Spa Appointmets

[Arteest]

We are new to SS - Yea us! (my husband's first cruise, too!)

 

? re: spa - I've been told to reserve appointments for "day @ sea". It's a 7 day and that "day @ sea" is the second day. I am assuming it's also the first formal night, too. Should I book appts for about 4 pm? I figure after that we'd relax and then dress for cocktails and dinner. Is formal night also unreserved dinner? Totally excited for this! I'm glad he "made me" book it. :)

[duct tape]

All seating in the DR is "unreserved". There are 2 other optional dining venues which do need reservations. Make them ASAP on boarding , especially on short cruises, i.e. 7days or so. As for the spa...go online now and book what you want. Convenient spa appointments are difficult to obtain onboard. You can go to the SS website and book appts if your cruise is within 60 days. If you have plans to play Team Trivia (lots of fun), it starts at 4:45. That gets in the way of spa appts for some folks! Have a wonderful trip...Bon Voyage!

[marycang]

The answer would depend on what kind of treatments you want to book. Not sure what you mean re: "unreserved dinner" on formal night.

[Arteest]

I meant we can eat anytime for dinner - assuming that formal night was not different, say , like, a set time when everyone arrives at once.

 

Duct: thanks for the advice, I was on the website and about to book but wanted more info on daily activities. Heaven forbid I miss something!! My hub says "just book it!!" So if I want to "trivia" then I should be done the treatments by then, eh? Looks like at least one body treatment for each.

[duct tape]

Generally, on sea days, there is an enrichment lecture at 10 or 11 AM, maybe a cooking demo at 11. If you have trouble getting the times you want...some of the treatments are booked by generlized time periods: early, late morning, early, mide afternoon,etc. Remember that some days you will leave port earlier than others. You may have a better chance booking something around that timeframe. Good luck.

[Silver Pearl]

My recommendation is to insist on confirmation from Mandara Spa if you make your reservations on line. Although the Silversea online site showed all my reservations up until the morning of sailing, aboard the Silver Whisper, Mandara denied any record of my reservations. It didn't matter that I had the print-out. Their system onboard had no record, so all my researvatin times, which I made 60 days in advance, had been given away.

 

I met at least two other couples on board to who this had happened. Mandara told me that I should have received a confirmation, though nothing on the website suggests that you will.

 

OTOH, all reservations for shore excursions that I made online were fine. The tickets were waiting in our suite. Had not received any confirmation on those, either. They, too, appeared onlin right up to sail away.

 

A final note: Mandara did find other times for us, none of which were particularly convenient for my wife or I. On our cruise last November, we found their service to be pretty typical of Steiner cruiseline service. In other words, it was okay, but not outstanding. In most other respects, our criuse was outstanding, so our disappointment with Mandara Spa did not dampen our enthusiasm for Silversea.

 

--Rich

 

I meant we can eat anytime for dinner - assuming that formal night was not different, say , like, a set time when everyone arrives at once.

 

Duct: thanks for the advice, I was on the website and about to book but wanted more info on daily activities. Heaven forbid I miss something!! My hub says "just book it!!" So if I want to "trivia" then I should be done the treatments by then, eh? Looks like at least one body treatment for each.

[joefromchicago]

Rich,

 

How are you guys doing? We are booked on the Silver Shadow out of San Juan on November 12, 2006 for 9 nights. I remember my horror stories with the spa on that cruise also. Hope all is well.

 

Joe

[DebbieH103]

I booked my facial online for 3 pm for the short cruise I was on, and within a few hours, all appointments were full for the whole cruise. I got out at 4 and was able to join a nice lady I met at the tea.

[Silver Pearl]

Rich,

 

How are you guys doing? We are booked on the Silver Shadow out of San Juan on November 12, 2006 for 9 nights. I remember my horror stories with the spa on that cruise also. Hope all is well.

 

Joe

 

Hi, Joe. We're doing well. How are you guys doing? Say, I noticed you cruised on the Volendam recently. We have a cruise on Westerdam in June. Never cruised HAL before, but got a good deal on a suite. How did you like the Volendam? I know it couldn't hold a candle to SS, but how was it as a mainstream line?

 

Wish we were going to be on the next November cruise with you guys. We'll be back soon . . . though my wife wants to wait for the next "big occasion."

 

Cheers!

 

--Rich

[joefromchicago]

Rich,

 

We had a great time on Holland America, we already booked a cruise on the Ryndam for next March. The service and food were excellent. I would cruise on Holland America anytime.

 

Joe

[mistrtj]

we'll be first-timers on SS in June as well and had similar questions. Our "60 day" window just opened and we booked our massages on-line (which will probably be the only spa treatments we'll book) for late afternoon of our "day at sea", which is the the second-to-last day. we're assuming as well that that would be a formal night and that works perfectly for us (a nice breakfast,,,, lounging by the pool,,, a little lecture,,,, light lunch,,,, more pool,,,,,, massages,,,,,, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the cabin,,,, dress for dinner at our own pace,,,,, a nice formal night topped off with cigars and brandy in the Humidor! What could be better????)

 

If as posted above there is a cooking or chef demo earlier on that day, even better (our cruise is one of the R&C enrichment cruises and has a guest chef from Restaurant TRU in Chicago on board).

 

We're pumped and cannot wait to get to Venice and board the Whisper!

