A spa at the water's edge: on a cruise for a total remise en forme

Go on a leisure holiday and combine discovery and relaxation, adventure and wellness, exploration and treatment. Regardless of the route, the spas on board cruise ships can be a journey within a journey: they are advanced facilities where you can carve out moments purely for yourself, try out new protocols and cutting-edge treatments, or simply not interrupt the ones you usually do at home.

La sauna della Solemio Spa, a bordo della nave da crociera Costa Toscana di Costa Crociere.

The experience begins, for example, by setting sail on Ilma (water, in Maltese), the second superyacht in The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection fleet, which houses three areas dedicated to physical activity (movement, cycle and fitness studio for cardio training), barber shop, hair salon, sauna, steam bath and eleven private cabins (six indoor with ocean views and five outdoor) where you can try body massages and anti-age facials. Moving on to Costa Crociere's Costa Toscana, where in the Solemio Spa - a beauty salon, gym, sauna, Turkish bath, thalassotherapy pool and sixteen treatment cabins - to try are the Salt Room (where salt particles are inhaled to encourage breathing and deeper sleep), the Snow Room (a thermal oasis with a temperature of -10° centigrade and snowflakes falling from the ceiling) and the Scrub Bar Experience: here, a range of body scrubs designed on scents and aromas of the Italian territory, from Sicilian citrus fruits with orange blossom to Neapolitan coffee with cane sugar to Turin chocolate with peppermint extract.

Aurea Spa, a bordo delle navi MSC Crociere.

Aurea Spa, on board MSC Cruises ships, resembles a Balinese retreat with natural stone, wood and mosaic interiors. It has a menu of unusual massages, such as the Tian with bamboo, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, and the Himalayan Dream with ionised Himalayan fossil salts. On Norwegian Cruise Line's brand-new Norwegian Aqua the appointment is with the Mandara Spa: the massage beds combine sound and vibration therapy for deep relaxation while you have a facial or seaweed wrap. There is also the medi-spa where you can have botox and TruSculpt, or Chinese medicine with acupuncture, pain therapy and herbal counselling. The best thrills are in the thermal suite with a two-storey waterfall, the ice room and the charcoal or clay sauna.

Travelling on the Explora I and II ships of Explora Journeys, the luxury brand of the MSC group, you can spend the day inside the Ocean Wellness - The Spa: 700 square metres and the choice of exclusive brands such as Dr LEVY Switzerland (first cosmeceutical protected by an international medical patent for the stimulation of collagen production), Aromatherapy Associates (British luxury brand that harnesses the powers of natural ingredients, purest extracts and essential oils to improve sleep quality) and The Tides Wellness (Dutch, with 100 per cent natural ingredients). During the Ocean Wellness Retreats, one can experience various types of practices: from chakra healing meditation to gong baths under the stars.

Explora I e II di Explora Journeys, marchio lusso del gruppo MSC.

The Vitality Spa & Fitness Centre, on the other hand, is the heart of wellness on board Royal Caribbean International ships: in the sea view cabins, one of the most exclusive treatments is Thermage CPT (non-invasive radiofrequency for skin firming), but aesthetic services such as fillers and non-surgical facelifts can also be requested.