Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 10, 1993 TAG: 9310100291
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Barbara Schuler Newsday
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
I was floating, figuratively and literally. It didn't really matter that I couldn't tell whether this gradually enveloping sense of relaxation had more to do with my cozy cocoon of oozing glop or the imperceptible motion of the ship the SS Norway upon which I'd just embarked on a weeklong spa at sea.
For passengers less than enchanted with the traditional frivolities of a week at sea - you know, napkin folding classes, beer drinking contests, lambada lessons and the like - the Norway offers what it claims to be: the largest spa afloat, a eucalyptus-scented refuge where aroma-therapy massage, body wraps, facials and other typical spa pleasures offer a more sedate break from weekly pressures and routine.
The nearly 6,000-square-foot spa on one of the ship's lower decks was installed three years ago, defying the smaller-than-a-breadbox design philosophy generally associated with a ship and offering a range of services as varied as those you'd find at many major land-based spas.
I should say from the start that the whole idea of a spa cruise struck a number of people, not least among them several travel agents I consulted, as a major contradiction. "Spa?" asked one, as if she'd been asked to book a ski weekend on Maui. "People don't go on cruises for spas," she informed me, her mind clearly on the culinary excess travel at sea is better known for.
It is true that most passengers on the Norway appeared more interested in the midnight buffet and the aft ice cream parlor than the aroma-derm facial or hydrotherapy massage. Still, I can report that, with a heavy dose of willpower, it is possible to spend a week on a cruise ship and not have to head directly to a diet center upon disembarking.
The Norway offered light, low-fat choices on all dining room menus, and a poolside breakfast/lunch buffet with plenty of fresh fruit and salads.
Along with policing your own calories, you have to do a little schedule juggling to get the full spa experience because the exercise programs are supervised by the gym staff while the massages, facials and other body services are managed down in the spa itself.
The ship's spa program has been planned so that passengers can book one or two treatments, $25 to $60 each, or sign up for the six-day "Emperor" package, $689 for six massages, two facials, manicure or pedicure, three body wraps and full use of facilities such as steam, sauna and whirlpool. Opt up for the Emperor and you don't have to worry about ports of call - you won't have time to see any of them. That's why the most popular package, according to one of the spa hostesses, is the three-day "Patrician," $359 (similar to the six-day package except you get three massages.)
So, what can you do during a spa day at sea?
As at just about any spa, we started with a hike, most mornings on the jogging track that circled one deck, 3.5 laps to the mile. (Serious runners were frustrated by not being allowed on it before 8 a.m. in deference to the sleeping habits of people in the nearby high-ticket cabins.) To encourage runners/walkers to use the track, anyone doing 35 laps got a 10-mile club certificate at the end of the week, though to me the exhilaration of running with a 360-degree ocean view was incentive enough.
Like most modern cruise ships, the Norway's fitness facilities are vast and state-of-the-art. Along with the full line of exercise equipment, there's an extensive schedule of excellent aerobics and toning classes, all in a glass-walled gym that allows you to remember you're at sea.
There's also a small gym down in the spa, for those wanting a quick cycle or Stairmaster between treatments. Mostly, though, the spa was reserved for chilling out. At the center of it all, a freshwater pool surrounded by marble columns and the most comfortable lounge chairs on board served as both the arena for water aerobics and a place for relaxing between treatments.
Apart from the packages, the spa menu lists several innovative offerings. For winter-weary travelers, the pretanning treatment makes a lot of sense. It starts with a body scrub and facial peel, then concludes with a light massage using a sunscreen instead of typical massage oil. At $45, it's money well spent - not only do you get to keep the rest of the sunscreen but you also make sure no spots are missed for your first day in the Caribbean blast furnace.
Also popular is the couples' massage instruction, taught by one of the ship's licensed therapists, which seemed to attract not only the numerous newlyweds aboard but a fair sampling of the 25th to 40th anniversary crowd as well. And there was the Alphamassager, a futuristic looking contraption that bombards you with heat, ionized air, aroma-therapy, a gentle rocking motion and the sounds of the ocean (recorded, not real life) all at once. They're said to be very popular in Japan, but I wasn't especially looking forward to being encapsulated for half an hour. Oddly, though, it's been the sensation I've looked back on most frequently since coming home.
As at any spa, I like some treatments and some therapists better than others. But in general the Norway gets high marks for both, especially the latter, an international mix of enthusiastic young people who'd signed on for a minimum of nine months at sea. Wherein lies the one major flaw I found - an extremely hard sell. The spa staff works for minimal wages, and though a 12 percent gratuity is added to all spa charges, they make most of their money from commissions earned by pushing the French beauty products used in treatments.
While many cruise lines offer massages, facials, whirlpools, exercise classes, running tracks or weight rooms, only a few ships have full-service spas. Besides the Norway, the most complete are on Cunard's QEII and Costa's Classica and Allegra.
by CNB