The Spa on a Celebrity Cruises ship is a serene haven. Your holistic journey begins the minute you enter; you’ll sense the restfulness as you inhale in a gentle infusion of soothing aromatherapy oils. Come here to treat yourself; to ease into your vacation with blissfully indulgent treatments and therapies that will leave you feeling completely renewed.
Spa aficionados will be instantly at home in this heavenly environment. But it’s not unusual to discover the spa for the first time on a cruise. After all, we don’t all have time for spa treatments in our busy lives back home.
If you’ve never been to a spa before, you probably have questions—and maybe even a few preconceptions. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about cruise ship spas.
What should I expect if I’m new to the spa?
Infrared Sauna
You’ve come to the right place if this is your first visit to a cruise ship spa. Prepare to enter a world of absolute relaxation, delicious aromas, and healing hands.
There should be no mystery about the spa. If you’re curious, ask for a tour on embarkation day; the therapists are only too happy to show off their beautiful space. You’ll see the different therapy rooms, the relaxation area and the thermal suite, and a collection of saunas and steam rooms with divine heated loungers to relax on after your treatment.
On most Celebrity Cruises ships, this area is called the Persian Garden, although on Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Beyond, it’s the SEA Thermal Suite.
Ask for a spa menu, which details all the treatments. You don’t have to decide on the spot; you can take it back to your stateroom and think about what you’d like. The experienced therapists will be happy to talk you through the different options.
What should I wear?
The Spa
Everything you’ll need is provided in the luxurious locker rooms, separate for men and women. You’ll be given a key to your own locker for valuables and clothing. There’s no need to wander through the ship in a robe from your stateroom; luxurious robes and slippers are provided in the spa.
As to what to wear during your treatment, the therapists are extremely discreet. The idea is that you’re as comfortable as possible, and once you’ve discussed your treatment in your private room, the therapist will leave while you hang up your robe and slip under the coverings on the treatment bed. Your modesty is respected at every stage.
If you’re having a wrap, which can involve being covered in blissful oils and balms, you may be provided with disposable paper underwear. But the therapist will work around whatever you feel is right for you.
Just be reassured that the therapists are not looking at you or judging you. They see bodies of every shape and size, every day, and their only goal is to make you feel fabulous.
What time of day is best to go?
Time your visit to the cruise ship spa carefully. Whether you have a massage, a facial, or a wrap, chances are you’ll be wandering around in a blissed-out daze afterward. The therapeutic oils and balms need to stay on your skin to work their magic.
The best time to schedule a treatment is when you have no immediate commitments afterward. Heading out on an excursion straight after a massage is not ideal, nor is getting all made up for dinner in a hurry straight after a facial. To make the most of your treatment, factor in time to relax, snooze, and let the therapy continue its good work.
Do I need to prepare for my spa session?
SEA Thermal Suite
Very little preparation is needed; this is your time to relax, after all. There are a few caveats, though. Arriving for a massage with a sunburn isn’t a good idea, although you can always ask the therapist to avoid sensitive areas.
If you’ve been by the pool, it’s a good idea to shower before your treatment to wash off suntan lotion. Shaving before a scrub might leave your skin stinging.
You certainly don’t need to wear makeup to arrive for a facial as it will all be removed anyway. It’s best not to have your hair done before a treatment, either. Either a massage or a facial may include a gentle head massage, and you want to surrender to the sensation rather than worry about your carefully styled hair being spoiled.
When should I arrive for my treatment?
You’ll be asked to arrive 15 minutes before your treatment to fill out a consultation form, but if you want to unwind and soak up the calming atmosphere of the spa, there’s no harm in arriving a little earlier.
Don’t be late, though; nobody wants to start their treatment in a state of stress, and it’s unlikely that your therapist would be able to run over time if you did arrive late.
What if I have injuries or allergies?
Persian Garden
The consultation before your treatment will be a chance to discuss anything you like or don’t like, areas you want to focus on—like tight shoulders or tired skin—and any allergies or health issues.
Most problems can be worked around. If you’re pregnant, or if you’ve recently recovered from surgery, you should mention this to your therapist.
Should I chat with the therapist during the treatment?
A lot of people wonder if they should feel obliged to make conversation during their treatment. Some like to chat throughout, while others prefer to drift off in a state of deep relaxation. Certainly, the latter is the best way to unwind completely.
If you feel awkward at all, simply tell the therapist at the beginning of the treatment that you’re going to close your eyes and relax. They may ask you if you’re warm enough, or if the pressure of the massage is right for you, or the volume of the gentle background music, but other than that, nobody is expecting a lively debate during your treatment.
Is it OK to fall asleep?
Dropping off to sleep is a sure sign that the therapist is doing a good job. If you snore a little, don’t worry. Again, cruise spa therapists have seen it all before and are not there to judge you.
Should I choose a face or a body treatment?
Treatment Room
Either will be amazing—but why not go for both? Facials tend to focus on rejuvenating, repairing sun damage, and rehydrating, with the spas on Celebrity Cruises’ ships using state-of-the-art products of the highest quality.
