Steam Room and Sauna

[Aussie Jeep]

Hello  Have a couple of longer cruises booked on Splendida and Magnifica 

How are the Steam/Sauna areas now  Generally like to go and relax before dinner  with others and discuss the days happenings with other cruisers  but have read a couple of posts where the rooms needed to be booked and you are basically solo there now rather than the usual social gathering of people in the sauna/steam room.  any one been lately?

[2cruiseluvrs]

AUSSIE - where did you read that they needed to be booked? Are these for specific ships in certain areas of the world? And were they recent articles? I was on a non-MSC cruise in June to Alaska and there were zero restriction in the thermal area. I wonder why MSC would be different.

[mnpurple]

We were on Seaview in the Med end of May and needed to make a reservation for the thermal spa. It really wasn't a big deal and could be booked on short notice.

[2cruiseluvrs]

9 minutes ago, mnpurple said:

We were on Seaview in the Med end of May and needed to make a reservation for the thermal spa. It really wasn't a big deal and could be booked on short notice.

 

MNPURPLE - Can you expand on that? I mean, did you need to book it on Thursday to enjoy it on Friday? Or could you call them at 9 a.m. and ask for a 10 a.m. reservation? Please share your detailed experience. Very much appreciate it. I will be on Meraviglia in 2023 and I sure hope there aren't restrictions in the thermal area!

 

[mnpurple]

No, we booked same day and sometimes for a visit within the hour. Our kids actually went quite a lot and were able to get in with even less notice.

[SirWolf]

Steam Room and Sauna are part of (inside) the Thermal Area of MSC Meraviglia.

You can buy Thermal Spa Pass for the length of the cruise ..or.. Thermal Spa Access is included in Yacht Club and Aurea Experience.

Steam Room and Sauna can not be reserved.

Thermal Spa area is unisex.

Thermal Spa etiquette is wearing swim trunks / bathing suite.

We visited the Thermal area several times during a cruise on MSC Seashore this month. The Thermal Spa was at no time (sea day or docked) crowded. I guess they control the capacity by number of lockers in the changing rooms.

 

[SirWolf]

45 minutes ago, mnpurple said:

No, we booked same day and sometimes for a visit within the hour. Our kids actually went quite a lot and were able to get in with even less notice.

We never booked Thermal Spa access on all of our cruises with MSC.

Kids ? Thermal Spa has age restriction of 18+ .

[2cruiseluvrs]

48 minutes ago, SirWolf said:

Steam Room and Sauna are part of (inside) the Thermal Area of MSC Meraviglia.

You can buy Thermal Spa Pass for the length of the cruise ..or.. Thermal Spa Access is included in Yacht Club and Aurea Experience.

Steam Room and Sauna can not be reserved.

Thermal Spa area is unisex.

Thermal Spa etiquette is wearing swim trunks / bathing suite.

We visited the Thermal area several times during a cruise on MSC Seashore this month. The Thermal Spa was at no time (sea day or docked) crowded. I guess they control the capacity by number of lockers in the changing rooms.

 

 

SIRWOLF - The original question from Aussie Jeep was whether or not reservations were necessary to enter the Thermal Suite. MNPurple then commented that indeed reservations WERE necessary on their last cruise on Seaview in May 2022.

 

I think most people would assume that means they are restricting the total number of attendees at any given time. Once you are inside, you could surely go wherever you like. The last time I was in the Thermal Area on Seaside, there were never more than 15 people grand total in the entire suite. And I was wearing a thong. Less is more! Who wants to wear board shorts when they are sweating it all out?

 

You are correct that the Thermal Area is adults only: 18+ --- perhaps the author was suggesting that his "kids" are in fact grown up... the same as my father's kids are in their 40s!

 

In "normal times" the capacity is controlled by a limited number of passes sold, in combination with those included free in the Aurea class or Yacht Club. In "covid times" it sounds like some ships on some voyages require reservations to enter and enjoy. 

 

I, for one, am excited to sail on on MSC, in the Yacht Club once again, and spend a LOT of time in the Thermal Area!

[SirWolf]

58 minutes ago, 2cruiseluvrs said:

 

SIRWOLF - The original question from Aussie Jeep was whether or not reservations were necessary to enter the Thermal Suite. MNPurple then commented that indeed reservations WERE necessary on their last cruise on Seaview in May 2022.

 

I think most people would assume that means they are restricting the total number of attendees at any given time. Once you are inside, you could surely go wherever you like. The last time I was in the Thermal Area on Seaside, there were never more than 15 people grand total in the entire suite. And I was wearing a thong. Less is more! Who wants to wear board shorts when they are sweating it all out?

 

You are correct that the Thermal Area is adults only: 18+ --- perhaps the author was suggesting that his "kids" are in fact grown up... the same as my father's kids are in their 40s!

 

In "normal times" the capacity is controlled by a limited number of passes sold, in combination with those included free in the Aurea class or Yacht Club. In "covid times" it sounds like some ships on some voyages require reservations to enter and enjoy. 

 

I, for one, am excited to sail on on MSC, in the Yacht Club once again, and spend a LOT of time in the Thermal Area!

OP asked if steam/sauna rooms needed to be booked. My respond is.. “No” , you can not book a sauna or steam room for a group of people.

 

There were no reservations needed for Thermal Spa on our last 3 MSC cruises:

July 2022 ~ MSC Seashore ~ Caribbean

December 2021 ~ MSC Seashore ~ Caribbean

October 2021 ~ MSC Meraviglia ~ Caribbean

 

I have no recent information on Thermal Spa on MSC Seaside, Seaview, Splendida and Magnifica. We sailed on MSC Seaview in pre-covid era.

