Spa for 11 year old girl?

[CruisingLover]

We are cruising in April and on the day we are in St. Maarten my husband is doing a mountain bike excursion with my 2 sons (I've already done that 2 times and my daughter won't be tall enough to do it). I am not too thrilled about leaving the ship alone with my daughter to go on our own excursion so my husband suggested that we go to the spa. I told him I didn't think an 11 year old should be going to a spa and he thought maybe a "spa" would include nails and facials but I have no idea. Spa to me means massage and I don't think I want my 11 year old getting a massage!

 

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Tracy

[Sunkissed Mommy]

The only things they will allow on anyone under 18 are nails.

For my sweet 16 (11 years ago) we were only allowed a foot massage/pedicure. No facials or massages. Too much liability.

[ckrobyn]

Sounds like a fun day on the ship for Mom and daughter!

 

You can each have mani-pedi's and you can also get your hair done :) There is much more to the spa than massages!

 

My 14 year old daughter (she was 13 at the time on our last cruise) went to the spa with a few of the girls she met on the ship for manicures - they all had a giggly good time :D

 

Don't forget to stop on the way to the spa and get your non-alcoholic froo froo drink with umbrella!!!!

 

Have fun!

[thelion]

I agree that eleven is too young for a massage. There are very rare but serious complications that can come from massage therapy and that is not something someone so young might recognize. Facials aren't a great idea because her skin is probably in flux at her age and might be sensitive to the cleaners.

 

BUT there are manicures, pedicures, hand massages, hair and makeup sessions and all sorts of other services that are noninvasive and fun for a girl's day in!

[J & G]

We are cruising in April and on the day we are in St. Maarten my husband is doing a mountain bike excursion with my 2 sons (I've already done that 2 times and my daughter won't be tall enough to do it). I am not too thrilled about leaving the ship alone with my daughter to go on our own excursion so my husband suggested that we go to the spa. I told him I didn't think an 11 year old should be going to a spa and ..............

 

Might there be some ship-sponsored excursions that would be of interest to both you and your daughter? That way you would at least have the safety that comes with numbers.....

[DebJ14]

Might there be some ship-sponsored excursions that would be of interest to both you and your daughter? That way you would at least have the safety that comes with numbers.....

 

I agree. It would be a shame to miss St Maarten. I used to travel with my elderly Mother. She often did not want to get off the ship. I had been to St. Maarten several times before with my DH so I felt confident going off on my own. I took the water taxi across the bay to Phillipsburg and walked around (lots of other cruise passengers around) and then took a taxi to Marigot where I also shopped and stopped at a sidewalk cafe. I took a taxi back to the ship. NO problems whatsoever. There are plenty of ship's excursions that you and your DD would enjoy if you are afraid to go off on your own.

[ehfl]

I think a mom and daughter spa day would be a nice treat, so I agree with your husband. I don't see why your daughter would not enjoy a massage, but you can also get a maincures, pedicures, facials, hair styles, etc.

 

You could also book a separate excursion on your own...perhaps a beach day at Orient beach.

[patseacruiser]

St. Maarten is a great shopping town. Take the water taxi for about $6 per person good for the whole day and go into town. Buy something not expensive like the little sandal pendants they sell to remember the trip which would cost as much or less than a mani/pedi. Stop and have lunch or come back to the ship and enjoy the peace and quiet and hot tub it. Or go to the spa and have mani/pedis. Either way it can be a great mother/daughter day - enjoy it.

[OPSoccermom]

I did St Maarten with just my DD in April, and had no qualms about walking around by ourselves. We love St. Maarten. They have really worked to become a tourist - friendly location, and quite honesty, I feel safer there than in St Thomas. We just enjoyed the shops, did one of the $20 lounge chair and Coronas (water or DD) deels along Grand Bay. I let her choose a fun location for lunch. It was fun to shop for trinkets and jewelry without any male "assistance".

 

The spa idea is a fun one, but I agree not to pass up St Maarten for it. If anything, scheuled you spa time in the afternoon of St Maarten - you'll probably get a deal from the spa, and you can enjoy St Maarten.

[merees17]

My LD and her friend were 13 last year went to spa. One had hair colored, the other the acne treatment. They had a blast.

Here is from the RCL page regarding the YSPA. Since your DD is only 11, looks like parents are required to be present anyway, so you two have a blast.

 

Parental Consent

All teens must have their parent's consent before receiving treatments. A parent or guardian must sign the teen's client consultation form acknowledging their consent.

 

Guests Under 18

All guests under the age of 18 receiving massage treatments are required to wear their bathing suits during treatments. For guests under 16 years of age, a parent or guardian must be present for treatments performed in private rooms.

[hcat]

I think a salon day would be more fun than the spa--mani, pedi & hair.....but you could easily do the water taxi & boardwalk area on your own as well...or maybe the excursion to the butterfly place.

[vickiw0318]

I am an extremely cautious person and I just want to stay that there would be no better place for a little mother/daughter shopping than St. Martaan! Take the water taxi over and have a great time peering in all the jewelry shop windows and trying on bathing suit coverups, etc. (There's also a nice, small shopping area by the dock.) Have a nice lunch together and then come back for manicures. Makes me want to hijack my daughter and set sail right now.

[Happy ever "aft"]

Hi, CrusingLover-

In answer to your question...

The Y Spa was thoroughly enjoyed by my daughter on our last two cruises. When you board the ship, stop by the spa and ask for the Y Spa brochure. It is a special program of spa services designed specifically for teens. For whatever reason they do not promote these teen services AT ALL onboard and the Y Spa brochure is not displayed in the spa area (as are all other brochures on every other service that you can imagine).

You could easily get off the ship in the morning and walk around the shops a bit, get back mid-day for lunch onboard, and then have your spa appointments set-up for the afternoon.

Enjoy!

[Merion_Mom]

There are wonderful spas on St. Maarten at the resorts that would love to have you two do a mother-daughter mani-pedi!

 

We went to Little Divi and it was WONDERFUL and SO much less than the spa on the ship, for better and longer treatments!

[CruisingLover]

Thanks everyone for all of your great responses! I think I may brave it and go off the ship to do some shopping with her and then come back for a mani/pedi :) Does the ship dock right at the pier or are we tendered in? Are there shops right at the pier or will we need to take a taxi to shopping?

 

Thanks again!

Tracy

[Happy ever "aft"]

Does the ship dock right at the pier or are we tendered in?

Yes, the ship docks at the pier. When you disembark, you can walk around the booths and shops that are there or ... you can take the water taxi ($5 R/T pp) to town and stroll through the shops.