Tag Archives: Spa

Top 10 Things to Do on a Cruise on a Rainy Day

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rainy day on cruiseIf you’ve taken enough cruises, chances are you’re going to experience your fair share of rainy days while at sea.  On my last cruise it was cloudy or rainy almost the entire trip, so it inspired me to write this post on some fun things you can still do even if the skies are a little foreboding.  Don’t let a little rain ruin your vacation.

These are my top 10 things to do on a rainy day at sea but feel free to add your own to the list in the comment section below.

Spend some time in the spa

No matter how much rain is pouring out of the sky it will always be calming and relaxing in the spa.  Besides getting a facial or some other treatments you can always just enjoy watching the storm from the warm tepidarium or sauna if the ship has these features.  There is usually an indoor hot tub in the spa as well, and this is a great place to avoid the rain while enjoying some relaxation.

Check out a book from the library

The library on a cruise ship is often overlooked by most passengers.  You will not find a vast array of books here, but it’s a nice place to sit and read and get away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship.  And besides finding a few good books to read during your cruise you can also check out some games to play with your cruise mate or family.

Hit the arcade

Even if video games aren’t really your thing you should check out the arcade at least once anyway.  My wife and I seem to always end up playing air hockey on every cruise we go on, in addition to a competitive game of skee-ball.  You might have to endure some adolescent interaction, but a rainy day is a great time to feel like a kid again.  Just remember that the cost of those arcade games adds up fast on your cruise account. It catches me by surprise every time.

Order room service and enjoy the storm from your balcony

This is an activity I look forward to the most every time it starts to rain at sea, provided the wind is not blowing the rain onto the balcony of course.   With some food delivered by the room service staff you can simply enjoy watching the rain from your balcony.  The rain at sea is so different from watching it on land, and it provides quite the relaxing spectacle in my opinion.

Karaoke

Even if you don’t feel like singing your heart out  in front of a bunch of strangers you will probably never see again anyway, it’s always fun to listen to the singing talent (or lack thereof) on board.  Check the ship’s itinerary but there is almost always karaoke going on, especially on a sea day.

Find a covered  place to watch the pool deck TV screen

As soon as it starts raining the lounge chairs on the pool deck usually clear pretty quickly, but you can sometimes find a place that is covered and still has a view of the pool deck TV screen.  But even if watching what’s on the screen isn’t your thing it’s a fun place to people watch as well.

Get a galley tour on the cruise ship

Not every cruise line offers a galley tour for free, but often on sea days you can get the tour as an excursion.  It’s a fun thing to do if you’ve never seen the inner-workings of the kitchen, and it really is amazing how the well-trained staff serves so much quality food on a daily basis.

Watch a movie in your cabin

In your cabin you will be able to watch a number of newly released movies.  The charge for each movie will be applied to your on board account and usually you will have 24 hours to watch the movie.  And while some would think it crazy to be in a cruise cabin watching the television on vacation, others will find it the perfect way to relax on a rainy day at sea.

Get a workout at the gym

Now I know a few readers will be very opposed to this idea as well (after all, a cruise is time to do nothing, right?), but the gym is a great place to get out of the rain but still be active.  This is for those who can’t stand to sit still.  They can still enjoy watching the rain storm while burning a few calories from the chocolate melting cake.

Explore the ship

Cruise ships have so many little hidden gems that most cruisers will overlook simply because they didn’t take the time to read over the daily itinerary or explore the ship.  I always enjoy roaming the ship and exploring each floor to find rooms and spaces I didn’t know existed before.  Just make sure you don’t go anywhere that’s off limits.

So what would you add to your list?  Let us know what you like to do when it rains on a cruise in the comments below.

10 Of The Weirdest Things You Didn’t Know About The Queen Mary 2

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She’s big, she’s posh and she cost lots of dosh (approx $300,000 per berth = a heck of a lot!).

When it comes to the flagship liner in Cunard’s fleet of three, the above is all plain to see, even if you’ve only ever clapped eyes on her on a postcard from a gloating relative!

