Spa Recommendation

[CalDisneyMomof2]

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?

Depends on the spa and area of the spa. I work at a semi - high end spa in Southern California, a standard 50 minute Swedish massage is $159. There are spas that are even more high end with more amenities that cost more - especially if you ever go to Vegas! The thing that gets me is that the cost of the service does not include full access to the Rainforest Room. That's pretty standard at most spas on land.

 

[kiford]

Is the price comparable to similar massages on land, or is that significantly more expensive?

I go for a therapeutic deep tissue massage at least monthly. My place charges $90/hour for that plus tax and tip (you can get it for $70 if you go at least monthly). Hot stone massage is $110/hour, no discounts available. It's not exactly intended to be relaxing; I weight lift and have a chronic problem with rotator cuff and IT bands so it's more a necessity for me. There are plenty of times I have to tell myself not to cry, throw up or hit him as he works the really tight spots and shows no mercy. But it gives me a few weeks without pain. They've got nice rooms, quiet music, and a good environment, but it's not what I would consider a spa. For me, this is a utilitarian massage, not a spa massage. So I don't think that the ship price is completely out of line. I expect to pay more on a ship/vacation anyway.

I usually opt for the bamboo or hot stone massage on the ship. Not as deep as my RMT but still a nice massage and way more relaxing so I'm quite prepared to pay more for the experience than at my regular place. However, we usually do the couples massage which includes time out in the hot tub, foot rub and herbal tea afterwards on the day bed on the balcony. Now that's a relaxing massage experience.

 

[Bishoparc]

I get so stressed out knowing about the hard sell push at the end

Make sure to write on that little "information form" they hand you prior to service "No product sales please". It's worked for me all but one time.

 

[tink1970]

Make sure to write on that little "information form" they hand you prior to service "No product sales please". It's worked for me all but one time.

Thanks, I have but it's gone from a hard sell to a soft sell, or ignored. I'm sure it's YMMV, but not worth the money wasted stressing about sitting in a robe listening to the latest and greatest. Even when I got a pedicure several facial products were pulled out. Um, I just wanted my polish refreshed

 

[cmwade77]

Honestly, I wish Disney would move all of their services, Spa, Photos, etc. to in house instead of outsourcing it like they do. I have to imagine they could provide better customer service, perhaps even a lower price while making a larger profit. I wonder if there is some reason they can't do that.

 

[kiford]

Honestly, I wish Disney would move all of their services, Spa, Photos, etc. to in house instead of outsourcing it like they do. I have to imagine they could provide better customer service, perhaps even a lower price while making a larger profit. I wonder if there is some reason they can't do that.

Not their core business. Most hotels and cruise lines outsource to spa firms who specialize in doing that. They can get better pricing on products and equipment due to volume, are better able to hire the people with the right skills and experience, and probably have liability/insurance coverage that is designed for their business and track record and is thus less cost than a company doing it themselves. Less of an issue with photography, but probably a similar rationale.

Pretty much the same reason we outsource our non-core or small volume business activities. We don't have the spare resources to spend on smaller, non-core, non-mission-critical, or speciality/minor services so, in the long-run, it's less expensive to outsource than to do in-house. The real expense comes not from the cost of the service itself but the ancillary costs of diverting time of the highly-paid, highly-qualified people who engage in the core work to deal with issues of non-core activities (hiring/firing/supervising, legal, financial/accounting, supply, administration, etc.). It's also easier to change vendors if you don't like they way they are running things than it is to spend all that effort on retraining, hiring, restructuring, etc. I suspect that's the same for Disney and for all hotels/cruise lines who provide spa and other services which are a very small part of their offerings.

 

[sunshine1259]

What spa treatments for people going solo are there in the villas? I see them for couples but I can't seem to figure it out for single folks.

 

[meg8182000]

I just had my first massage on the Fantasy - well first in a few cruises. I only booked it last minute on the day we were in Jamaica and got a swedish massage plus a mini facial for something like $169 - 75 minutes. I actually really enjoyed and without saying anything there was no up-sale pitch at the end of it.

 

[tiffyms02]

Hi again! I had the hot stone massage Monday on the Dream, and wanted to share my experience for those still deciding for their upcoming cruises.. My massage was wonderful and by far the most relaxing thing I did on the cruise. The therapist did a very good job of determining my individual needs and wants. I told her how much pressure I preferred and she definitely honored that. I also wrote at the top of my paper, "Please no upsell", and not one thing was mentioned about products before, during or after my massage. Nothing! So, maybe DCL have read those comment cards about that! It was a fantastic experience and would highly recommend.

 

[Clojel]

Hi again! I had the hot stone massage Monday on the Dream, and wanted to share my experience for those still deciding for their upcoming cruises.. My massage was wonderful and by far the most relaxing thing I did on the cruise. The therapist did a very good job of determining my individual needs and wants. I told her how much pressure I preferred and she definitely honored that. I also wrote at the top of my paper, "Please no upsell", and not one thing was mentioned about products before, during or after my massage. Nothing! So, maybe DCL have read those comment cards about that! It was a fantastic experience and would highly recommend.

Is the "hot stone massage" and the "elemis aroma stone therapy" the same thing? I was looking to book a hot stone massage but I'm only seeing the "elemis aroma stone therapy" listed...I'm guessing they are the same but wanted to double check!

 

[RogueKnits]

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?

That's about the same as I'd pay for a high end spa massage here in the NYC suburbs (i.e. Red Door which offers a large range of spa services vs. a massage-specific place like Massage Envy). Actually, just checked Red Door, and an 80 minute at my local spa would be $220, so the DCL price is actually cheaper.

 

[Draes Miran]

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.

Oh my gosh, I totally agree. You should always feel empowered to stop the massage if you're in pain, too, and don't worry about losing your money. No reputable business is going to punish a customer for stopping a massage that hurt them. You know your body better than a therapist does- if you ask them to stop or go lighter, they need to. If they can't physically work any lighter on you, then they should have stopped the treatment and worked with you to find a different therapist or a different treatment.

 

[KGmomoftwins]

Just curious if you book a spa treatment does this include the use of the RR? Or is it always a separate charge?

 

[Dug720]

Just curious if you book a spa treatment does this include the use of the RR? Or is it always a separate charge?

Rainforest Room is its own thing. If you want to use it, you should buy the one day pass (or length of cruise pass). It is not included in a spa treatment.

 

[LCoulter]

Does anyone know how much the length of cruise pass for Rainforest Room is for a 7 night cruise?