Stay away from Elations spa!

[Autumnrose]

Currently on Elation. Very dissatisfied with the spa! The acupuncturist is a crook! When I booked I was told that he charges $169 for a one hour session and he will treat 3 items from a list. They also said that he was offering a discount if I booked the first day so it would only be $139. I had won the $150 spa credit at the raffle so I figured great it will be free! When I went he treated me for lower back pain talked to me about Sea sickness and then said if I wanted the weight management treatment it was an extra $50. I agreed figuring weight loss must not have been on the list. So really I should have been treated for 3 items plus weight loss. Then he printed the receipts and I was charged $169 and $50. He put down that the $50 was an additional gratuity! I went to the spa manager and complained, after I saw that weight management was on the list. She ended up refunding the $50 but kept the $19 charge on there. If you go get in writing the prices and exactly what the services are supposed to be! 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to warn my sister before she went for an acupuncture treatment. They charged her $169 for a 20 minute treatment and he only treated 2 things. They refuse a refund of any amount!

Carnival needs to get rid of this acupuncturist! He is lying and ripping off your customers. 

[crewsweeper]

IMO, they shouldn't offer acupuncture at all.  It is a scam.  No efficacy for treating anything.  Zero studies have shown no value.  Out come of using so-called "official" acupuncture points versus just sticking a needle anywhere showed no difference in outcome, no relief/cure for anything. 

Chinese acupuncture points were designed in the 1930s by a non doctor following the old outlawed bloodletting points in ancient medicine. Boosted to wider spread use by Mao because he felt they were Chinese invented.  Didn't care if they worked or not.  Picked up in this country by "New Ageists" who politically were against anything "corporate".  Promoted on the "wisdom of the ancients" fallacy, except it's not "ancient".

 

Sorry you were out of $$$ and OBC.

[Autumnrose]

32 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

IMO, they shouldn't offer acupuncture at all.  It is a scam.  No efficacy for treating anything.  Zero studies have shown no value.  Out come of using so-called "official" acupuncture points versus just sticking a needle anywhere showed no difference in outcome, no relief/cure for anything. 

Chinese acupuncture points were designed in the 1930s by a non doctor following the old outlawed bloodletting points in ancient medicine. Boosted to wider spread use by Mao because he felt they were Chinese invented.  Didn't care if they worked or not.  Picked up in this country by "New Ageists" who politically were against anything "corporate".  Promoted on the "wisdom of the ancients" fallacy, except it's not "ancient".

 

Sorry you were out of $$$ and OBC.

Right. He also didn't mention until after, that you have to have 3 treatments to feel any different. Costing about $400. Had I known that I would've gotten a massage. Those feel better immediately! Haha!

[1025cruise]

Acupuncture is one thing I would never get on a ship. I want to be in an insured facility if I ever get that done.

[riffatsea]

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

IMO, they shouldn't offer acupuncture at all.  It is a scam.  No efficacy for treating anything.  Zero studies have shown no value.  Out come of using so-called "official" acupuncture points versus just sticking a needle anywhere showed no difference in outcome, no relief/cure for anything. 

Chinese acupuncture points were designed in the 1930s by a non doctor following the old outlawed bloodletting points in ancient medicine. Boosted to wider spread use by Mao because he felt they were Chinese invented.  Didn't care if they worked or not.  Picked up in this country by "New Ageists" who politically were against anything "corporate".  Promoted on the "wisdom of the ancients" fallacy, except it's not "ancient".

 

Sorry you were out of $$$ and OBC.

Acupuncture is NOT a scam! This acupuncuturist may be taking advantage but I have used it many times on land for many things and it has been extremely helpful to me! In fact the local medical here at UCSD in San Diego has added Chinese medicine instruction to its curricullum as it has many many uses!!

Mao did not "boost its' use". In fact he changed how the Chinese docs were working so much that now many prefer the original methods and not the ones he had codified for use. It was not designed in the 1930s either!!

I have not idea where you are getting all of your MISinformation???

