CELEBRITY BEYOND: Sailing above and beyond

European Spa takes an exclusive look at the new spa designed by Kelly Hoppen, which has an exclusive partnership with Elemis at sea aboard the latest Celebrity Cruises ship, Celebrity Beyond

REPORT BY MARK SMITH

As the cruise ship industry slowly returns to normal after the pandemic, we take a trip on the inaugural cruise of Celebrity Beyond, the latest in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge series.

Celebrity Beyond has enhanced the features and design of its award-winning predecessors to create innovative luxury spaces that include 32 distinct food and beverage venues, a retail mall, a casino, a theatre and a luxury spa.

A treatment room in the sea-going spa

Celebrity Cruises is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group and this new ship joins the line’s fleet of 14 ships that visit 300 destinations in over 70 countries.

The innovative design includes contributions from globally renowned designers and architects Kelly Hoppen, CBE, Nate Berkus, Jouin Manku and Tom Wright, who have sought to redefine the art of luxury travel for the ship’s 3,260 passengers and 1,400 crew from 60 countries.

Wellness beyond

Celebrity Beyond aims to take wellness beyond the spa into all aspects of its offering. “Three years ago we decided to make wellness one of the key pillars of our business,” says Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, CEO, Celebrity Cruises. “We are incorporating it into all the things we think about and all the things we offer our guests regardless of where they are – we don’t want it only to exist in the spa.”

As a result, the ship has added AquaClass SkySuites designed with wellness in mind. It has also forged a partnership with actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, who serves as the line’s new Well-being Advisor. All AquaClass guests have access to the spa, a clean-eating concept restaurant, Blu, plus fitness kits from Paltrow’s lifestyle brand goop, in-room fitness menus and mindfulness content on TV. Goop will also curate onboard wellness programming and participate in the line’s new Women in Wellness initiative.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, CEO, Celebrity Cruises

“Three years ago we decided to make wellness one of the key pillars of our business... We are incorporating it into all the things we offer our guests... we don’t want it only to exist in the spa.”

“As Celebrity’s new wellbeing advisor, I’ll be working with my team to bring onboard some of our favourite practices and tools for deepening wellbeing and joy,” said Paltrow, who will join a future wellness cruise to deliver an on-board programme designed exclusively for the line.

A spa for the self and the sea

Designed by Kelly Hoppen, CBE with wellness programming developed by OneSpaWorld, The Spa on Celebrity Beyond has been designed to explore the connection between ‘the self, the sea and the world beyond’.

Complementing the spa’s more than 120 rejuvenating treatments is a new collection of 12 therapies inspired by the locations that Celebrity ships visit. The menu also includes signature rituals developed by the Elemis team as well as a high-tech Elemis BIOTEC 2.0 machine.

Aishling McCarthy, Director of operations, maritime, OneSpaWorld

“We have two acupuncturists who have four dedicated treatment rooms. It’s a huge commitment, but we know that we can fulfil it because the demand is there.”

“The spa industry is ever changing, so you have to move with it, which is also why we have introduced our speciality treatment tables,” adds Aishling McCarthy, director of operations, maritime, OneSpaWorld. These include the first-at-sea Gharieni MLX I3Dome – a three-in-one,detox and skin rejuvenation treatment table and a VEMI experience with vibracoustic, electromagnetic and infrared technology.

The thermal suite and crystalarium aboard Celebrity Beyond

The spa offer also includes electro-acupuncture, cupping, R3 pain management therapy, Mindset guided meditation, Jou herbal pain relievers, Good Feet footprint analysis and a pain management menu with Hyperice.

At the heart of the guest journey is the Sea Thermal Suite, a collection of eight distinct spaces that include the Mist Aroma Steam and Desert Infrared Sauna rooms; heated loungers with panoramic views of the ocean; a rainfall water therapy room; experience showers; a crystalarium; a hamman Turkish bath; and a Float Zen Zone with hanging chairs.

An infrared sauna provides stunning views of the sea

The spa also hosts the first Kerastase Institute at sea, offering the latest innovations in haircare and treatments; Ideal Image Ocean MedSpa, offering cutting edge medical aesthetics; a men’s barbers; and a new menu of recovery services using the latest technology to improve workout recovery time and overall better physical health.

Women in Wellness

The story of Celebrity Beyond is led by women – the company has a female CEO and the ship is captained by Kate McCue. It’s therefore perhaps natural for the ship to introduce its Women in Wellness programme, said to be the first of its kind at sea. The concept brings together some of the wellness world’s leading minds and practitioners to curate spa treatments, mind-body programmes, fitness classes and in-room TV wellness access.

The spa reception area with curved staircase leading up to the gym

“Celebrity Cruises came to us and said we’re going to have a wellness pillar and we’d like you to suggestsomething innovative,” explains McCarthy. “We saw that the key part of the business is with women, so we sought out the trailblazers in each specific area of wellness.”

The women include Katie Brauer, founder of The Yoga Professional and creator of the onboard Yoga Flow classes; Elemis skin and body care experts, co-founder and global president Noella Gabriel and chief product and sustainability officer Oriele Frank; Kiki Koroshetz, wellness director at goop; F45 Training athlete Morgan Mitchell; Kimberly Snyder, founder of Solluna; and Ruth Zukerman, co-founder of SoulCycle. Their expertise has informed many of the on-board programmes and will feed into individual cruises that are themed around wellness.

