Post Canyon Ranch

[ClefsDor]

I have tried the Steiner salons on Crystal and the service charge is always 18% and not included in the price. But even with the 18% gratuity a shampoo and style dry for medium hair would be $53 once the service charge has been added - significantly less than the prices when it was operated by Canyon Ranch.

[Brownie54]

I know from past experience the tip was included when using Canyon Ranch. I can't remember if the percentage was 18% or 20%.

[xrvlcruiser]

Yes, Brownie is correct. I heard from my friend and Canyon Ranch included the 18% tip in the posted costs.

 

Peggy

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Why are facials always so pricey?  The pedicure seems not too bad for a ship, even the massages, but I can't get my head around the prices for facials.  That would be one of the rare treats I might like. Glad to see that the price for a hair style is not too bad, since I'm going to need this on my world cruise.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[jhenry1]

I didn't think there was any tipping on Regent?  If it is optional why cant you take the gratuity off the ticket?

I have never added gratuity to the ticket when it was Canyon Ranch. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

8 minutes ago, jhenry1 said:

I didn't think there was any tipping on Regent?  If it is optional why cant you take the gratuity off the ticket?

I have never added gratuity to the ticket when it was Canyon Ranch. 

 

Canyon Ranch included a gratuity already added, 18% I believe.  I think the question is, does the new provider also do that, or are tips discretionary.  Tipping has never been included at the spa on Regent.  I believe with Canyon Ranch you could remove it if you asked.

[sierrafloridacruiser]

Is it possible to book the spa and salon treatments online so that we can see availability? 

Edited December 28, 2019 by sierrafloridacruiser

[jhenry1]

I don't believe so but you can call

[journeyfan]

If it's like Canyon Ranch (and I assume it is), there is an 18% gratuity already included in the price.  Thus, the $159 cost listed on their "Menu of Services" is the entire cost of the massage..... and you do NOT have to add an additional tip unless you feel you got exceptional service.  They present you with a bill to sign and there is a line item for "Tip" but just ignore it.

[taxare]

2 hours ago, journeyfan said:

If it's like Canyon Ranch (and I assume it is), there is an 18% gratuity already included in the price.  Thus, the $159 cost listed on their "Menu of Services" is the entire cost of the massage..... and you do NOT have to add an additional tip unless you feel you got exceptional service.  They present you with a bill to sign and there is a line item for "Tip" but just ignore it.

Please read Sheila's post above. She said it was not included but they added it, which is consistent with what the menu of services says. This is different than Canyon Ranch where it was included in the price and their service list stated it was included.

[fudgbug]

On 12/16/2019 at 6:22 AM, Brownie54 said:

I'm guessing the gratuity is not included. In the fine print it says an 18% service charge WILL BE included, but the amount can be changed when making final payment. Under Canyon Ranch the gratuity was already included, but a lot of especially first time customers did not realize that.

Even if the gratuity is included, if I like the service, I always tip more.

[Hambagahle]

I hate this system of tipping.  People should get a proper wage for their work and not rely on others to tip, plus the prices are then not accurate.  Tips and taxes (of all sorts) ought to be included in the listed price by law.  Then "it is what it is".   Here in Switzerland we have had such a law since 1971 and it works very well indeed.

[journeyfan]

I just read the fine print included on the Serena price list that fudgbug posted.  It states that a "suggested 18% service charge will be applied to the final bill."  So a 50-min basic massage (what Serena is calling "The Regent") will cost $159 + 18% = $188.   As recently as this past October, Canyon Ranch was charging $171 for their basic 50-min massage and that included the 18% service charge.  So Regent has terminated a highly-respected and well-known spa service for a more-expensive unknown entity that they've slapped together in a period of a couple of months.  I've always gotten the Deep Tissue Massage ($193 with Canyon Ranch); the Serena charge (including their 18%) is $211.  I'll not be getting any more massages. 

 

When I first heard that Regent was going with a new vendor for their spa service, I had assumed it was because passengers were complaining about the exorbitant prices Canyon Ranch was charging.  I thought the new providers would be less expensive.  Silly me.😀

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by journeyfan

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, journeyfan said:

I just read the fine print included on the Serena price list that fudgbug posted.  It states that a "suggested 18% service charge will be applied to the final bill."  So a 50-min basic massage (what Serena is calling "The Regent") will cost $159 + 18% = $188.   As recently as this past October, Canyon Ranch was charging $171 for their basic 50-min massage and that included the 18% service charge.  So Regent has terminated a highly-respected and well-known spa service for a more-expensive unknown entity that they've slapped together in a period of a couple of months.  I've always gotten the Deep Tissue Massage ($193 with Canyon Ranch); the Serena charge (including their 18%) is $211.  I'll not be getting any more massages. 

 

When I first heard that Regent was going with a new vendor for their spa service, I had assumed it was because passengers were complaining about the exorbitant prices Canyon Ranch was charging.  I thought the new providers would be less expensive.  Silly me.😀

 

 

Sigh, too bad.  Of course, one way to make one's feelings known is to actively remove that 18% service charge when you get the service.  If enough people did this, it would send a definite message.  I know, it would be very hard on the staff.  

