Sheryl

Since Celebrity is touted to have the best spas at sea, I will definitely be booking at least one service when I go on my first cruise on the Galaxy next month. I have read a little bit about the Rasul from different travel guides and am interested in hearing from anyone who has had it. What is it and what is it like? I want to convince my husband to do it with me since I have read that it is for couples. Thanks in advance!

Gary

Every body’s doing… Rasul <BR>Paper knickers and three kinds of mud may not sound therapeutic, but this is what you’ll be facing if you try out Rasul – the latest spa therapy treatment that’s leaving traditional Turkish baths behind. Here’s eve’s account of what it’s like. <BR><BR>Inside the chamber<BR>Stepping inside the Rasul chamber is like entering another world – the midnight-blue ceiling twinkles with a zillion stars, the floor is laid with Arabic tiles and the walls are decorated with an ornate Moorish blue and gold-leaf border. Centre of attention is a ceramic ‘fireplace’, topped with a mosque-like dome. <BR><BR>It’s hot, and on either side of the ‘fireplace’ are two pairs of club-class-sized ceramic blue ‘armchairs’. On the armrest between the seats is a tray containing what looks like three little piles of dog poo. <BR><BR>Mud frenzy<BR>‘The white one is for your face, the red one for your front and the gritty dark-brown one for your back and legs,’ explains the attendant. This organic mud is applied to the skin. At this point the attendant shuts you in and turns up the heat. <BR><BR>With or without the complimentary (if grotesque) paper knickers, it’s time to slap on the mud. As it dries on the skin, lavender steam pours out of the dome and fills the room. The piped muzak is vaguely Eastern, although during our treatment they switched to Classic FM, at which point we became soporific, gazing up at the stars overhead. <BR><BR>Rinse and repeat…<BR>Suddenly two searchlights came on and it started to pour with ‘rain’ from the ceiling. (Sorry to spoil the element of surprise for potential first-timers.) The rain softens the mud, which trickles off. The instinct is to rub the mud off your skin, and flick off the small clods as they fall on the floor. <BR><BR>We used the wall-mounted showers, too, to hose ourselves down – cue for a lot of shrieking. And a lot of showering. Despite our attempts to rinse the mud off, our towels were soon stained red and brown. So we showered again, and again, and again… <BR><BR>How was it for us?<BR>The socialising and pampering associated with traditional Turkish baths are there, and the mud certainly left skin feeling clean and soft. More than that, it’s good fun – and that has to be therapeutic. <BR><BR>Want to try it? <BR>It’s best to book Rasul treatment as a group of three or four – otherwise you’ll have to share your treatment with strangers. <BR>

colman

On the Celebrity, it was private for my wife and myself. You first exfoliate each other with sea salt and shower in a room with many shower heads. You then do use the 3 muds on each others body (VERY nice!), followed by baking in the steam room (connected to the shower rooms). After cooking for a while, rain pours out of the ceiling and gently tries to get the mud off to no avail. You then shower in the large shower room and rub essential oils on each other to end your session.... Then you go sit by the pool for the drink of the day! We loved it!

Janice

We were on Celebrity's Century March 9th cruise. I booked the Rasul for us but didn't tell him about it until it was time for the appointment. It was nice but neither one of us think we'd do it again. We went in the T-pool-sort of like a large hot tub. For the mud treatment the attendent told us they were having problems with the "rain"-it might not happen and to just use the shower if it didn't come on. The problem is- you have no idea how long you've been in there and if you should go ahead and shower. I'm not a big steam room or sauna person. Actually we were in there about 45 minutes and it should have been 30 minutes. Then one of us was taken to a whirlpool bath and the other to a sauna bed (like a tanning bed) only it got hot like a sauna room. It was toooo hot for me. I had to turn it off after about 10-15 minutes. This was for 20-25 minutes and then we switched. The total cost was $132 ($120 plus $12(10%) gratuity). This cost included using the T-pool before our treatment. I'm glad I did it once but I'm not sure I would do it again. The T-pool we might do again. That cost $50 to use for the week. I know that he would not care about doing the Rasul again. But, I'd probably take Princess over Celebrity if the prices were the same for a similar cruise.

Cheryl

it was fun, sexy, as it's supposed to be--warm wet muddy. If you want to lighten up a relationship--go for it but as the best spa experience going--nah-- but do it anyway