Cruise Spas: The Best of the Best in Luxury Relaxation

Cruise spas might seem a little redundant to those who have never experienced them. A cruise vacation is already an escape, so escaping further into a spa experience may seem like a hat on a hat. But cruises tend to be filled with attractions and events from start to finish, and if you don’t take the time to relax and rejuvenate during your trip, you will end up being too exhausted to enjoy the final days of your voyage. This is the essential service that a spa on a cruise provides. So nurse your hangover with a bloody Mary, drop the kids off at the kids club, and join us as we luxuriate in our list of our favorite cruise spas.

Mandara Spa on Norwegian Cruise Line

First up on the list of our favorite cruise spas, we’ve got the Asian-inspired Mandara Spa on Norwegian Cruise line. This supremely serene spa offers a variety of massages, facials, body therapies, and beauty treatments that use traditional techniques to whisk you away to another world. They also offer thermal suites, salt rooms, and hydrotherapy pools for you to luxuriate in. In addition to typical spa offerings, they provide medi-spa services such as Botox and teeth whitening. It’s hard to find a better spa on a cruise than this, especially if you are lucky enough to be on one of the ships that has relaxation areas with heated loungers and private villas for treatments.

MSC Aurea Spa on MSC Cruises

Opulence takes on new meaning at MSC Aurea Spa on MSC Cruises, a cruise spa where exquisite woods and vivid mosaics create a feeling of extravagant abundance and luxury. The focus here is on relaxation, rejuvenation, and well-being, and to get you there, they provide many standard spa treatments like massages, facials, body wraps, and beauty services to start. They also provide thermal areas, saunas, steam rooms, and sensory showers, plus some ships even have a snow room and salt therapy rooms for a unique experience that you won’t find at any other spa on a cruise. 

LivNordic Spa on Viking Ocean Cruises

Our next favorite spa on a cruise is LivNordic Spa on Viking Ocean Cruises, which as the name suggests is a Nordic inspired spa that focuses on wellness traditions and boasts the use of holistic therapies. In addition to the standard offerings of massages, facials, and body therapies, they also have hydrotherapy pools and cold plunge pools for that extra bit of rejuvenation that you would expect to get at cruise spas of this caliber. But the cherry on top here is the thermal suite, which features saunas, snow grottoes, and heated loungers for a wide variety of relaxation offerings to please any passenger.

Related: Viking Cruises: A Guide to the World’s Leading Luxury and River Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean Vitality Spa

The people at Royal Caribbean sure do like to pack as much as they can into everything they offer, and so it is no surprise that they would do the same with their cruise spas. The Vitality Spa is jam packed with treatments and services that include massages, facials, body wraps, and beauty services, plus more unique offerings like acupuncture, teeth whitening, and medi-spa services such as Botox and dermal fillers. Their facilities vary from ship to ship, but include rooms like their thermal suite featuring saunas, steam rooms, and heated loungers. Many of their ships even have a fitness center, fitness classes, and personal training services. 

Carnival Cloud 9 Spa

Another cruise line with the philosophy of packing as much as they can into everything they do, Carnival provides our next favorite spa on a cruise, the Cloud 9 Spa. Their list of services and treatments includes massages, facials, body wraps, and salon services, plus medi-spa services that include teeth whitening, facial rejuvenation treatments, and more. Spa facilities vary depending on your ship, but they often feature thermal suites, thalassotherapy pools, and steam rooms, to name a few. One thing that sets them apart from other cruise spas is the inclusion of spa staterooms and suites that offer direct spa access and priority reservations for services. Throw in fitness classes, yoga sessions, and personal training service provided by their onboard fitness center, and you’ve got one of the most service-packed spas on the sea.

The Spa on Celebrity Cruises

Closing out our list of the best cruise spas is The Spa on Celebrity Cruises. This tranquil and modestly decorated spa earns its place on our list by cultivating an atmosphere of refreshing sterility that is perfect for forgetting your problems and refreshing your mind. Treatments here include massages, facials, body therapies, and beauty services, as you would expect, plus specialized treatments like acupuncture, medi-spa services, and rasul body mud therapy. Some ships have spa-inspired staterooms and suites that get you exclusive amenities and spa concierge service, and facilities often include their Persian Gardens featuring steam rooms, saunas, and relaxation lounges. This is the epitome of what a spa on a cruise should be, but with stripped down décor that is perfect for anyone looking to get away from all the action and distractions that you’ll find everywhere else on a cruise.

To experience the magic of a spa on a cruise for yourself, visit Cruises.com for the largest selection of cruise line deals — we can help you book the smart way! We give you our exclusive bonus offers and all qualifying cruise line offers, plus all of the cruise line loyalty program benefits. Book online at Cruises.com or call 800-288-6006 today.