Hair, Nails,

[floridababa]

Ok so I have to get a haircut, have my roots done (every 5 weeks)

Get a manicure (I have acrylic) every 2-3 weeks, and a pedicure once a month. How do you all handle this? I imagine it is very expensive on board. Longest trip we've been on is 28 days so I only needed to get my nails done once.

Any ideas ?  

[2552phxcrzr]

I’ve used the shipboard services, charging against on board credit, as well as places on land ... especially in ports we’ve been to before.  In some countries it’s easier ... in some countries an advance appointment is necessary.  I do my research before the cruise and call the salon to see if I can walk in or if appointments are necessary.  I do change my grooming schedule when traveling for extensive periods so that I can take care of everything on the same day ... at least for mani/pedis.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, floridababa said:

Ok so I have to get a haircut, have my roots done (every 5 weeks)

Get a manicure (I have acrylic) every 2-3 weeks, and a pedicure once a month. How do you all handle this? I imagine it is very expensive on board. Longest trip we've been on is 28 days so I only needed to get my nails done once.

Any ideas ?  

 

Personally, I get a haircut once about the middle of the 4 months. Not wanting to wast time ashore, I use our generous OBC at the ship's spa.

 

DW gets a couple of haircuts, nails (monthly)and a few other things, all onboard at the spa. Paid for with OBC.

[Lily lady]

Do the pedicure and manicure myself. Hate the feel of false nails.

[rkacruiser]

A male "speaking":   my hair-cuts are done by the ship's spa staff and have always been well done.  Some men whom I have met on long cruises will find a barber shop ashore at a port and get their hair-cut there.  I am not comfortable in doing that.  On my most recent cruise, I booked a mini-facial/with shave.  Never had done that before and enjoyed it so much that I booked another one a couple of days before disembarking.  

 

Nails?  I do them myself.  Toenails:  I will need to see my podiatrist soon after I return from my holiday.  

[floridababa]

8 hours ago, 2552phxcrzr said:

I’ve used the shipboard services, charging against on board credit, as well as places on land ... especially in ports we’ve been to before.  In some countries it’s easier ... in some countries an advance appointment is necessary.  I do my research before the cruise and call the salon to see if I can walk in or if appointments are necessary.  I do change my grooming schedule when traveling for extensive periods so that I can take care of everything on the same day ... at least for mani/pedis.

How do I find out if there are places near the port?

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, floridababa said:

How do I find out if there are places near the port?

 

I'd use Google maps

[SargassoPirate]

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I often combine land travel with transocean cruises to either get there or get back.  We have had luck finding local barbers and hair stylists in foreign countries by asking hotel staff or the Google.  Of our more memorable cuts,  I got a haircut in a barber shop in the souk in Istanbul and SWMBO got a very nice cut in Darwin.  It's a great way to chat up a locals and they always seem to be tickled to find an American in their chair.  Plus, if the timing is right, they can point you to a nice, little out of the way spot for lunch.

 

More fun than a ship's excursion marching to the clock and only going where the tour buses can park.

[2552phxcrzr]

13 hours ago, floridababa said:

How do I find out if there are places near the port?

What Heidi13 said. Google Maps is a good resource. But if your ship is docked in commercial ports, you won’t have much luck finding grooming services near the port.  You can also search out malls in your port city as malls often have salons.

[SargassoPirate]

6 hours ago, 2552phxcrzr said:

What Heidi13 said. Google Maps is a good resource. But if your ship is docked in commercial ports, you won’t have much luck finding grooming services near the port.  You can also search out malls in your port city as malls often have salons.

 

You can also try whatsinport.com. 

[Teddy from MV]

On 3/21/2021 at 4:59 PM, floridababa said:

How do I find out if there are places near the port?

I used YELP to find a salon in Barcelona.  I was with my daughter in Siem Reap and she used YELP for a spa.  It worked out well, both places.  I found English speaking salons.

[JM0115]

On 3/21/2021 at 11:11 AM, Heidi13 said:

 

Personally, I get a haircut once about the middle of the 4 months. Not wanting to wast time ashore, I use our generous OBC at the ship's spa.

 

DW gets a couple of haircuts, nails (monthly)and a few other things, all onboard at the spa. Paid for with OBC.

the advantage of having very little hair.... 🙂

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, JM0115 said:

the advantage of having very little hair.... 🙂

 

I resemble that remark!  😀  My eyebrows sometimes need to be trimmed more than my hair.  

[Ladys Mom]

For those who need to get their roots done during a long cruise, my hairdresser suggested that she give me several bottles of my formula before we leave.  Then a hairdresser on the ship or in port can do my roots and match up the existing color without too much trouble.  It doesn't do anything for the highlights, so they are going to have to go away until I get home.

