Steiner gets the boot!

[chamima]

Staff training for Steiner staff went from excellent to hit and miss in the last 14 years of our cruising. On our recent December cruise I had two treatments that were good but I would have spent more if I didn't feel so cautious there.

 

I also think getting high intensity sales pitches after a relaxing treatment is outrageous. In our early cruising days they were subtle, no longer.

 

Hopefully Steiner will clean house and keep the best of their staff on their other lines.

 

I'm not sure I care who takes over but I, for one, am thrilled that there will be a change!

I used to get a massage on every cruise we took and, even though I knew I was paying more than I would at home, it was part of my get-away-from-it-all mentality on the cruise.

Over the last 5 or 6 years however, the massages got more expensive, they were less enjoyable (the girls didn't seem to have any idea of what they were doing) and the hard sell at the end totally took away any pleasure I got from the massage. So the last 3-4 years I've skipped it entirely.

If it's a new company, with a new "NO hard sell mentality" I'll be having my shipboard massage again.

Can't wait! :D

[chesapeake_traveler]

I just read that Celebrity Cruises has ended their spa services contract with Steiner Leisure Limited. This news has sparked my interest. No announcement has been made yet regarding the replacement. I wonder if Celebrity Cruises plans to offer a new line of spa products and services. Elemis is nice; however there are many other wonderful product lines out there to try. My imagination is running wild about the new services I might be able to try next year. I'd like longer massage sessions for a lower price. I'm sure we'd all like that one.

 

What do other Celebrity Cruisers think about this news?

[neverbeenhere]

Promises promises. We will wait for the announcement for commentary.

[chesapeake_traveler]

Article on USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/12/30/celebrity-cruises-spas/4249455/

 

 

Steiner Leisure Limited Press Release:

http://www.irconnect.com/stnr/pages/news_releases.html?d=10062399

[Schplinky]

I agree Bliss Spa would work out nicely onboard ship, although their treatments are very different than Steiner. Steiner is more fluff (soft touch, no extractions, etc), and Bliss is more nitty gritty (deep tissue, extractions, etc). Keep in mind Bliss is owned by Steiner Leisure and currently they have no plans to put a Bliss Spa onboard a ship. Bliss products and a couple services are making their way to ships but that is it … for now. Personally I think the first Bliss Spa at sea should be on the brand new NORWEGIAN BLISS. Very appropriate I think.

 

Bliss Spa is owned by Steiner, which is why so much Bliss Spa products was offered, especially on S-Class ships.

 

http://www.steinerleisure.com/main/Page.aspx?PageID=3015

Edited December 31, 2013 by Schplinky

[mcrcruiser]

Confident that Celebrity will make the right replacement decision;). I really never liked Steiner & their hard sales pitch :mad:.

[hcat]

Yes, on Solstice Class ships, X went with the Solarium pool, instead of a T-pool. Also, the T-pool on Century was removed, during her 2006 retrofit. But, last I checked, the T-pools were alive and well (and a popular as ever) on all four of the Millennium Class ships. :cool:

 

Yes, those certainly are fun pools with the massage beds and showerheads but nothing like the real T pools--they had added mineral salts etc and some very therapeutic hydro stations...that's the type pool canyon ranch offered on QM2.. really works wonders!

 

IMHO, Celeb missed on the S class ships--with the upgraded spa & AQ accomodations, even a small t-pool / hydro therapy pool should have been made part of the spa ...

 

One of my dreams was for Celeb to convert Century or Mercury into a floating spa experuience..and offer total spa vacations to the more upscale ports.....Alas it did not happen!

[Can'tstopcruising]

Can anyone give us an update on the spa? Are the same services offered? Who is giving them? Thanks

[CruisingTheWaves]

Anara Spa is at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. The spa there is amazing. I order the CocoMango hair and bath products still, and I was last there in 2010. One of the most amazing places in the world!

 

i had a hot stone massage at th egrand hyatt kauai on my honeymoon in october, 2012. it was very nice, and i loved the open air spa and the rooms, but i have to say my BEST hot stone massage anywhere was at the phoenician resort in scottsdale. i am unsure who handles their spa but it was the best i've had. anara at the hyatt would probably come second :)

[Bababooey Land]

Can anyone give us an update on the spa? Are the same services offered? Who is giving them? Thanks

 

There still hasnt been a press release from Celebrity and no update from Steiner. I would assume it is business as usual on the ships for now until we hear something different. meaning Steiner should still be running the spas.

[Cruise a holic]

There still hasnt been a press release from Celebrity and no update from Steiner. I would assume it is business as usual on the ships for now until we hear something different. meaning Steiner should still be running the spas.

 

On the silhoutte. The cc rep said yes stiener will be out by March, however tight lipped about new vendor. i asked about canyon ranch and was told "the have the right experience". But nothing more. Spa ees know they will be out

[keithm]

I go to Canyon Ranch in Tucson and it is fantastic. I think they have spas on a few cruise ships. I've had them suggest products, but never a hard sell them.

I've done Canyon Ranch several times on the QM2. Not cheap, but really not more than Celebrity. You could get an 80 min.massage if you wanted. They aren't that long on the Eclipse.

[NLH Arizona]

I've done Canyon Ranch several times on the QM2. Not cheap, but really not more than Celebrity. You could get an 80 min.massage if you wanted. They aren't that long on the Eclipse.

