I went on a cruise around Alaska on the Celebrity Millennium.
The sun would set as late as 10 p.m. even though it was summer.
I was able to get food from the main dining room in my room.
I spent eight days on the Millennium.
We took a cruise to Alaska on the Celebrity Millennium and went to places like Icy Strait Point and the Hubbard Glacier.
Although I've been on five cruises with my family, this was the first one since the outbreak of the coronaviruses, and there were some things I didn't expect.
It was too cold and foggy to see anything during the summer months.
When booking a cruise in the summer, most people think of days lounging by the pool, drinking and wearing shorts.
The ports in Alaska were warm but days at sea were cold. It was too windy to watch movies at the cinema or play games by the pool deck.
It was too foggy to see anything when we sailed through Alaska's picturesque Inside Passage.
On our journey to Hubbard Glacier, the crew gave out hot chocolate to everyone outside and there were blanket stations throughout the pool deck.
I thought there would be more choices.
Although there was plenty of specialty dining for dinner and a massive buffet on the pool deck, we'd occasionally come back tired and hungry from our excursions and realize there was nothing unique to eat until our set meal time.
Between lunch and dinner, the buffet was not open. The burger station on the pool deck was not open.
I packed eye masks so I wouldn't fall asleep.
The sun sets as late as 10 p.m. in Alaska.
Since the sun was out so late, I didn't feel tired, but I brought an eye mask to help me sleep.
If you're like me, you should pack one.
I didn't see a lot of guests using the masks and hand snoozing on the ship.
I was curious about what health protocols would be put in place on the cruise ship. Guests need to take a negative COVID-19 test to board the ship.
Staff frequently wipe down buttons, tables, and other frequently touched surfaces, but I didn't see any social-distancing measures. There was hand sanitizer in the dining area.
They gave guests masks with Celebrity branding, but I didn't see a lot of people wearing them. All staff members were masked.
The process was very simple.
Unlike other cruise lines, Celebrity only required us to watch a video and check in at the muster station as part of our safety briefings.
As soon as we stepped on the ship, we checked in with the staff and were free to wander and go to our rooms, making this the fastest briefing I've ever had.
The concierge class gave us an exclusive lunch in the main dining room. The embarkation process was very smooth.
I expected us to use our phones less than we did.
Celebrity's app would allow passengers to book dining reservations, check the daily itinerary, and look at dinner menu in advance.
The basic wi-fi package was only available for the app.
We used the messaging feature to stay connected, setting up a group chat to let each other know where on the boat to meet and sending reminders about dinner reservations.
It was important to have my phone charged so I could stay in touch with my family.
We drank a lot of coffee.
A basic drink package is offered by Celebrity.
The classic drinks package had a cover of up to $9. We only had to pay the difference if we wanted to buy drinks that weren't part of our fare.
The ship had a coffee shop that was covered by my package, but I don't drink a lot of booze. It was a highlight to have access to unlimited iced lattes.
There were people in the dining room.
There were signs that people weren't wearing flip-flops or shorts in the dining room.
A lot of guests didn't follow the dress code but were allowed in the dining room.
Cocktail dresses and designer jeans are examples of what Celebrity describes as a "modern take on dressing up."
Some passengers wore dresses and heels, but I chose to wear sandals and a sundress, which was more comfortable.
I could have ordered food from the main dining room in my room.
I didn't eat in the main room because I felt bloated from the amount of food we'd eaten.
The waiter asked if I wanted any food sent to me.
I could have ordered anything from the main dining room and had it delivered to my room.
The steps made our room feel like it belonged in our house.
My brother and dad put a shoe rack over their door to maximize space, and we brought magnetic hooks to hang our laundry bags.
We put magnets on our door to personalize our room.
We ran out of things to do by the sixth day.
We were surprised by the lack of onboard activities since it was too cold to lounge on the pool deck or swim.
We went to a lot of quiz sessions and silent disco nights, but would have liked more options like bingo or mini golf.
Le Petit Chef was a great specialty dining experience.
My parents usually eat dinner in the main dining room, but when they heard about Le Petit Chef, they booked a reservation right away.
A cartoon chef is projected onto the table and plates as part of the dining experience.
The food was delicious after the little animated chef cooked it in front of us.
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