Spa thermal suite pricing for 21 day cruise is weird.

[uzimmermann]

So I am booked for a 21 day Caribbean cruise, which is a combination of a 9-day and a 12-day cruise. Thermal Suite pass is sold only as 9 and 12 days. But the pricing makes no sense to me. $176 ($19.55/day) for 9 but $299 ($24.91/day) for 12 days. Anyone have experience how they sell this on board (usually more expensive than buying before cruise?)

 

[Euby]

I've run into this same scenario.  I booked a 15-day cruise (which is a 4-day + 11-day).  For the longest time, the only Thermal Suite pass showing was for the 11-day.  When I tried to book it, it was sold out.  A few months later, they finally had the 4-day pass as an option.  I jumped on it.  
 

Thermal passes usually sell-out before the cruise departure.

I plan on going to the Spa as soon as I get on the ship.  Hopefully, I can get it for my full time on the cruise.  

[a.madruga]

we have always paid $149 but again that's for 7 days  pre cruise

[FlorenceItaly]

My upcoming 14 day cruise on the Zuiderdam is showing $299 per person.

[3rdGenCunarder]

It's $216 for my 11-day cruise on Eurodam. 

[FlaMariner]

4 hours ago, Euby said:

Thermal passes usually sell-out before the cruise departure.

 

That has never been our experience....

 

We've bought onboard:

 

• Oosterdam April 2024 14 days (actually was able to just buy for the 7 sea days of the 14 day TA)
• Westerdam October 2023
• Oosterdam March 2023

 

Perhaps is the sellout for the 7 night Caribbean/Alaska bus runs?

 

 

 

[uzimmermann]

This cruise is in about 60 days and it shows limited capacity for both 9 and 12 days pass. I was able to get the last Club Orange, they had one left and as I am solo I was able to get it.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think they always show limited capacity for the passes. I usually wait and buy it on board, but my next cruise has been heavily sold for many months, so I decided to buy the pass in advance. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

That has never been our experience....

 

We've bought onboard:

 

• Oosterdam April 2024 14 days (actually was able to just buy for the 7 sea days of the 14 day TA)
• Westerdam October 2023
• Oosterdam March 2023

 

Perhaps is the sellout for the 7 night Caribbean/Alaska bus runs?

 

 

 

 

I've never seen it sold out in advance, either. I'm surprised that they let you use your 7 days scattered over the 14 days. I've never seen that as an option. 

[FlaMariner]

12 minutes ago, uzimmermann said:

This cruise is in about 60 days and it shows limited capacity for both 9 and 12 days pass.

 

My cruise in April and October 2025 also say "limited capacity"........IMO, that has nothing to do with the number of passes thus sold.....

 

They are referencing that, IMO, to create a "sense of urgency" so you will buy sooner.

 

...and also letting you know that the hydro suite does have "limited capacity" in that they only sell so many spots.

 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

My cruise in April and October 2025 also say "limited capacity"........IMO, that has nothing to do with the number of passes thus sold.....

 

They are referencing that, IMO, to create a "sense of urgency" so you will buy sooner.

 

...and also letting you know that the hydro suite does have "limited capacity" in that they only sell so many spots.

 

 

 

 

Definitely a marketing ploy, but also true. It's like the "only on TV" ads that say "limit two!" Well, you HAVE to have it if it's selling so fast they're limiting how many you can have!!! Or when you're at a store and something on sale has only one or two left...

[uzimmermann]

At this point I am just tempted to buy the pass for 9 days but then the question is started or if I have control when the 9 days start.

 

[FlaMariner]

9 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I'm surprised that they let you use your 7 days scattered over the 14 days. I've never seen that as an option. 

 

We were surprised also.....

 

We were on a 14 night TA cruise....We wanted the pass but really only wanted for the first 7 sea days.....

 

We went on the "tour" at embarkation and asked the spa lady if we could buy just for the first 7 days.....she said she could not sell us that but she would let us ask the manager....

 

She took us to the manager and she said yes and she did it.  $149/pp for the first 7 days.

 

I figure she knew they would not sell out and better to make $149/pp than zero from us.

 

Disclaimer:  That was not HAL pricing and was probably done as exception so we realize that may never be allowed again.  Please don't go onboard and tell the manager that "FLA Mariner" on cruise critic said you can do this. LOL...

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

We were surprised also.....

 

We were on a 14 night TA cruise....We wanted the pass but really only wanted for the first 7 sea days.....

 

We went on the "tour" at embarkation and asked the spa lady if we could buy just for the first 7 days.....she said she could not sell us that but she would let us ask the manager....

 

She took us to the manager and she said yes and she did it.  $149/pp for the first 7 days.

