As you lie on a massage table, legs tucked into a soft sheet, hot stones soothing the tired muscles of your back and arms, you will most certainly not be thinking about cruise ship spa ratings. And while you relax on a heated tile lounger or in a steamy sauna, eyes drooping, thoughts of work and bills scurrying far away, you're probably not wondering about your cruise line's philosophy on its spa product.
But when you sit down at your computer to research your next cruise vacation, you might very well want to know where to find the best spas at sea -- and we'll be there to help.
On This Page
- Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Celebrity's Solstice-Class Ships
- Greenhouse Spa on Holland America's Pinnacle-Class Ships
- Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Cunard's Queen Mary 2
- Crystal Life Spa and Salon on Crystal's Symphony & Serenity
- LivNordic Spa on Viking's Ocean Vessels
- Aurea Spa on MSC's Meraviglia-Class Ships
- Vitality Spa on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-Class Ships
- Canyon Ranch Spa on Regent's Seven Seas Explorer
1. Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Celebrity's Solstice-Class Ships
2. Greenhouse Spa on Holland America's Pinnacle-Class Ships
Aboard Pinnacle-class ships Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam, Holland America seriously steps up its spa offerings with its expanded, bi-level Greenhouse Spa, the fleet's biggest and most luxurious spa offering. The enhanced spa contains 17 treatment rooms for standout treatment options supported by Elemis products, like the Thai Herbal Poultice Massage or Biotec antiaging facial.The exceptional thermal suite area features a relaxation room with heated ceramic loungers proposing ocean views, saunas for both men and women, aromatherapy steam rooms, horizontal rain showers (which you lay down for) and a bubbling hydrotherapy seawater pool.Look out, too, for the line's only medi-spa (set on a private deck atop the main spa), offering acupuncture treatments and cosmetic services like Botox, dermal fillers or Thermage. There's also a full-service salon (with a separate barber shop just for men) and an expanded fitness center equipped with the line's only TRX Suspension Training and RYDE Indoor Cycling classes -- each of which unfold in their own dedicated rooms.For spa devotees, the two ships also offer 55 dedicated spa staterooms apiece, situated near the spa with perks like a special spa menu, use of pedometers and yoga mats, and a stocked in-room supply of premium waters.3. Canyon Ranch SpaClub on Cunard's Queen Mary 2
4. Crystal Life Spa and Salon on Crystal's Symphony & Serenity
The spas on both of Crystal Cruises' traditional ships -- Crystal Symphony and Serenity -- were designed with the feng shui (balance and harmony) philosophy in mind, and the Zen theme works to create a calming atmosphere.Treatments, which range from salt scrubs to a couples' massage and acupuncture, are outstanding; one treatment room features a crystal quartz bed that helps release muscle tension and increase relaxation during special massages. Medi-spa cosmetic treatments (like wrinkle treatments or dermal fillers) can also be booked. The salon, touting ocean views, offers the full gamut of services: haircuts (including barber services for men), styling, pedicures and manicures.5. LivNordic Spa on Viking's Ocean Vessels
6. Aurea Spa on MSC's Meraviglia-Class Ships
While MSC Cruises' Aurea Spa is a fleetwide concept -- the only Balinese-styled spa at sea -- its iteration aboard the line's two Seaside-class ships (MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview) is especially noteworthy as the line's largest. Spa-goers even get access to an exclusive sun deck with a whirlpool and outdoor cabanas in which massages can be booked.Seaside and Seaview also offer -- as do the Meraviglia-class vessels (MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima, launching in March 2019) -- an impressive thermal suite area, equipped with elements like Finnish saunas, a thalassotherapy pool, whirlpools, steam baths, a snow grotto, salt rooms, aromatic showers and a relaxation room overlooking the sea.The serene spa space, incorporating some two dozen treatment rooms, comes trimmed with natural materials like stone and wood, as well as mosaic accents. Treatment options cover numerous facials, body treatments (like thalassotherapy and aromatherapy body exfoliation) and massages (including options like Balinese, Thai, hot stone and Himalayan sea salt).Plus, there's a menu of aromatherapy, couples' rituals and Turkish bath treatments, while exclusively on MSC Seaside, more unique vinotherapy offerings, too, in partnership with Bocelli Wines. Medi-spa therapy options include Botox, derma fillers or Q-Frequency, a radio frequency skin-tightening treatment. Got teens in tow? There's a menu of teen-exclusive, reduced-rate spa treatments, as well.Instead of a traditional all-in-one salon, the spa maintains four separate spaces, including a nail salon, makeup room, Jean Louis David hair salon and barber shop for men. The gym, in partnership with Technogym, comes jam-packed with state-of-the-art machines and fitness class options like spinning, yoga and Thai boxing; personal training is also available, as are men's and women's locker rooms.For a fully immersive spa experience, the four ships come with a generous selection of spa staterooms (numbering 154 to 220 units, and spanning balcony cabins to suites). Passengers in these cabins get perks like half-price fitness classes and personal training, an included spa package and, aboard Seaside-class ships, access to the exclusive spa sun deck.7. Vitality Spa on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-Class Ships
8. Canyon Ranch Spa on Regent's Seven Seas Explorer
Seven Seas Explorer -- billed as "the most luxurious ship ever built" -- accordingly steps thing up a notch with posh enhancements like an infinity pool and cold room feature. The sophisticated space, finished in white marble and a butterfly motif, offers eight treatment rooms (including a couples' suite outfitted with a jetted Jacuzzi) for the requisite massages, facials and bodywork.More unusual treatments include aromatherapy, seaweed and Ayurvedic offerings. Look out for some signature globally inspired bodywork rituals, too, including the Arctic Sea Nourishing Ritual, which follows up a hydrotherapy soak with a deep-tissue massage that incorporates Arctic berry and evergreen oils.An infinity-edge plunge pool and lounge chairs set at the ship's stern ensures the ultimate pre- or post-treatment winddown. Ditto for the Aquavana Hydrothermal Experience, a thermal suite area equipped with men's and women's infrared saunas, cold rooms (where temps run between 50 and 54 degrees Fahrenheit), experiential showers employing varying pressures and temperatures, aromatic steam rooms and a relaxation area with heated ceramic loungers -- all of which are open to cruisers at no additional cost. Step into the adjacent salon for hair and nail care and makeup services, while a two-room fitness center offers machines, free weights, an area for personal training and a fitness studio that puts on group glasses like Pilates, yoga and spinning. (Tip: Keep an eye out for Canyon Ranch-branded menu items at the Compass Rose restaurant, too.)Updated February 20, 2020
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