Sneaky or what? Less than 10 days after Cunard announced it had extended its contract with Canyon Ranch, the US spa company has signed a deal with Oceania Cruises.
Canyon Ranch spas will be installed on Oceania's existing three ships, Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, by September this year, replacing Steiner's Mandara brand. It will also be on new ship Marina when that launches at the end of 2010.
Cunard won't be happy - they make a big deal of the fact that Queen Mary 2 has the only Canyon Ranch spa at sea - but Oceania passengers will be delighted. I used the spa when I was on QM2 this month and once I had got over the cost of the treatments, I really enjoyed the experience.
Staff seemed more genuine and were not so aggressively sales orientated as those from the Steiner school of (no)charm, who push you towards the highest-priced treatments and whose therapists invariably try to sell you hugely-expensive lotions and potions afterwards, one-to-one in the treatment room when it's awkward to say no.
It's a shame as the tactic negates any relaxation induced by the treatment, leaving you a little annoyed (or out of pocket if you're anything like the crazy woman I once met who spend a fortune on the therapist's say-so because she felt she "had to") and wondering why you even bothered at all.
Jane Archer
