By Bernard Burt
Tradition reigns the seas as Cunard Line’s RMS QUEEN VICTORIA debuts with a British spa operator, The Onboard Spa Company, and a new, contemporary look for health and fitness programs at sea.
The Queen Victoria continues Cunard traditions: three classes of accommodations and dining; British officers and an international crew; and ballrooms and pubs reflecting British luxury at sea. Designed along the lines of great ocean liners, the Victoria offers more cabins with balconies, and the world’s largest library at sea. Shows and concerts are presented in an 800-seat theatre that resembles a London playhouse, complete with private box seating and bar service.
With accommodations for 2,000 passengers, the Victoria is more “intimate” than other Cunard queens, yet shares similar features. Passengers have access to all public areas, including the fitness center and two open-air swimming pools, but certain areas are reserved for those with cabins in upper classes, including the Queen’s Grill and Princess Grill. Their club-like Grill Lounge and dining rooms are quiet and very proper, with service when you want to dine, and people tend to dress for dinner on nights at sea. Or you can dine on deck. Make a reservation for dinner in the chef’s kitchen, with cooks preparing your meal as you dine. Gourmet dining at the intimate Todd English Restaurant (surcharge) features an international menu with Mediterranean accents designed by the Boston-based celebrity chef who has restaurants in several U.S. cities. Other options include the food court buffet.
New to the Cunard Line, the Onboard Spa Company operates spas and salons on 12 cruise lines, including Princess, Celebrity, and P&O ships. Raising the bar on luxury at sea, Victoria’s luxurious 13,000-square-foot Cunard Royal Spa & Fitness Centre features an ocean view Hydrotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite as the centerpiece. Couples can book a glass-walled treatment suite for the ultimate in privacy, which also features a sea view.
Some of the treatment highlights include the Aromasoul Signature Body Rituals, a collection of four massage therapies inspired by the techniques of ancient cultures. A multi-sensory journey, these body rituals stimulate mind, body, and soul through the combination of exotic oils, soothing music, unique room atomizers, and traditional massage strokes. The 90-minute rituals include Arabian, Oriental, Mediterranean, and Indian inspired treatments. At the conclusion, the therapist serves you an herbal tea in the relaxation room.
To rejuvenate and revitalize, guests will also enjoy age-defying facials (including one specially designed for men), scrubs, and mud wraps. The beauty part: admission to the thermal suite pool and saunas is complimentary when you book treatments. Otherwise, a daily fee is charged.
The Stylespa Salon is a full-service hair and beauty facility that offers four Kérastase Hair Rituals, each designed to address the specific needs of a guest’s hair, as determined by the Kérastase Ambassador.
Featured products include Guinot, comfort zone, and Aromasceane marine body wrap. A specialty aboard ship, the Oxyjet TM facial is said to produce results like Botox without needles.
A Fresh Focus on Fitness
Queen Victoria’s fitness center has a fully equipped strength training and aerobics studio. A half-dozen branded programs are offered, including Pilates Institute at Sea; Gravity, a trainer-led workout using a glide board and body weight; Yo’Fit, for private and group yoga; Multitrax Indoor Cycling; Push and Lift, a resistance workout; and Zumba, a Latin-inspired dance aerobic workout.
To promote well-being, the spa also offers guided meditation, one-on-one personal training, an ionic detox, and acupuncture by registered therapists of the British Acupuncture Council.
Hail the Three Queens
Continuing trans-Atlantic service from New York and England, and Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 features the only Canyon Ranch SpaClub at sea. Captained by Darryll Leiman, with a multi-national staff of therapists and full-service salon, the SpaClub has a private indoor pool and saunas, worth the daily fee. Guest lecturers discuss healthy lifestyles and therapies aboard every sailing, and Canyon Ranch cuisine is an option in all dining rooms. Be sure to pre-schedule spa services by calling a month prior to sailing.
While the Victoria spends most of the year in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, Queen Mary 2 maintains Cunard’s historic trans-Atlantic service. The six-day voyages from New York to Southampton, England, or vice versa, are scheduled spring through autumn. Departing from her homeport at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Queen Mary 2 cruises past the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty for an unforgettable bon voyage.
Sailing into history, the magnificent Queen Elizabeth 2 becomes a floating hotel in Dubai after a series of farewell cruises in 2008. Sold for $100 million to a Dubai corporation, the forty-year-old QE2 will be an attraction at the massive Palm Resort, featuring the seawater spa created by Florida-based Steiner Leisure Corp.
For more information call (800) 728-6273 or visit www.cunard.com
Photo credit: Cunard Line
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