Spa amenities

[Azulann]

Would love to hear about the spa amenities: the snow room, sauna, etc.

I know you have had few sea days, so how do you work in your visit to the spa?

[id4elizabeth]

So, today at sea was my spa day. I had a reservation for a massage at 1:30 so went down at noon hoping most everyone would be at lunch. NOTE: you do not need a massage or other service to use the Thermal Suite, and they do not charge.

 

So I was delighted when I got there and there were only about 5 people there. In the ladies changing room (and presumably the men's) there's a sauna and a COLD plunge pool. Not so many lockers which I could see being a problem on occasion. One toilet room and 2 showers. Two showers with NO shower curtains. :confused: Lockers have bathrobes, towels and slippers.

 

The Thermal Suite was great. Tepid water pool can have the jets turned on or not. (Button for turning on is near the stairs into the pool.) At the far end are stainless steel tubes that form a sort of chaise lounge and that's where the majority of the jets are, and they are pretty powerful jets. I swam like crazy and made no headway to the far end. Sort of like the Endless Pools. You could get a workout doing this. Fortunately there are rails against the sides that you can use. I'd guess the tepid whirlpool could hold 25 people. Hottub is right next to tepid water pool. Sign says it will hold 8, but that would be 8 skinny people. I'd say 6 people comfortably. Water goes up to your neck. Nice and hot.

 

Steam room is plenty steamfull alright - can't even see other people seated on the benches. After I was good and warm from the steam room I went into the snow grotto. Pretty cool :o ! Make sure you have your slippers on before going in and be careful as the floor that's covered in snow can be kind of slippery. I liked cooling off so quicly, but before long my bathing suit had icicles hanging from it. Went back in the tepid pool and now it felt warm.

 

There are 4 tile chaise lounges that are supposed to be heated, but after another visit to the hottub, they didn't feel it, but perhaps that's because my body was warm. There also about 8 to 10 other normal chaise lounges.

 

Before long it was time for my appointment so I went in to shower. Nice big rain head in shower as well as a hand-held. Body wash and body scrub, but no shampoo and conditioner. Note to self - bring with me next time. And did I mention, NO shower curtain.

 

Massage was fabulous - I want to take this guy with me back home, but don't think I could fit him in my suitcase...

[Vineyard View]

That sounds wonderful Elizabeth!!! Can't wait!!

The thermal suite....was that one area for men and women, or separate areas?

Thanks for the report!!

[lahlah57]

ELIZABETH......So what your saying is......there was NO shower curtain????:eek:

[OneBag]

Friends of ours were showing us around their new house and when they got to the master bedroom suite they joyously ushered us into what they proudly referred to a "European" bathroom. What we found ourselves standing in was a very un-European sized walk-in cavern, a room the size of the average living room, with an 11' ceiling and NO shower curtain…or shower door, or any door anywhere, or room dividers, or even a potted plant or anything to shield the goings on in the tub, from the goings on in the shower, toilet, bidet, sinks…and easily half of it clearly visible from the bed, because, of course, there was no entry door to this marbeled palace of exhibitionism.

 

I'm not sure how "European" that room really is. On our budget, no European hotel room has a bathroom larger than a closet. Most are still boasting en suite like that's extra special or something. Come to think of it, though, none of them have shower curtains; they usually have that little half-sized floppy glass thing that keeps most, but not all, of the shower spray in the tub and off the floor. :p

[Azulann]

Elizabeth,

thank you for your wonderful detailed explanation of the Spa and the thermal suite and all the amenities. It was exactly what I was hoping for from all the literature I have read in Viking Ocean materials.

Many years ago in DR at a resort,I was introduced to the whole concept of pre massage, Taking time to use all the warm, hot and cool and cfold facilities of showers, pools rooms to get ready for a massage. I also would use these features without a massage too.

The pool with the jets, and tubes for sitting on sounds like the T-pools on some of the Celebrity ships.

What a great way to spend some of your sea day time.:)

[LadyVol1]

I went to the spa for the first time today. The Snow Grotto was closed since there was 3" of ice on its floor. They figured it would be defrosted by later today. I'll be on the ship for ~30 more days so will have time to use it in the future. The showers in the women's locker room without doors or curtains don't bother me but after I took my shower the floor outside of the shower (and by the women's sauna) was covered with water and was VERY slippery. I told the spa person at the desk about the wet floor and that there needs to be curtains or doors and he said he thought something might be done but in the meantime they just send a spa attendant in to mop the floor. Be VERY careful when you are in the women's locker room if the floor by the showers (which is close to the sauna and the lockers) is wet!

 

The large bald Swedish man gave me a great deep tissue massage and I get one every month at home so I have my own top-notch massage therapist to compare him to.