[ltsally]

Joe - Good to hear the word about HA; I'd started another thread here a while back wondering about it. We were sort of looking at a Baja journey on Ryndam for Feb or March '07. Hope you don't mind a fellow (tho former) Chicagoan asking if that's what you're on?

[joefromchicago]

Itsally,

 

We are booked on the Ryndam, March 23, 2007, out of San Diego. This will be our first cruise out of the San Diego port.

 

Joe

[Silver Pearl]

Itsally,

 

We are booked on the Ryndam, March 23, 2007, out of San Diego. This will be our first cruise out of the San Diego port.

 

Joe

 

Joe, I was just in San Diego again a little over a week ago. I lived there for a year in the late 60's. It's a beautiful city with many lovely areas near by. I don't know if you've been to SD before or not. But, if you haven't, I'd recommend getting there a day or two early to look around. It'd be a good idea to rent a car because, like LA, the area is very spread out and not well served by public transit. Be sure to check out La Jolla and some of the beach towns (and even mountain towns east of the city). Everyone will tell you that the SD Zoo is good, and it is, but all of Balboa park is filled with attractions. Point Loma has some beautiful vistas, and . . . oh, well, I could go on and on, but you'll find it a very interesting area to explore.

 

--Rich

[Arteest]

Mistrtj- I was going to call SS on monday re: typical schedule (or actual) for our "day @ sea". Sounds like a blast - I have been reading absolutely EVERY posting. One thing, "informal" to mean doesn't really include a jacket for hub. What's your take? Also, I was going to find out which docks are used in ports so I can map out our day - esp if we use public trans in any place. This was planned as a "no planning" vacation, but old habits are hard to break!

[Arteest]

***"informal to ME, doesn't really include jacket/tie - more like "dress shirt and slacks"

[Host Dan]

Formal = Tux or dark suit

Informal = Jacket with or without tie

Casual = Dress shirt and slacks

 

Host Dan

[mistrtj]

Arteest, I thought that my "dress schedule" would be something like this (ps; I have no problem putting on a tie for any occasion. I manage a private country club and was using our own dress codes as the "rule-of-thumb" for dress on the whisper.):

 

Day one, after travel, casual (i'm assuming) nice slacks and an open collared button-down or a very nice golf shirt.

 

Day two (i'm assuming) to be Formal and a black tux with dinner in the "restaurant".

 

Day three (again, I assume "informal) a light suit or jacket/tie at theLaTerraza.

 

Day four: suit and tie for dinner in the restaurant

 

Day five: Suit and tie for dinner at lechampagne and celebrate our 30th anniv.

 

Day six, jacket, no tie at Leterazza

 

day seven (at sea) white dinner jacket for formal in the restaurant.

 

I might be overthinking this and I could have the days wrong, but we're looking forward to playing dress up for the trip and as I said, wearing a tie or putting on a tux is no problem for me.

 

Like the missus and I, I hope you and hubby enjoy the anticipation as much as we do. From what I've read here (for the most part) every one of the seasoned sser's say that you really won't be wrong in your choice of attire. Enjoy your trip!

[Arteest]

Mistrtj-

Thanks for your insight - I'll pass it on! We are really looking forward to everything! I like going to the webpage and looking at the countdown! BTW, I booked treatments for the mid afternoon - one for each. (about 2 pm) I think we're going to figure out the dinners once we get there. Looking forward to getting all the info in the mail! Have a fabulous time!

[zimmer64]

Any specific recommendations on the spa offerings- so many massages, facials, and body treatments to choose from- any advice??

[mistrtj]

we booked balanise massages and asked our ta to confirm those with the spa and to see if there was a chance that we could get those in a couples room. she said that she's seen a "couples balanise massage treatment" which is an 80 minute session,,, i asked her to do whatever she had to to get that booked,,, one can dream :p

[Arteest]

I found the choices to be pretty self-explanitory, but if you google "Elemis" you can find their website and loook at another explanation. Does anyone have any personal experiences/helpfull hints about the spas on the individual ships????

[cberge]

I found the choices to be pretty self-explanitory, but if you google "Elemis" you can find their website and loook at another explanation. Does anyone have any personal experiences/helpfull hints about the spas on the individual ships????

 

I was on the Wind last fall and had an excellent facial ( I chose one for anti-aging) and massageSwedish,but adjustable)..they were a cut above the "regular" ones,but I do not recall the names they had on the sign up.I think you get what they give you in all reality not what they are called if you get my meaning.No matter what though, I think they did a very good job,and I heard other's say the same thing for what treatments they received as well.I was on time,but may have had to wait a few minutes as other's came late and took up the time.They do not appreicate that at the Spa and if very late will cancel you out so other's do not have to wait.they are very plesant and do not push the products as far as I was concerned.Some of the pax came in to the spa area and were very demanding and they handled them very well I thought:D . If you do the spa I am sure you will be pleased.Enjoy your cruise.

[cporter]

I have used the spa on both Whisper and Shadow. I have done the balinese massage, a facial, and a wrap. LOVED IT!

 

I booked both my husband and I for two massages on our upcoming Alaska cruise on Shadow in July.

[duct tape]

There are 2 facials...a "silk" one (my favorite). The other uses some kind of electrical wand...not my preference. Enjoy!