[travelwell]

15 hours ago, Ladys Mom said:

For those who need to get their roots done during a long cruise, my hairdresser suggested that she give me several bottles of my formula before we leave.  Then a hairdresser on the ship or in port can do my roots and match up the existing color without too much trouble.  It doesn't do anything for the highlights, so they are going to have to go away until I get home.

I just talked to my hairdresser and he will do the same thing. He felt we should not try to do it ourselves “can be messy and hard to get out if gets on counters etc” but the hairdresser can match existing color. My question is how to safely get to ship? Can you imagine if it opened in luggage.

 

[Mo Jito]

I haven’t been on a super long cruise yet, and this is one of the things I’ve been wondering about, so I appreciate the ideas being shared. But every time I see the title of this thread “hair, nails”, I hear Lizzo singing “I do my hair toss, check my nails. Baby how you feeling?” And that song always makes me happy 🙂 

[shamrockace]

sounds like it will work out for me since I let my hair turn white during covid.  It was a fear of mine before though.  We travel by motorcycle on long trips and the sun would make my dye fade.  I don't wear finger polish so there is no worry there either.  I will have to get my hair cut at least once or twice on the cruise and i guess I'll just pay the spa prices as a bad haircut takes forever to grow out and my sister got her hair cut on a cruise and swears it was the best haircut she'd ever gotten.

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, shamrockace said:

i guess I'll just pay the spa prices as a bad haircut takes forever to grow out and my sister got her hair cut on a cruise and swears it was the best haircut she'd ever gotten.

 

As a male, when I have needed a hair cut in the spa, the attendant did a better job than some barbers at home have done.  

[atexsix]

On 4/6/2022 at 12:18 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

As a male, when I have needed a hair cut in the spa, the attendant did a better job than some barbers at home have done.  

But are you subjected to the product pitch every time you go in there?  

 

Also: the advantages of having a shaved head (by choice-not because of hair loss)

[Heidi13]

15 hours ago, atexsix said:

But are you subjected to the product pitch every time you go in there?  

 

Also: the advantages of having a shaved head (by choice-not because of hair loss)

 

A sales pitch may be the norm on mega ships, but on our preferred small ship cruise line there is no sales pitch anywhere, even in the spa.

 

Stopped in, got my haircut and had a pleasant chat with the young lady. Zero sales pitch.

[atexsix]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

A sales pitch may be the norm on mega ships, but on our preferred small ship cruise line there is no sales pitch anywhere, even in the spa.

 

Stopped in, got my haircut and had a pleasant chat with the young lady. Zero sales pitch.

Viking?  

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, atexsix said:

But are you subjected to the product pitch every time you go in there?  

 

No.  Don't recall ever getting a product sales pitch after a hair-cut.  Did get a sales pitch for a product after my first shave and mini-facial.  (I did buy the product because it had been used during the shave/mini-facial and I liked it.)  After the second one, no product pitch.  

 

Usually, I have been asked if I would be interested in one or more of the other spa services.  "I'll think about it" has always been my response and that was sufficient for the spa staffer.  

 

I did book a massage; won't do that again.  I truly am uncomfortable lying face down.  

[atexsix]

4 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

No.  Don't recall ever getting a product sales pitch after a hair-cut.  Did get a sales pitch for a product after my first shave and mini-facial.  (I did buy the product because it had been used during the shave/mini-facial and I liked it.)  After the second one, no product pitch.  

 

Usually, I have been asked if I would be interested in one or more of the other spa services.  "I'll think about it" has always been my response and that was sufficient for the spa staffer.  

 

I did book a massage; won't do that again.  I truly am uncomfortable lying face down.  

A massage was when they tried to sell me on thousands of dollars worth of product while I was face down, relaxed, and vulnerable; I really didn't appreciate that.  They had already upsold me to the hot stone version, again while I was face down, relaxed, and vulnerable.  

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, atexsix said:

A massage was when they tried to sell me on thousands of dollars worth of product while I was face down, relaxed, and vulnerable; I really didn't appreciate that.  They had already upsold me to the hot stone version, again while I was face down, relaxed, and vulnerable.  

 

Sounds like you learned a lesson about massages.  Aren't you cruising very soon?  If so, have a good one!  

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Sounds like you learned a lesson about massages.  Aren't you cruising very soon?  If so, have a good one!  

You better believe I learned a lesson, I haven't had a massage since.  Like you, I'm not really a massage person either, I just thought it sounded different.  

 

We leave a week from today.  My bed is full of clothes as I type, I'm doing my packing test, course it's almost guaranteed that 40% of what I have out will not be touched on the trip.