Just wondering how many of you feel like you had a not so nice time in the spa?

[disneydeb]

my experiences have been hit or miss, and it seems like the back massage is always too hard and i end up feeling worse than when i went in , i have asked for them to do it gentiler but somehow it seems like i have only gotten one that i really enjoyed, also im not a prude but i prefer a female instead of a male massuse and ive gotten a male twice, of course i would never insult and refused them but i think i have a better time getting a pedicure and manicure, any other opinions, just wondering

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Female vs male masseuse is obviously luck of draw due to the ratio onboard and availability.....

BUT! you should never have had to leave there feeling worse than when you walked in!!

When you asked them to be more gentle, was that before or during the massage?

It sound's like you have really had bad service to feel worse leaving!

Hope you try it again, and things are better that time around!

Ex Techie

 

[kcashner]

You can also request male vs. female when you make the appointment. Worst case they can't do as you wish and offer to change the time to one that would suit you.

Another "trick" is to go to the open house on day 1 and chat with the CM who takes you on tour..."Do you do the stone massage (or whatever?) Can I book one WITH YOU?"

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

You can also request male vs. female when you make the appointment. Worst case they can't do as you wish and offer to change the time to one that would suit you.

Great advice! And I've only ever had an "illegal" head massage after my hair cut!
But she got a great tip!

Ex Techie

 

[sambycat]

i’m pretty done with any disney spa experience anywhere. on the whole, the cost is always (land or sea) wayyyyyyy more $$$ then the experience you get, IMHO and the hard sell kills me and ruins the whole deal for me. even having to state please do not sell me things to begin with. the massage cabanas on CC though are idyllic....

 

[gotomu212]

My experience has been pretty hit or miss- I never had a massage wow me there, and considering the mark up I really expected a great massage. Plus the hard sell at the end completely undoes any relaxation I got from the massage. I even put on my form that I wasn't interested in any products, but still got the whole spiel and the way it was said was a $200 bottle of bath salt was all that stood between me and my body in on itself from horribly cramped and tense neck muscles (they weren't that bad honest). Now I just come up with a huge lie about how I have all the products at home and don't need anymore at this time--how's that for relaxing.

 

[peachygreen]

I wasn't overly impressed with my spa appointment. I guess because I get frequent massages on land that what I got for the price just didn't compare. I also found it distracting that I could hear the basketball game over my head the entire time.

It did help as I came into my vacation very stressed and knotted up and hadn't had a chance for a massage before I left. So it did work out the kinks and I was able to unwind afterwards.

In the future though I will make a point to get a massage before I leave for vacation and save the $$ for something else.

 

[Gigi22]

I don't care for massage, so I can't speak as to how the massages on DCL rate. I did find that springing for an "Alone Time" facial was very relaxing, well worth the money. One question, if a masseur is using too much pressure, can't you just say, "If you don't stop using so much pressure, I am going to get up right now and complain to the manager." And, follow through.
I've found that most spa technicians/estheticians do try and flog products. If they are being particularly pushy, I just tell them that my husband told me I could only go to the spa if I didn't purchase any products. Not true--but if they are being that pushy, who cares?

 

[mimmi]

I wonder if there are more people like me who don't go to the spa at all because of those many reports about sales pressure.
I love spa treatments and usually have a few during each vacation (there are incredibly gorgeous spas out there ) and a spa experience on a ship sounded very appealing to me but I can't relax when I'm anticipating the sales pressure afterwards knowing it's going to be uncomfortable very soon.
But I guess they will be fully booked anyway and won't miss my business.

 

[holden]

We are going on our first Disney cruise this summer, but I won't be visiting the spa. I used to try Royal Caribbean's spa once in a while, but was never happy with the results.

It just doesn't compare to the experience you get on land. Maybe the staff isn't trained the same way? Maybe the therapists on land do it because they really love their job and the cruise ship therapists do it becuase they thought it would be a fun job? Whatever the reason, I will be getting a nice facial, mani/pedi, and massage BEFORE our cruise!

 

[Nette]

Ugh. Worst spa experience ever was a CC couples massage. My DH got the little tiny girl who had super human strength and loved his massage, but I got a girl with wet noodles for fingers and she had a cold. At one point, I peeked at her and she was barely rubbing my leg with one hand while blowing her nose with the other.

Most of my other spa experiences were ok on board. I've also found that if you write NO SALES PITCH in huge letters at the top of the form they make you fill out, they will not give you the pitch. No pitch == bigger tip from me.

 

[redheadtove]

I had a hot stone massage on my first cruise in February and the truth is that it was the worst massage that I have ever had... It was not relaxing at all.. And I was extremely turned off by the push of purchasing products after. I reluctantly purchased some bath salts after the massage and they were not worth the money.. We are going on a NYE cruise here soon and originally I had booked a massage and facial for one of the days at sea, but I have cancelled the appointment and figured I would use the $200+ dollars towards other things like a drink or souvenirs for my daughters..

I'm disappointed that it was not a great experience for me since I have been to spas at high end hotels before and they have been wonderful... Oh well, there are many many other things to enjoy on a DCL.. I will just focus on that!!

 

[Southern Sailaway]

I've never been on a Disney cruise, so perhaps I shouldn't comment until I do, but I have been on some other cruises and I find that the spa experience is usually not nearly as good as hotel or other land-based spas. Of course, it is also more expensive. However, I still continue to get massages because even a not-so-great massage is still better than a lot of other things I might do! It is my understanding that most cruise ships use the same company to run their spas, so the experience is probably pretty similar on all lines.