 

I figure she knew they would not sell out and better to make $149/pp than zero from us.

 

Disclaimer:  That was not HAL pricing and was probably done as exception so we realize that may never be allowed again.  Please don't go onboard and tell the manager that "FLA Mariner" on cruise critic said you can do this. LOL...

 

You remind me of a professor who used to say "Quote me and I'll deny it!"

[Euby]

15 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Definitely a marketing ploy, but also true. It's like the "only on TV" ads that say "limit two!" Well, you HAVE to have it if it's selling so fast they're limiting how many you can have!!! Or when you're at a store and something on sale has only one or two left...

While it does show as "Limited Capacity" for the 11-day part, when you click on it to book it has the "Add to Cart" greyed out.  Close the window and then it shows as Sold Out.  So, no, it's not all a marketing ploy.

[Moriah]

They limit the number of passes they sell on line so they still have them when you embark (but I think they do get to 'sold out' after a certain, undisclosed number).  What's so confusing about the pricing is they do it in day batches.  For example, for 7 day cruises, it's $149, then for "8 to 12" day cruises there's a price, and for "13 to 21" day cruises, and so on (I just made up those numbers, but the point is there are groupings of days, so it's not a "per day" price, and sometimes comes out kind of ridiculous)

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 hours ago, Moriah said:

They limit the number of passes they sell on line so they still have them when you embark (but I think they do get to 'sold out' after a certain, undisclosed number).  What's so confusing about the pricing is they do it in day batches.  For example, for 7 day cruises, it's $149, then for "8 to 12" day cruises there's a price, and for "13 to 21" day cruises, and so on (I just made up those numbers, but the point is there are groupings of days, so it's not a "per day" price, and sometimes comes out kind of ridiculous)

 

It hurts to be in the lowest number of days in the "next" group, like the much higher price for 8 days than 7. The price structure doesn't come from HAL. The spa company (Mareel?) sets the prices.

[oakridger]

12 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

The spa company (Mareel?) sets the prices.

 

The OneSpaWorld company runs most of the spas on cruise ships currently (Used to be Steiner)

Click below for a list of all the cruise lines they operate on.

 

Spas at Sea - OneSpaWorld

 

 

 

 

[MaxThrusters]

I've got a cruise in the spring, and I can't pre-book the thermal suite for the duration (it says 'Sold Out' for the 21+ Day option). I think it's because it isn't a 7 or 14 or 21 day cruise.It's 24 days.

[NCTribeFan]

I'm on 7+17 for January (booked as a single 24-night sailing).

 

The first week is Baja California.  I don't want a spa pass for that.

 

The 2nd portion is 17-nights RT SD-Hawaii.  I do want it for that.

 

Options are $149 for 7 days and $299 for 14-20.  If I purchase the $299 package, I'm afraid it will start on Day 1.  That would mean the last few sea days coming back from Hawaii would not be included.

 

Since this sailing is also sold as separate 7 nights and 17 nights, I'm concerned that if I wait until I'm on board and try to purchase just for the 2nd leg, that it might be sold out.  I imagine the thermal suite is popular on that Hawaii leg with so many sea days coming and going.

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

The OneSpaWorld company runs most of the spas on cruise ships currently (Used to be Steiner)

Click below for a list of all the cruise lines they operate on.

 

Spas at Sea - OneSpaWorld

 

 

 

 

 

It has been (and still is as of July on Queen Elizabeth and May on Queen Anne) Mareel Wellness. Mareel was developed through some kind of connection with Canyon Ranch six years ago. Oddly, the OneSpaWorld page does not have a link to Cunard as it has for several other lines. I do remember Steiner on Cunard years ago. I think for a while their spas were "Canyon Ranch at Sea" or something like that. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

I'm on 7+17 for January (booked as a single 24-night sailing).

 

The first week is Baja California.  I don't want a spa pass for that.

 

The 2nd portion is 17-nights RT SD-Hawaii.  I do want it for that.

 

Options are $149 for 7 days and $299 for 14-20.  If I purchase the $299 package, I'm afraid it will start on Day 1.  That would mean the last few sea days coming back from Hawaii would not be included.

 

Since this sailing is also sold as separate 7 nights and 17 nights, I'm concerned that if I wait until I'm on board and try to purchase just for the 2nd leg, that it might be sold out.  I imagine the thermal suite is popular on that Hawaii leg with so many sea days coming and going.

 

 Since the cruise can be booked as separate segments, it would make sense that the $149 package is for the 7-day segment and the $299 is for the 17-day segment. That's how it would work for people who had booked only one of the segments. HOWEVER, this is HAL, so anything is possible. What ship will you be on? Perhaps someone on board now could ask for you.