Spa Recommendation

[tiffyms02]

What are your favorite spa treatments? I'm trying to decide between the Swedish, Hot Stone and Bamboo massages for our upcoming Halloween cruise on the Dream. This will be our 4th DCL cruise but I have never had any spa services beyond visiting the Rainforest Room! What do you recommend?

 

[Dug720]

What do I recommend?

Skip the one on one stuff and just stick with the Rainforest Room.

 

[runswithscissors]

Although I've never had the Bamboo massage, I've had both the Swedish and Hot Stone. My vote is Hot Stone. I've had three of them on DCL and it's like heaven.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

The hot stone is pretty nice. But I really hate the upselling experience in the DCL spas, so I skip it.

 

[tink1970]

Skip the one on one stuff and just stick with the Rainforest Room.

The hot stone is pretty nice. But I really hate the upselling experience in the DCL spas, so I skip it.

Agree with both @Dug720 and @DisneyCowgirl --I get so stressed out knowing about the hard sell push at the end I don't enjoy myself anymore. I've had all 3 massages and if I had to choose I go with the hot stone massage.

I just do the RR so I don't have to worry about product pushing, Every cruise I put this in my guest reply survey but for naught!

 

[kiford]

I loved the bamboo massage. The hot stone was nice too but you get a deeper massage with the bamboo.

 

[Macprincess]

Hot Stone.

I simply say I'm not interested in their products and that is the end of the push. I try and get a spa treatment on every cruise. I don't get much me time on land. I'll be darned if I would let a few seconds of pushy sales put a damper on my relaxation time.

 

[Quellman]

The bamboo one is the one where they like roll you with bamboo and take a stick and work out your knots? I did that with a guy named Marius. It was great. We also like to do hot stone massages. We have done it in the cabana at Serenity Beach and there was no upselling there. I also don't recall them trying to upsell stuff, just calmly say at the end of your treatment, thank you for the great experience. I just came for pampering and don't want to be sold on other services. No big deal.

 

[Iamaplanner]

I have had all three and the hot stone is probably my fav.

 

[tiffyms02]

Thanks so much guys! Going to try the hot stone.. I'm excited!

 

[elvispursley]

I'd avoid the swedish--2nd worst massage experience I've ever had was when I had this on one of my cruises on the Fantasy. I'd probably go with the hot stone.

 

[DisneyParkFan]

Be careful of your "spa masseur". When I went on the DCL Wonder to Alaska, I booked a seaweed wrap and massage. When she was talking to me beforehand about my treatment and what she/we were going to do, she sneaked in a scalp massage and then cancelled another massage I had later in the week. Plus there was the upsell at the end. When I spoke with the front desk/reception we rescheduled back to my original planned massage and made sure she was not the person I would be assigned to. The second person was better.

 

[rhinodadz]

+1 for hot stone. And just tell them when you make the reservation that you're not interested in any product - never had an upsell attempt after doing that.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I'd avoid the swedish--2nd worst massage experience I've ever had was when I had this on one of my cruises on the Fantasy. I'd probably go with the hot stone.

Interesting suggestion. I'm a massage therapist and a hot stone massage is essentially a Swedish massage with the addition of hot stones. I'm going to assume you mostly had an issue with the therapist not catering to your needs with the Swedish rather than it being inferior to a hot stone massage.

OP, if you've never had a massage before it is recommended that you go with a standard Swedish massage. If you're experienced with spa and massage treatments, by all means try the hot stone.

As a massage therapist I always opt for a Swedish and specify what it is I'm looking for, medium to firm pressure (not deep) with area of focus typically in my neck. I've taught hot stone massage for many, many years and to this day I still prefer Swedish. To me, hot stones ruin the flow of a massage if not performed by an experienced, well educated massage therapist. I have received somewhere in the hundreds of massages and will pick a Swedish 9 out of 10 times (because the experience of a therapist can pursue me to choose a hot stone massage).

 

[elvispursley]

I generally like the heat that's added with the hot stone massage. In this instance, because I am very thin and they weren't listening to me when I told them the pressure was too much, I walked out of there covered covered in bruises. They also continued to want to talk to me the entire massage. But the last massage I had on DCL was a hot stone and I absolutely loved it. To each their own.

 

[ciniminis]

Can someone tell me how much a hot stone massage session costs at Senses, and how long it lasts?

 

[soniam]

I preferred the bamboo, because it was a deeper massage with more pressure. You could get the same with a Swedish massage too. I quit doing hot stone massages. Even after specifying that I like medium to hard pressure, not just on DCL, they just can't seem to do enough pressure with the hot stones. The upsell can be annoying. However, I have found some nice products from it. Just say no thank, you are not interested, and it should be the end of it.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Can someone tell me how much a hot stone massage session costs at Senses, and how long it lasts?

According to the Disney Cruise website, $195 for 75 minutes.

I generally like the heat that's added with the hot stone massage. In this instance, because I am very thin and they weren't listening to me when I told them the pressure was too much, I walked out of there covered covered in bruises. They also continued to want to talk to me the entire massage. But the last massage I had on DCL was a hot stone and I absolutely loved it. To each their own.

You should NEVER leave a massage session with bruises. You had a poorly educated, unprofessional massage therapist. There are some MT's that give us others a bad name by assuming they know what the client is in need of and acting superior in knowledge to them as to what the client's body needs. If that EVER happens again you need to advise management because this therapist can injure client after client after you. And trust me, management will take your claim seriously - they don't want to be sued for malpractice.

 

[ciniminis]

According to the Disney Cruise website, $195 for 75 minutes.

Thank you but OUCH that hurts right in the wallet lol... Is the price comparable to similar massages on land, or is that significantly more expensive?

 

[Dug720]

Thank you but OUCH that hurts right in the wallet lol... Is the price comparable to similar massages on land, or is that significantly more expensive?

The treatments are ALWAYS more at sea. Plus the automatic 18% gratuity. Plus any product they talk you into buying (or that you agree to just to shut them up even after you wrote NO SALES PITCH PLEASE in big letters on your form).