Take a tour of the Goop cruise, where boozy vacationers lounged by the pool and dabbled in intuition classes
Julia Naftulin
- I went on Goop's inaugural cruise in collaboration with Celebrity Cruises. The 5-day trip left from Miami and stopped in Cozumel and Costa Maya.
- For the most part, the ship and its amenities were typical of any cruise. Goop classes were promoted, but weren't a central part of the trip.
On October 9, I boarded Goop's latest venture, a five-day cruise on the Caribbean in collaboration with Celebrity Cruises on their Summit ship.
Gwyneth Paltrow first announced the "Goop at Sea" concept in January 2020, as the latest brand extension of her wellness empire, that began as a newsletter in 2008.
But once the pandemic hit and one of the first big public outbreaks was on a cruise, information about the much-anticipated trip came to a halt.
Over a year later, in June 2021, "Goop at Sea" was officially cancelled.
In August, a press release with a new concept for the trip dropped: four separate trips throughout October and December, leaving from Miami or Fort Lauderdale and sailing to Mexico. Each cruise would have two Goop-curated experts aboard, including a clairvoyant, fitness instructors, and an acupuncturist.
And so I headed aboard the first of four Goop sailings.
Ultimately, the cruise ship reminded me of a traditional cruise, and the wellness elements remained scarce, despite the Goop partnership.
When I arrived in Miami at the cruise ship port, it was down pouring. Luckily, I was protected from the storm with enclosed tents.
Once inside the tents, I showed a Celebrity Cruises employee my passport, vaccine card, and "Sea Pass," the ticket used to board the ship, enter your room, and buy premium drinks.
Another employee welcomed me aboard the ship, grabbed my suitcase, and escorted me up an elevator to the 8th floor where my room was located.
My room was a five-minute walk from the elevator and down a long and quiet hallway.
I stayed towards the front of the ship and could feel the boat colliding with waves during one rough night at sea.
I relied on the ship's lengthy directories to find my way around its 12 floors.
Elevators were located at the front, back, and center of the ship. Each had these signs posted next to them.
Once settled in my room, I finished the ship safety screening through an automated system on the television.
The entire process took 10 minutes, and I loved that it required zero human interaction.
My stateroom had a minimal aesthetic that reminded me of Goop's packaging. It featured a flat screen television, two sitting areas, a king-sized bed, and marble countertops.
As a solo traveler, I found the room's size impressive and comfortable. There were plenty of places to stow away luggage and clothes, plus a mini fridge.
The bathroom had plenty of shelving too despite its compact size.
The shower was a bit tight, and I bruised my knee getting in one time.
My room also featured a balcony, where I got to watch the sun set over Miami as we left the port. I paid $855.91 for the 5-day cruise, which included an ocean-view stateroom and the basic drink and meal package.
A boat staffer told me to help myself to the complimentary bottle of red wine left on the desk.
The boat had a few pandemic-era reminders, like these signs in each elevator.
All guests had to show proof of vaccination, and ship employees took daily antigen tests. There were also 300 guests on the ship, instead of the usual 800.
Communal computers came with sanitizing protocols.
At the center of the ship's 4th floor sat the casino. No matter the time of day, I could find at least one guest trying their luck at the slot machines inside.
On the second, third, and fifth days at sea, guests received personalized cards with Goop class offerings.
A ship staffer hand-delivered this card, as well as other cards with announcements for shows and off-boat excursions, to my stateroom door.
Most guests spent days at sea lounging on the pool deck, which was outfitted with two swimming basins, four hot tubs, a bar, and rows of lounge chairs.
A roster of live bands and DJs played music in front of the pool while waiters floated from chair to chair asking guests for drink orders.
I had no trouble finding a lounge chair to sunbathe, thanks to the ship's limited capacity during the pandemic.
From the pool, I got an expansive view of the ocean and we traveled towards our first stop: Cozumel, Mexico.
The deck pool sat below deck, so swimmers had to walk down stairs first to take a dip.
The glass elevators offered an ocean view too.
There was no shortage of food options, and I enjoyed room service almost daily.
At the buffet on the 10th floor, guests were asked to first wash their hands at sink stations.
Instead of serving myself, masked buffet staffers plated up food for guests.
The sit-down dinner menu varied each night and included everything from eggplant caviar to fish to pasta.
An on-staff sommelier suggested wine pairings every night at dinner. He offered options that came with my drink package as well as more premium wines I could buy.
On my final night at sea, I had a glass of rosé and a Mediterranean-inspired pasta dish.
The food in the dining room was markedly better than the buffet options. Still, none of the options, including this crème brûlée, seemed catered towards wellness.
There were 7 bars aboard the ship including the martini bar, which was always covered in a thin layer of ice. In the evening, guests watched as bartenders pulled out their best party tricks.
On the fourth night, the pool deck transformed into a "Full Moon Party," complete with a band, neon lights and line dances.
Everyone was asked to dress in all-white outfits and the ship's event's director led guests in dances like the Cupid Shuffle, as servers passed around cocktails.
Above the pool, fitness lovers could take a stroll or jog on the ship's track loop.
I spotted a handful of guests using the track, but most sat in lounge chairs while people-watching from a vantage point.
The Sky Lounge, a bar on the 11th floor, remained empty for most of the day.
A few Goop classes were held in the Sky Lounge, including two intuition seminars with clairvoyant and acupuncturist Deganit Nuur.
Ship employees arranged chairs in a circle, where I later sat with other guests.
In what felt like the most Goop-y part of the trip, Nuur walked us through a meditation where we read each other's auras.
I also took a 30-minute Goop fitness class in the Sky Lounge with New York City-based instructor Colette Dong.
Despite the short length and low-impact nature of the class, I had trouble sitting down for the next week due to sore muscles.
Dong's class featured bodyweight exercises targeting leg muscles, which complimented a class she taught days earlier targeting upper-body muscles.
I noticed the beat-based playlist, which Dong curated herself, helped me stay on track with the quick movements.
Statues, murals, paintings, and photographs lined with ship's walls and corridors and gave the boat a more luxurious vibe.
One night, guests were invited to bid on select art pieces.
The ship's 10th floor housed the spa, where guests could buy massages, nail services, hair styling and cuts, and skincare consultations.
I got a full-body massage during my last day at sea, but didn't hear any mention of the Goop-approved smoothie Paltrow mentioned would be on-board.
Directly next to the spa was the solarium, an indoor pool with massage jets and waterfalls.
The solarium and its cafe seemed tended to be empty, compared to the outdoor deck pool.
After my massage, I enjoyed some solitude while channeling the energy of the solarium's massive statue.
Ultimately, the cruise ship reminded me of a traditional cruise, and the wellness elements remained scarce, despite the Goop partnership.
The five Goop classes I took were the icing on the cake, but I wouldn't return just for the brand-specific offerings.
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