Tag Archives: Canyon Ranch

Celebrity’s sleep-focused spa treatments are long overdue

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Image result for celebrity equinox cruise ship
Celebrity Equinox

Anyone who isn’t sleeping well, or sleeping at all, knows that there’s nothing more important than a good night’s rest. And who hasn’t had problems getting to sleep at some point, or suffered along with a partner who couldn’t sleep?

So the new Celebrity Cruises wellness program that focuses on sleep is a fantastic idea and long overdue in the cruise industry.

Celebrity launched its “Mindful Dreams” program on the Celebrity Equinox and the Celebrity Summit this month, with the rest of the fleet to follow in September.

The program was developed in partnership with Canyon Ranch, which has been Celebrity’s spa concessionaire since 2014.

How many spa treatments have the potential to change your life more than one that improves the amount and quality of sleep you get?  How many would affect so many people?

According to the American Sleep Association, 50-70 million US adults have a sleep disorder of some kind. About 10% of adults report chronic insomnia. Nearly half the population has problems with snoring.

When unable to sleep, far too many people turn to pharmaceutical solutions as a first option, rather than a last. A 2013 study from the National Institutes of Health found that 4.1% of Americans use a prescription sleep aid, with the number rising to at least 5.5% for those aged 50 and over.

“Mindful Dreams” instead offers a combination of a relaxation treatment, massage and meditation, and access to expert lectures and classes on a “holistic approach to mindful sleep both on land and at sea.”

There is also a nutrition component.

While many cruise lines promote the relaxing quality of the mattresses and beds onboard, that relaxation lasts only as long as the cruise. This program could have an impact long after the cruise is over.

Sampling Celebrity’s new spa provider

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By Tom Stieghorst
*InsightCelebrity Cruises had a nice reward for two of the 1,200 agents that attended CLIA’s Cruise3sixty event in Fort Lauderdale. They were picked for a free spa package aboard the Celebrity Reflection.

The two surprise winners were Rosie Perez, a Cruise Planners agent in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Marcia Finkelstein, a vacation specialist at CruiseOne in Long Branch, N.J. “They were ecstatic — beside themselves,” said Dondra Ritzenthaler, Celebrity sales V.P.

What made the prize a little more special was the changeover in spa providers at Celebrity. The two agents were among the first to be treated by Canyon Ranch SpaClub staffers, who replaced the previous team from Steiner Leisure at the end of March.

Other than signage and a new area for retailing beauty products, there wasn’t much physical change to the spa, which includes two decks of treatment rooms linked by a spiral staircase; a hair salon; a Persian Garden area of heated ceramic loungers; areas for acupuncture, weight lifting and aerobics; and a relaxation area with a panoramic view that is just down the hall from the spa-oriented Aqua Class cabins.*TomStieghorst

“It’s almost like their front room,” said spa director Daniel Foxcroft.

The difference between Steiner and Canyon Ranch will come in the products and the people, Foxcroft said.

Gloria Weller, a retired information technology worker from Orlando, was one of the passengers getting ready to cruise on the Reflection who headed for the spa even before sailing.

After a five-minute Thai massage sampler, Weller said the deep muscle massage was very relaxing for her but wouldn’t be for everyone. “If you just want a feel-good massage, you wouldn’t do this.”

Finkelstein said her 80-minute package, which included a sea salt bath and full-body massage, was a very nice treatment. She said the Canyon Ranch name would probably influence a lot of people to go on Celebrity.

Peter Smith, president of Canyon Ranch, certainly hopes so. He got his first glimpse of the Reflection spa at a dedication during Cruise3sixty and said he “loved” the space, which is perched on the forward areas of decks 11 and 12, with floor-to-ceiling views.

Celebrity was smart to reward a few of the more than 200 agents who signed up to tour the Reflection during the conference. There were 24 ships to tour at Cruise3sixty, and providing a little extra incentive will help gain more exposure for its vessels going forward.

“You never know what you’re going to see,” said Perez in explaining why she chose to tour the Reflection. “You can’t sell something unless you see it.”

Celebrity’s new spa provider plans more than pampering

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By Tom Stieghorst

*Insight Celebrity Cruises is shaking up the spa services available on its ships starting in March when Canyon Ranch takes over the concession on 10 ships from Steiner Leisure Ltd.

Peter Smith, Canyon’s COO, promises to announce new treatments in the next few weeks that will be available to Celebrity passengers once the hand-off occurs.

In an interview last week, Smith outlined three emerging areas in the spa industry and in particular at Canyon Ranch, which puts as much or more emphasis on wellness as on beauty care.

• Brain health: Smith calls this “a major issue for many of our customers.” With longevity rising, there are more seniors living to an age where diminished memory or various forms of dementia are distinct threats. Canyon Ranch plans an onboard lecture series on the latest thinking behind brain health and what can be done to prevent or mitigate declining mental skills.

Brain health is a major focus for Dr. Richard H. Carmona, president of the Canyon Ranch Institute and a former surgeon general appointed by George W. Bush. He is the author of “30 Days to a Better Brain,” due out from Atria Books in May.

• Stress: “This is a huge issue right now,” said Smith. Many passengers choose to cruise in part or entirely to escape the pressures of their daily obligations to work, family and even themselves.

“It really crosses every aspect of our lives,” said Smith, and is a contributor to many modern ailments from teeth grinding and overeating to high blood pressure and heart disease.

“We’re spending a lot of our time trying to explain how to cope with stress,” said Smith.

• Sleep: Whether it is a sleep disorder or the simple difficulty of getting a full night’s rest, more people than ever need help achieving regular and healthy sleep. “As a nation, we don’t sleep,” said Smith, who said improvement of sleep habits will be another wellness offering at Canyon Ranch spas.

Although the more exotic treatments at spas can sometimes seem trivial or silly, the wellness concerns outlined by Smith are serious ones shared by many potential cruise passengers. By attending a Canyon Ranch discussion on one of these topics, they may be getting more lasting insight into rest and relaxation on their next Celebrity cruise.