Men's Spa Facilities on Cruise ships: Which ones do you think are the best?

Steam Room Temperature Question.

How hot is too hot?

I sailed the Carnival Victory Jan 2nd and they have the steam room set at 55 Celsius (which is 130 F.) Myself and other complained but they said it was set correctly. It really felt unsafe. The temp. gauge hanging inside the room read 138 - 140 F.

I googled the average temp and I found 110 F to 116 F is normal.

I was kind of annoyed because the room temp made it impossible to enjoy at such a scalding temp.

To answer the other question, if there is no free separate, I would purchase a pass if the facilities were not co-ed. If I am on a ship where the only option is a fee based co-ed, I would skip the whole thing and just hang out at the pool. And try like hell to NOT sail a ship if there are no separate facilities.

p.s. The Carnival Victory has free separate steam and sauna.

Does anyone have details about Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest? are they co-ed or seperate?

Can also confirm Independence of Seas still has single sex facilities. You can use your own lock for the lockers as well - no need to check-in at desk.

There is a steamroom near the gym. This is men only, it has if i recall 2 really great modern showers, a seating area. Its a wonderful ship by the way.

There is a steamroom near the gym. This is men only, it has if i recall 2 really great modern showers, a seating area. Its a wonderful ship by the way.

Thanks I look forward to cruising her soon.

I am going on the Celebrity summit on April 8th. it will be my first time on Celebrity. How is the ship? How is the dining and food overall? Do they have a sauna and or steam room? Can one have good conversations in them?

The Summit is a great ship, one of my favourites actually.

The men's change room by the indoor pool has a large sauna with a large window so you can watch the sea go by as you relax. It seats 8-12 men comfortably and is free to use. There is an open shower area outside the sauna to cool off between sessions and three large private showers which many men use to get ready in the evenings before dinner.

There is also the Persian garden which is by the spa, this is a pay area and is co-ed. It has several saunas and steam rooms plus heated tiled loungers. Unlike other Celebrity ships this Persian Garden is relatively small and all inside with no windows so it isn't an area I particularly enjoy.

If you are in an Aqua class stateroom you will have free access to the Persian Garden and also access to the Blu dining room, which for me is very nice. The food is at par or better than the main dining room with its own menu each night, but the service is much better since it's a smaller restaurant, think of it as your own speciality dining restaurant.

Have fun! I'm sure you'll have a great time.

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Thank you, I am looking forward to the cruise.

Thank you, I am really looking forward to the cruise and the ports of call.

Will be traveling on Celebrity Reflection from Rome on August 21, 2017. I've been on Solstice class ships before, but not Reflection. Have booked an Aquaclass stateroom and am looking forward to some relaxation. What can I expect in terms of facilities that are coed versus separate? Thanks!

Will be traveling on Celebrity Reflection from Rome on August 21, 2017. I've been on Solstice class ships before, but not Reflection. Have booked an Aquaclass stateroom and am looking forward to some relaxation. What can I expect in terms of facilities that are coed versus separate? Thanks!

Being in aqua gives you access to the Persian garden. The entire area is coed, this includes various steam and sauna rooms, and loungers. There is also a men's change room which is open to everyone, there is a men's only sauna inside.

Have fun!

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Nope - no complimentary steam room or sauna area on the royal class ships (Regal and Royal princess).

There is what they call the Enclave within the Lotus spa on deck 5 forward. Probably the most impressive of any princess ships with a nice hot (and large) spa with various water massaging jets, and fountains, and seating. Ceramic beds (but cold ones), 2 very hot steam type areas and a cool sauna type area. Water beds, cold towels etc.

 

Problem is that it is deck 5 forward on this ship, and not complimentary, quite expensive infact (although best Princess sauna/steam type area). The other problem is that the Gym is on deck 17 Aft, with 2 small change rooms (male/female) with no sauna, steam.

 

I must prefer the Grand Class princess ships, as they have the complimentary steam room and sauna in the men's change areas, as well as the Thermal suite (area of steam rooms and warm ceramic beds for a fee, or complimentary with a Spa treatment), the Gym and the Adults only pool and spas...all in the same area so you can migrate between them all easily without going into other public areas of the ship (ie - like the Ruby you travelled on previously.)