In terms of the products pitch, my approach is to smile and interrupt them as soon as they start with "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm really not interested in any products." If you get the emphasis right that will almost always stop it immediately and if you smile, no one will be unhappy. It might feel rude to interrupt, but you are really saving everyone time and aggravation. If they persisted after that, I'd go with "Please don't ask me again." At that point, they are the ones being rude, so you should have no hesitation to cut them off. They get a commission, so I understand why they make the pitch, but if they know you aren't ever going to buy, they really have no reason to persist. If you aren't assertive by nature, it may feel like it will be uncomfortable, but I really haven't felt that way at all. Of course, its possible I'm a jerk.

 

[mare73]

We spent $294 (plus $60 for tip) for a couples cabana massage on Castaway Cay in November. So not worth it. We never received the health form in our room beforehand, so the girls just asked us a few questions before beginning. I mentioned my lower back could use some specific attention, but never got it. There was so little pressure used.

My husband does a way better job and, since our return, has joked each time he rubs my back that I owe him $147.

Meanwhile, I get at least two emails a week from daily deal sites for inexpensive massages at area spas. Lesson learned.

eta - there was no sales pitch during our session

 

[viniesmom]

We LOVED our Couples Massage on the Dream. Didn't like the sales push so much, and wasn't expecting it either. Just said "no" at the time, took the info and said I'd buy it on line after the cruise. It didn't ruin my "relaxed" feeling. It was my husband's first massage ever, and he said he cant wait to have another one! Yay for me!

Next cruise, I will definitely ask for no sales pitch though.

 

[HookedonMagic]

I have a long-time facialist, as well as a manicurist at home, so generally (while I've tried them a half dozen times through the years) I avoid the spa on cruises (same reasons that I've read...uneven service, inflated prices, uncomfortable sales pitch.) BUT I have to jump in to this thread because I'm just off the Dream and my husband and I BOTH enjoyed several treatments in their spa...all with NO sales pitch (and we didn't even write anything on our forms!)

The weather on debark day was iffy, and we were sailing sans kids, so we actually wandered into the spa tours. We were greeted by a lovely castmember (Sarah from the UK) and given an extensive tour. We met several spa employees and were told about many of their treaments. Everyone was super friendly, so we decided to give it a try this trip. The first evening we enjoyed a few hours in the Rainforest room before dinner at Palo. Relaxing to sit in the whirlpool and watch as the ship pulled out of Port. The next day we enjoyed the spa villa couples massage (although our view was not of the sea, but of the Carnival ship parked next to us at Nassau!) Our technicians were Wilma from South Africa and Jennifer from the UK and they were both lovely. We had done this years ago on the Wonder or Magic, but enjoyed it much more this trip. And our final day my husband got a shave and a haircut (Justin the barber, I think) and I had a blowout (Katie from the UK) before dinner at Remy. Both turned out well.

So, while I agree with most of what's already been stated, just wanted to share a recent positive experince with the spa on board DCL Dream. Enjoy!

 

[Scoobypop]

I've never been on a Disney cruise, so perhaps I shouldn't comment until I do, but I have been on some other cruises and I find that the spa experience is usually not nearly as good as hotel or other land-based spas. Of course, it is also more expensive. However, I still continue to get massages because even a not-so-great massage is still better than a lot of other things I might do! It is my understanding that most cruise ships use the same company to run their spas, so the experience is probably pretty similar on all lines.

You're exactly right, the spas on almost all cruise lines, including Disney, are operated by a company called Elemis, based out of the UK. Unfortunately, that company is extremely strict with their therapists and aestheticians in regards to "pushing the product". It's sad, because as many people stated, it ruins their relaxation to have the hard sell. It's not the therapists faults, they're not just trying to make some extra money on the commissions from sales, it's the management of that awful company putting the pressure on the staff ALL the time. They have their sales numbers posted each week for all to see, and if they don't meet a certain percentage, they get hours, vacation time, etc taken away from them, and given to the therapists who meet those weekly goals.

For those inexperienced with spas, not all spas operate that way. I am a massage therapist at a high end hotel in Las Vegas, and we have no intake form and no sales pitch, but some of the spas out here in the hotels are run by Elemis, and they operate the exact same way.

And for the record, you can state the gender preference of your therapist upon booking.

 

[TanaL]

I've been in the Magic spa 4 times over 3 cruises. Totally disappointed in 3 out of 4 visits. I've been in local spas, resort spas, hotel spas -- for the most part they have all been fine. Not the Magic spa though. I can't speak for the other ships, hopefully they are different!

 

[cnj]

Horrible experience with our one and only couples massage on our first cruise. I will never do it again! She insulted me and we have far too many great places where we live to put up with the overpriced nonsense onboard.

 

[m&m's mom]

my experiences have been hit or miss, and it seems like the back massage is always too hard and i end up feeling worse than when i went in , i have asked for them to do it gentiler but somehow it seems like i have only gotten one that i really enjoyed, also im not a prude but i prefer a female instead of a male massuse and ive gotten a male twice, of course i would never insult and refused them but i think i have a better time getting a pedicure and manicure, any other opinions, just wondering

I had an unfortunate massage on our 15 day DCL cruise. It was just a few days into the cruise (and my birthday). It was a man and he was being very way too hard. After the third time of me telling him to loosen up, I just gave up.
The next morning I had the worst pain in my neck I have ever had. I knew it was some kind of pulled muscle and nothing they could do in the spa to make it better. I spent the next 2 weeks with significant pain if I turned my neck in one direction.
I have been brave enough to get a scalp massage but no more full massages.