Cruise ship spas, need your help!

[editor@cruisecritic]

I'm working on a story on Canyon Ranch's emergence into the cruise ship spa/fitness arena and would love any insights on this. Specifically -- most of you probably know that 95 percent of cruise ship spas (ok, not a scientific number but I'll bet you it's close!) are operated by the UK-based Steiner Leisure. This is spa AND fitness.

 

Canyon Ranch has made news lately because in addition to its first-ever ship spa/fitness operation on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, it's now providing spa services to Oceania and Regent Seven Seas. It's the first real competitor to Steiner since an Asian company called Mandara (which Steiner subsequently aquired).

 

Steiner gets some criticism due to hard sell of products during spa treatments and high prices. As well, it has a monopoly in the cruise industry and while individual cruise lines may have different tweaks on the concept, such as decor theme, pretty much all the spas are the same (from Seabourn and Crystal to Carnival and NCL).

 

I'd really love your help in knowing: Does the fact that Canyon Ranch is expanding cruise spa/fitness operations mean anything? Would you book Oceania, QM2 or RSSC over a like-competitor because of the spa operator? Why, why not?

 

And many thanks --

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

[GigglewolfOfTheSeas]

To your question about whether or not Canyon Ranch entering cruise spa operations means anything, in my opinion it does. Primarily for the sake of competition. I believe competition is healthy in any industry and Steiner's "monopoly" over spa operations on cruise ships has certainly had its ups & downs. Personally, I've never really felt 100% comfortable interacting with Steiner employees, as I could always detect the underlying need to sell when first meeting their employees (ie. generally, not very sincere in their customer service). Of course, the hard-sell during what is supposed to be a relaxing experience is certainly jolting.

Would the Canyon Ranch experience be any different, I cannot say (I have yet to experience a C.R. spa environment).

As to whether or not the spa operator on a particular cruise line would influence my selection of a cruise, I would have to say it would not. My primary focus is on design and maintenance of the fitness & spa facilities, which are tied to the vessel (not so-much the operator).

[editor@cruisecritic]

Great insight, thanks!

 

Carolyn

 

 

To your question about whether or not Canyon Ranch entering cruise spa operations means anything, in my opinion it does. Primarily for the sake of competition. I believe competition is healthy in any industry and Steiner's "monopoly" over spa operations on cruise ships has certainly had its ups & downs. Personally, I've never really felt 100% comfortable interacting with Steiner employees, as I could always detect the underlying need to sell when first meeting their employees (ie. generally, not very sincere in their customer service). Of course, the hard-sell during what is supposed to be a relaxing experience is certainly jolting.

Would the Canyon Ranch experience be any different, I cannot say (I have yet to experience a C.R. spa environment).

As to whether or not the spa operator on a particular cruise line would influence my selection of a cruise, I would have to say it would not. My primary focus is on design and maintenance of the fitness & spa facilities, which are tied to the vessel (not so-much the operator).

[Pokerbee]

I don't book a cruise for the spa. I book for itinerary and length of trip. Spa is a bonus.

[CruznTom]

I can’t elaborate on the treatments (or their pricing), as I only use the spa to free up the cabin and bathroom while my wife is getting ready for dinner.

The spa on Qm2 is large and elaborate, with a huge T-pool, one 8 person hot tub, a sauna that can fit 12 comfortably, a 6 person steam room (sometimes with aroma), a weird aroma room for 6 that is kept at about 90 degrees?, two bubbling foot baths, two showers and an ice fountain that worked for two of the 31 days that I have been on board. There are two showers in the main co-ed area and three in the men’s locker room. There are 4 channel music controls for the steam and weird rooms that have never worked.

I do enjoy the sauna and steam rooms, but rarely use the rest with the excption of the neat centrifugal swim suit dryer.

Having sailed X and RCL about 10 times each, with the free facilities that I use, a Cunard sailing is a big budget increase. Canyon Ranch also has a terrible pricing schedule. It is $40 for one day but on a 15 day cruise it came down to $14 /day for the 15 day pass. On an 8 day TA (NY - Southampton-Hamburg) the 6 day pass brought it down to about $20/day but the one day to Hamburg could not be combined and would have cost $40, After paying $20/day for 6 days, I declined to pay $40 for the next day. The same pricing was repeated for the return TA.

Overall, it is very impressive, but not anywhere near the deal of other lines for my purposes.

[CruznTom]

Another drawback to the setup is that there are no showers for the gym unless you purchase a spa pass. This could create aromatic elevators at times.

[mirp]

I just got off a Royal Caribbean ship having taken the QM2 earlier this year. I liked Canyon Ranch on QM2 mostly for the relaxation area. I'm a big steam room person and the steam room on RCI was better and free so no I will not be looking for Canyon Ranch on other boats until the improve the steam room situation. I prefer single sex steam facilities. Hanging out in my wet sweaty bathing suit is not ideal which is what happens on the QM2.