Between Ports, A Day in the Life of a Celebrity Cruiser

In many ways, my travel experience is quite different from the average vacationer. This is most notable in my schedule. When I’m on a trip, I am usually following an itinerary that leads me through each day and night. In the hours that I don’t have something on the agenda, you will find me in front of the computer writing or uploading photos. So, what happens when I’m in the middle of the ocean on the Celebrity Millennium without working internet and no strict schedule?  I get to find out how the other half lives and in this case I got to be a cruiser on vacation (at least for a day).

I will be the first to admit that I am a Type A personality who doesn’t do well sitting around and doing nothing. For me, doing nothing means not working at least two things at once. There was no reason for me to do that, though, as I had a rare free day, and, it was also Mother’s Day so I had another excuse to relax.  I safely tucked my computer into the stateroom safe, filled my bag with all the magazines I brought with me, and headed off to a leisurely breakfast in the main dining room.

One of my favorite parts of a cruise is getting to know new people and meals are the best time to do that.  We had some great ladies at our evening table, but the morning was open seating so I got to meet some more guests in my first breakfast in the dining room (as opposed to the quick grab at the buffet I had done previously).  I enjoyed talking with a varied group from around the country who were enjoying themselves on the Millennium as I had a sweet and soft Baked Apple with my Egg White Scramble and perfect Hash browns.

After breakfast, I took a long walk around the deck, on the track on the ship’s top floor.  Even getting caught in a quick rain shower didn’t ruin my mood. I just found my way to the Cosmos bar.  It was a little early to drink anything other than the latte (which was included in my beverage plan), but I was tempted by some of the coffee drinks available, including Café Royale, with Bailey’s Irish Cream, Tuaca Liqueur, or the Agave Toddy, with Remy Martin VSOP, agave nectar and fresh lemon juice. 

While I dried off, I decided it was time to get wet.  I headed to the indoor Solarium, an adults-only area where I got comfortable in a lounge chair and caught up on my magazines between dips in the hydrotherapy pool and the whirlpool. I also enjoyed a healthy spa lunch, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, and finished off with some herb tea before heading window shopping through the ship’s stores and going back to the room to change.

Activities on board a ship have definitely changed since the last time I cruised. The Celebrity Life series adds a whole other level of things to do, from computer classes to mixology. While both of those would be considered “work” for me, I did take in a traditional shipboard staple --- bingo. I came really close to the jackpot, but almost doesn’t count in Bingo.  Fortunately, I didn’t need any cash at the daily Captain’s Club Cocktail Hour, where I enjoyed a few Apple Martinis with Lynn before a delicious pasta dinner in the dining room.

I was able to keep a few dollars going in the casino for awhile before retiring for the night.  My day of rest was officially over and I needed to get ready for the very strenuous work of checking out the wine (and a few surprises) on our next stop… Astoria.