Spa treatments - wait until we board or reserve early?

[Artemis908]

I have heard before of people talking about good deals on spa treatments when you board the ship. Like two for one (massage + facial), etc. I am wondering if anyone has experience in waiting vs. making reservations online. Do they have a lot of openings? Do most of the deals tend to be during port days?

[bugsy43]

Unless you want to do a specific treatment on a particular day/time, I usually wait for the onboard specials. There is a different one every day. On our last cruise they even offered a special of the day on sea days, but those days did tend to have a more limited selection of times.

[Gonzo70]

I'd recommend against booking a spa treatment early on. The spa tends to operate with the model of starting with ridiculously high prices, see how many people they can get to pay them, then part way into the cruise they start offering deep discounts to fill up the myriad of open slots. I have never on any cruise seen the spa so busy that it was hard to get an appointment. Most cruises I have been on there have been deep discounts by mid cruise (50% off, $50 off, or two-for-one).

[Sequim88]

Best deals on port days. Also there is usually a spa tour you can take prior to sailing and they sometimes offer a discount if booked then.

[Desertbelle]

Checking out the spa and making my reservations are one of the first things we do when we board the ship....it's kind of a tradition. :D There are many, many openings to choose from.

 

There are specials throughout the cruise but I find that they are seldom on treatments I like. My favorite is the Hot Stone Massage.....it's wonderful.

[canuckgardener]

We like to book in advance of the cruise as we like the treatments on sea days, which are busier then days in port. The deals are for days in port as most people are off doing their own thing. You will get discounts when you take the tour as well, there is usually a coupon book in your room.

[waterbug123]

I have heard before of people talking about good deals on spa treatments when you board the ship. Like two for one (massage + facial), etc. I am wondering if anyone has experience in waiting vs. making reservations online. Do they have a lot of openings? Do most of the deals tend to be during port days?

 

If you are hoping to book a prime time appointment (ex. late morning, early afternoon) on a sea day, book early! That's when everyone wants to get a massage or facial or whatever. Port days are slower, so that's when they typically offer onboard specials. Be aware that the specials usually seems to be some sort of combo offer, like perhaps combining a mini facial and a partial massage or something like that. You're not likely to see a normal 50 minute full body massage for 1/2 price. If you're a C&A member you'll have a discount coupon in your coupon booklet. I think those generally cannot be combined with specials, but they can be applied to regular priced services.

[ThreeDogsCruising]

While you'll save money on waiting to book most treatments, there's at least one that you should book in advance if you're married or traveling with your significant other: Rasul.

 

Reserve it sight unseen and let it be a surprise to you both.