I agree with you on preferring Grand Class ships. While as a whole, Regal Princess is just "over the top," in many respects, The Enclave was a disappointment. Perhaps on my Dec 2014 cruise they were still getting some of the bugs worked out, but one room wasn't functioning properly for the first few days nor were two of the "rain showers"

Yes, the "pool" with showers and jets of water and bubbles was an INSTANT SELLER: staff that brought in people in for a tour hoping to sign them up usually just needed to walk them in and let them see it.

HOWEVER.... by the second day I realized that pool was nothing more than a bubbling cauldron of urine and sweat! I watched MANY people exit a sauna or steam room and just plop in without a shower. Between that and the straight couple that must have forgotten that they'd have more privacy in their cabin than the large stone in the one sauna where they were getting frisky..... I didn't go back.

Just off of the Independence of the Seas. Really enjoyed the men's steam room. Excellent conversation with one gentleman. Another conversations between three of us. Very relaxing. Would love to hear others experiences. Feel free to email me:

devinology5678@yahoo.com

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Any info on MSC Divina?

I'm sailing on MSC soon as well and would love any information about the spa area as well. Coed? Separate facilities? Lots of conversation?

Going on the Eurodam in a few weeks, can someone tell me if there are steam rooms and saunas in the men's change rooms by the fitness centre and if there is a charge for their use? Thanks so much!

NCL - Epic

Sailed February 25, 2017. Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

No free spa facilities of any kind. There is a locker room with one enclosed shower stall that is free and part of the gym facilities.

Paid facilities: Mandara Spa

• Purchased an all-cruise pass (supposedly, they only sell a limited number of passed).
  
• Men's only area includes:
  
  • Lockers
    
  • Three showers with glass enclosures.
    
  • One partially enclosed shower.
    
  • Small dry sauna - fits about three to four men.
    
  • Large wet sauna - fits about 8-10 men.
    
  • Sitting area with two chairs.
    
  • Well stocked with towels and robes (for little people)
    

  [*]Co-Ed Area:

  • A large hot tub/whirlpool with various feature sections.
    
  • Chaise lounges
    
  • Quite room
    
  • Large wet sauna
    
  • Two dry saunas with floor-to-ceiling windows (ocean view).
    
  • Aft outdoor relaxation area with about 6 chaise lounges.
    

  [*]The entire spa is well maintained and clean.

  [*]You have to surrender your room key card at the front desk in exchange for a spa key card.

NCL - Epic

Sailed February 25, 2017. Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral.

No free spa facilities of any kind. There is a locker room with one enclosed shower stall that is free and part of the gym facilities.

Paid facilities: Mandara Spa

• Purchased an all-cruise pass (supposedly, they only sell a limited number of passed).
  
• Men's only area includes:
  
  • Lockers
    
  • Three showers with glass enclosures.
    
  • One partially enclosed shower.
    
  • Small dry sauna - fits about three to four men.
    
  • Large wet sauna - fits about 8-10 men.
    
  • Sitting area with two chairs.
    
  • Well stocked with towels and robes (for little people)
    

  [*]Co-Ed Area:

  • A large hot tub/whirlpool with various feature sections.
    
  • Chaise lounges
    
  • Quite room
    
  • Large wet sauna
    
  • Two dry saunas with floor-to-ceiling windows (ocean view).
    
  • Aft outdoor relaxation area with about 6 chaise lounges.
    

  [*]The entire spa is well maintained and clean.

  [*]You have to surrender your room key card at the front desk in exchange for a spa key card.

I went on Epic last year on a 10 day cruise from Barcelona and got the Thermal spa pass at $169

I'm going again in May on a 7 day cruise again from Barcelona and NCL are asking £160 =$199 , !! that's with a $20 early booking discount !!

Shame I won't be going again this year at that rate

Anyone been on Carnival Sunshine? The deck plan is confusing. I saw someone asked last yr, but no answer.

Anyone been on Carnival Sunshine? The deck plan is confusing. I saw someone asked last yr, but no answer.

The Sunshine has a small Sauna that's complementary which is located in the Men's Locker Room within the Cloud 9 Spa. There is a very small locker area with a fair amount of lockers with combo locks (no visit to the spa desk necessary) a vanity area with 2 sinks, 2 individual showers, urinals, a toilet room & a 2nd large handicapped toilet stall with sink (strange that there's no mirror) located near the entrance.