Medical treatments are available, too, from micro-needling to fillers. You could leave your cruise with an entirely new look, and guests do use their time at sea to refresh their look completely—a personal reinvention, as it were.
Body treatments range from massage to cleansing scrubs and reviving wraps, using products ranging from detoxifying seaweed to frangipani, the scent of the tropics. Either will leave you feeling deeply relaxed.
How do I pick a body treatment?
This depends on what you want to achieve. For the ultimate relaxation, aroma stone therapy is difficult to beat. You’re massaged with smooth, heated lava stones, bathed in moisturizing oil, and deeply comforted.
A Thai herbal poultice massage, on the other hand, releases tension using herbal poultices on your pressure points, followed by a more energizing massage using eastern and western techniques.
Opt for a bamboo massage for a really deep tissue effect, or a coconut poultice massage for a more traditional treatment, using oils rich in vitamins E and K to moisturize the skin combined with a traditional massage.
Treatment Room
Some treatments harness the power of technology, combined with natural ingredients, to create the most delicious massage imaginable. The zero gravity immersion massage, for example, takes place on a special table that makes you feel as though you’re floating on air, while every muscle group in the body is treated.
If you’ve overindulged a little, Ionithermie is a high-tech treatment using electrical pulses combined with marine lotions to smooth the skin and encourage lymphatic drainage. While you’d need to have several treatments for a lasting effect, you can lose a couple of inches in one session, an effective fix if you want to look good quickly in something clingy during your voyage.
What is the Thermal Suite?
Persian Garden
On most of Celebrity Cruises’ ships, the thermal suite, a section of the spa, is called the Persian Garden. Access is limited to keep the ambiance relaxed.
You could try out the suite with a day pass, or choose a pass to cover the entire cruise. With either, you can come and go as you please. You’ll find steam rooms, saunas, and tropical rainforest showers, as well as curved, heated loungers. These are so comfortable that it’s difficult to imagine anything other than drifting off in a gentle doze.
On Solstice-series ships, the Persian Garden has a wall of glass, so you can gaze at the ocean from your heated bed.
Watch: The Spa on Celebrity Edge
On Edge-series ships, the thermal suite, called SEA Thermal Suite, takes premium to new heights. Designed by Kelly Hoppen in soothing neutrals and deliciously tactile textures, this is a space in which you could easily indulge your senses all day long.
You’ll find a beautiful hammam, a steam room, and an infrared sauna, perfect for relieving stress. There’s a Crystalarium, a serene space with natural stone walls and a centerpiece of an amethyst crystal, believed to have healing powers.
You’ll also find a salt room, designed to help heal respiratory and skin conditions. In addition to the heated loungers, the Float Room is a dreamy space with hanging cocoon basket chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows, the ultimate environment in which to meditate and relax.
Blu
If you think you’re likely to visit the thermal suite multiple times, consider AquaClass for your voyage. Guests in these luxurious staterooms receive complimentary access to the thermal suite, as well as other amenities including an aromatherapy diffuser and a pillow menu. You’ll also have access to the services of a spa concierge and dining in Blu, a specialty restaurant offering light, healthy cuisine.
Can men have treatments in the spa?
Persian Garden
Absolutely. Any of the wraps or massage treatments are as beneficial to men as they are to women. Some facials have been developed specifically for men, with the aim of soothing and rejuvenating aging, stressed, or dehydrated skin.
You could treat yourself to a luxurious shave with the ship’s barber, too, which includes a mini-facial and a wonderful face, scalp, hand, and arm massage.
How about teens?
Celebrity Cruises’ ships have teen spa menus with treatments designed especially for 13- to 17-year-olds. You’ll find manicures and pedicures, as well as facials created for sensitive teenage skin. Teens can enjoy massages, too.
Why not go for a two-by-two massage, as a wonderful mom-and-daughter or father-and-son bonding treat? You’ll lie on side-by-side tables while two therapists work simultaneously to treat you to a deeply relaxing massage.
Can I have my nails done in the spa?
Salon
Yes, the spa on every Celebrity Cruises ship has a nail salon offering shellac and conventional polish. Go for the full manicure or pedicure and you’ll enjoy a luxurious arm or lower leg massage, too. Have your nails done early on in the cruise so you look fabulous for the whole voyage.
You can have your hair styled too, of course. Celebrity Cruises has partnered with Kérastase, one of the world’s most recognized haircare brands, to create the ultimate salon experience.
On Edge Series, guests will experience a couture styling session that merges exclusive products with technology and superior service that is nothing short of divine. Institute staff, along with the Kérastase Flagship Salon team in our fleet, diagnose your individual haircare needs and prescribe personalized treatment options just for you.
Read: How to Create Your Own Wellness Cruise
The Spa
Ready to relax, rejuvenate, and even reinvent yourself? Each of Celebrity Cruises’ ships has a wonderful spa. All you have to decide now is where to travel. Browse our range of itineraries, or learn more about The Spa and start discovering the array of treatments that will leave you looking and feeling your best.
