For the serenity seekers among us, imagine a luxury spa in the middle of the ocean with stunning views on all sides? Imagine that in addition to a luxury spa, you have access to heated pools, hot tubs, a gym with the very same stunning view and lots of lounge chairs for relaxing. Imagine that you can order herbal tea as easily as you can a fabulous margarita.
Sound a little more than just enticing? Then, book a cruise with Princess, and experience their Lotus Spa and their Izumi Japanese Bath which was one of my favorite things on the ship.
What’s lovely about this spa is the vast array of services on offer, from teeth whitening (yes really) to doing a detox, losing up to 8 inches of internal toxins in one session. They also have the classic massages as well as a few fun creative ones as well, such as a Bamboo Massage where they use bamboo shoots to massage your muscles, after they soak them in oil. The Aroma Spa Seaweed Massage was very detoxifying — it includes an aromatherapy body mask and wrap, after which they proceed with a more personalized massage depending on your needs, focusing on stress points on the body.
There’s a Coconut Poultice Massage, a Hot Stone Massage, a Cabana Massage (in the cabana where you experience soft ocean breezes, you can choose from Swedish, Deep Tissue, Reflexology or a Couples Massage), and the lovely exotic lime & ginger salt glow that they combine with a massage. They use Elemis Skin, nourishing milk bath and lime and ginger sea salts. It was invigorating and relaxing at the same time.
Like all top notch spas, they offer facials (pro-collagen, oxydermy, tri-enzyme resurfacing and hydralift) as well as a number of spa services. There’s a full salon on site, so you can get hair styling, Phyto hair treatments and scalp massages, conditionings, hair cuts and colorings. Or, you can get a pedicure or manicure after your individualized personalized training session in their extensive gym, the one with the fabulous views! And, apparently Lotus Spa earned the “Best Spa on a Cruise Ship” honors by Spafinder Wellness 365 .
While we’re on the topic of fabulous views, the Princess Izumi Japanese Bath has both indoor and outdoor offerings in which to pamper yourself.
Outside
The Izumi pagoda-covered outdoor hydrotherapy pool was a joy to use. Not only did it fulfill its promise to relax my entire body, but the views were spectacular while you took it all in. The Japanese bath is only available on the Diamond Princess ship so be sure to check when you book your cruise that it is available.
This additional spa feature to the Diamond Princess is nothing short of impressive. Apparently, I learned that this 8,800-square foot Izumi Japanese Bath is the only Japanese bath system at sea onboard a Western-run cruise line.
There’s the hydrotherapy pool outside as I mentioned (LOVED THIS), four whirlpools and two saunas, one more classic in its style and the other which is misted and eucalyptus-infused. They have something they refer to as Utaseyu, which are essentially massaging waterfalls and jetted showers which we loved. The men’s and women’s sections of the Izumi Japanese Bath change regularly so you can alternate and use the features included in both.
The indoor whirlpools are separated by two rooms (two in one room and two in the adjacent one), all of them facing the sea and taking in the beautiful at-sea views. While there is an extra fee to use this area, it’s nominal and worth doing a couple of times during your cruise.
Check out Princess Cruises links for more information on how to plan a cruise. They have a great website that allows you to search by destination, length, time of year and so on.
- Planning a Cruise
- Booking & Types of Cruise Tours
- Destinations
- New to Cruising
Be sure to check out other posts we wrote on the region, which include the excursions or solo trips we took of the stops on this cruise, Tokyo, Tokyo restaurants in our Japanese Food and Japan restaurants section and hotels in our Japan Hotels (& Lodging) section, which for this trip is focused on the hotels we stayed at before and after our tour in Tokyo. There is also more information, articles, fabulous photos and videos in our Japan (Travel to Japan), Tokyo (Travel to Tokyo) and South Korea (Travel to Korea) section.
Be sure to check out our We Blog the World Spa section / top spas in the world.
Note: I was hosted by Princess Cruises however all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