Relaxation loungers in the spa

SPA STATISTICS

CEO Celebrity Cruises: Lisa Lutoff-Perlo Director of operations, OneSpaWorld: Aishling McCarthy Spa director: Ivana Galic Fitness manager: Drazena Marjanovic Spa size: 1,300 sqm Staff: 35 Treatment Rooms: 24 Towels, robes, slippers: The Comphy Company Uniforms: Cintas Clinician treatment beds: Oakworks Specialist treatment beds: Gharieni Software system: OneSpaWorld Suppliers: Iyashi Dôme, Elemis, Hyperice, Cool Sculpting, Thermage, CND, Kerastase, Ionethermie, Botox, Dysport, Restylane, VEMI, Nouveau Brows and Lashes, The Good Feet Store, Jou, TENS Gym suppliers: F45 Training, InBody, Normatec, Concept 2 Rowerg, Power Systems fitness equipment, American Barbell

www.celebritycruises.com

Designing for calm and tranquillity at sea

Kelly Hoppen, CBE speaks exclusively to European Spa about the cutting-edge interior design onboard Celebrity Beyond

With 40 years’ experience in the design industry, Kelly Hoppen, CBE is one of the most acclaimed interior designers in the world. Her successful commercial projects include hotels, bars and restaurants around the globe.

Working with Celebrity Cruises, Hoppen brought her unique sense of style to The Retreat and all of the suites on the company’s first Edge-series ships, and on Celebrity Beyond she has reimagined these along with the main pool area and the spa.

Designer Kelly Hoppen

We talked to her about how the impactful design concept for the spa enhances its connection with passengers.

What was the design brief for the spa onboard Celebrity Beyond?

Next-level wellness; total relaxation; connection to the outdoors. We also wanted to continue the design narrative of Edge and Apex, with their calming neutral tones and carefully balanced interiors.

Can you explain the story behind the hanging sculpture in the spa reception?

I just wanted something ‘wow’ and impactful, but elegant and serene at the same time to greet people when they enter the space. The idea was to have floating ceramic petals that cascade down above my circular lacquered hall table. I wanted to make sure that the design kept with the idea of nature and maintained that connection between the outside of the ship and the inside of the spa.

How did you realise the concept?

We’ve maximised the use of natural light throughout the spa with floor-to-ceiling sloped windows, so there’s a real feeling of openness in there. I also wove plants into the fittings and around the space, as well as organic forms and welcoming textures such as the pebble-patterned flooring in the Float Room, to enhance that connection to nature and the serenity that flows with it.

What were the key materials used to complete the project?

Beautiful veneers and mosaic tiles were used throughout – all perfectly balanced together and enhanced by rich marble and lacquer tones.

Why is it important to connect guests with the ocean onboard the spa? Having that enhanced connection with the ocean and the sky is the embodiment of calm for most of us, so having the water just outside the window was the ultimate gift when designing the spa. It’s the perfect opportunity for mindful reflection and gratitude after a relaxing treatment. The calming balance of the sea evokes thoughts of escapism.

www.kellyhoppeninteriors.com

Pushing the boundaries of skin wellness

Oriele Frank, chief product and sustainability officer at Elemis, explains how the partnership with Celebrity Beyond is driving the brand into new territory

"It’s fantastic to be leading in wellness and pushing the boundaries with the team on Celebrity Beyond. The spa really is set to be the focal point with people coming on board intending to really concentrate on their own wellness, and that’s a real shift in mindset.

Orielle Frank, chief product and sustainability officer, Elemis

"Passengers will have the chance to really work on their mental and physical wellness, and I think that’s a big change for a lot of people. They might try things they’ve never tried before, like F45, cycling or swimming, so I think that it’s an exciting time to reimagine wellness at sea.

"Lisa Lutoff-Perlo tried to inject wellness across the ship and wanted leaders and experts in their field to feed into that experience for the Women in Wellness programme.

"Elemis will be hosting a cruise on Celebrity Beyond later this year that will be about the brand and all about wellness. It will dial up the iconic British status of Elemis with afternoon teas, seminars with me and Noella [Gabriel, cofounder and global president of Elemis]. There’ll be signature treatments too. The whole spotlight will be on the brand.

"Nicola Stott, director of special projects at Elemis, works closely with OneSpaWorld on every aspect of our relations. It’s everything from top to bottom, so we also cover the training in the OneSpaWorld Academies to ensure they have everything they need to deliver the Elemis message through their trainers. Every aspect is scripted to ensure consistency.

"We are working super closely with OneSpaWorld on the long-term vision as the new build programme for ships is set for the next 15 years. We have a trend presentation twice a year that looks at our land and sea businesses, which are quite different.

"To achieve good sales figures from a retail point of view, the facial business needs to be strong, so we’ve worked closely with the team, looking at the whole business model. The big news piece on board is the fact that we have launched the new BIOTEC 2.0 for the first-time onboard a ship.

"We are super excited to see that here as it really elevates the experience and the results for clients. We know that when you have a technology facial, treatment to revenue spend goes up. www.elemis.com