Cruising as Spa and Fitness Retreat: No More Excuses
by Marilyn Green --
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Anti-aging treatments, Acupuncture, Iontherapie for instant loss of inches, body polishing, wraps, hair treatments and facials are all a part of cruise ship offerings, and the ships are moving into teen spa programs and products and treatments for men, who make a up a very large potion of the clientele.
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t used to be an accepted fact that passengers on cruise ships gained as much as ten pounds a cruise, but that was then and this is now. Today's passengers may easily disembark from a cruise in better shape than when they got on. With facilities rivaling and even surpassing land-based fitness and spa offerings, passengers have more leisure to schedule workouts, one on one personal training sessions, and to try yoga, tai chi, Pilates, step aerobics or spinning classes they may not have added tot their routines at home. Bungee trampolining, trapeze flights over a swimming pool, ice skating and rock climbing create lines of eager passengers on ships. Passengers fill basketball and tennis courts, play soccer and volleyball and sign up for golf simulators and aqua aerobics. Similarly, shore excursions include a very large number of active options for today's cruiser.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 97% of cruise capacity marketed in North America, notes that today's ships dedicate as much as 20,000 feet per vessel to spas and fitness facilities, including resistance machines, free weights, cardiovascular equipment, fitness classes and more. The ships also feature outdoor jogging tracks and multiple swimming pools, not to mention spa cuisine, offered in shipboard dining rooms or special spa cafes.
Cruise ships feature an eclectic mix of spas: Canyon Ranch, Carita of Paris and the various Steiner spa offerings including Mandara. Many shipboard spa and fitness facilities are designed according to Feng Shui principles, and massages run the gamut of hot stone, Swedish, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Sports and Reiki, sometimes offered in staterooms, in an outdoor setting or in couples treatment rooms. Anti-aging treatments, Acupuncture, Iontherapie for instant loss of inches, body polishing, wraps, hair treatments and facials are all a part of cruise ship offerings, and the ships are moving into teen spa offerings and products and treatments for men, who make a up a very large potion of the clientele.
 Among the CLIA cruise line offerings are:
Carnival Cruise Line's SpaCarnival program, featuring up to 15,000 square feet of dedicated health and fitness space per ship with aerobics, relaxation and stretching sessions and many European-style spa therapies. Carnival Spa Fare offers guests the option of cuisine that is lower in fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories.
The health clubs aboard Crystal Cruises' ships are designed according to Feng Shui principles. The line hosts several Health & Fitness theme cruises each year, with varying emphasis on Pilates, tai-chi or yoga. Dining venues offer three-course, low-carbohydrate menus and selections that are low in salt, fat, sugar and cholesterol.
 Celebrity Cruises' AquaSpas offer panoramic views and include state-of-the-art fitness centers with free weights, advanced weight-training machines, cardiovascular exercise equipment and aerobics areas. They also have an acupuncture at sea program. Trainers are available for personal instruction, holistic spa treatments, massage rooms, saunas, steam rooms, thalassotherapy pools and fully equipped beauty salons. Many of the line's ships also feature AquaSpa Cafes, which feature healthful cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Costa Cruise Lines' ships offer Pilates and yoga, among other classes, along with a comprehensive spa menu of massages and beauty treatments. They have beautiful tiered fitness areas in front of a glass wall, and programmed custom exercise programs that allow passengers to take their computerized "key" home and use the routine in similarly equipped land-based spas. Health & Well-Being selections are featured in the main dining rooms. Costa's Costa Concordia, due out next year, will feature a two-deck Samsara Spa, which offers direct access via a private elevator, for some 55 cabins and 12 suites.
The Canyon Ranch SpaClub aboard Cunard Line's flagship Queen Mary 2 offers 20,000 square feet of spa, beauty and fitness facilities located on two forward-facing decks. It is the first such facility for Canyon Ranch on board a ship, and Canyon Ranch chefs designed spa selections served in QM2 dining rooms.
The Vista Spa & Salon aboard Disney Cruise Line's Disney Magic recently introduced a "spa villas" concept - three indoor/outdoor treatment suites that feature an enclosed treatment area connected to a private verandah with a hot tub, open-air shower and chaise lounge. The fitness center at Vista Spa doubled in size to include more cardiovascular and weight machines and provide ample space for classes in aerobics, yoga and body shaping.
