Vitamin Sea
Special wellness accommodations are transforming cruise journeys into healthy and restorative experiences.
As wellness continues to take center stage in everyday life, cruise ships are giving healthyminded passengers a boost with wellness-themed rooms and suites featuring a variety of amenities to help promote overall well-being. This trend, also seen in hotels and resorts, makes perfect sense when you consider Ketchum’s recent Influence of Wellness study, which found that 93 percent of Americans are focused on at least one wellness goal, such as eating healthier, reducing stress, or getting more sleep. Today’s cruise ships are putting health and wellness front and center with a host of healthy options, starting with the accommodations.
Seabourn Cruise Line, for example, offers Penthouse Spa Suites across its award-winning fleet of five ships, including Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, Seabourn Quest, Seabourn
Encore, and Seabourn Ovation. The spacious suites all feature a living and a dining area; a separate bedroom with walk-in closet; a glass door and floor-to ceiling windows overlooking an expansive, private veranda; and a bathroom with both a bathtub and a special spa shower. What really sets the suites apart are the healthy and luxe amenities, such as personal beverage preferences and a second in-suite bar that is fully stocked with flavored water and fruit juices, a selection of mixed nuts, dried fruits, and other nourishing snacks. Passengers are also encouraged to choose a calming fragrance from Molton Brown to be diffused throughout the suite during the evening turndown service, and relaxing spa music is available as part of a soothing soundtrack that can be played in the background. In the bathrooms, passengers can take advantage of Molton Brown specialty spa products, such as exfoliating bodywash and polish and thermal salts body soak, in addition to the brand’s high-end line of bath products. Upon arrival, guests are invited to choose from a menu of luxurious bath sponges as well as designer soaps from Baudelaire, Hermes, L’Occitane, and Salvatore Ferragamo.
The Penthouse Spa Suites also provide guests with daily access to The Spa at Seabourn that is operated by OneSpaWorld, and its Serene Area, which comes complete with heated loungers, an aroma steam bath with salt inhalation, and an herbal bath. They’ll also have access to a spa concierge, who is available to assist with reservations for their personalized treatment regimen throughout the voyage. “A growing number of our guests choose to sail with Seabourn specifically because of our beautiful onboard spa facilities and our exclusive Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil program,” says Seabourn president Richard Meadows. “For guests who have expressed a desire to incorporate a more complete spa experience into their cruises, our Penthouse Spa Suites are designed exactly to fulfill that wish and elevate their wellness experience on board.”
On Royal Caribbean, health-conscious passengers will want to choose to stay in the Spa Staterooms, a new category of staterooms that provide a haven for connecting, relaxing, and recharging.
On Royal Caribbean, health-conscious passengers will want to choose to stay in the Spa Staterooms, a new category of staterooms that provide a haven for connecting, relaxing, and recharging. Introduced in October, the Spa Staterooms are featured on Radiance-, Voyager-, Freedom-, Oasis-, Quantum-, and Quantum Ultra- class ships. Some of the highlights include priority spa reservations for Vitality Spa, spa treatment discounts, daily coffee and tea delivery, and calming inroom amenities, such as lush bedding, luxe bathroom amenities, and a soothing spa-like décor. “Royal Caribbean’s spa staterooms are a retreat for connecting, relaxing, and
recharging, with every detail considered to empower our guest’s relaxation and wellbeing,” says Laura Hodges Bethge, vice president of product development.
Serenity can also be found in the spa-inspired staterooms available on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Escape, Norwegian
Bliss, Norwegian Epic, and Breakaway-class ships. The Haven Spa Suite, Spa Mini-Suite, and Spa Balcony accommodations provide access to Mandara Spa, also operated by OneSpaWorld, and complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suites, hydrotherapy pools, sauna, steam room, and heated loungers. Like its name implies, The Haven takes pampering luxury to a new level with the personal services of a concierge and a 24-hour butler. Secluded at the top of the ship, the luxe and spacious accommodations provide complete privacy and tranquility. It is also located just steps away from a sundeck reserved exclusively for guests of The Haven, who also benefit from priority access to boarding, onboard entertainment, and dining times. It certainly takes stress out of the equation.
Although spa treatments are confined to OneSpaWorld’s Greenhouse Spa on Holland America Line ships, Spa Suites in the Oceanview and Verandah categories are available on the Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam,
Koningsdam, and Nieuw Statendam. Designed with tranquility in mind, the Spa Suites are located near the spa and offer wellness-related amenities, such as yoga mats and Vitaminwater. On Carnival, the Cloud 9 Spa Staterooms provide added incentive to make wellness a priority with free fitness classes, unlimited access to the thermal suites, discounts on treatments during port days, and more. The rooms also feature Elemis amenities and spa-branded bathrobes and slippers.
While Princess Cruises doesn’t currently offer in-stateroom or in-suite spa services, it does promise a restful night’s sleep thanks to its award-winning Princess Luxury Bed, which is being rolled out in every stateroom across the fleet. In recent years, sleep has made headlines for the vital role it plays in overall well-being, especially as stress and screen time battle to keep us awake. Board-certified sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus, also known as The Sleep Doctor, helped develop the bed, which features the latest in sleep-science research and technology.
Finding balance in today’s fast-paced world is a constant struggle, but today’s cruise lines are making it easier by raising the bar on wellness-inspired accommodations and providing a host of amenities that help passengers prioritize their health and well-being. From sleep-inducing mattresses to in-room treatments to swank suites that cater to all your wellness needs, self-care at sea has never been easier.