 

As for the quality of the new company, time will tell I guess.  

[jhenry1]

 I might try that on our upcoming cruise and see what happens. I hate to be a bahhumbug but the price for a deep tissue massage for 50 minutes at $211 is in my opinion way out of line .  

I have a massage scheduled so we will see how the quality is . I go in Texas once a month to get a 50 minute deep tissue massage at a Massage Heights and they do a wonderful job and I pay $65 and that includes the tip. I know the ambiance is not the same but not worth almost 3 times more.

[xrvlcruiser]

My understanding is that the new company is a part of Steiner.

 

Peggy

Edited December 30, 2019 by xrvlcruiser

[ronrick1943]

Well let's be real, you get what you pay for---the prices are a little high, but really not more than a good resort.  And remember you have a choice to use the spa or not.  Pretty much the are telling the full price, with the amount of the service and the 18% tip.

 

[Onkel_Ken]

Gruezti  Hambagahle, Ich bin einmal in der Schweiz gereist. Glacier Express war am besten! Leider have ich viel Deutch vergessen. Ich bin 70-72 und 74-77 in Deutschland stationiert. Da habe ich ein bisschen Deutsch gelernt. Deutsche Sprache schwere Sprache aber Uebung macht den Meister! Nebenbei bemerkt, die Leute in der Schweiz sind nicht zu steif. 🙂

[Mask-1234]

52 minutes ago, Onkel_Ken said:

Gruezti  Hambagahle, Ich bin einmal in der Schweiz gereist. Glacier Express war am besten! Leider have ich viel Deutch vergessen. Ich bin 70-72 und 74-77 in Deutschland stationiert. Da habe ich ein bisschen Deutsch gelernt. Deutsche Sprache schwere Sprache aber Uebung macht den Meister! Nebenbei bemerkt, die Leute in der Schweiz sind nicht zu steif. 🙂

Can you please translate this in English.

[Onkel_Ken]

Mask, 

In my broken German I think it means.:" Greetings! I traveled once to Switzerland.  Glacier Express was the best. Unfortunately I have forgotten much of my German. I was stationed in Germany in 70-72 and 74-77. I learned a little German there. German is a difficult language to learn but practice makes perfect. By the way, The Swiss are not really that Formal. 🙂 

[Hambagahle]

That is a good translation of what Onkel Ken said - more or less.  But he blundered!  Not all Swiss by any means are German speaking (though all Swiss learn some German in school).   We have four official languages - German, French, Italian and Romansch.   I happen to live in the Suisse Romande which is the French speaking area. (South Western Switzerland ...)  Plus Swiss German is a collection of many dialects.  (Called in fact "Dialekt" in German).   High German is taught in schools here but we have so many dialects that some Swiss cannot understand others.  The "variety" of Swiss German spoken in my own canton, for example, is practically unintelligible to Swiss from, say, Luzern.

Glad to know you liked the Glacier Express.  But if you haven't taken it in the last few years you should try it again...it has vastly improved!  In fact we are taking it on the day we go to Zürich to catch our flight for SFO.  (to then board Splendor in San Diego).

Edited December 31, 2019 by Hambagahle

[taxare]

One Spa World Holdings now owns Steiner. They have been very aggressive in pursuing cruise ship contracts. The service providers in the spa are contractors of the Spa company not Regent. Regent contracts with One Spa World to provide all of the spa services. I respectfully disagree with those in this thread that want to remove the 18%. Wendy, you said it best, " I know, it would be very hard on the staff"

The massage therapists, stylists, etc. have no input into the pricing. If you don't like the pricing complain to Regent management. The therapists are just trying to make a living. Much of their income comes from commissions via tips and product sales, and I am not advocating additional tips or buying product. However, by eliminating the 18% you are likely hurting the therapist that most of the time did a quality service for you. During port intensive cruises, the therapists are not very busy during the tours so their income potential goes down. The spa can set high prices because there isn't any competition during the cruise. I would suggest that if the high prices are going to upset you don't go, it should be something that you enjoy and enhances the cruise experience. 

[flossie009]

5 minutes ago, taxare said:

The service providers in the spa are contractors of the Spa company not Regent. Regent contracts with One Spa World to provide all of the spa services. 

Regent's policy is that their prices are inclusive of taxes, service charges & gratuities.

IMO, to have a franchise on-board which does not follow this policy is an anomaly. 

 

[Eager2Travel]

The new spa had specials on shore days.  I think it was 20% which about covered the gratuity.

[CruisetheCs]

The menu of services displayed in post #19 refers to an added 18% "service charge".  I wonder what the term "service charge" actually means in this instance?   Is the service charge actually distributed to the employee?  Or is it divided in some way among all employees? Is any portion of it not distributed directly to employees? Does some portion go to management?

A service charge is not necessarily the same as a gratuity.