Salon - Shampoo & Blow-dry

[Qld13]

Hi

Hopefully some experienced ladies might be able to answer this for me. I am booking hair appointments for my wife for our Nova cruise in Jan/Feb. Does the $49 charge for shampoo and blow-dry including taxes/charges etc, appreciate not including tip. Also don't understand that they do a "Blow out bundle of 3" for $149 which is $2 more than booking separately or am I missing something?

Thanks

[Port Power]

9 hours ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

Hopefully some experienced ladies might be able to answer this for me. I am booking hair appointments for my wife for our Nova cruise in Jan/Feb. Does the $49 charge for shampoo and blow-dry including taxes/charges etc, appreciate not including tip. Also don't understand that they do a "Blow out bundle of 3" for $149 which is $2 more than booking separately or am I missing something?

Thanks

I have had spa services such as facials and massages, and there were no extra taxes OR “service fees” (tips).  What was advertised is what I was charged.  

[PaulaJK]

Had shampoo and BD on SS Moon 2 days ago. The fee was $49. Hairdresser reoeatedly said that that did not include gratuity. BTW, no mousse or gel available…”waiting for delivery”.

[Observer]

5 hours ago, PaulaJK said:

Hairdresser reoeatedly said that that did not include gratuity

 

This is nonsense. If a spa staff member had told me this, I would have reported it to the spa manager and the hotel Director.

 

If you still have the receipt from your service, you will doubtless find the following text.

 

Staff gratuity is included in the service price. For exceptional service, you may wish to add additional gratuity to the total charge.

 

There is then room to add an additional gratuity..

 

 

[DavyWavey70]

6 hours ago, PaulaJK said:

Had shampoo and BD on SS Moon 2 days ago. The fee was $49. Hairdresser reoeatedly said that that did not include gratuity. BTW, no mousse or gel available…”waiting for delivery”.

That would result in a fat zero tip from me.

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

On our recent Alaska Muse trip, we had some small amount of OBC included.  My DW suggested I might use some of it for a pedicure, which I immediately responded was a capital idea.  I have noted that with increasing age, my feet are further and further away, and I make the pleasure of their acquaintance less and less, and with more effort.  So, I showed up for the appointment, and was ministered to by a friendly and very capable woman, and my lower extremities were much the better for her ministrations.  Thus are the innocent led to the slaughter.  She noted the dryness and cracking of my feet, and said she would apply certain preparations which would do wonders for moisturizing and repairing damage.  At the end of it all - my feet feeling the nice glow of long overdue attention - she handed me a bag with two different tubes of some sort of poultices that she had applied, and a statement.  It had the agreed-upon cost of the procedure, a line for addition of a tip (which I gave, and as I have been excoriated for already elsewhere in this forum already, thank you), AND separate charges for each of the tubes of the miraculous ointments.  I noted to myself that one of the tubes alone was considerably more than the entire cost of the procedure.  In that I don't habituate spas or salons on a regular basis, I knew I was sort of out of my depth, and maybe just not familiar with how such businesses operate.  (I understand the spa functions are sublet by SS to companies that operate them on multiple ships, as is common in the industry evidently.)  While I only had a pedicure, I came away feeling like I had also had a "haircut", as they say in financial circles. I chuckled to myself as I walked back to our suite, understanding that this is how one learns the ways of the world.  While I'll definitely have another pedicure on our next cruise, I will be a tad more on the lookout for any appearances of largess which turn out to be opportunities to foist off a $5 tube of axle grease in a sophisticated looking package for $79.  Once bitten, twice shy, as they say!  

[Observer]

Depending upon the spa manager and the amount of pressure s/he puts on staff to sell product or upsell services, the spa can be a trap for the unwary.  

[Qld13]

Hi

 

Thank you for replies, just to expand my original question about the 3 blow out bundle, normally if buying in bulk one would expect the cost to be slightly cheaper for the goods/service but this appears to be $2 more so no advantage to taking the 3 pack!!

[Port Power]

24 minutes ago, Qld13 said:

Hi

 

Thank you for replies, just to expand my original question about the 3 blow out bundle, normally if buying in bulk one would expect the cost to be slightly cheaper for the goods/service but this appears to be $2 more so no advantage to taking the 3 pack!!

Absolutely!  This is marketing to trap the unwary.  Book them individually.  Once on the ship, there are usually deals anyway. Deals like buy two and 50% off the third, or buy three and fourth one free.

[PaulaJK]

Cheked w HD..gratuities are included. HD emphasized that this is a contracted service…but..certainly SS should monitor this.

[Qld13]

22 hours ago, Port Power said:

Absolutely!  This is marketing to trap the unwary.  Book them individually.  Once on the ship, there are usually deals anyway. Deals like buy two and 50% off the third, or buy three and fourth one free.

 

Great thanks for that will keep an eye out for offers!!

[PaulaJK]

To round off our experiences w the spa during this cruise

 

— moisturizing facial..about 45-50 min…comfortable treatment room..adequate but not special ..$199

 

– massage…50 min..vaguely disappointing…$179

 

JMO but both did not compare favorably w land services. I would not book again.

Of course, there is always that attempt to upsell from ‘ golden’ packages to products.

[labrasett]

On 8/11/2024 at 12:52 AM, Will Work for Tiramisu said:

On our recent Alaska Muse trip, we had some small amount of OBC included.  My DW suggested I might use some of it for a pedicure, which I immediately responded was a capital idea.  I have noted that with increasing age, my feet are further and further away, and I make the pleasure of their acquaintance less and less, and with more effort.  So, I showed up for the appointment, and was ministered to by a friendly and very capable woman, and my lower extremities were much the better for her ministrations.  Thus are the innocent led to the slaughter.  She noted the dryness and cracking of my feet, and said she would apply certain preparations which would do wonders for moisturizing and repairing damage.  At the end of it all - my feet feeling the nice glow of long overdue attention - she handed me a bag with two different tubes of some sort of poultices that she had applied, and a statement.  It had the agreed-upon cost of the procedure, a line for addition of a tip (which I gave, and as I have been excoriated for already elsewhere in this forum already, thank you), AND separate charges for each of the tubes of the miraculous ointments.  I noted to myself that one of the tubes alone was considerably more than the entire cost of the procedure.  In that I don't habituate spas or salons on a regular basis, I knew I was sort of out of my depth, and maybe just not familiar with how such businesses operate.  (I understand the spa functions are sublet by SS to companies that operate them on multiple ships, as is common in the industry evidently.)  While I only had a pedicure, I came away feeling like I had also had a "haircut", as they say in financial circles. I chuckled to myself as I walked back to our suite, understanding that this is how one learns the ways of the world.  While I'll definitely have another pedicure on our next cruise, I will be a tad more on the lookout for any appearances of largess which turn out to be opportunities to foist off a $5 tube of axle grease in a sophisticated looking package for $79.  Once bitten, twice shy, as they say!  

Loved your description of the issues with reaching your feet, I have the same problem but I think this is because my arms have shrunk!!    With regard to the foot emollient what I can say is that the cream I bought from a podiatrist I visited was, in my view, really expensive for just softening some skin but when later on I went to an upmarket pharmacy to find some more it was indeed extremely expensive so I didnt feel quite so fleeced by the podiatrist.   Do go and enjoy a future pedicure, there is nothing like it, but decline the follow up offerings and all will be well.