Sticking to the point of this thread though is that at sea you don't have the luxury of really getting to know the practitioner of course some are better than others just like with docs on shore!!

Edited October 9, 2019 by riffatsea

[jwcruise1]

3 hours ago, Autumnrose said:

Currently on Elation. Very dissatisfied with the spa! The acupuncturist is a crook! When I booked I was told that he charges $169 for a one hour session and he will treat 3 items from a list. They also said that he was offering a discount if I booked the first day so it would only be $139. I had won the $150 spa credit at the raffle so I figured great it will be free! When I went he treated me for lower back pain talked to me about Sea sickness and then said if I wanted the weight management treatment it was an extra $50. I agreed figuring weight loss must not have been on the list. So really I should have been treated for 3 items plus weight loss. Then he printed the receipts and I was charged $169 and $50. He put down that the $50 was an additional gratuity! I went to the spa manager and complained, after I saw that weight management was on the list. She ended up refunding the $50 but kept the $19 charge on there. If you go get in writing the prices and exactly what the services are supposed to be! 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to warn my sister before she went for an acupuncture treatment. They charged her $169 for a 20 minute treatment and he only treated 2 things. They refuse a refund of any amount!

Carnival needs to get rid of this acupuncturist! He is lying and ripping off your customers. 

I don't know why you are so upset, he was just doing his job. I mean isn't the whole idea of acupuncture is for them to "stick it to you"?

Sorry,

[Butterbean1000]

"Stay Away from Elation Spa".  It was the acupuncturist that you had the problem with.  What did the spa do wrong?

[Autumnrose]

42 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

"Stay Away from Elation Spa".  It was the acupuncturist that you had the problem with.  What did the spa do wrong?

The spa manager knows he is lying and ripping people off but won't do any refunds.

[pc_load_letter]

After getting the upsell at the end of a massages I've had in the past. I am pretty much done with cruise ship spas. It just gets tiring.

 

I did just get off an NCL cruise and they had 15 minute chair massages on the pool deck. I saw them one day but never again. I was going to get one but I never saw them again offering the chair massages.

[James4me]

4 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Acupuncture is one thing I would never get on a ship. I want to be in an insured facility if I ever get that done.

Ditto on the acupuncture 😳

[sanmarcosman]

8 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

8 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

 Zero studies have shown no value. 

 

In that case do you know how many studies have shown a value?  😉

[glrounds]

1 hour ago, sanmarcosman said:

In that case do you know how many studies have shown a value?  😉

 

Do you ? Many authorities (Randi for example) have exposed it. Pure suggestion for the gullible.

 

[sanmarcosman]

Just now, glrounds said:

 

Do you ? Many authorities (Randi for example) have exposed it. Pure suggestion for the gullible.

 

Gary -

Did you carefully read the statement I quoted and see the <wink> after my question? 

[glrounds]

13 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

Gary -

Did you carefully read the statement I quoted and see the <wink> after my question? 

 

Apparently not. 🙂

 

[xDisconnections]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

[FTLCruiseGal]

Sounds like Ike the OP got the old upsell speech each provider of any kind makes in the spa on every ship, every cruise line.  A lot of people are in the spa bliss moment and take the upsell every time.  While weight management may have been on the list, he may have given a upgraded weight management, hence the additional $50 charge.  Kind of like when you go to a salon to get a deep hair treatment; brand x is included, nut if you want better quality that will last linger, go with brand y and it will only cost $50 more.

 

I have had acupuncture on a few occasions, and each session has always brought relief for my ailment.  Acupuncture is something you should only have done by someone that is qualified.  By qualified, I don’t mean someone that has gotten certification after a 48-hour seminar.  It is a practice that takes months and sometimes years to perfect.  If done by someone that is properly qualified, it has many benefits;.  Personally, I would never take acupuncture on a ship because it should be done in a proper clinic by a properly trained professional.  

 

There is an old saying — “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”  Try it a few times, and you just might like it — or get relief from what ails you.  

 

 

[ray98]

LOL....people getting acupuncture claimed they were getting scammed.

