Text us at 407-572-3631 To Plan Your Next Adventure
  • Home
  • About
    • Resources
  • Blog
    • Live Large Cruise Small
  • Theme Parks

Our Blog

Cruise Ship Thermal Suites

4/14/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
When I board a cruise ship the first place I like to head is the Spa.  Well sometimes I grab lunch first but I always get to the spa early on embarkation day.   This is the time when you can tour the spa and check out everything they have to offer.  Sometimes they even have a spa raffle you can enter when you do the tour.   The thing I want to see most in the spa is the Thermal Suite!   If you haven't been to this amazing area on a ship before you are missing out.  
  Almost all cruise ship spas will have some type of thermal suite. They might call it something else, such as Disney calls theirs the Rainforest Room or Princess calls it the Enclave.   Whatever they call it, the thermal suite is an area of the spa where guests can relax and do a little self care on their own.   In the past few months I have been lucky enough to sail on a few different ships and try out each of their thermal suites.  
   
What will you find in a Thermal Suite?
First off I will say they are co-ed so you will find everyone wearing bathing suits.
While it varies from ship to ship most thermal suites will usually have at least a steam room, sauna, and aromatherapy showers.   Many now have a salt room too.
  Some offer hot tubs and/or cool tubs (yep cool water actually feels nice after the steam room or sauna).   If you are lucky they will have a thalassotherapy pool -  these are a bit different than a hot tub as they are larger, use saltwater, the jets are stronger, and they usually have a full body size reclining seat in the water.  I really enjoyed the one in The Enclave on Princess Sky.  Disney Dream and Fantasy have 2 hot tubs on an open air deck portion of the Rainforest room which I also really enjoy.   
Some of the more unique things I have found in thermal suites are the mud room on Virgin and the snow room on MSC and NCL.  I can't say that I am normally a fan of mud or snow but it was fun to try them out in the spa.  I also really liked the crystal room on Celebrity Apex.
  After you've experienced some of the features you will want to just relax and enjoy the zen feeling so most will have some type of heated lounger that you can just melt into.   These are usually my favorite. I say usually because I was not a fan of the heated seating in Virgin's spa.   Some ships place their thermal suite in really nice locations like Celebrity Apex which was at the very front of an upper deck so your view from the heated loungers was amazing, especially around sunset!  The thermal suite on Apex also had nice big window views from the sauna and hanging chairs so there are lots of places to relax and enjoy the view.  Not all thermal suites will be in a location with a view which isn't bad either.  I kind of liked the darker quiet feeling of the Enclave on Sky Princess which is in interior area of a lower deck.

Picture
How do you access the Thermal Suite?
Some spas will give you time in the Thermal Suite before or after a booked treatment.
If you are not planning to book any spa treatments you can usually book a day pass or length of cruise pass to visit the thermal suite whenever you want. 
Some ships even offer a special stateroom category you book that includes access to the thermal suite during your cruise.   Be sure to check pricing since sometimes those spa staterooms are a great deal if you are planning to spend time in the thermal suite anyway.   
Viking Ocean Cruises even goes a step further and includes thermal suite access to everyone.
During covid rules you had to make an appointment for your thermal suite visit so they could control the number of guests in there at a given time.   Disney went as far to make it a private appointment which I really loved even if I didn't love the price tag for that hour and 45 minutes.   Now covid rules are easing so most spas are running pretty close to normal again.   


Bonus
  Going to the thermal suite can also come with a bonus.   You will be able to use the changing room area before and after so you will get a robe and can store anything you don't want to bring into the thermal suite.   That area usually also has showers you can use which tend to have some upgraded bath products and lotions.  
Another bonus - no kids allowed in the spa!