The fitness center is a GREAT facility, in fact better than on any of their new builds. Why? Well the Ceiling in the gym is double height, which means you can do chinups/pull ups without hitting your head on the ceiling! Also there's no claustrophobic feeling due to the ceiling height!

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Anyone know about the facilities on the Disney Fantasy?

Im guessing the new Celebrity Edge will be another new behemoth that thinks its a good idea for a cruise ship to have no free gender separate sauna/steam facilities. Or does anyone know otherwise?

Shame really. Just another cruise ship to cross of our list. Hopefully the marketing departments will eventually get the message.

I agree, I don't think I'll be holding my breath, if they do it will be at the top of my list for booking cruises.

Im guessing the new Celebrity Edge will be another new behemoth that thinks its a good idea for a cruise ship to have no free gender separate sauna/steam facilities. Or does anyone know otherwise?

 

Shame really. Just another cruise ship to cross of our list. Hopefully the marketing departments will eventually get the message.

Unfortunately, as long as most cruisers don't really care about sauna/steam facilities, and the new thermal suites are working as revenue centers, that will be the way going forward for RCI and Celebrity. We'll keep enjoying the older, smaller ships that have the free, gender-separate facilities in nice locker rooms (and with decent fitness centers). I just hope we wear out before those ships do.

It is quite sad that a number of cruise ships are losing the single sex sauna/steam rooms and going towards the mixed Spa which are not very cheap. I would not mind paying for the Spa if it was per hour and not for the day.

The single sex ones are great, guys get together put the world to right etc. I go to local Spa and it is often spoiled by women who constantly talk to each other and some guys want to get away from this and want to chill out and just bond with other guys.

Lets hope the cruise companies may think twice about changing things, more so if people will not pay to use the Spa facilities, just another way of making more money out of us.

Please feel free to email me about your views etc - jjhollis@hotmail.com

Unfortunately, as long as most cruisers don't really care about sauna/steam facilities, and the new thermal suites are working as revenue centers, that will be the way going forward for RCI and Celebrity. We'll keep enjoying the older, smaller ships that have the free, gender-separate facilities in nice locker rooms (and with decent fitness centers). I just hope we wear out before those ships do.

Of course you are right in what you say. And I agree with your final hope too.

I also think (hope) their will eventually be some market pushback on this so at least some ships retain free single sex facilities.

Ultimately cruise holidays will be far less appealing if its all about being nickel and dimed and then not actually even being able to get what you want. And there are plenty of other ways to spend our holiday money.

It is quite sad that a number of cruise ships are losing the single sex sauna/steam rooms and going towards the mixed Spa which are not very cheap. I would not mind paying for the Spa if it was per hour and not for the day.

The single sex ones are great, guys get together put the world to right etc. I go to local Spa and it is often spoiled by women who constantly talk to each other and some guys want to get away from this and want to chill out and just bond with other guys.

Lets hope the cruise companies may think twice about changing things, more so if people will not pay to use the Spa facilities, just another way of making more money out of us.

Please feel free to email me about your views etc - jjhollis@hotmail.com

I concur with you sentiments and have a recent experience to support your position. Details will be omitted for privacy.

I was on a Carnival ship in February and as with other newer or recently refurbished ships this particular ship only has a complementary sauna in the Men's locker room in the Spa. While in the sauna one afternoon I met this guy and we got to chatting for awhile. He was in his early 40s(although he looked 10 years younger) and he revealed that he was a caregiver to his wife of 25 years who suffers from MS. He said that her condition has recently worsened and she was in need of more and more assistance from him. He said that he viewed his gym time (he was incredibly buff & fit) & the time in the sauna as 'HIS' time to forget his responsibilities a basically 'let go'. I asked if he had a good support system back at home and be said NO. He owns his own business which of course adds to his responsibilities.

I felt for the man and commended his dedication to his spouse. I meet many husbands who use the Men's Spa areas as personal time away from family pressures. Even a MAN CAVE in someone's home is different than an area that's single sex in a vacation location. I frequent a spa in an upscale Atlantic City Casino hotel and its quiet surprising the amount of Men that patronize it. There's definitely a misconception that the Spa EXPERIENCE is only a women's thing!

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