 

How about some fun facts that you might not know though?

 

With her spa, 3D cinema, planetarium (the only one at sea – take that, other ocean liners!), staterooms to accommodate 2,600 passengers and classy sophisticated interior that channels a golden ocean-going era when the cream of society toffs sailed between New York and Southampton in sumptuous style, there’s no better way to follow in these elite footsteps in 21st century comfort!

Here are some fun facts from the  www.CRUISE.co.uk team about the QM2  to get you excited about sailing on one of the most majestic ships on the ocean waves:

 

1- She’s Actually Not A Cruise Ship

Her sisters Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are cruise ships designed to look like old-style ocean liners but as the only liner who sails the route she was designed for – the transatlantic crossing between Southampton and New York – Queen Mary 2 is the world’s only bona fide ocean liner; so don’t call her a mere cruise ship, OK?

For her 2,600 guests the experience is all about the voyage itself, so that’s why there are no port calls – the emphasis is on the amazing onboard experience and arriving at the best port of all, the Big Apple baby!

 

2.1 – She’s Big

On her maiden voyage in 2004, at 148,528 tonnes Queen Mary 2 was the largest cruise ship ever built.

Now eclipsed by Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, who is just plain showing off with her 225,282 tonnage, the QM2 still feels astonishingly large when you first see her but despite her bulk this girl sure can move, clocking up a maximum speed of 29 knots (33 mph) compared to the cruise ship norm of 24 (27.5 mph).

 

2.2 – And Long…

When Cunard’s first ship, Britannia, made her maiden voyage back in 1840, her size caused a stir – well it’s going to when the average Joe is used to looking at a two person horse and cart!

But at 1,130 feet to Britannia’s piffling 230 feet, Queen Mary 2 makes her ancient relative look like a mere dinghy!

 

2.3 – …Really Long

Queen Mary 2 boasts 17 decks and looms large 200 feet above the waterline.

That’s equivalent to a 23-story building (and she only stopped there as she has to get under the Verazzano Narrows Bridge in New York!).

She needs every inch of this space to fit in all those fabulous staterooms, restaurants, bars, library, theatre, spa, and not forgetting that cruise essential – the planetarium!

 

2.4 – …Really, Really, Really Long

If you still need a bit of help imagining this behemoth, put it this way – her length is equivalent to four football pitches (great for working off all those afternoon teas as you pace the decks). Not a football fan? She’s as long as 36 London double-decker buses (31 ½ feet).

Still not getting it? She’s more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall (550 feet), more than 3 ½ times as long as Big Ben is high, or 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall (984 feet), more than three times as long as St Paul’s Cathedral (366 feet) and only 117 feet shorter than the Empire State Building (1248 feet).

We could go on but if you don’t get the picture by now, just accept the fact that she’s incredibly long OK?

 

3 – Sea and Be Seen

QM2’s 360-degree promenade deck is a faithful re-creation of bygone eras where ladies and gentlemen ‘stepped out’ for a stroll to get a bit of sea air, pass the time of day and check each other out from behind those handy old-fashioned hats and parasols!

These days nothing has changed, except everyone’s decked out in cotton rather than crinoline.

The promenade deck, whose circumference spans more than one third of a mile, is well stocked with traditional steamer chairs  – so there’s no need for any vulgar bagging of these with strategically-placed bags or cardigans (or parasols, if you so wish).

If the wind’s up, there are interior promenades circling several decks so you can take your daily stroll without the weather messing with the glamorous blow dry you’ve just had done for tonight’s black-tie dinner!

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4 – Rain On Your Parade?

There’s no chance of this with Queen Mary 2’s state-of-the-art retractable glass roof that means you can swim in the Pavilion Pool on Deck 12 come rain or shine. But if you’d rather swim inside (perhaps before a relaxing massage or facial) you can do so in the indoor swimming pool in the spa.

