Steam room and sauna etiquette?

Hello. My first experiences with Saunas and Steam Rooms were aboard cruise ships. I love them, but I do wonder about proper protocol. For example, I would visit the sauna and steam room early in the morning after working out and they were empty. So I would enjoy the facilities in the nude sitting on a towel. This felt right. However, one morning another man opened the door while I was enjoying the sauna in my birthday suit, took one look at me and bolted. Should I have been wearing a swimsuit? What is correct in these situations? I am definitley not an exhibitionist, but I assumed that no clothes was okay in the sauna or steam room.

You were correctly 'un'attired ;) Taking a nude steam or sauna is the preferred and generally accepted way; sitting on a towel is also correct protocol. Relax and enjoy yourself.

Agreed, no need for a suit, sit or wrap yourself in a towel.

Actually swim shorts are not to be worn in a sauna or steam it is very unhygienic and the fabrics are bad for your skin in the heat. If you do not feel comfortible naked...just wrap a towel around your waist!

Any ideas regarding the gym, sauna on The Gem? Cost? Thanks. Sailing 10/30/2011 from NYC to Bermuda...7 days. Thanks. Bob

Loosen up people, it's a steam room, wrap yourself in a towel, enjoy your steam, if it's a good room, you can't see anything anyway...

I've never been in the sauna although I've always wanted to try it. Does anyone know if there are usually male and female saunas, at least on Carnival? I would assume so based on the above discussion regarding proper "un"attire, but I'd rather be safe than mortified:D

Typically there is a public locker room in the spa area. There will be a sauna area in the locker rooms but they will be for women/men only depending on which locker room you're in.

The cloud 9 spa steam rooms are coed. You can easily see the other people in the steam rooms (at least on the Dream).

Thank you!

I know traditionally one should go into the sauna/steamroom nude. It's better for your skin and, like someone else here said, it is very unhygenic. Now that all being said, I used to live in Alaska where it was common to use a steam room/sauna in your birthday suit. I live in Maryland now where it's considered indecent/immoral and disgusting.

I personally, on a cruise would go in with just a towel wrapped around myself and then just enjoy nude.

If others have a problem with it they'll leave! ;)

Hello. My first experiences with Saunas and Steam Rooms were aboard cruise ships. I love them' date=' but I do wonder about proper protocol. For example, I would visit the sauna and steam room early in the morning after working out and they were empty. So I would enjoy the facilities in the nude sitting on a towel. This felt right. However, one morning another man opened the door while I was enjoying the sauna in my birthday suit, took one look at me and bolted. Should I have been wearing a swimsuit? What is correct in these situations? I am definitley not an exhibitionist, but I assumed that no clothes was okay in the sauna or steam room.[/quote']

 

 

Probably that person that saw you is problably there first time in that situation as far as "public" nudity goes like in gym saunas etc. And it was a shock to see another guy naked. You were doing the right thing even though most people are there totally naked ad have a towel they sit on and or covering there private parts.

Expecially if those people are from the states where saunias arent part of there lives so when they happen to see one on a ship like when they are curious to look around to see what is there in the lockerroom area they get a shock when they se a naked body sitting there.

This is an interesting thread for someone who comes from the origin country of sauna, Finland :p

We find it absolutely hilarious that people would wear ANYTHING to a sauna.

It's nice to know people are catching up to this.

We also go in with the opposite sex and all generations.

This (I've noticed) is an absolute horror to many other nations. We Finns find that quite amusing as well :D