$150/wk for therapy room & pool - through ship services.Better 2 wait until on ship?

[dcsam]

I like the idea of booking this via the phone, but is there any advantage to waiting until we board the ship? Would rates be less? Taxes?

[airlink diva]

I like the idea of booking this via the phone, but is there any advantage to waiting until we board the ship? Would rates be less? Taxes?

I've booked the thermal spa pass on both of my Maasdam cruises. The only advantage that I really can see is you have that pass secured. I noticed that there's a sign on the spa desk that only 20 passes are sold for a trip.
You will love it!!! I make sure to book a thermal spa pass for my cruises!! One great tip, go in the late afternoon after 4 p.m. On both sailings I was in there alone! It was like having my own private spa!!

[knitlady037]

We just paid $199 per couple for 10 days on the Noordam. Booked as soon as we boarded and secured next to last spot. But they do sell day passes if you book a treatment for $20.

[duck tune]

I am on the Oosterdam right this minute at port in Mazatlan. I purchased a pass for "7 days" when I got on board and it was $199 for me, would be $299 for a couple from the same suite. Don't know if the price is up because this is spring break week or what (300 kids on the ship this week per my manicurist). I do not understand the price differences that I am reading but I do know that the Spa and Gym are outsourced to a non-HAL company per a statement made by one of the staff during the tour of the spa/gym on embarkation day. Was not able to use the pool/thermal suite at all on day of embarkation due to the late spa/gym tours and raffle that did not end until 6 p.m. and receipts were still not ready to be signed after my manicure/pedicure ended at 9:30 p.m. Spa open only from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. and on the last day at sea the hydropool will close at 7 p.m. for cleaning.

[Vanisle]

what exactly is the thermal spa and pool please?

[maxsmamma]

So, if you can't really use the pool for 2 of the 7 days, then is the day pass a better deal? $20 per day for 5 days is $100. Has anyone had trouble getting a day pass? We would like to try the suite, but aren't sure what would be the best way to do it.

[knitlady037]

The $20 day pass is only available if you book a treatment in the spa. Otherwise the day pass is $40pp.

[duck tune]

Theoretically you are supposed to be able to use the Hydrotherapy Pool and Thermal Suite starting the day of embarkation but I can tell you that the spa is only open from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. and the woman I signed up with kept putting me off saying the receipts were not ready and I could not go in until the receipt was signed. There will be flyers by the spa when you get on the ship and it states that you can use the pool on the final day at sea up until 7 p.m. and the thermal suite until 10 p.m.

On the first two port days they offered a $99 special with a one hour time in the hydrotherapy pool/thermal suite followed by a massage and facial.

If I had to do it again I would probably NOT buy the weekly pass because to get your money's worth you do have to "make time" every day to spend time there and for some who like to participate in activities or go in to the ports it is a crunch to make the time. I did not leave the ship so I found time each day but 2 hours can pass quickly and there are only 6 heated ceramic lounge chairs.

I have an SY cabin with a full sized whirlpool bathtub which does a nice job too so if I ever cruise again I may not opt for the spa.

[Cruisin Suzin]

what exactly is the thermal spa and pool please?


Yes what is it? And where can we find out more information..please

[maxsmamma]

Yes what is it? And where can we find out more information..please


http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Westerdam/index.html

If you scroll all the way down you can see pictures. We have never done it, but it is an adults only jetted warmed pool, and a spa suite.

Our TA gave us a quote of $250 per couple on or off the ship

[duck tune]

As a note, this is not available on all ships. It is only on the newer ships such as the Vista Class, Eurodam and Niew Amsterdam. It is part of the Greenhouse Spa and there is a description on the Web Site for these ships. Plus, you can take a spa tour on the day of embarkation and see what this is all about.

[deckguy]

I've enjoyed the Thermal Spa on the Zuiderdam, Maasdam and just last week on the Eurodam. I enjoy the spa and have no qualms about paying a weekly fee. It's my main splurge.

On the two previous trips, the steamrooms and the six heated lounge chairs adjacent to them were typically always available (maybe one or two people using the chairs and a couple in a steamroom....maybe)

On the cruise LAST week (3/13 to 3/20 sailing) however it was always crowded and people were generally waiting for a heated lounge. This was on sea days, port days, morning, mid day and night. After a few days I had to ask the question of the spa attendants behind the desk, "do you still limit the sale of weekly passes to about 20 per cruise??"

They answered "yes" to my inquiry but with the waiting for heated lounges and the general crowds within the spa (and I did notice that people WERE using a card key to access) it just didn't seem to add up.

Did anyone else get make this same observation????

[airlink diva]

I've enjoyed the Thermal Spa on the Zuiderdam, Maasdam and just last week on the Eurodam. I enjoy the spa and have no qualms about paying a weekly fee. It's my main splurge.

On the two previous trips, the steamrooms and the six heated lounge chairs adjacent to them were typically always available (maybe one or two people using the chairs and a couple in a steamroom....maybe)

On the cruise LAST week (3/13 to 3/20 sailing) however it was always crowded and people were generally waiting for a heated lounge. This was on sea days, port days, morning, mid day and night. After a few days I had to ask the question of the spa attendants behind the desk, "do you still limit the sale of weekly passes to about 20 per cruise??"

They answered "yes" to my inquiry but with the waiting for heated lounges and the general crowds within the spa (and I did notice that people WERE using a card key to access) it just didn't seem to add up.

Did anyone else get make this same observation????

I know posters last summer were mainly complaining on the Alaskan cruises that were times when the area was full.
The time that someone was in the area with me one late afternoon, the woman stated the she sometimes had to wait to enjoy the heated lounge chairs. When talking to another person waiting, they explained that a daily pass was purchased that morning due to a massage booking. I'm willing to bet you that in addition to the weekly passes, that daily ones were offered with spa treatments.
I guess that I lucked out on both of my Maasdam sailings on that every afternoon when I arrived after 4 p.m., I was the only person in there (except for one day)

[deckguy]

I considered the fact that some people will buy a day pass in coordination with a treatment. If that's so, then they sold a LOT of treatments cuz it was morning noon and night.

[Parrot57]

I doubt very much that they limit the number of weekly passes, at least not to 20. On my last cruise on the Eurodam there was always a wait for the loungers all the time and the therapy pool was always full. Yet there was always a sign offering different "specials" to purchase a pass for the remainder of the cruise and sometimes even called over the speaker system.

[sevenseasnomad]

On the cruise LAST week (3/13 to 3/20 sailing) however it was always crowded and people were generally waiting for a heated lounge. This was on sea days, port days, morning, mid day and night. After a few days I had to ask the question of the spa attendants behind the desk, "do you still limit the sale of weekly passes to about 20 per cruise??"

They answered "yes" to my inquiry but with the waiting for heated lounges and the general crowds within the spa (and I did notice that people WERE using a card key to access) it just didn't seem to add up.

Did anyone else get make this same observation????

Oh my! For our next cruise, DH & I had decided to purchase the weekly pass, as we really, really need to relax. However, if we have to stand around & wait for spaces to open while calculating money down the drain that raises stress levels, it's probably not worth it. So, guess we're reconsidering, which disappoints, since, like many of you, we would think of the passes as a delightful splurge.

Reading these comments has us hesitating, though.

[GrammieK]

I have used the thermal suite on a number of cruises witout a wait, however, a new wrinkle has appeared. It seems now that you can buy a day pass at a discounted rate when you get a spa treatment and so it looks like many peoploe who would not have booked the thermal suite now do so. I hope it does not impact my time to use it, but I will find out in a few weeks (NYC- Bermuda) and report back.
K