Practicing yoga on a cruise ship’s stage wasn’t on my agenda, but there I was—on a mat in the lounge where performers had entertained the night before. Early on the first morning of my voyage aboard Oceania Cruises’ new Oceania Allura, which began its inaugural sailing in July, I joined about two dozen fellow participants for the first-ever Immersive Yoga class at sea. As our instructor guided us through familiar poses, the stage screens displayed serene land- and seascapes designed to enhance the practice. Instead of closing my eyes during Savasana as I usually do, I kept them open and watched the images drift by.
I discovered the Immersive Yoga offering when my mother and I toured the ship’s Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center with Eden, one of the spa therapists, the day before. Eden showed us the expansive facility, which includes sauna and steam rooms, a beauty salon and barber shop, a well-equipped fitness center, and the Aquamar Spa Terrace with a private pool and hot tubs overlooking the horizon. One of the 12 treatment rooms caught my eye because of an unusual-looking table.
© Oceania Cruises
When I asked about the table, Eden explained it’s used for the Zero Gravity Wellness Massage. The table adjusts throughout the treatment to create a sensation of weightlessness. Intrigued, I booked the 75-minute session. My mother, who rarely opts for spa services, chose a 75-minute Restorative Salt Stone Massage, which uses warmed Himalayan salt stones and aromatherapy to ease muscles tightened from our transatlantic flight.
Lying on the table and waiting for my therapist, I felt the familiar pre-massage release. We had discussed the treatment beforehand, and she explained that she would gently rest a hand on my shoulder to signal when the table would shift positions. During the massage, I barely registered those movements; afterwards, as I floated out of the spa, I realized I had indeed experienced moments of weightlessness.
The Zero Gravity Wellness Massage is one of three Specialty Treatment Experiences on Aquamar Spa’s menu aboard Allura. The other two specialty options are a 75-minute Hot Mineral Body Boost, performed on a heated amber and quartz crystal bed to encourage metabolic balance and energize the body, and a 75-minute Poultice Powered Muscle Release that uses an amber-and-quartz poultice infused with eucalyptus and juniper to invigorate muscles and improve skin elasticity. The spa also offers classic services—Swedish and deep tissue massages, bamboo and hot stone therapies—as well as facials, wraps and scrubs.
Aquamar Spa + Vitality centers are available on all eight ships in Oceania’s fleet, though some Specialty Treatment Experiences appear only on select vessels. In addition to Immersive Yoga, complimentary fitness classes include circuit training, indoor cycling, Pilates, yoga flow, stretching and guided meditation. Guests also have access to the ship’s state-of-the-art fitness center at no extra charge, with personal training sessions and nutritional consultations available for a nominal fee.
© Oceania Cruises
Wellness aboard Allura extends beyond the spa. Aquamar Kitchen, open for breakfast and lunch, focuses on lighter, nourishing choices such as four varieties of avocado toast, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and energy bowls at breakfast, and salads, soups, tacos and sandwiches at lunch. The menu includes mocktails and nonalcoholic wines. Guests can also order Aquamar Vitality Cuisine selections in the Grand Dining Room and choose healthier options at Red Ginger, the ship’s Pan-Asian restaurant, or from the Terrace Café buffets.
Oceania brings wellness ashore as well, with more than 50 Wellness Discovery Tours by Aquamar offered across the fleet’s itineraries. These thoughtfully designed excursions highlight local wellness traditions and practices. For example, when Allura sails in European waters, Wellness Discovery Tours can include experiences such as hiking to the rim of an active volcano and practicing yoga in Santorini, soaking in thermal springs outside Rome that have inspired artists for centuries, practicing yoga in an ancient olive grove near Dubrovnik, or enjoying a peloid mud treatment and hydro-massage in Montenegro.
Whether you want to continue a wellness routine or try something new, it’s easy to do on board Allura.