Cruise Ship Spa Review

Tips for using the  spa on a cruise vacation.

Cruise ship spa service tips

Decide which services you really want. Services include facials, massage and body therapies, acupuncture, fitness programs and hair and nail salon services.  Some treatments can be costly when compared to how much the same treatment would cost back home.

1. Body treatments are less money on port days.
2. Make sure if you are getting a massage that you are in a massage room and not a facial treatment room. Ask to change if you are in a facial treatment room. Facial tables are used by estheticians and their tables tend to be a more narrow than a massage table.
3. Beware the up-sale. The therapists work on commission. They will try to get you to buy their products. The up-selling is
4.  Teeth Whitening is offered on the ships but it is not less money than at home.
5. Botox, Restylane and other fillers: just don’t do it on the ship. There are better ways to spend your time while on vacation. Most clinical medi-spa treatments are best tested out at home. I have seen people have adverse reactions to these products.
6. Spin classes are offered by the fitness center staff. However, on most cruise lines they are not free and you usually have to commit to a series. When the ship is moving balance is a little tricky. If you have motion issues, pass on the cycle classes.
7. Yoga classes are also offered in the fitness center. These fee based classes are popular. So sign up quickly if you know that this is something you want. The quality of the instruction has been hit or miss. I am a Certified Yoga Instructor. With over 2000 hours of teaching, I will offer that the Steiner Training Academy in England is offering yoga certs to the staff with little regard to ancient yoga principles and traditions. I have been to some good classes and some not so good classes. It depends on the teacher. Try the class but know that their are no refunds.
8.  I use the Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy pool combination package to increase my spa experience. Cruise lines that have the enhanced space to accommodate the steam rooms and tub space will offer limited amounts of week-long passes. I have not seen these passes available per day, although that would be nice. With the pass, you will have access to an upgraded locker room which is a nice place to shower, access to the massage waiting room where their is usually a fruit basket, and an assortment of herbal teas, and water.