New Luxury Ship, New Luxury Spa

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Oceania Cruises and Canyon Ranch have announced signature spa offerings on board their new, 1,250-guest luxury ship Marina, which is scheduled to debut in January 2011.

Highlights of the 10,000sq ft Canyon Ranch SpaClub® include more than 50 innovative and harmonious spa treatments and therapies, a thalassotherapy pool, thermal suite and fitness centre, and Spa Cuisine menu choices in the Grand Dining Room and Terrace Café that are both nutritious and created with the highest gourmet standards.

Signature services include:

When guests are not training on their own, they can utilise Canyon Ranch fitness experts who will lead daily group and private fitness sessions and provide assessment for basic fitness and nutrition counselling. Specialised wellness services include Yamuna® Foot Fitness class offering simple techniques that improve the alignment and flexibility of hard-working feet. The SpaClub's Performance Orthotics Assessment is a computerised assessment of the way a person walks, followed by a fitting of custom-designed orthotics.

Canyon Ranch chefs also worked with Oceania's award-winning culinary team to create Spa Cuisine selections for the Grand Dining Room and Terrace Café that fit with the theme of wellness, but also with Oceania's trademark high cuisine standards.

At 66,000 tons - twice as large as her three sisters - and carrying 1,250 guests, Marina also features an array of stylish bars and lounges and 10 dining venues - six of which are open-seating, gourmet restaurants, including Jacques, the first restaurant at sea for Chef Jacques Pépin. Other highlights include a Bon Appétit Culinary Centre, Owner's Suites furnished exclusively in Ralph Lauren Home, and a grand stairway custom-crafted by renowned French glass master, Lalique.

To find out more, visit OceaniaCruises.co.uk or call the specialist luxury cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

A Spa Fit For A Queen

It's the perfect marriage of Spas and Cruising, and Cunard Line’s long-standing tradition of providing luxury experiences at sea will continue, it seems, with the forthcoming Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Spa.

This stunning 13,000sq ft spa space will feature an impressive art deco-style decor with two levels for the array of treatment rooms, fitness and pool facilities.

Like her sisters, Queen Elizabeth’s spa offers a comprehensive health and wellness programme with a spectacular Hydrotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite. Newly created is the Royal Bath House, the centrepiece for the ultimate spa experience. Inspired by relaxing treatments drawn from disciplines around the world, the Royal Spa will offer the most luxurious and exotic treatments available in any spa resort, including being the first spa at sea to provide Remède products and treatments.

The new Royal Bath House is a relaxing, covered space, a social relaxation area that includes both the Thermal Suite and Hydrotherapy pool, all adjacent to the main outdoor pool on Deck 9. Luxurious robes, slippers and other amenities will be provided. Day passes are available for those guests not booking a treatment.

Beyond the aquatics area of the spa, guests can enjoy treatments provided by one of Cunard’s many high-end partners. Queen Elizabeth will be the first spa at sea to offer Remède service, including Customised Facials and Massages, as well as Remède and Elemis spa products. Additionally, other new treatments and partners include:

Royal Spa Self-Scrub: Guests work with the spa’s mixologist to create a customised special blend of exfoliants that buff away dead skin and impurities.

Cellulite Reduction and Revitalizing Leg Therapy by Ionithermie: This detoxifying, firming and toning treatment helps to eliminate toxins. Alleviates water retention and also guarantees inches will be lost after just one treatment.

Peter Shanks, Cunard’s Managing Director and President, says: "As the world awaits Queen Elizabeth, our guests are eager to experience all the lavish amenities featured on board, including the rituals of luxury found in the Royal Spa. From couples’ treatment suites and new treatments to adventurous fitness classes and premium spa product partners, Cunard continues to offer the ultimate in rejuvenation at sea.”

The centre also includes a full-service hair and nail salon using award-winning products and providing the latest services, such as:

Phyto Hair Cocktails: Phyto is a blend of plants and herbs that helps repair the structure of the hair and nourish the scalp.

Award-winning St. Tropez Sunless Tanning for the face and body.

Brazilian Blowout: The Brazilian Blowout leaves hair smooth, healthy and frizz-free for up to 12 weeks without the use of damaging chemicals.

For health-focused guests, Queen Elizabeth’s Fitness Centre includes a fully appointed work-out facility and aerobics studio featuring signature fitness classes including:

Walkvest®: which helps use extra calories while wearing a weighted vest (two – 16 lbs.) while walking

Walking Poles: which turn walking into a total body workout, engaging every muscle with each stride. Classes show how the use of the poles can enhance ‘walking’ experiences to help improve stamina, posture and balance

Aqua Tone: This special class incorporates movements with various types of water equipment, such as dumbbells, floats, aqua gloves and fins. The water resistance helps build muscles without overexertion

To promote overall wellbeing, the spa also offers services using the ancient traditions of Chinese medicines and Ayurvedic techniques. A professionally trained acupuncturist, registered by the British Acupuncture Council, offers six different treatments to assist in alleviating stress, pain, or helping with weight loss.

Ayurveda (Sanskrit for the Science of Life) is an ancient Indian health care system and offers a wellness plan that includes the guests’ preferred type of exercise and dietary choices. A key part of health and wellness is education, and so seminars ranging from managing arthritis to metabolism enhancement will be offered throughout the voyage.

Sound good? I thought so, too. Now, where can I sign up for a treatment....?!

Oh, and don't forget to check out Alastair Greener's Cunard Blog for more info and insight into the Queen Elizabeth arrival.

Online Celebrity Treatment

By guest blogger Steve Newman

One of the major factors of enjoying a cruise is how much you can get booked up before you go. Pre-cruise booking is becoming one of the most valued elements of any cruise and Celebrity Cruises ‘Designed for you’ platform is a very good example of this. Celebrity say the more they can arrange in advance for their guests, the less they will have to think about once they join the ship.

The company have now designed more than 100 AquaSpa (above, on Celebrity Eclipse), salon and fitness offerings to help their guests enjoy relaxation and renewal. The pre-cruise spa, salon and personal fitness appointment booking options join a series of experiences available for guests to book online in advance of their cruise. These include beverage packages, shore excursions, speciality dining reservations and complimentary “Celebrity Select Dining” main dining room preferences.

With the new pre-cruise spa, salon and personal fitness booking option, Celebrity aims to give its guests the peace of mind associated with knowing that their spa, salon and fitness appointment times are secured. The option to pre-book these activities can also help guests avoid disappointment after boarding by discovering that desired times are already taken by other guests.

By mid-November 2010, guests will be able to book spa, salon and fitness appointments prior to their voyage on six of the nine Celebrity ships. The first to offer this option is Solstice. You can get a taste of this service by accessing the ordering system via Celebrity's website, http://www.celebritycruises.com/, in the “Before Your Cruise” section.

Celebrity will also be among the many cruise line exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham in October.