As a Naval Officer and former Commanding Officer who served 32 years with the Royal Canadian Navy, Cameron used to be reluctant to go on a cruise. That all changed, however, when his mother wanted to go on a family vacation at sea. Once on board, he was hooked, and he has since become a devoted Celebrity guest. “We have been cruising with Celebrity for 15 years, starting in 2009 when we explored the Caribbean on Celebrity Galaxy,” Cameron told us.
In 2021, Cameron deployed to Japan for six months as a Task Force Commander with an international team. He had planned for his wife to visit while he was stationed there. Unfortunately, the pandemic changed those plans, and she couldn’t enter the country. “We didn’t see each other, except by video link, for six months,” he said.
Fast forward to 2023, and Cameron and Meg, both now retired, decided they had unfinished business in Japan. With their 35th wedding anniversary approaching, where they would go for their milestone was never in question. “I saw Celebrity Millennium® was sailing a 15-night Trans-Pacific from Vancouver to Tokyo at the same time we wanted to start our trip,” Cameron said. “We live in Victoria, British Columbia, and thought it would be the ideal way to start our retirement trip.” Sailing to Japan would mean not having to deal with jet lag, and the sea days gave the couple ample time to celebrate in-style. They also raved to us about the service they received while on board, “From Patrick our cruise director, who kept us entertained, to Angela the hotel manager, who ensured we were always well cared for, and the rest of the crew, it was incredible,” he said.
After arriving in Japan, the Millers toured the country for seven weeks. Then they travelled to Singapore, where they once-again boarded Celebrity Millennium for another new and exciting destination: India. They were thrilled to see that Patrick and Angela were still on the ship, and their hospitality continued to make them feel like family. The itinerary also proved to be extra-special. “The ports-of-call on the way to India were enlightening. Malaysia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka showed us cultures and experiences we found so enriching. In Thailand, our ship’s tour took us to a remote village, where we were able to see how indigenous Thai people still retain their customs,” Cameron said.
Their two Indian ports were amazing, and Cameron told us how much he appreciated visiting the country while having the peace of mind and comfort of Celebrity Millennium to return to after touring. “It really helped us to acclimate to a culture and society that is so different from North America,” he said. A full three months after boarding Celebrity Millennium in Vancouver, they arrived in Mumbai, India, the final port on their awesome journey. “Our retirement trip was only made doable by the scheduling and professionalism of Celebrity Cruises,” Cameron said. “Cruising on Celebrity made our transition into retirement that much easier, and we are eagerly awaiting our next sailing—our 8th with Celebrity—and can’t wait to meet the incredible crew members who always make us feel like part of the family.”
