Do Spa Treatments WORK?

[AngAndBoys]

OK, I am NOT a spa girl. However, I AM getting old. That is to say, I just turned 40. Oh, I know for some of you this doesn't sound old at all. Understood. However, please have pity, it is the oldest I'VE ever been.

 

That said, I am now dealing with both zits and wrinkles on the same face. I think this is a poke in the eye from God. I am getting to a point that I may be willing to pay money to alleviate the problem. I have fairly sensitive skin and I am terrified that the "cure" will be worse than the problem. So, tell me, who's tried what and how did it work?

 

Anti-wrinkle treatments?

 

Did anyone REALLY lose "8 inches in one treatment" and if so, did this involve hoses being inserted in places they had never been inserted before?

 

Teeth whitening? I have heard this causes gum irritation? I can't deal with anything that interferes with my cruise-time gluttony.

 

What do you recommend?

[Katie Lou]

When I have inquired about teeth whitening, I have been told you shouldn't drink red wine, coffee or tea for a while after. I don't think I would do it on a cruise, as I really like my red wine with dinner. If you loose any inches with a wrap of spa treatment, it would be water loss and you would just gain it back quite quickly.

[candigirl]

Skip the teeth whitening. It was mentioned as one item NOT to spend your cruise dollars o in a CC article I read....of course I read that after dropping over $100 on the Splendor.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

If you haven't done teeth whitening before, a cruise wouldn't be the place to do it the first time. You may be sensitive to it and be sore for a while afterward.

 

The treatements that promise you'll lose a bunch of inches are only temporary and, IMO, a waste of money.

 

If you want to treat yourself to something in the spa, have a massage or facial. But, if you want serious work done, do that at home with a doctor you for whom you have recommendations.

 

Have a great cruise! You're just getting into the prime of your life! :D

[Sargent_Schultz]

Any treatment you can purchase on a cruise ship can more than likely be found on land for a better price, and the qualifications might be better.

 

For the "problem" you describe, I would first try a land based dermatologist.

[PamelaRic]

I'd say save your money. Anything you'd have done on the ship will be from 3 to 20 times more expensive than in your own home town with people you know and trust. If you feel you must have a massage, check the ports you will be visiting, often there are amazing bargains to be found. Don't throw your money away on the on-board spas. The on-board spas also tend to do a very pressure intensive upsell to get you to spend tons of money. I got a pedicure on my first cruise. I paid almost four times what it would cost here and it was a lousy pedicure to boot. Never again.

Pamela

Tucson, AZ

[tiffygirl]

OK, I am NOT a spa girl. However, I AM getting old. That is to say, I just turned 40. Oh, I know for some of you this doesn't sound old at all. Understood. However, please have pity, it is the oldest I'VE ever been.

 

That said, I am now dealing with both zits and wrinkles on the same face. I think this is a poke in the eye from God. I am getting to a point that I may be willing to pay money to alleviate the problem. I have fairly sensitive skin and I am terrified that the "cure" will be worse than the problem. So, tell me, who's tried what and how did it work?

 

Anti-wrinkle treatments?

 

Did anyone REALLY lose "8 inches in one treatment" and if so, did this involve hoses being inserted in places they had never been inserted before?

 

Teeth whitening? I have heard this causes gum irritation? I can't deal with anything that interferes with my cruise-time gluttony.

 

What do you recommend?

 

hey gurl!!!

 

i wont even lie, but dont tell a soul:D. in Jan on my cruise Dr Mae as i call her ...(spa doctor) and i became 'good pals' we hit it off all week.. i think she was setting me up for the kill tho!! lol... long story short she gave me a 'hook up' on the reselyn shots..similar to botox. i have laugh lines apparently. if you do a 'consult' you will be amazes how bad you look when they get done with you!! lol

seriously,

it was obvious cause those' lines' use to bother me. a constant reminder I'm not 25 anymore :(lol anyway she did my both lower and the upper [face] for a huuuuuge discount.like a buy one get one free deal. actually i saw an immediate difference.

 

now if i think about it hard...its been 6 months and nobody has commented how young i look. i mean folks do ..but I'm talking about current associates. maybe its rude to point that kind of thing out... hey tiff, all those wrinkles are gone what happened?? ..yep, they're subject to a fussing out if they went there! ha

 

i plan to get it done again on the dec cruise if the price is right..pending they work me out a great great deal...i will do my negotiations on the last day. thats how she could do it. plus you are swollen a little bit soooo u wanna wait til the end..trust me;)

 

teeth whitening..i would just use a groupon deal locally. thats what i did.

