Spa at Sea Stories

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Spa-ing the Mexican Sun - by Veronica Matheson

Cruising the sun-kissed Mexican Riviera on the luxurious new Silver Spirit, raises unexpected problems when I visit the roomy on-board spa. I cannot decide if I should settle on a chocolate, vanilla, orange or tangerine scrub to exfoliate my skin to smooth, perfumed perfection.

I must also decide which herbs and petals, from rose to mint to ginger, to mix with my chosen vanilla scrub to enhance the results further.

And should I apply the scrub myself, find a friend to share the experience with, or leave the work to the spa therapist? Such decisions did not need to be made years ago when the crusie ship spa scene was generally bleak.

While sailing South Pacific waters back then on another cruise ship I booked an on-board massage and found myself in a passenger cabin where the bed had been removed and replaced by a massage table.

Consumer demand has changed all that and new cruise ships have dedicated spa areas with specialist staff trained in all the latest treatments.

Silver Spirit, the recently launched flagship of Silversea Cruises, has a fine example of a spa that is truly an on-board destination with treatments to suit every taste. There is even a tiled hamman (wet area) with heated tiled beds, massage rooms, a sauna and steam bath with views of the ocean, and there is a hot tub on the outdoor deck. The nearby gym has a room for yoga, pilates and stretch classes.

And for those wanting to return home looking amazingly refreshed the spa offers botox or similar treatments, so that family and friends are convinced those relaxing days at sea made all the difference to their loved one’s looks.

Spa manager Domingos, from Portugal, trained as a chiropractor before joining a cruise line to travel the world.

“I love to travel and I love the spa industry so work on a cruise ship is the perfect job for me," he says. "I’ve been doing it for several years now, starting on Alaskan cruises where a favourite spot for guests was the spa’s hot tub to view glaciers and snow covered peaks in warm comfort.”

One of the most popular treatments on Silver Spirit’s Mexican Riviera cruise, is a Thai treatment using a bag of heated herbs, rather like a poultice, and shaped like a stocky drum stick, to gently stretch out the body’s tight muscle areas (as in Thai massage), release tension, and give the body a light workout.

The herbal drum stick can be taken home for future use, but regretfully is unlikely to get through Australian customs.

Spa Files

Silver Spirit’s inaugural grand voyage circumnavigated South America, sailing through the Panama Canal to New York before a trans-Atlantic crossing to the UK and on to Europe. Spa bookings need to be made early in the cruise as it is one of the most popular places on board.

More: www.silverseas.com