Cruiseable Plan my cruise

Ship comparison

Celebrity Millennium vs Serenade of the Seas

The verdict

Which should you choose?

Celebrity Millennium is a large Celebrity Cruises ship carrying 2,158 passengers, in service since 2000. Serenade of the Seas is a large Royal Caribbean ship carrying 2,110 passengers, in service since 2003.

Choose Celebrity Millennium if you want a more romantic trip, more culture or better-rated dining: it outscores Serenade of the Seas for romantic (8.0 vs 6.0), cultural (8.0 vs 6.5) and dining (7.1 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores.

Choose Serenade of the Seas if you want a lower starting fare or a more active cruise: it outscores Celebrity Millennium for active (7.0 vs 6.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $219 (vs $1,326).

Side by side

Specifications

marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.

Celebrity MillenniumSerenade of the Seas
Cruise line Celebrity Cruises Royal Caribbean
Ship size Large Large
Maiden voyagenewer highlighted 2000 2003 (better)
Last refurbishedmore recent highlighted 2015 2015
Gross tonnage 91,000 90,090
Passengers 2,158 2,110
Crew 999 891
Passengers per crew memberfewer is better 2.2 (better) 2.4
Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier 42.2 42.7 (better)
Decks 11 12
Length 965 ft 965 ft
Beam 105 ft 131 ft
Speed 25 mph 29 mph
Cruiseable ratingout of 10 8 / 10 8 / 10
Cruises on sale 51 44
Upcoming sailings 78 109
Cruise lengths 7 to 15 nights 3 to 15 nights
Fares fromlower highlighted $1,326 $219 (better)

Bliss scores

How they rate, out of 10

Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Celebrity Millennium leads on 5 of the ten, Serenade of the Seas on 1, with 4 level.

  • Active Celebrity Millennium: 6.0 Serenade of the Seas: 7.0
  • Adventure & nature Celebrity Millennium: 7.7 Serenade of the Seas: 7.0
  • Cultural Celebrity Millennium: 8.0 Serenade of the Seas: 6.5
  • Dining Celebrity Millennium: 7.1 Serenade of the Seas: 6.0
  • Entertainment Celebrity Millennium: 7.4 Serenade of the Seas: 7.4
  • Family friendly Celebrity Millennium: 8.0 Serenade of the Seas: 8.0
  • Party Celebrity Millennium: 6.0 Serenade of the Seas: 6.0
  • Romantic Celebrity Millennium: 8.0 Serenade of the Seas: 6.0
  • Spa & fitness Celebrity Millennium: 10.0 Serenade of the Seas: 9.0
  • Staterooms Celebrity Millennium: 8.0 Serenade of the Seas: 8.0

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Millennium

Celebrity Millennium, a mega-liner that debuted in 2000 (I was among the passengers on her maiden voyage and again in 2014), more than holds her own today after a refurbishment in in which the ship emerged with many exclusive features of Celebrity Cruises' Solstice class ships.

Highlights

  • Dinner at quirky Qsine, whose unique, delicious fare costs $45 a person
  • Pool butlers at your service
  • Our deluxe balcony stateroom, which was surprisingly spacious and very comfortable
  • Rejuvenating in the 25,000-square-foot Canyon Ranch SeaClub spa

Sailing now

51 cruises on sale, from $1,326.

Royal Caribbean

Serenade of the Seas

Serenade of the Seas from Royal Caribbean combines speed, added comfort, greater space, sweeping ocean vistas and a personable crew. Among the ship's highlights are the nine-story glass-constructed Centrum, glass elevators facing the sea and the highest percentage of outside cabins in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

Highlights

  • Vegas-style gambling in Casino Royale
  • Vintages, Royal Caribbean's first wine bar
  • The 1960s vibe at R Bar
  • Rock-climbing wall and mini-golf course

Sailing now

44 cruises on sale, from $219.

Questions

Celebrity Millennium or Serenade of the Seas?

Which is bigger, Celebrity Millennium or Serenade of the Seas?

Celebrity Millennium is bigger at 91,000 gross tons, against 90,090 gross tons for Serenade of the Seas. Celebrity Millennium carries 2,158 passengers and Serenade of the Seas carries 2,110.

Which ship is newer, Celebrity Millennium or Serenade of the Seas?

Serenade of the Seas is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2003 against 2000 for Celebrity Millennium.

Which has more space per passenger?

Serenade of the Seas, with 42.7 gross tons per passenger against 42.2 on Celebrity Millennium. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.

Which has more crew per passenger?

Celebrity Millennium, with one crew member for every 2.2 passengers against one for every 2.4 on Serenade of the Seas.

Which is better for families?

They score the same for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10.

Still deciding?

Tell us what matters and we will match the sailing

Send your dates, budget and who is travelling, and our partner travel agency will come back to you about Celebrity Millennium, Serenade of the Seas or a ship that suits you better.

Plan my cruise

Compare different ships