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DEL.ICIO.USThe Spa
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I took the spa tour around 2:30 on Thursday. While it was nice to see the spa and fitness areas and learn about their different services, the hard sell was on to book your treatment or fitness class. The spa is run by an outside company, which, according to Jennifer de la Cruz of Carnival, is responsible for most of the spas on North American ships.
I love pedicures and massages and never get to have them at home so I panicked that I would not be able to get an appointment if I waited. I booked everything on the first day. I’m still not completely sure if this was stupid move.
Every day in the newsletter there were spa specials. Plus port days and the last day they offered other specials.
Sally Fowler and Rose Short, both of Gainesville, tried to book massages later in the trip and couldn’t get spots. Mary King made a scalp massage and manicure appointment on Friday for Friday but they had to be hours apart.
I scheduled a pedicure ($55) for Thursday around 6 p.m. before our dinner at 8:30 p.m, and also booked a body polish and full massage ($145) for Sunday late in the afternoon. The pedicure worked out well (my husband just relaxed in the room), but I regretted the Sunday appointment. A preliminary bill came Saturday night to the room and we freaked out about how much we had already spent, and I knew I was obligated to $145 plus tip the next day. Also Sunday turned out to be our only sunny day on board so I really just wanted to lie in the sun.
You can cancel your spa appointment with 24-hour notice. If it’s less notice than 24 hours and you don’t reschedule the appointment, then you have to pay half the fee.
I tried to shorten my appointment for Sunday by about 25 minutes to save some money. But the receptionist was noticably against the notion; I almost cried when I left. So the massage was not as enjoyable as it might have been.
The treatments themselves were fine. I particularly enjoyed my pedicure. The young lady worked hard and was fun to talk with.
(Experienced cruisers: When do you make your spa reservations? Were these prices out of line with other cruise ships? What are the cancellation policies on other ships?)
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Cruising
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By Jemille Williams
May 16, 2005 12:00 PM | Link to this
I’m no old hand of the sea - only three cruise notches on my belt - but I did take advantage of a port day massage special. The poor girls were just sitting around on their hands, so they upped the ante with an even more discounted pedicure, and then made me an offer I didn’t refuse (but could have) on a couple of their products that were gathering cobwebs on the shelf.
I’m a sucker for the prize - especially if it’s a badge of honor to earn, so on my cruises I committed to doing enough fitness activities to be awarded the coveted T-shirt or pair of socks. Woo-hoo!
But seriously, folks, I actually lost 7 pounds on my Alaskan cruise and came back looking better from the other two - and I assure you I never turned down a lovely dinner roll (with its even more pulchritudinous butter) and no dessert escaped my dainty pie-hole.
So don’t believe all the weight-gain horror stories. With no housekeeping chores, I threw myself into the deck power-walks and exercise classes and came home slightly new and improved.
One thing I didn’t do were the midnight buffets. They are guaranteed to add unsightly lumps, bulges and puckers to your cellulite storage compartments. JUST SAY NO! Don’t even go just to take a picture of it!
By Theresa from the AJC
May 16, 2005 3:02 PM | Link to this
Jemille — I adore that you used the word pie-hole in a sentence — It’s one of our favorite expressions. So you didn’t schedule any spa time in advance? Or you just scheduled it for the port day and they gave you the specials at the start of the trip? Did you not want to see the port — or you had others so missing one wasn’t a big deal?? Also did they charge you for your fitness classes — that is a huge beef with me — $10 for pilates, $10 for kick-boxing — The only thing they weren’t going to charge me for was walking on the decks — I’m going to shut my pie-hole now and please tell me the spa appointment strategy! I feel I was taken — Thanks
By Lauren
May 16, 2005 3:07 PM | Link to this
I had my first cruise on Carnival out of Tampa to Cozumel a few years ago. Like you, Teresa, I booked my massage early and had one of the best massages of my life on that cruise. I’ve had many, but the English girl who worked on me had deft hands that knew what they were doing. I’ve never enjoyed deep-tissue massage (does anyone?) and when I ask for a “Sweedish Massage” most end up doing a form of deep tissue anyway. This massage therapist was excellent and knew just how much pressure to use to relieve tension yet not induce soreness.
The best part was that when she was finished she draped me in a thick down-like comforter (warmed), turned off the lights and said she’d return in 10 minutes. I was so relaxed I didn’t want to leave and this extra time was like the icing on the cake. So many of the spas I’ve been to locally hustle you from room to room without giving you that time to lie quietly and relax.
I don’t remember the price, but it was the first night of the cruise and was discounted because of that. However, it was worth EVERY penny!
Ms. de la Cruz? You can bet the first thing I’m signing up for on my next Carnival cruise will be the massage!
Lauren
By Ken Schwartz
May 16, 2005 3:50 PM | Link to this
My wife likes massages but not onboard any cruise ship!!
They are VERY expensive and you get shorted on time. My wife’s quote (or close) is ‘You’re sitting there naked and they are pushing ‘products’ at you for the last 20 minutes of the massage’.
By Theresa from the AJC
May 17, 2005 8:50 AM | Link to this
Hey Lauren and Ken — It was a good massage, but I do think I got shorted on time by at least 5 minutes on the cruise. The other thing was instead of letting you lay there for a few minutes like Lauren, she rushed me out the room. She just about clapped her hands and said “Ok, get up.” I go some to the Natural Body Spa in Morningside and a lot of times they do just let you lay there and get up gradually.
So should I ask when are you going to have discounted massages? Or just know that the first day and port day are when the discounts are given? How do I get the deals? One of the couples at our table lucked into a discounted couples massage. Their two massages were equal to what I paid for one.
By Lois
May 17, 2005 3:35 PM | Link to this
Get your massage, facial, pedicure, or manicure BEFORE you leave for your cruise. Someone mentioned a $55 pedicure. I pay $15 at home. Massage costs $70/hr at home and over $100 on ship.
For the 1 hour onboard massage, the first 10-15 minutes is to get undressed and talk to the person to find out what you want and what you like and what you expect from the massage. Then you get worked on for about 25-30 minutes, then the last 10-15 minutes are to “relax” while they try to sell you body creams, face creams, and other aroma therapy products. Then you are told to get dressed because the next 1 hr massage appointment (for someone else) will begin and they need to “clean” the room.
These spas are run on a consignment basis and they are going to get every $$$ they can from you either by service or selling you product. BE VERY CAREFULL before you spend this money
By Renee
May 18, 2005 8:51 AM | Link to this
I have cruised and my first trip I was all gun ho on the Spa items. However, I will never do it again. First of all you have to book so early to be insured that you will get something in that it is basically a pressure decision. Then you pay out of this world prices for a normal job done. So my advice to the worlds of cruisers is save your Spa treatments for home and spend that money on more alcohol or excursions. YOu can get those Spa treatments anywhere and for a lot more affordable prices.
By KK
May 18, 2005 4:18 PM | Link to this
I took my mom on our first cruise this past December, with Royal Caribbean. We each booked an hour-long massage for the first day at sea (thinking this would be the perfect way to kick off our inaugural cruise experience), and we both came away from the experience lamenting that they were the worst massages we’d ever had in our LIVES!
The masseuses were clearly inexperienced (my massage was PAINFUL, to the point that I asked her to stop early), and they each spent the last 10 minutes of our respective massages trying to sell us products!
Never again will I book a massage on a cruise—they are phenomenally expensive and just not worth it. Save yourself the trouble and get a great massage before you leave for your cruise, or the day after you arrive home!