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With a sea day between Aruba and the Dominican Republic, we decided that a hot stone massage was in order.

Located on deck 9, adjacent to the fitness center, Greenhouse Spa offers a wide variety of treatments, including acupuncture, teeth whitening, Thai Herbal Poultice, Bamboo and Aroma Spa Seaweed massages, hair and nail services, plus cellulite reduction services.

The Elemis Aroma Stone massage is offered in 55-, 75-, and 100-minute sessions and incorporates both Elemis Frangipani Monoi and Japanese Camellia massage oil blends.

We’re invited to the relaxation room both before and after the massage. This space has lounge chairs, a selection of fresh fruit waters, hot teas and sweeping views of the sea to quiet the mind after busy days in ports-of-call.

The massage begins with a few brisk dry brush strokes along the skin to awaken the skin cells. Long, slow strokes with massage oil soon follow, as my tight back and neck muscles are worked on. My massage therapist, Tadi, checks in to make sure that the correct pressure is applied and soon, the hot volcanic stones are added to the session.

[Relaxation room]

For those not familiar with this particular form of massage, hot stones help to penetrate the skin to aid with muscle tension, an added benefit to massage only using the hands.

When it’s time to turn over, I am truly in a deep state of relaxation and fall in and out of light sleep as my muscles continue to slowly get worked over.

A couple’s massage room is also available but books quickly, especially on sea days.

We were provided an Elemis Aroma Hot Stone massage for the purpose of experiencing the service for this feature. Opinions, as always, remain our own.