Sauna on the Navigator

[heathermiller86nj]

Hi,

 

I'm very disappointed to learn that the sauna and steam room on the Navigator was removed during it's renovation.  Is there any chance we'd be allowed to use the small sauna in the spa area without booking a treatment?  We really enjoy spending some time to detox and relax during our cruise.

 

Thank you very much.

[Clarea]

You would have to pay to use the sauna now.

[kruzerci]

It is definitely missed. That is one reason we prefer Mariner. Email them and let them know you are unhappy with the changes. 

[FireEMT978]

Does Mariner have a FREE sauna?

[Clarea]

6 hours ago, FireEMT978 said:

Does Mariner have a FREE sauna?

 

Yes, as of today.  Probably will lose it after the next dry dock.

[FireEMT978]

1 hour ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Yes, as of today.  Probably will lose it after the next dry dock.

Thank you. We sail on January 6th.

[DarthGrady]

The roll-eyes emoji doesn't do my feelings on this any justice, but here's one anyway 🙄. Yet another example of the cruise lines charging to use a facility that was (for ages) included in the fare. Some of us (cheapskates) need that half hour in the sauna to sweat out the beers from the previous night, but refuse to pay for it on principle. 🤣

[b&wcruiser]

We had the same experience in april after here refit. We sailed the Navigator november 2018 with the old spa and gym. In april 2019 the sauna was gone, there was only a sauna for people with a spa appointment available.

We were very disappointed.

And we will experience the same with the Explorer that we sailed last november (spa and gym as we like it), and we booked the Explorer  again for november 2020 after the refit in may. So we probably have to cancel that one.

Royal Caribbean why are you doing this?

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, b&wcruiser said:

Royal Caribbean why are you doing this?

💲

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, DarthGrady said:

The roll-eyes emoji doesn't do my feelings on this any justice, but here's one anyway 🙄. Yet another example of the cruise lines charging to use a facility that was (for ages) included in the fare. Some of us (cheapskates) need that half hour in the sauna to sweat out the beers from the previous night, but refuse to pay for it on principle. 🤣

 

Yes, the sauna was one of the features we very much enjoyed when cruising. 

[davelinde]

We've sailed on the Oasis and the Allure and I was disappointed that both steam and sauna were fee based (instead of free).

As others noted, one of the things I enjoy about cruising is both time and access to the thermal spa services.

 

Of curiosity - I took the spa tour on the Oasis and was a bit perplexed about how the steam room and sauna there actually worked.   Has anyone used them?  It looked like they were in a common area which seemed odd to me.

[CntPAcruiser]

On 1/1/2020 at 7:48 PM, davelinde said:

We've sailed on the Oasis and the Allure and I was disappointed that both steam and sauna were fee based (instead of free).

As others noted, one of the things I enjoy about cruising is both time and access to the thermal spa services.

 

Of curiosity - I took the spa tour on the Oasis and was a bit perplexed about how the steam room and sauna there actually worked.   Has anyone used them?  It looked like they were in a common area which seemed odd to me.

 

You have to purchase a pass for the thermal suite, which is mixed-sex. There are locker rooms for men and women down the hall from the thermal suite, and you get slippers and robes to wear. The men's locker room is a bit cramped. It can be noisy if there are more than a few people in the thermal suite, and the actual steam room and sauna are not very big. Because of the shape and the location of the steam jets, you can't get many people in them. It isn't the greatest setup, unfortunately, and we no longer go on Oasis-class ships because of it. And even more unfortunately, the ships that had great locker rooms with sauna and steam facilities are being butchered in the name of revenue and are having the nice facilities we booked these ships for destroyed.

[davelinde]

On 1/4/2020 at 2:06 PM, CntPAcruiser said:

 

You have to purchase a pass for the thermal suite, which is mixed-sex. ...you get slippers and robes to wear. 

 

That is what I suspected.  I was dis-inclined to buy a pass in any case.  For sure I cannot figure out why anyone would wear a robe in a sauna - can't be comfortable.  A pity - I'll keep track of which ships get rid of this free service and book accordingly.

 

[CntPAcruiser]

On 1/7/2020 at 4:06 PM, davelinde said:

 

That is what I suspected.  I was dis-inclined to buy a pass in any case.  For sure I cannot figure out why anyone would wear a robe in a sauna - can't be comfortable.  A pity - I'll keep track of which ships get rid of this free service and book accordingly.

 

The robe is a cover-up for walking from the locker room to the thermal suite, or while relaxing in the quiet room. It isn't worn in the sauna, although on Royal, they require bathing suits to be worn in the thermal suite saunas/steam rooms.

[LalaCoop]

So on average what is the cost of a day pass?  Anyone have a spa (Navigator) menu?  Do you get all day (in-out) privileges?

[Clarea]

34 minutes ago, LalaCoop said:

So on average what is the cost of a day pass?  Anyone have a spa (Navigator) menu?  Do you get all day (in-out) privileges?

 

Not Navigator, but this is the most recent thread I've seen with a spa menu:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2626360-symphony-dec-15-2018-cruise-compass/

 

[CntPAcruiser]

7 hours ago, LalaCoop said:

So on average what is the cost of a day pass?  Anyone have a spa (Navigator) menu?  Do you get all day (in-out) privileges?

 

If you are asking about the cost of a pass for a thermal suite on one of Royal's ships, I have seen pricing around $99 per person (plus gratuity) for a seven-night cruise. However, it is my understanding that when they tore out the sauna/steam room and locker facilities on Navigator, they did not replace them with a thermal suite. Navigator apparently only has a small sauna in the spa for the use of spa services purchasers.

[LalaCoop]

On 1/12/2020 at 4:59 PM, CntPAcruiser said:

 

If you are asking about the cost of a pass for a thermal suite on one of Royal's ships, I have seen pricing around $99 per person (plus gratuity) for a seven-night cruise. However, it is my understanding that when they tore out the sauna/steam room and locker facilities on Navigator, they did not replace them with a thermal suite. Navigator apparently only has a small sauna in the spa for the use of spa services purchasers.

Thank you, I appreciate your reply