Innovative wellbeing - and Elaine Paige - take centre stage on board Seabourn's latest cruise ship
“I recommend the crystal sound bowl therapy – it puts me in a deep meditative state,” said celebrity doctor Andrew Weil, a specialist in integrative medicine. The American physician was on hand to offer treatment advice as Seabourn Ovation sailed away from Valletta in Malta after a naming ceremony conducted by musical theatre actress Elaine Paige.
Dr Weil, a celebrated TV pundit, has recently partnered with Seabourn to create a mindful living programme for the ultra-luxury cruise line’s on-board spas.
Crystal sound bowl therapy, which involves lying down as a therapist plays the bowls in a bid to lull one into a deep trance (and in my case, sleep), is one of the many alternative treatments aboard Ovation, which embarked on its inaugural voyage from Venice to Barcelona on May 5.
Other “mindful” treatments include mineral-charged massages, quartz and amber facials, tongue and pulse analysis and acupuncture. More mainstream therapies, such as regular massages, are also available.
Wellness and mindfulness have proved so popular with Seabourn’s clientele that the cruise line, in partnership with Dr Weil, is set to launch wellness-focused cruises in Greece and Alaska this year.
Health and wellbeing are not the only highlights on Seabourn’s latest vessel; fine dining also takes centre stage. The 600-passenger ship has six restaurants, including a sushi bar and The Grill. The latter, headed by Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, features Californian cuisine with a French twist: standouts include starters such as decadent black winter truffles and julienned crepes, and for mains, Elysian Fields farm lamb chops with red-wine-poached prunes and lobster thermidor.
The wine list is exceptional and has an extensive selection from local Napa vineyards, including Cliff Lede. The Grill’s interior knits together old-world opulence with a classic Fifties and Sixties American vibe: mahogany-panelled walls, plush velvet sofas and black-and-white photographs by Magnum photojournalist Eve Arnold and American fashion photographer William Helburn.
Other on-board highlights include evening entertainment presented by award-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice, talks by historians and experts and – not to be missed – complimentary caviar room service.