 

a coworker did the wrap thingy where you lose a dress size. they sat her in a room with the temperature set on africa where she could read. lol anyhoo..she lost nada..you need at least i think 5 to 8 treatments to see results..and results may vary! ha!

 

i would say price what you want on land and then see if they will offer you a better deal for the same service on the ship.

[bobsfamily]

YES the do work at REMOVING your MONEY! :D

 

Go see a local dermatologist, it could be as simple as fungus or bacterial infection that could be cleared up quickly... just saying.

[golfadj]

They the treatments work well at transferring money from you to them.

 

Why in the world would you trust someone you never met and will most likely never see again and really know nothing about any qualifications?

[cruiseonthebrain]

I am a spa person and I would like to say, like pizza and cruises, there can't really be a bad one. However, every time I have used one of the ship's spas I have been gravely disappointed. Lackluster massages, facials that did nothing-not even relax me, and a mani pedi that was so bad that the young lady actually fell asleep in the middle of painting my toes and didn't touch up the paint (she said she was really sick and on benadryl, I thought she was a bit hung over. Either way she shouldn't have been working). And the worst part is that I repeatedly paid a ton for the services. Dumb me. Never again. If I were you I would keep my money in my pocket and find something else to do with your time. Something fun- so those are laugh lines and not wrinkles :-) Happy cruising!

[wannago35]

I did a 3-in-1 massage (neck; back; feet) on our last cruise thanks to my hubby who bought it for me at some "discounted sea day rate" of $99.00 (yes, they saw him coming). It was fine, but really not worth $99. & it wasn't even a full hour either, probably more like 45-50 minutes.

 

As far as their pressure sales tactics, I told the young lady up front that I had no intention of buying any products & gently suggested that the time she'd take trying to pitch CCL's stuff she should use by taking a longer break between customers. She smiled, and didn't say a word about their products to me after that :)

 

Finally, there are some things, like botox, teeth whitening, etc. that I'd just never do on the boat because I just don't trust the provider that much. But that's just me.

[txstarla]

I did massages and exfoliation and regular facial and they were great. I have gone to many spas and I give the Magic a 7. Yes it is more expensive but so is everything on a ship. The total spa experience was great and the staff were all very nice and knowledgeable. You need to go in knowing what you want and just say no to the gimmicks - same as land based spas!

[musicgal]

Nope- I live in the day-spa capitol of the world, and it is much cheaper to get a 90 minute Swedish here at the premiere spa in town than to get one aboard a cruise ship. There is hardly any incentive to give you a great treatment onboard a ship and no accountability if they screw you up... a bad facial can exacerbate acne, for example. I love spa treatments, but I have avoided vacation spas like the plague after a few lukewarm experiences.

[meatloafsfan]

I would not recommend getting a facial or acne treatment on the ship if you have sensitive skin - you never know how your skin will react and I don't think you want to spend the week redfaced (literally).

 

Get thin - or young - or beautiful - quick schemes rarely work.

[momof3cruisers]

I would not recommend getting a facial or acne treatment on the ship if you have sensitive skin - you never know how your skin will react and I don't think you want to spend the week redfaced (literally).

 

Get thin - or young - or beautiful - quick schemes rarely work.

 

This this this! Don't subject your face to someone who doesn't specialise in skin. As in a dermatologist. And, hey for the acne, your insurance should cover it.

[golfb4cruzing]

They do wonders for lightening your wallet.:eek:

[momtoabowhead]

I use a teeth whitening kit sold at Walmart by Rembrandt. I won't lie and say it's comfortable but I saw immediate results. It only cost $17 bucks. I did it twice in a one month period and was pearly white for my wedding and honeymoon.

[golfadj]

They do wonders for lightening your wallet.:eek:

 

That they do

[donaldsc]

OK, I am NOT a spa girl. However, I AM getting old. That is to say, I just turned 40. Oh, I know for some of you this doesn't sound old at all. Understood. However, please have pity, it is the oldest I'VE ever been.

 

That said, I am now dealing with both zits and wrinkles on the same face. I think this is a poke in the eye from God. I am getting to a point that I may be willing to pay money to alleviate the problem. I have fairly sensitive skin and I am terrified that the "cure" will be worse than the problem. So, tell me, who's tried what and how did it work?

 

Anti-wrinkle treatments?

 

Did anyone REALLY lose "8 inches in one treatment" and if so, did this involve hoses being inserted in places they had never been inserted before?

