Sometimes I’m blown away by what some companies will pay some people to do.
Like today.
As if passengers on cruise ships — the rolling theme-park strip malls of the sea — needed any more reminders to peel themselves away from the buffet and take a load off, now Celebrity Cruises has announced a partnership with Mark Zuckerberg’s sister, Randi, to promote a series of tech-inspired spa treatments on board.
The program is called, “Take Care of YourSelfie,” and offers a new lineup of specially designed spa treatments and services at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub on board Celebrity’s luxury ships. It starts this month.
Zuckerberg runs Dot Complicated, a website about tech and social media. She “curated the one-of-a-kind program to inspire vacationers to take a break from their daily dose of technology and recharge,” according to Celebrity’s announcement, which also called Zuckerberg a “pioneer in the tech-life balance movement.”
“The digital revolution has changed and enriched every facet of our lives, and now more than ever, it is essential for us to find a healthy tech-life balance,” says Zuckerberg in the release. “Celebrity Cruises is a leader in providing relaxing and restorative vacations, and by partnering with them, I hope to inspire moments of logging off and shutting down for a few hours or even a day. We want guests to explore ways to embrace a balance that complements their lifestyle onboard and at home.”
With the Take Care of YourSelfie program, you can enjoy such relaxing treatments like fACEial Time, a rejuvenating treatment made for people who stare at screens all day, and InstaGlow, a detoxifying and cleansing body scrub. Treatments vary from a basic yoga class for $10 to $266 for that facial.
I’ll admit it, I’m a white woman. And I like spas and massages and all that crap. I’m supposedly smack-dab in this demographic. But nothing irks me more than someone who is incredibly privileged lecturing to peons like me about “work-life balance.” It’s like Gwyneth Paltrow telling me to steam-clean my vagina (This has probably been the first time that word has ever been on GeekWire. Thank you, I’m here all week.) Or Sheryl Sandberg telling me to Lean In at my former shitty jobs. And don’t even get me started on how sad it is that most people do not have the willpower to shut off their phones and go for a walk.
What do you think of the spa trend to cash in on our tech-harried lives?