Our Top 5 Tips To Getting Good Spa Value at Sea

Getting a massage or other spa treatment while on a cruise can be a cruise highlight, at least until you receive your cabin bill. Here we provide you with our top 5 tips for getting good spa value at sea:

1. Pick a Day when the Ship is in Port

   Most passengers try to book massage and other spa appointments on the cruise sea days. Many cruise spas offer special discounts on the days when the ship is in port. If you don’t care about the port on a particular day, you can save some dough while you get kneaded. Even if you want to go ashore, you can schedule an appointment when the ship is scheduled to leave port and still save some money.

2. Wait Until Deals are Announced

   While we do recommend that passengers who want a spa appointment book it early (particularly on an LGBT charter cruise as the appointments tend to book up fast), the fact is that as it gets later in the cruise, the spa tends to offer specials with good value. We have seen ship spas offer an end of cruise package with several treatments for about the same price as a single treatment. 

3. Look for and Compare Package Deals

   Most ship spas offer treatment packages that offer better pricing than if you booked the services individually. The typical package includes a facial and massage but could also add on a body wrap, mani/pedi or other services. It is important to compare the packages both in terms of pricing and to only buy a package if you really want most or all of the package treatments. Nonetheless, take the time to compare all price options. On a recent cruise, the spa charged slightly less for 3 sessions of a particular treatment than it did for 2 sessions!

4. Compare On Board and in Port Spa Options

   Don’t forget that the ship is not the only place you can get a massage. Depending on your cruise itinerary, you may be able to get as good or better spa services in port at a fraction of the price. For example, if you are in Thailand, you can find many good massage options at a far cheaper price than you will on ship. Nevertheless, sometimes it is worth it to splurge on ship spa services particularly if your ship has a top rated spa such as on Seabourn.

   

5. Resist the Pressure to Buy Spa Products

   The spa staff at sea will generally try to exert considerable pressure on you to buy products from them. There is a reason they do, they get paid handsomely if they sell the products and are pressured to sell as many products as possible. The spa product line on most cruise ships is Elemis a company based in the U.K. There is nothing wrong with their product line but you can buy the same products on Ebay or from Elemis directly (www.timetospa.com) for considerably less than you will pay on board. We have found the best way to resist is to say that you already bought the products they are seeking to sell you or that you are under the care of a dermatologist.