 Holland America Line's Greenhouse Spas offer an extensive menu of massage and body treatments, facials, detoxification therapies, thermal suites and salon services for men and women. The fitness centers feature weight and cardio machines, as well as Pilates, yoga and spinning classes. Guests will find healthy meal options on lunch and dinner menus in the main dining rooms and Lido buffets.
MSC Cruises' fleet has spas, fitness centers and beauty salons. In addition, MSC Opera, MSC Lirica, MSC Sinfonia and MSC Armonia each have relaxation and meditation rooms. Classes are offered in yoga, Pilates and aerobics. Lunch and dinner menus feature a selection of "Healthy Choice" and vegetarian dishes, including sugar-free desserts.
The ships of Norwegian Cruise Line and NCL America have Mandara Spas. Treatments include hot stone massages, Hawaiian lomi-lomi massages, Swedish style massage, reflexology and more. Unusual at sea, the fitness centers are open 24-hours and the ships have jogging tracks and volleyball and basketball courts. Other health and fitness amenities include putting greens, steam rooms, fitness classes and gyms with cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights. Onboard sushi bars, low fat and sugar-free dining options are popular features.
Oceania Cruises' spa facilities are also operated by Mandara Spas and feature such amenities as thalassotherapy whirlpools and spa cabanas for on-deck massages, as well as yoga and Pilates classes and personal trainers. Styling salons offer hair styling, facials, manicures and pedicures. Oceania Spa Cuisine is available in dining rooms and guests dining in Toscana and Polo Grill can request light and healthy cuisine.
Lotus Spas on board Princess Cruises' ships offer an Asian-themed atmosphere and treatments based on Far Eastern therapies and rituals. Lotus Spa offerings include a wide array of choices for facials, body treatments and massages. An extensive menu of exercise classes, fitness instructors and personal training and consultation sessions are also available - as well as a series of health and nutrition seminars.
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises offers several "spotlight" cruises with lecturers and experts who discuss the benefits of an active lifestyle and healthy diet. Most of the ships' Carita Spas offer dry saunas, steam baths and Jacuzzis. In addition to fully equipped gyms, classes are offered in aerobics, step aerobics, stretching and body toning. Dining rooms have lean and healthy entr e options.
ShipShape Fitness Centers aboard Royal Caribbean International ships feature cardiovascular equipment, weight machines and stair steppers. Yoga, kickboxing, aerobics classes and personal training sessions are also available. Ships also feature jogging tracks, basketball courts, rock-climbing walls, miniature golf and golf simulators, not to mention ice skating rinks. ShipShape Spas offer exotic treatments, including Elemis aroma stone therapy, Swedish massage, hydralift facials and enriching milk baths.
The Spa at Seabourn, a full-service well-being facility located aboard the three all-suite Yachts of Seabourn, was awarded the highest score for a shipboard spa in the 2005 Cond Nast Traveler Readers' Survey. Complimentary "Massage Moments" on deck introduce guests to the pleasures of massage therapy. Other popular services include Aroma Stone Therapy, LT Oxygen Lifting Facial and Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap.
Each of the four Silversea Cruises ships features a Mandara Spa, which includes a spectrum of spa treatments, dry and steam saunas, a beauty and hair salon and fitness center. Stretching, aerobics, Pilates and yoga classes are offered, as is instruction in circuit training. One-on-one training sessions are available at an additional charge. CruiseLite and low-carb menu items are offered in the ships' dining rooms.
Guests sailing aboard Swan Hellenic's Minerva II can opt for facials, body wraps, massages, Reiki, reflexology, manicures, pedicures, waxing, eyelash and eyebrow tinting and make-up application. Fitness options include Pilates, yoga, tai-chi, Circuit Class, Body Tone, Body Ball, Body Breathe, Body Stretch, Legs, Bums and Tums, and Walking Club.
The WindSpa aboard Windstar Cruises' 308-passenger Wind Surf has an updated gym and Nautilus room, new fitness classes and innovative spa treatments ranging from traditional massage and aromatherapy to hydro and synergistic therapy. Wind Star and Wind Spirit, at 148 passengers each, feature recently enlarged gyms with new equipment. Guests on all vessels can enjoy healthy meal options and vegetarian selections.
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