

apple crumble a la mode

Since we had dinner so early, we couldn't help but check out the buffet afterwards. The food didn't look as good as what was available in the main dining room. Then we roamed the ship and listened to some music before retiring.


46-second video of live music (click here if you cannot see the preview below):


Tomorrow, Celebrity Millennium stops in Hakodate  - stay tuned!

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