The Viking Star boasts a LivNordic spa. Photo / Supplied
The Viking Star boasts a LivNordic spa. Photo / Supplied
Posh pampering
Land-based luxury is taking to the water. Cruise companies are increasingly offering specialised treatments - unique to each ship - moving away from the more traditional model of working with one spa operator whose treatment options and on-board spa ambience don't vary much across a fleet. Canyon Ranch, a major player in land-based spas (see the Venetian in Las Vegas), has jump-started the spa-at-sea game with cruise-line partners like Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Celebrity. Viking Cruises, a newcomer to ocean cruising, partnered with LivNordic to create the spa on board Viking Star, which debuted last month.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises' new luxury ship, the 750-guest Seven Seas Explorer, is home to the new Canyon Ranch SpaClub.
"We're building the world's most luxurious ship and wanted to establish a new standard for spa elegance," said Jason Montague, president and COO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The spa's design includes silk wrappings woven into a chrysalis and light fixtures that play off a central Swarovski crystal sculpture, creating the effect of a forest at twilight.
"With a sophisticated design and featuring exquisite, one-of-a-kind treatments, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub will provide our guests with a tranquil haven for personal enrichment and relaxation," says Montague.
The spa's Red Flower treatments include ingredients from destinations such as the Arctic Circle and oils made from Arctic berry and evergreen. The spa has a thermal suite with an infrared sauna, aromatic steam room and cold room. A shower room offers preset treatment options, varying degrees of water pressure, chroma-therapeutic lighting and audio effects, including thunderstorms and waterfalls.
The spa also has a private outdoor deck and an infinity plunge pool, with views from the back of the ship.
The line plans to roll out these exclusive treatments to the rest of the fleet.
Lucky for some
If Elisabeth Easther's tale of travelling on the Aranui 3 has whet your appetite for life at sea on a freighter, you'll be interested to see the Aranui 5 is expected to come to service at the end of the year. But what happened to Aranui 4? Our contact in Tahiti tells us the Chinese owners of the company consider the number four to be unlucky, so they skipped right ahead to five.
On an ocean far, far away
The young guests on the Disney Dream cruise ship (and probably a few adults) will soon be able to climb aboard the Millennium Falcon in a Jedi Training experience. In a play zone inspired by Han Solo's famous Star Wars ship, guests can sit in the cockpit, assist with navigation, and pilot the Falcon through hyperspace to jump to light speed in a galaxy far, far away.
Try a Jedi Training experience aboard Disney's Dream cruise ship. Photo / Supplied
The Jedi Training Academy experience coming to the Disney Dream will also feature games, activities and crafts along with screenings of the hit Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels. The Millennium Falcon will debut on the October 26 four-night voyage from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. The Disney Dream will sail three- and four-night cruises from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas throughout 2015 and into 2016. Disney also says Disney Magic will sail to the Bahamas and Canada from New York for a limited time in October 2016. The Bahamian itineraries will include a stop at Castaway Cay and entry passes to the resort.
The company also announced new itineraries for Magic out of Miami in late 2016 and sailings for Disney Wonder out of Galveston, Texas.
One Mississippi
Mississippi River may be about to boom as a cruise destination after Viking River Cruises announced plans to introduce six new river vessels over three years, starting in late 2017. According to the 2015-2016 Cruise Industry News annual report, Mississippi River cruise traffic is at about 32,500 passengers who sail with American Cruise Line and the American Queen Steamboat Company.
Viking's vessels could carry up to 300 passengers and sail 40 cruises a year, doubling or even tripling the river capacity over three years. Itineraries will feature stops in St James, East Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes in Louisiana; continuing upriver to Memphis, Tennessee; St Louis; or St Paul, Minnesota.