 

Teeth whitening? I have heard this causes gum irritation? I can't deal with anything that interferes with my cruise-time gluttony.

 

What do you recommend?

 

You are asking if you should have a medical treatment performed on you while you are on vacation by an operator whom you have no idea where they are licensed and whom you can not go back to if there is a problem. And that is totally ignoring the high cost of the "treatment".

 

Does that answer the question for you?

 

DON

[cvpends]

That said, I am now dealing with both zits and wrinkles on the same face. I think this is a poke in the eye from God. I am getting to a point that I may be willing to pay money to alleviate the problem. I have fairly sensitive skin and I am terrified that the "cure" will be worse than the problem. So, tell me, who's tried what and how did it work?

 

What you need, babe, is a good combination of alpha- (and probably beta-) hydroxy acids. Two excellent choices:

 

1) Go to amazon and order YonKa's Advanced Optimizer Duo. It's about $90 and worth twice that.

2) Go to a Sephora store and tell them abour your skin issues tell them that you are interested in skin care products by Murad. Murad has products for just your issues!

 

Suffer no more! (And go to a good esthetician in your home town rather than a spa on a ship, if you desire further skin care after following my advice.)

[TravelerMK]

What you need, babe, is a good combination of alpha- (and probably beta-) hydroxy acids. Two excellent choices:

 

1) Go to amazon and order YonKa's Advanced Optimizer Duo. It's about $90 and worth twice that.

2) Go to a Sephora store and tell them abour your skin issues tell them that you are interested in skin care products by Murad. Murad has products for just your issues!

 

Suffer no more! (And go to a good esthetician in your home town rather than a spa on a ship, if you desire further skin care after following my advice.)

 

I'm big into spas and facials and massages and wraps and other treatments. My experience is similar to others that cruise ship spas are mediocre at best. I agree with this poster on finding someone local to assist with your concerns AND on Sephora - my favorite store! There are several great product lines and they will give you samples of everything so that you can figure out what is best for your skin.

 

As far as treatments "working", sure, they can help your skin and provide pampering and relaxation, but don't expect long term benefits without a home skin care regime. :)

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy!

 

Mindy

[AngAndBoys]

Ok. I was reading about the spa treatments doing my pre-cruise stuff and began to harbor a little hope that they could REALLY cure wrinkles. Thank you áll for setting me straight and bringing my reality check. A girl can dream anyway. I guess I'll save my money for the casino. If I can't be beautiful, maybe I can be rich! You could never accuse me of not being an eternal optimist. :D

 

Thanks also for all the helpful suggestions!

[cvpends]

 

As far as treatments "working", sure, they can help your skin and provide pampering and relaxation, but don't expect long term benefits without a home skin care regime. :)

 

Mindy

 

I forgot to say the most important thing about skin care. Never ever EVER leave the house without sun protection! It should be a part of any home skin care program :) I'm sure Mindy agrees!

[INCHARGE]

hey gurl!!!

 

i wont even lie, but dont tell a soul:D. in Jan on my cruise Dr Mae as i call her ...(spa doctor) and i became 'good pals' we hit it off all week.. i think she was setting me up for the kill tho!! lol... long story short she gave me a 'hook up' on the reselyn shots..similar to botox. i have laugh lines apparently. if you do a 'consult' you will be amazes how bad you look when they get done with you!!

 

now if i think about it hard...its been 6 months and nobody has commented how young i look. i mean folks do ..but I'm talking about current associates. maybe its rude to point that kind of thing out... hey tiff, all those wrinkles are gone what happened?? ..yep, they're subject to a fussing out if they went there! ha

 

I am crying over here!! :D Girl, tears are coming out of my eyes. Too funny!

[iluvdoxies]

OK, I am NOT a spa girl. However, I AM getting old. That is to say, I just turned 40. Oh, I know for some of you this doesn't sound old at all. Understood. However, please have pity, it is the oldest I'VE ever been.

 

That said, I am now dealing with both zits and wrinkles on the same face. I think this is a poke in the eye from God. I am getting to a point that I may be willing to pay money to alleviate the problem. I have fairly sensitive skin and I am terrified that the "cure" will be worse than the problem. So, tell me, who's tried what and how did it work?

 

Anti-wrinkle treatments?

 

Did anyone REALLY lose "8 inches in one treatment" and if so, did this involve hoses being inserted in places they had never been inserted before?

 

Teeth whitening? I have heard this causes gum irritation? I can't deal with anything that interferes with my cruise-time gluttony.

 

What do you recommend?

 

I can sell you some swamp land in Fl