[Aussie Jeep]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Now I have a further question.  With the Steam Room or Sauna can anyone on board access these or do they need to have a spa pass  Thanks

[2cruiseluvrs]

2 hours ago, Aussie Jeep said:

Thank you everyone for your replies. Now I have a further question.  With the Steam Room or Sauna can anyone on board access these or do they need to have a spa pass  Thanks

 

AUSSIE - The Thermal Area is only open to those who have purchased a pass, or to guests staying in the Aurea Suites or Yacht Club. (The pass is included for those two cabin levels.) On my last cruise, I stayed in Yacht Club and visited the Thermal Area at least twice a day! 

[HipHipOnAShip]

2 hours ago, 2cruiseluvrs said:

 

AUSSIE - The Thermal Area is only open to those who have purchased a pass, or to guests staying in the Aurea Suites or Yacht Club. (The pass is included for those two cabin levels.) On my last cruise, I stayed in Yacht Club and visited the Thermal Area at least twice a day! 

If it might jump on, you still get a "1 hour" (no one is timing) thermal pass with Diamond Level Voyager's Club so this group qualifies, too 🙂

[mnpurple]

I guess I'll clarify, like I said we were going to the Thermal spa, which includes steam rooms and saunas, etc.  We were in YC on the Seaview in the Med, so it was one of our benefits.  When I referred to my kids, they are all adult age. Even though it makes me a bit sad and feel a little old to say that!

 

I made an assumption the OP was referring to the thermal spa, if there are other areas with saunas/steam rooms, I cannot comment on that.

[RICHARD@SEA]

On the Mera there was a sauna in the mens locker room of the  gym area ... can be used anytime by anyone - I went almost every day & there was never more than one or two other men in there.

The locker room had plenty of towels etc & the ability to shower & return to the sauna was a plus without having to put clothing on. It was a longer cruise 17 days & mostly Europeans most just wore a towel or were nnude.

 

Perhaps on the ship you'll be on will have this option for you AUSSIE!!!

[RICHARD@SEA]

PS - I too usually went late afternoon / pre cocktail, dinner...great!!!

[2cruiseluvrs]

HIPHIP - Good to know about the 1 hour free Thermal Area pass with Diamond level!

 

RICHARD - Thank you for the reminder about the free same-sex sauna in the gym locker room area on Meraviglia. That reminds me, there is a post on these boards with a link to a spreadsheet that anybody can update. It shows a list of all known cruise ships and what sauna and steam room amenities they offer. You can read the original posts using the box below, or view spreadsheet in full at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ROCmeNSYj_VwCYs3IUjWbrcEomFeqOrvIDUnXG6GLTg/edit#gid=836403675

 

 

 

 

[Aussie Jeep]

Thank you again for the great information.  we are diamond class so that is good news on the hour benefit. We are doing the Egypt to Italy on the Splendida in April 2023 then straight to the Magnifica to the Trans Atlantic, Italy to Miami.  Any specific information on these ships.  On the Magnifica we have one of the two balcony cabins on the Aurea deck that are not Aurea cabins and on the Splendida we have a balcony on deck 10. With the Magnifica we are very near the Spa.  Any information on these ships would be much appreciated.

[greg_atlanta]

does anyone know if days passes are sold on board for the thermal area?  asking specifically for Meraviglia.  looks like i can book a pass for my upcoming 7 day cruise for $130 (which seems reasonable), but prefer to try before i buy!

[perakcruiser]

7 hours ago, greg_atlanta said:

does anyone know if days passes are sold on board for the thermal area?  asking specifically for Meraviglia.  looks like i can book a pass for my upcoming 7 day cruise for $130 (which seems reasonable), but prefer to try before i buy!

 

Sometimes day passes are available, sometimes not. During COVID hard times no day or week passes at all on board, only pre booked. If that has changed now, I don´t know.

 

I don´t remember the price of the day or week passes on board, just remember that they are much more expensive than in advance. 

[2cruiseluvrs]

On 10/14/2022 at 6:14 PM, greg_atlanta said:

does anyone know if days passes are sold on board for the thermal area?  asking specifically for Meraviglia.  looks like i can book a pass for my upcoming 7 day cruise for $130 (which seems reasonable), but prefer to try before i buy!

From the videos I've seen it looks wonderful and if it's half as nice as Seaside, I'm thrilled. Already booked for Meraviglia for May and extremely excited about the Thermal Area! 

[Chipster82]

Thanks all. Excited to go visit. Glad there is sauna in men's dressing room. I plan on being nude then. I guess I need trunks for the ice room.

[nednrom]

We were on the Seascape a couple of weeks ago.  The thermal area includes the steam rooms, saunas, salt room and the snow room along with a hyrdotherapy pool inside and a hot tub outside off the spa.  The Thermal area is unisex with separate men and women changing rooms.  Anyone in the YC, Aurea experience cabin and with a thermal pass can use the area.  You must use the facilities with a bathing suit.  Reservation is not required but recommended especially for those with a thermal pass. On day one, I reserved time every morning at 9:00 am and 5:30 pm on the 2 sea days.  I loved it. On one of the days, I went early and there was not a problem at all. It helps to reserve so that they determine how full the thermal area is.

Edited January 9, 2023 by nednrom

[nednrom]

On 10/14/2022 at 9:14 PM, greg_atlanta said:

does anyone know if days passes are sold on board for the thermal area?  asking specifically for Meraviglia.  looks like i can book a pass for my upcoming 7 day cruise for $130 (which seems reasonable), but prefer to try before i buy!

It's more expensive onboard. Daily pass onboard is $80

Edited January 9, 2023 by nednrom

[Aussie Jeep]

On 1/9/2023 at 12:55 PM, Chipster82 said:

Thanks all. Excited to go visit. Glad there is sauna in men's dressing room. I plan on being nude then. I guess I need trunks for the ice room.

Hey Chipster  What cruise are you doing?