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First impressions of a cruise newbie

Day 3 aboard Navigator of the Seas

SPAS AT SEA: Ship Shape Spa -Navigator of the Seas March 9, 2010



Of the many facilities available to guests aboard this 14-deck, four-star, 3,000 plus passenger Navigator of the Seas – from Ice Skating Rink to a Rock Wall - the two-level Ship Shape Spa & Fitness Centre is one of the busiest. Every time I dropped by during my four-night cruise both the spa and the fitness centre were gurgling with activity. I waited until the last day to visit the spa and was lucky to be able to book a manicure. (A very nice manicure at the hands of Melesa, I must say.) They are that busy!

As I sit waiting to speak with the manager and see a few of the treatment rooms, there’s a steady stream of guests coming and going and others looking to book last minute before the ship arrives back in Miami early tomorrow morning. Spa manager Collette Robinson-Winter says the 22-room spa treats, consults and services about 85 guests a day. Mostly, they come for facials, the 75-minute seaweed wrap/massage and the couples’ massage.

The Rasul Room – an intimate tiled room where couples can self apply therapeutic muds, steam and enjoy a rain shower – is also very popular. Robinson-Winter says the price point of $95 for two makes it especially attractive for cruising couples on a budget. Spa specials – such as the 20 20 20 where guests get a choice of three out of four twenty-minute treatments for $199 – are offered daily.

The men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, shared by both spa and fitness centre guests, have sauna, steam rooms and showers. Except for towels there are none of the usually locker room amenities – body lotion, deodorant, hair products for instance, so you’ll need to bring your own.

A waiting room/lounge adjacent to the spa and salon overlooks the 12th deck running track and ocean beyond. Here there’s a help yourself station for hot and cold water on tap and a bowl of fresh fruit.

The facilities also include a large coed-whirlpool and just beyond a in the round, glassed in gym and fitness studio overlooking the ocean. On the same two levels (11 and 12 decks) in the foreward (front) of the ship, guests will also find the swimming pools, other whirlpools and a glassed-in Solarium with lounge chairs.

Fitness centre, open 6 to 10 pm, is also super busy. Personal trainer James Mountjoy says peak times are between 7:30 to 11:30 when all 16 treadmills are in use. We squeeze in a quick chat between clients. Today, he says “it’s been back to back consultations.” It’s the last day at sea and everyone seems to be trying to pack in some spa time before the ship docks in Miami.

Mountjoy says most clients - ranging in age from 18 to 90 but most are late 30s to early 40s - come for detox consultations a session which includes a Body Composition Analyses.

Along with consultations and personal fitness sessions, Mountjoy and his colleague also offer two health/wellness seminars a day while the ship is a sea. Topics include Discover the Burn Fat Fast Zone, How to Increase your Metabolism, Secrets to a Flat Stomach and Detox for Health & Weight loss. I attended two of the workshops and found them to be well researched, well presented and packed with excellent information. Just as good as you’d find at a health and wellness spa on land. The daily workshops and a few fitness classes such as the early morning stretch are included in the cabin price but some classes – like Yogalates and Spinning – are an extra $12 a session.

The spa carries the Elemis and Bliss product lines and the menu covers all the major areas – body treatments, massages, esthetics – but the number of treatments is kept purposefully condensed to “avoid overwhelming guests” says Robinson-Winter.

Unlike many spas where guests go prior to a treatment and stay afterward to maximize a visit here, she says “guests are mostly in and out. They book an hour and then they’re gone.” Clients are 50/50 men and women. Men she says mostly come for massages, hair cuts and teeth whitening.

Rough spot? The décor looked a wee bit tired and could definitely benefit from a little facelift but cruisers didn’t seem to mind. This is one very busy spa! So if you go, definitely book spa time as soon after boarding as possible.

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