Celebrity Millennium emerges from Edge-inspired refurbishment

Celebrity Cruises made headlines last year with the launch of the game-changing Celebrity Edge, but the cruise line isn’t just adding new ships to the fleet, its revamping the whole lot of them, starting with Celebrity Millennium.

The lead ship in Celebrity’s Millennium-class emerged this week from dry dock following a several-week refit and refurbishment that has seen the entire ship upgraded, from new spaces and amenities to redesigned soft furnishings and interior architecture.

RELATED: 6 great features aboard Celebrity Edge, and one disappointment

RELATED: MSC and Celebrity Cruises go head-to-head in Dubai for 2019

The work was carried out in Singapore as part of Celebrity Cruises’ ‘Celebrity Revolution’ project, which seeks to bring Celebrity Edge’s exterior colour scheme and interior palette and standards to the rest of the ships in the fleet.

The US $500-million project started with Millennium and will end in 2023 with the last of the Solstice-class ships.

One of the most anticipated new features to debut aboard Celebrity Millenium is the cruise line’s coveted Retreat concept, the Retreat is an exclusive sanctuary for every Suite Class guest. It is Celebrity’s ship-within-a-ship concept, like MSC’s Yacht Club and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Haven.

The Retreat features The Retreat Sundeck, a spacious outdoor lounge area with stylish furniture, a full-sized pool, and a hot tub, as well as dedicated Pool Butlers, as well as the Retreat Lounge where beverages, gourmet bites, and live entertainment are available and the Michellin restaurant Luminae.

Celebrity also collaborated with hospitality design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) to transform Millenium’s staterooms into what it calls “statements of modern luxury”. The staterooms aboard Millenium are now almost indistinguishable from those aboard Edge.

They are fitted with Celebrity’s eXhale bedding, featuring cashmere mattresses, RFID locks, as well as Xcelerate and Bluetooth capabilities.

When it comes to dining, further upgrades have been made. The restaurant Qsine has been added, offering Celebrity Edge’s virtual Le Petit Chef experience, which was created by Skullmapping and presented by TableMation exclusively for Celebrity

The Oceanview Café has been redesigned with an open, airy, marketplace-inspired design, while the main restaurants have new textures and new finishes that bring Millenium on-par with the chic modern aesthetic aboard Celebrity Edge.

RELATED: Celebrity to cruise from Dubai for first time in 2020, dropping Abu Dhabi

RELATED: Celebrity sending new Celebrity Edge to European cruise market in 2019

Other Celebrity Revolution features include the expansion of the new SEA Thermal Suite, new shopping spaces with name brands and designer products and upgraded bars and lounges, including the newly reimagined Passport Bar.

Celebrity’s Gastrobar concept, serving more than 40 craft beers, cocktails, and comfort food has also been overhauled, along with The Hideaway, Team Earth, The Library, and more.

Basically, every stateroom and public space has been refurbished.

Celebrity Summit is next up for dry-dock, with her renovation scheduled for March and then Celebrity Equinox in June. In 2020, Celebrity Cruises will refurbish four more of its cruise ships.

Celebrity Millennium was launched in 2000, and is 90,940-gross tons with a guest capacity of 2,138. She has now departed on her first post-refurb cruise, a 7-night Singapore to Hong Kong departure visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Da Nang in Vietnam.

Celebrity Millenium will wrap up her Asian cruise season in April and reposition to Alaska.