If you are like me and love to find nice quiet spots to relax when you cruise I highly recommend checking out the Thermal Suite in the ship's spa.  
0 Comments

Disney Cruise Line's Rainforest Room VS Virgin Voyages Redemption Spa

11/4/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
​I have recently sailed on Disney Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages and both offer an amazing spa.  Disney has the Rainforest room and Virgin has Redemption Spa's Thermal Suite.   They are very different and are also dealing with covid differently. Here is my experience with each -  


 Disney Dream's Rainforest Room.   On the Dream the Spa area and fitness are all together on Deck 11 all the way in the front of the ship.  This is also where most of the adult only stuff is located so it is a nice quiet area.  There are 2 hot tubs, 4 different types of showers, along with a steam room, sauna, and heated lounges.  Disney has decided to change the rules for the Rainforest Room due to covid so that only one party is allowed at a time.  You reserve a time slot for a flat fee of $175  and you and up to 10 people in your party are able to have the Rainforest room all to yourself!   Yes it is a little pricey but after the year and half I had I knew it would be worth every penny for me!  I couldn't wait to book my slot as I always enjoy a visit to the Rainforest Room and thought alone would be even better!  I understand that eventually they will go back to normal operations but I would love it if maybe Disney would still offer a few times each day where guests could book a private experience.  
 The Rainforest Room includes a semi-enclosed outdoor section with the 2 hot tubs.  Inside it has heated loungers, a steam room, sauna, and aromatherapy showers. The heated loungers are my favorite place to read a little and nap a lot   I also really love that outdoor area with the hot tubs as there is just something relaxing about having a sea breeze and hearing the ocean.   The showers and steam room and saunas are also nice.  You do have the option to purchase some scrubs to use in the showers but I opted out of that for this time.  The area is a bit small and used to get kind of crowded before covid so I do wish it was bigger.   Either way it is a nice little sanctuary to just unwind and de-stress even if only for an hour and 45 minutes.

Picture
Picture
Virgin Voyages Redemption Spa  Virgin's spa is down on deck 5 mid ship.   The thermal suite is pretty big and offers a mudroom, salt room, sauna, steam room, along with hot and cold plunge pools  There are also some heated marble hamman benches.  It is $70 for a day.   As with all things Virgin the covid policies seemed to be much more relaxed than Disney.  While they are not doing private time bookings they did say they are limiting the number of guests due to covid.  The funny thing is when you book your day you don't have to pick a time in advance and so I am not sure if they are just limiting the number of guests per day or if you book the day and arrive when too many people are already in there they would tell you to come back.  
When I went there were a few people but there was plenty of space to spread out and usually have one of the rooms to yourself.  When I checked in at the desk I was told hold on let me get your mud.   I wasn't really sure what to expect since I hadn't tried a mudroom before so when she handed me this shot glass size cup of mud I had to laugh.  I am not sure what I was picturing but this wasn't it. 

​  I figured since I had my mud might as well go for the mudroom first.   The little sign by the door said go in let your skin warm and then apply mud and relax and let it soak in and then wash off.   Sounded easy enough.   It was a little strange at first but I just thought of the mud like any other scrub I might use on my skin. It actually felt pretty good until it was time to rinse off and the water was a bit chilly.  I figured ok now I will go warm up in the other rooms.  I tired out all of the rooms along with the pools.  I skipped the 2 coldest ones which looked like hot tubs but I knew from watching others get in that they were pretty cold.  I was disappointed that the one that was most like a pool didn't have any jets and the water was a bit too cool for me.   I was also disappointed by the heated benches as they were very uncomfortable.   I tried a few different spots and as much as I love the warmth they just do not seem to be designed for relaxing.   Another thing I would  recommend do not pick a port day to visit.   Being down on Deck 5 meant you were close to ground level and we were parked right next to another ship so the view wasn't that good and it was a bit noisy.   Even though I could go as much as I wanted to during that day I didn't end up going back after my first visit.  


I enjoyed my visit to both of these spas and highly recommend you check on out on your next cruise!
I didn't mention this but  in case you haven't been to one of these things before they are co-ed and you do wear your bathing suit.  You will also be provided with a robe and plenty of towels.   

