In recent years, cruise lines have enticed passengers by featuring esteemed spa and wellness brands at sea (Canyon Ranch on Celebrity, Cunard, and Regent; Mandara Spa on Norwegian; and Dr. Weil on Seabourn). Now, Crystal Cruises is reversing the trend—bringing its Crystal Life Spa to land for the first time.
Anchored in the sprawling new Resorts World Catskills, Crystal’s feng shui-designed spa opened this August, offering New Yorkers a reasonably priced and easy-to-reach luxury spa experience in Zen surroundings. Here are our three favorite highlights of the freshly minted wellness destination.
Great value for the location
Crystal Life Spa caters well to the price-sensitive spa-seeker. Resorts World Catskills is about an hour-and-45-minute drive from Midtown, making it easy and affordable to reach for city dwellers. Treatments are priced fairly (massages start at $150 for an hour, and facials start at $85 for 30 minutes), and the spa’s spacious saunas, steam rooms, and relaxation rooms are well-appointed, featuring the cruise line’s signature shimmering tiles. Each treatment room is adorned with fresh flower arrangements and features windows overlooking the rolling hills that surround the property.
Cutting-edge, tech-enhanced treatments
The first of its kind in the Northeast, Crystal’s Gharieni Spa Wave treatment is a harmonious mix of technology and holistic wellness. Using Quantum Harmonic Audiotherapy—music with binaural sounds that stimulate the brain—a custom soundscape syncs with a massaging bed of light and vibration to coax the mind and body into a meditative state. Science aside, we found the technique fosters an incredibly soothing and restorative state of deep relaxation, on par with the best nap you’ve ever had. The 60-minute treatment is $95; a 30-minute version ($65) is available as an add-on to other hour-long spa services.
Access to Crystal’s signature services without taking a cruise
Crystal Life Spa has brought cruisers’ favorite at-sea treatments to its first land-based venture. Among the beauty and skincare treatments lifted from the at-sea spas are the popular hand and feet treatments created by Margaret Dabbs, a podiatrist in London (foot massage treatment, 30/60 minutes, $65/$95); Leonor Greyl haircare from Paris (women’s shampoo and blowout, 30 minutes, from $50); and the signature Energy Lift Complete Facial (120 minutes, $245), featuring high-end LING skincare products.