 

 

That was a given when you walked in the door, the only question of for how much.

[NCTribeFan]

There are many things offered in the ship's spa that I wouldn't purchase.  Teeth whitening?  Botox?!?!  Fillers!?  Why would anyone pay for these things to be administered by someone you'll never see again and that will probably cost way more than you'd pay on land where you could follow up with the practitioner if there were any issues after treatment?  I won't even get my nails done.  Crappy job at double the price.

 

I'll sometimes get a facial/massage combo on a port day when it's "on sale" but those are the only services I'll use.  And everyone who has spent any time on these boards should realize that they'll get the high-pressure add-on sales pitch.

 

I actually feel the same way about the jewelry.  Buy from someone local, people.  So many complaints after the cruise about the poor qualify and not getting what they thought they were buying.  The duty-free savings is usually not worth the risk.

[crewsweeper]

8 hours ago, glrounds said:

 

Do you ? Many authorities (Randi for example) have exposed it. Pure suggestion for the gullible.

 

Well, I'd lean toward Science Based Medicine and Quackwatch and Neurologica Blogs for better sources. They review and site sources not just hearsay.  But the Amazing Randi is one of the more public skeptics that has raised the red flag on these so-called "ancient" ways, and naturopaths too.  Ship spas often push faulty treatments and homeopathic remedies long proven to be useless. 

 

And as the OP sadly learned charge exorbitant rates to do so. 

[PhillyFan33579]

20 hours ago, Autumnrose said:

Currently on Elation. Very dissatisfied with the spa! The acupuncturist is a crook! When I booked I was told that he charges $169 for a one hour session and he will treat 3 items from a list. They also said that he was offering a discount if I booked the first day so it would only be $139. I had won the $150 spa credit at the raffle so I figured great it will be free! When I went he treated me for lower back pain talked to me about Sea sickness and then said if I wanted the weight management treatment it was an extra $50. I agreed figuring weight loss must not have been on the list. So really I should have been treated for 3 items plus weight loss. Then he printed the receipts and I was charged $169 and $50. He put down that the $50 was an additional gratuity! I went to the spa manager and complained, after I saw that weight management was on the list. She ended up refunding the $50 but kept the $19 charge on there. If you go get in writing the prices and exactly what the services are supposed to be! 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to warn my sister before she went for an acupuncture treatment. They charged her $169 for a 20 minute treatment and he only treated 2 things. They refuse a refund of any amount!

Carnival needs to get rid of this acupuncturist! He is lying and ripping off your customers. 

 

I think the big lesson here is you can only get ripped off if you allow it to happen. I compare employees of Carnival spas to car salesman...they will tell you anything to get you to buy something and attempt to get things by you if you don’t pay attention.

 

Just my personal opinion, but I politely say no thanks any time someone from the spa asks me if I am interested in some service. This happens a lot since we always book a Cloud 9 cabin on ships that have these cabins and we go to the thermal suite area every day. 

[coevan]

I love the spa but reserve services for home. I love the Cloud 9 steam rooms, warm chairs, T-Pool. The OP's heading should be Say Away From the Acupuncture, not the spa. I get acupuncture at home and it 100% real and the practice goes so far back, they think possibly BC. The Mayo Clinic not only endorses Acupuncture but also does Acupuncture at the clinic. Where Crewsweeper got 1930 is beyond me. 

[glrounds]

8 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Well, I'd lean toward Science Based Medicine and Quackwatch and Neurologica Blogs for better sources. They review and site sources not just hearsay.  But the Amazing Randi is one of the more public skeptics that has raised the red flag on these so-called "ancient" ways, and naturopaths too.  Ship spas often push faulty treatments and homeopathic remedies long proven to be useless. 

 

And as the OP sadly learned charge exorbitant rates to do so. 

 

And SCIENCE keeps rolling along, daily decreasing the size of the circle of IGNORANCE so prevalent in our politics, our economics and our philosophies.

Edited October 10, 2019 by glrounds