Picture
0 Comments

    Coleen

    Need a quote for traveling  anywhere?  Click here to start.

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018

    Categories

    All
    Active Discovery
    Adult Only Cruise
    Adventure Cruise
    Adventures By Disney
    Airfare
    Air Help
    Airline
    Airline Apps
    Airport
    AK
    Alaska
    Alaska Cruise
    Alaska Excursions
    Alaskan Dream Cruise
    Alaska Trivia
    Albatross
    All Inclusive Resort
    Amazon
    Amelia Island
    American Cruise Lines
    American Queen Voyages
    Anchorage
    Antarctica
    Arles
    Austria
    Avalon Waterways
    Avignon
    Azamara
    Azamra White Night
    Bad Weather
    Bahamas
    Bahia Agua Verde
    Bahia San Francisco
    Baja
    Balcony
    Balcony Room
    Baltic Cruise
    Barcelona
    Beach
    Beach Bonfires
    Beach Club At Bimini
    Beaches
    Best Apple Strudel
    Best Pizza At Sea
    Bimini Bahamas
    Blue Footed Booby
    Blue Whale
    Breathless
    British Isles
    Brown Booby
    Burro
    Camargue
    Camera
    Captiva
    Carnival Cruise Faster To The Fun
    Carnival Cruise Line
    Carrieres De Lumieres
    Carry On Bag
    Castaway Cay
    CDC
    Celebrity Apex
    Celebrity Cruise
    Celebrity Cruise Line
    Charger
    Charles Darwin Research Center
    Checked Bag
    Christmas Markets
    Civitavecchia
    Colosseum
    Connecting Flights
    Coronavirus
    Costa Rica
    Cotapaxi
    Côte D'Azur
    Cruise
    Cruise Bar Order
    Cruise Packing
    Cruise Rewards
    Cruise Ships
    Cruise Spa
    Cruise Staterooms
    Cruise Technology
    Cruisetour
    Cruising
    Crystal Cruise
    Dad
    Danube River
    Delays
    Delta
    Denali
    Destin
    Dining On Disney Wish
    Disembarkation
    Disney Cruise
    Disney Cruise Line
    Disney Dream
    Disney Fantasy
    Disneyland Paris
    Disney Magic
    Disney Merrytime Cruise
    Disney's Magic Kingdom
    Disney Vacations
    Disney Village
    Disney Wish
    Disney Wonder
    Disney World
    Dolphins
    Donkey
    Duck Key
    Ecuador
    End Of Cruise
    Ensenada Grande
    Expedition Cruise
    Fairbanks
    Fall Into Magic
    Family Cruise
    Fathers Day
    Flight Aware
    Flight Changes
    Flight Delay
    Florence
    Florida
    Florida Keys
    Flying
    France
    Frequent Flier
    Frequent Flyer
    Galapagos
    Galapagos Islands
    Galciers
    Germay
    Giant Tortoise
    Glacier Bay National Park
    Gorges De L'Ardeche
    Grab
    Gratuity
    Gray Whale
    Great Stirrup Cay
    Gulf Of Mexico
    Halloween
    Halloween Horror Nights
    Happiness
    Harbor Seals
    Hawaii
    Hawks Cay
    Health
    Health Protocols
    Henderson Beach Resort
    Hiking Sandals
    Holiday Cruise
    Holiday Markets
    Holland America
    Holland America Club Orange
    Honeymoon
    Hotel
    Hotel Breakfast
    Hotel Loyalty
    Humpback Whale
    Hurtigruten
    Hurtigruten Expedition
    Island Resort
    Itlay
    Jamaica
    Juneau
    Kayak
    Kelly Clarkson
    Ketchikan
    Land Iguana
    Last Name Change
    Linblad
    Little Palm Island
    Livorno Italy
    Loews Royal Pacific
    Luxury Cruise
    Luxury Resort
    Made In Alaska
    Magdalena Bay
    Marine Iguana
    Marne-la-Vallée
    Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy Train Station
    Marseilles
    Medallion
    Mediterranean Cruise
    Metropolitan Touring
    Mexico
    Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
    Middle Seats
    Mini Speaker
    Miss The Boat
    Misty Fjords
    Monaco
    Monte Carlo
    Mule
    Nazca Booby
    NCL
    NCL Cruise Priority Access
    New Cruise Ships 2021
    Newlyweds
    Northern Europe
    Norwegian Encore
    Norwegian Fjords
    OceanCompass
    Oceaneers Club
    Oceania Cruise
    Ocean Medallion
    OceanReady
    Ocean Victory
    Off Season Travel
    Onda
    Opera
    Orca
    Orlando
    Packing
    Packing Cubes
    Packing List
    Palma De Mallorca
    Paris
    Passport
    Peak Season Travel
    Petersburg
    Piazza
    Pilot Whale
    Pisa
    Planning
    PlayOcean
    Poassport
    Ponant
    Pont Du Gard
    Port Of Miami
    Post Vacation
    Power Bank
    Pre Cruise Test
    Premium Cruise Ship
    Princess Cays
    Princess Cruise
    Princess Cruise Line
    Princess Grace
    Prohibited On A Cruise
    Provence
    Puerto Escondido
    Puerto Los Gatos
    Quito
    Rainforest Room
    Redemption Spa
    Red Footed Booby
    Regent Seven Seas
    Rental Car
    Reviews
    Rewards Progrm
    Rhone
    Ritz Carlton Amelia Island
    Ritz Carlton Yacht
    River Cruise
    Road Trip
    Romantic Cruise
    Rome
    Room Service
    Royal Caribbean
    Royal Caribbean The Key
    Safari Endeavor
    Safe Cruising
    Sanibel
    Seabourn
    Sea Lion
    Sea Lions
    Sea Of Cortes
    SeaWorld
    Sea World
    Secrets
    Sei Whale
    Shark
    Shopping
    Shopping Tips
    Short Cruise
    Shoulder Season
    Silver Cove
    Silversea
    Single Rider
    Single Travel
    Skip-gen Vacations
    Sklagway
    Sky Princess
    Skyroam
    Sky Suites
    Smaller Airport
    Small Ship Cruise
    Small Ship Cruising
    Snorkel
    Snorkel Gear
    Snorkeling
    Social Distance
    Social Distance In Theme Parks
    Solo Travel
    South Seas Resort
    Southwest Airlines
    Souvenirs
    Spa
    Spain
    SPF Clothes
    Splurge
    Spooktacular
    Starfish
    Staycation
    St Pete Beach
    Stress Relief
    Summer Cruise
    Technology Gifts
    The Enclave
    Theme Park
    Theme Parks
    Thermal Suite
    Tipping
    Tortoise
    Tour Group
    Traboules
    Tradewinds Resort
    Train To Disneyland Paris
    Travel
    Traveling
    Travel Rewards
    Travel Tips
    Trevi Fountain
    UnCruise
    Underwater Highway
    Universal Orlando
    Universal Studios Orlando
    Vacation Planning
    Val D'Enfer
    Valencia
    Van Gogh
    Vatican
    Viking Cruise
    Viking Oean Cruise
    Vip
    Virgin Voyages
    Viviers
    Walt Disney Studios
    Wetsuit
    World Cruise
    Wrangell
    Zoetry

    RSS Feed

Click to set custom HTML

Stress Free Vacations, Inc.
Orlando, Fl
Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST15578 
California Seller of Travel No. 2090937-50 
Washington UBID No. 603189022 

Iowa Registered Agency # 1202
terms and conditions
​

407-572-3631
Photos used under Creative Commons from LordEfan, Free For Commercial Use (FFC)
  • Home
  • About
    • Resources
  • Blog
    • Live Large Cruise Small
  • Theme Parks