The spa here in Arizona is expensive, but the service is awesome.

[need2bespoiled]

I've done Canyon Ranch several times on the QM2. Not cheap, but really not more than Celebrity. You could get an 80 min.massage if you wanted. They aren't that long on the Eclipse.

 

You can get any length you'd like. I've have 90 and 120 min massages on a few Celebrity ships.

 

Happy Sailing,

Jenna

[Daan]

The news on different Steiner Facebooks is that Canyon Ranch will take over. No official statements, but it seems the most likely as well, as this is probably Steiners biggest competitor..

[Daan]

On one cruise, a gym rat was watching me go through my personal Yoga routine. After I was done he came over and asked me questions on some of the positions. He seemed to be interested by the flow of one position to another which, he said, was something he never considered. He told me that Steiner gave him a pamphlet about Yoga when they hired him and that was his training.

 

Don't know when this was, but that is not a proper training. As an ex "Gym Rat" for Steiner, I can tell you, that there is most definitely training for Yoga as well as pilates. Might not be as advanced as your own years of training, but it should be adequate for the average guest. I am sorry that the trainer you worked with was not up to your standards.

 

PS, not trying to sell you on Steiner (had good reasons for leaving as well), but just wanted to rectify this information that could be badly interpreted.

[Janet987]

Just off the Reflection and if you ask spa employees they will deny any knowledge of a change or timing. However, had a long chat with an X officer, and current information indicates that the change to Canyon Ranch will take place on all ships before sailing to their summer locations. This has been a complicated transition with three companies involved and information to the ships about the process and timing has changed often. Since there is still no official X announcement, it may change yet again but he was hoping for April. This has been hard for the spa employees, some of whom are married to X staff. No word about their future options on employment or contracts and little cooperation from Steiner. The spa however was running as usual, same services and packages, with some daily specials. The Persian garden was never full and I was there often and at different times during the day. We agreed Canyon Ranch will be a positive change and fits well with X's modern luxury marketing; it can't come soon enough but the delays are understandable.

[wf083145]

It sounds like what we know, officially, is that Steiner will be out in March and that Canyon a Ranch will transition by the summer and that Celebruty has yet to comment.

 

We'll be on Reflection on 3/29 so the spa treatments might be DIY which makes for all sorts of interesting possibilities.

[Bababooey Land]

Just off the Reflection and if you ask spa employees they will deny any knowledge of a change or timing. However, had a long chat with an X officer, and current information indicates that the change to Canyon Ranch will take place on all ships before sailing to their summer locations. This has been a complicated transition with three companies involved and information to the ships about the process and timing has changed often. Since there is still no official X announcement, it may change yet again but he was hoping for April. This has been hard for the spa employees, some of whom are married to X staff. No word about their future options on employment or contracts and little cooperation from Steiner. The spa however was running as usual, same services and packages, with some daily specials. The Persian garden was never full and I was there often and at different times during the day. We agreed Canyon Ranch will be a positive change and fits well with X's modern luxury marketing; it can't come soon enough but the delays are understandable.

 

thanks for the update. everything you said makes perfect sense. the transition is not an easy one and will take some time. Start of the summer cruising season would make perfect sense to me. I would think a few weeks before the ships head over to Europe and Alaska, etc. the transition will take place.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Bababooey Land

[LilMsFoodie]

It would be wonderful if Canyon Ranch could take over the menus for BLU. The restaurants in their spas are spectacular. Great wines, delicious food with great vegetarian options as well as traditional foods prepared with a light hand. Probably too much to ask.

 

It would be wonderful if the spa turnover is done by my June sailing on Solstice. I'd go for those treatments. Elemis is meh! to me.

[jenniebnyc]

So, our butler told us that all of the staff in the spa will be given the boot. On the plus side they can move to another RCCL ship if they want. Canyon Ranch will fully take over in April and were already supposed to be on the ship transitioning, but that has not happened yet.

[LilMsFoodie]

So, our butler told us that all of the staff in the spa will be given the boot. On the plus side they can move to another RCCL ship if they want. Canyon Ranch will fully take over in April and were already supposed to be on the ship transitioning, but that has not happened yet.

good news. I'd love for them to help with the Blu offerings. Not spa cuisine but gourmet healthy items.

[CaroleSS]

Read more about it here.....

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1959394

[miched]

Be sure to collect sheets that list the services and prices from the company that is now on board to compare to the new one.

 

I am sure that you have heard the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"

 

I want you to meet the new boss.

Same as the old boss.

 

 

.🌴🍸🍻🍺

[drychi]

During the Cruise Critic meeting on board, I asked Hotel Manager Julian Brackenbury about the change from Steiner. He confirmed the change is going to occur and stated that it was the result of Celebrity and Steiner being unable to agree on the future direction for the delivery of spa services and products on board Celebrity ships. "Creative differences" if you will. He did not state who the new spa company would be, but he did state the new spa management will take over on Reflection beginning in April, 2014. After an acclimation period on Reflection, the changes will be migrated over to the other ships. He also made it clear that no physical plant changes would be made, but new spa procedures and treatments are expected to be available. The Steiner personnel on-board Reflection at this time will be moving to different cruise lines if space can be found for them. That planning for these re-assignments is already underway according to a couple of spa employees I talked with on Reflection.