Celebrity’s new spa provider plans more than pampering

By Tom Stieghorst

 Celebrity Cruises is shaking up the spa services available on its ships starting in March when Canyon Ranch takes over the concession on 10 ships from Steiner Leisure Ltd.

Peter Smith, Canyon’s COO, promises to announce new treatments in the next few weeks that will be available to Celebrity passengers once the hand-off occurs.

In an interview last week, Smith outlined three emerging areas in the spa industry and in particular at Canyon Ranch, which puts as much or more emphasis on wellness as on beauty care.

• Brain health: Smith calls this “a major issue for many of our customers.” With longevity rising, there are more seniors living to an age where diminished memory or various forms of dementia are distinct threats. Canyon Ranch plans an onboard lecture series on the latest thinking behind brain health and what can be done to prevent or mitigate declining mental skills.
Brain health is a major focus for Dr. Richard H. Carmona, president of the Canyon Ranch Institute and a former surgeon general appointed by George W. Bush. He is the author of “30 Days to a Better Brain,” due out from Atria Books in May.

• Stress: “This is a huge issue right now,” said Smith. Many passengers choose to cruise in part or entirely to escape the pressures of their daily obligations to work, family and even themselves.

“It really crosses every aspect of our lives,” said Smith, and is a contributor to many modern ailments from teeth grinding and overeating to high blood pressure and heart disease.

“We’re spending a lot of our time trying to explain how to cope with stress,” said Smith.

• Sleep: Whether it is a sleep disorder or the simple difficulty of getting a full night’s rest, more people than ever need help achieving regular and healthy sleep. “As a nation, we don’t sleep,” said Smith, who said improvement of sleep habits will be another wellness offering at Canyon Ranch spas.

Although the more exotic treatments at spas can sometimes seem trivial or silly, the wellness concerns outlined by Smith are serious ones shared by many potential cruise passengers. By attending a Canyon Ranch discussion on one of these topics, they may be getting more lasting insight into rest and relaxation on their next Celebrity cruise.