Vacation time is perfect for new experiences. A cruise is a great time to try new foods and treat ourselves to new activities. We might try different foods outside of our normal cuisine on a cruise because we've "already paid for it". Visiting a spa at sea is like other things you do on vacation--something outside your normal daily routine. Although spa services will cost you extra, many cruise ships have spas that rival those you will find at home. In fact, some of the spas at sea are world class.
Many of us might not take the time to visit a spa in our home town. It's easy to come up with an excuse. We're too busy or too broke or are just not sure what type of spa or what type of treatment we would enjoy. Cruise ship spas are used to "spa newbies" who haven't visited a spa before. Therefore, the staff expect lots of questions about the services and treatments. On board spas usually have a tour where they showcase the facilities and explain the treatments. This tour can be an interesting learning experience and can help you make a decision about what you would like to try.
Spa facilities and treatments often sound exotic and sometimes therapeutic. Most of us are familiar with massages, facials, and saunas. However, when you start hearing about ionathermie detoxifications or thalassotherapy, it makes you realize how sophisticated the spas have become! Even though the spa terms may sound mysterious or even a little scary, the mission of any spa is to help clients relax and remove stress. We all love to be pampered, and there is probably a spa treatment or therapy for everyone.
Steiner Spas at Sea
Steiner of London is the largest spa provider in the world. If you've been on a cruise, there's a good chance the on board spa was operated by Steiner since it has spas on over 100 ships, including the family of Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean/Celebrity. The company promises sophisticated therapies provided by trained professionals. On any given week, Steiner employees at sea massage over 30,000 bodies, deep cleanse 15,000 faces, blow dry 6,000 heads of hair, and manicure approximately 6,000 pairs of hands.
Steiner started out as a family salon in London during the 1930s. By 1945, Steiner had salons all over England and started its first salon services at sea on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth II. As times have changed, Steiner has changed also. The company has evolved from hairdressing to a spa company focusing on health and well being. In 1988, Steiner featured spa therapies on the Costa Riviera. By 1994, Carnival had launched its successful Nautica Spa programs and Steiner was operating spas on 50 ships. Steiner also worked with the architect to develop the spa on the QE2 in 1994. This spa was the first afloat to have a fully functional Thalassotherapy Pool, a range of Hydrotherapy treatments, and pre-bookable spa programs. In 1997, Steiner created the AquaSpa in collaboration with Celebrity Cruise Line. AquaSpa features the best of East and West--Eastern treatments like the Rasul and Western treatments like the AquaMeditation.
The treatments and therapies offered by Steiner and the other spa operators are diverse and wide-ranging. Most spas have massages, facials, saunas, and whirlpools. As the popularity of spas has grown in the 1990s and in the 21st century, spas at sea have begun to offer the same pampering you can get if you visited a spa resort. All those mysterious-sounding therapies can now be found on the seven seas--aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, and thalassotherapy. Herbal and seaweed wraps are also common now. (I don't think the seaweed used is freshly procured!) Some ships even have high tech "environmental capsules" that combine several techniques/features designed to rejuvenate you.
In 2002 Steiner purchased the Mandara Spas and TheGreenhouse Spas, giving the company spas in over 111 ships. Although under the Steiner Leisure Spa umbrella, each brand will continue to maintain its own identity.
After a long day of sightseeing, or after a hard month at work preparing for your vacation, a spa treatment will revitalize your body, your skin and your soul. Some spa treatments and therapies can be expensive, but others such as facials and massages are within every cruisers' budget. Check out the spa on your next cruise. It may give you ANOTHER reason to cruise!