Mix it up by heading for the main pool on Deck 8 or feel on top of the world in the Splash Pool on the top deck. Little ones will love the Minnows pool next to the play area on Deck 6 (and parents will love the English nannies who will supervise little ones in the Play Zone while they go off for a relaxing dip. Now that’s just supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!).

5 – Fly Me To The Moon

Yes, it’s that planetarium at sea again – we know we keep going on about it but it really is an amazing thing to find on a cruise ship (sorry, ocean liner!).

The stars look incredible from the middle of the ocean anyway, as the lack of light pollution makes them shine extra bright and the Cunard Enrichment Programme provides telescopes and binoculars plus expert tuition from the Royal Astronomical Society for mesmerizing on-deck star gazing.

However, the 150 seat full size planetarium, Illuminations, means you can take a (virtual) flight to these distant planets during one of the stunning constellations shows!

Talk about out of this world…

 

6 – An Audience With The Queen

When a Queen speaks, everyone listens and this is especially true when it comes to this floating monarch – when her whistle blows, it can be heard for 10 miles!

This means lesser vessels are left in no doubt that someone important is sweeping towards them.

Out of the way, ocean royalty coming through!

The sound of QM2’s whistle is a nostalgic echo down the years as it’s the original whistle from Cunard’s Queen Mary who ruled the waves between 1936 and 1946.

Cunard loves to mix old and new where it can and this little nod to times past is a nice touch (and sure to be of interest to the cruise line geeks onboard!).

7 – She Puts the Luxe Into Library

If your only experience of libraries is the dog-eared school one or the council one that never has the book that you want, then you’re in for a treat, bookworms!

With cosy carpets, lit bookshelves and great views over the bow, the QM2 onboard library, with its choice of over 8000 books, is the best library at sea bar none.

If there was a bestseller’s list for libraries at sea, this one would consistently take the number one spot.

It’s a great place to curl up on a comfy chair for an hour and play lord or lady of the manor, even if you’re only reading the latest blockbuster.

(Top tip – we like to hide our rather worn copy of 50 Shades in a hardbacked War and Peace).

 

8 – To Act or Not To Act? 

With the Cunard Insights and Cunard ConneXions programmes on all three ships you’ll disembark every Cunard cruise ship feeling that little bit cleverer (it compensates for those extra pounds you’re sure to be carrying!).

However QM2 offers something really special with its RADA Acting Workshops, where the actors from the prestigious theatre school will have you treading the decks like a seasoned luvvie in no time and with the cost of a two hour taster session at RADA on dry land costing £25 (plus the cost involved in getting to London), this activity offers a great opportunity to give acting with the experts a go for free.

Who knows, you could turn out to be the next Kate Winslet or Leonardo Dicaprio – then you can cruise the QM2 as often as you like!

 

9 – Feeling Good (or Slightly Nervous?)

QM2’s Canyon Ranch Spa Club brings the exquisite pampering packages and facilities of this prestigious American chain to the seas.

There’s an emphasis on health as well as pampering (better save that glass of bubbles for afternoon tea!) and if you think an Indian head massage is unusual then you’ve obviously never had a Japanese Ashiatsu massage where your therapist holds onto overhead bars and massages you with their feet – let’s hope they have a strong grip!

Image credit

 

10 – Pack Your Pet

Never mind the kids, you can bring Rover or Felix along for the ride with Queen Mary 2’s kennels service, complete with visiting hours and dog-walking area!

All pampered pooches and kitty cats will receive a Frisbee (every self respecting pet needs its own Frisbee, don’t you know!), nametag, food dish and scoop, fleece blanket and premium food but there’s no need for your pet to stress about the dress code – black tie is not required for dinner!

History, style and more than a splash of glamour (plus, yes, the world’s only onboard planetarium!) – Cunard’s regal ocean liner Queen Mary 2 has got it all and now you know all about her, you’ve got a few handy opening gambits for that all-important getting-to-know-you first night dinner.

Don’t forget to mention the planetarium, after all, it is the only one at sea!

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.