Practicing yoga center stage on board a cruise ship was not something I intended to do, but there I was: on a yoga mat on the stage in the lounge where dancers and singers performed the night before.

Rousing myself early the first morning of my cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ new Oceania Allura, which set sail on her inaugural voyage in July, I joined about two dozen other yogis to collectively participate in the first-ever Immersive Yoga class at sea. As our teacher guided us through traditional poses, the screens on stage lit up with tranquil images shifting between land- and seascapes, each intended to enhance our practice. Rather than closing my eyes during Shavasana, the final resting pose, as I usually do, I kept them open to watch the images float by.

I was introduced to the Immersive Yoga class when my mom and I toured the ship’s Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center the day before with Eden, one of the spa’s therapists. As she led us through the expansive space, including sauna and steam rooms, beauty salon, barber shop, an impressive fitness center, and the Aquamar Spa Terrace with a private pool and hot tubs looking out to the horizon, I paused at one of the 12 treatment rooms with an unusual-looking table.

© Oceania Cruises

When I asked about the table, Eden explained it is for the Zero Gravity Wellness Massage, adjusted throughout the massage to create a sense of weightlessness for the client. Intrigued by this new-to-me technique, I booked the 75-minute treatment. My mom, who never indulges in spa treatments, opted for a 75-minute Restorative Salt Stone Massage using warmed Himalayan salt stones and aromatherapy to relieve muscle tension from our trans- Atlantic flight.

Lying on the table waiting for my therapist to come into the room, I felt my body relax as it usually does when it comes time for a massage. We had already talked about the treatment, so when she came back, she reiterated she would gently place her hand on my shoulder to indicate the table would move into a different position. Only after the massage, as I floated out of the spa, did I realize I barely noticed the table moving over the course of the 75 minutes, and I did feel a sense of weightlessness at times.

The Zero Gravity Wellness Massage is one of three Specialty Treatment Experiences on Aquamar Spa’s menu of services on Allura. The other two are a 75-minute Hot Mineral Body Boost, a massage performed on a heated amber and quartz crystal bed that encourages metabolic balancing and energizing wellness, and a 75-minute Poultice Powered Muscle Release using a uniquely designed amber and quartz poultice with eucalyptus and juniper to invigorate the body and elasticize the skin. More traditional massages including Swedish, deep tissue, bamboo and hot stone — not to mention facials, wraps and scrubs — complement the spa menu.

While Aquamar Spa + Vitality centers are found across Oceania’s fleet of eight ships, some treatments, such as the Specialty Treatment Experiences noted above, are found only on select ships. In addition to the Immersive Yoga class, fitness classes like circuit training, indoor cycling, Pilates, yoga flow, stretching and guided meditation are all available, complimentary, as is use of the state-of-the-art fitness center. Personal training and nutritional consultations are also offered for a nominal fee.

© Oceania Cruises

Wellness on board Allura goes well beyond the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center. Aquamar Kitchen, open for breakfast and lunch, serves lighter fare such as four variations of avocado toast, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and energy bowls for breakfast; and salads, soups, tacos and sandwiches for lunch. Mocktails and nonalcoholic wines are also on the menu. Guests can indulge in
Aquamar Vitality Cuisine options from the menu in the Grand Dining Room as well as healthier options available at Red Ginger, the ship’s Pan-Asian-inspired restaurant, and the buffets at Terrace Café.

Oceania carries wellness off the ship, too, with more than 50 Wellness Discovery Tours by Aquamar offered across the fleet’s itineraries. These tours are mindfully curated to share wellness practices found throughout the world. When she is in Europe, Allura’s Wellness Discovery Tour offerings include climbing to the rim of an active volcano and practicing yoga in Santoríni, relaxing in the same thermal springs outside Rome that inspired Dante and Michaelangelo and which medieval popes enjoyed, practicing yoga in an ancient olive grove near Dubrovnik or enjoying a peloid mud treatment and hydro-massage in Montenegro.

Whether continuing your wellness journey or trying something new, it is easy to do on board Allura.