Now you can unwind with Champ neysats ea
THE name Champneys conjures up a vision of English luxury — a country house set in manicured lawns with guests wandering about in fluffy bathrobes.
But now Britain’s oldest health resort has launched something a little different — a floating spa, Champneys-on-sea, if you will.
It’s on the Marella Explorer, an 860ft cruise ship which I join in Livorno, Italy.
As a cruise novice, the sheer size and bustle are overwhelming. The pool is fringed with tightly packed rows of sunloungers, their occupants bronzing under the cloudless sky as children dash from the water to the snack bar and back again.
This particular poolside will spend the summer trundling from one gorgeous Mediterranean city to another, offering the perks of a city break without the planning.
And, of course, there’s a spa with all the trimmings a few steps from my cabin. At nearly 10,000 sq ft, it’s spacious, decked out in a mix of soothing, neutral tones and sea-blue tiles.
If you’re a fan of Champneys on shore, you’ll feel at home — every effort has been made to reproduce the understated atmosphere of the original, down to the wicker swing chairs in the relaxing room. Treatment prices are the same, too, while a day pass costs £15.
It’s the perfect place to unwind after a morning exploring.
Our first stop is Villefranche on the French Cote D’Azur, then into neighbouring Monaco, where you can while away your time in the pretty streets and fritter your money at the casino. Since high stakes aren’t my thing, I visit the Oceanographic Museum, home to an aquarium and some opulent decor — who wouldn’t love a chandelier in the shape of a many-tentacled octopus? There’s opulence on board, too, with ten restaurants to choose from. An ‘experimental tasting menu’ offers lobster with leeks and star anise. Sticky dumplings at the sushi restaurant are another highlight.
As for the spa, it has all the fluffy robes you could desire, glorious views out to sea and a huge range of treatments.
One woman says she’ll be topping up her Botox ‘since no one at home will know’. And I’m surprised to see more men than women in the hair salon!
They recommend a cooling leg treatment to counter all my walking ashore. But I feel I’ve earned a soothing ‘Marella’ massage, with movements that are supposed to feel like waves on your skin. I’m asleep in minutes.
Naturally, there are steam rooms, Turkish baths and the ‘biggest sauna afloat’. My only worry? Whether I’ll be able to summon the energy to go ashore at the next port.