Finding Serenity With A Spa Day On A Carnival Cruise

Since I travel so frequently, a true vacation for me is one where I can digitally disconnect and find some peace and quiet. I typically look for yoga retreats, resorts with great spas, or some place that offers a little outdoor escape. To my pleasant surprise, Carnival Cruise Line now offers the kind of soul-rejuvenating experience I crave with its Serenity Adult-Only Retreat.

If you recall my post about Cruising Then and Now, my memory of cruising was back when I was in college and looking for a big party with lots of energetic music and fun. And while the thrills and fun are still available, there’s also a lovely little retreat to escape to that’s just for adults — and it’s free. It’s nice to have that kind of variety on a vacation.

My most recent cruise was a girlfriend’s getaway with my friend, Suzie. One afternoon, we filled our beach bags with magazines, books, and big Jackie-O style sunglasses to spend some time reading and relaxing on the Serenity Deck. There was soothing music, big comfy outdoor loungers, and giant hammocks swaying in the sea breeze. There was a bar too, but I found that the servers were so attentive that we never really needed to get up from our cozy spot as they’d bring us anything we needed, including towels. I think I ended up reading only a page of my book as I kept drifting asleep. The gentle breeze and the sound of the ocean lulled me into a relaxation coma … and it was heaven. We loved it so much, we decided to plan our day at sea entirely around the Serenity Deck and spa experience.

We went to the spa and made reservations for hot stone massages. And while the sauna is included and available to all guests on the cruise for free, we upgraded to have access to the Thermal Suite too as the heated glass tile loungers with a view looked pretty inviting.

So, our day at sea was dedicated to spa and wellness. That’s something I didn’t know I could do on a cruise! Here’s the itinerary we made for ourselves:

SPA DAY AT SEA

MORNING

• Started the morning with room service for a leisurely coffee and breakfast on our cabin’s balcony.
• Went to the gym for some late-morning yoga and stretching.
• Attended a free Detoxing for Health And Wellness Seminar offered at the gym where we learned about the benefits of drinking water with lemon, adding seaweed to our diet, and the importance of sweating, so we tried to incorporate these lessons within our spa day.

AFTERNOON

• Sushi for lunch! (We had just learned that seaweed is good for you, after all.)
• A little rest and relaxation in the Thermal Suite. Again, I had intended on getting some reading done but kept drifting in and out of a nap … this is a good thing.
• A hot stone massage that left me feeling like a million bucks.
• A tall glass of water with lemon and a session in the sauna to sweat it out.

EVENING

• After the spa, we headed back to our cabin to freshen up, then went to the marketplace-style salad buffet on the Lido Deck for a casual dinner.
• We ended the day where we started, lounging around on the Serenity Deck, sipping cocktails, and watching the sunset.

I don’t think I’ve been that relaxed before in my life, or ever since.