First day 'tactics' and question about the thermal suite on Dream?

[NOLAbebe]

Good morning, everyone! I have two spa-related questions for you guys.

 

1) I would like to get a spa pass for the week. I have read there is a spa tour, after which there is a raffle of some sort. I don't want to miss my opportunity to purchase a pass, and free stuff is always awesome, so my question is... as soon as I am on the ship, should I head directly to the spa to take care of this? Is there a particular time, one-time only, for the spa tour and raffle? Should I say eff the raffle and just go straight there as soon as I'm onboard to secure my spa pass? Any insight would be wonderful! Just trying to strategize a little bit, since I will likely have to abandon my husband and friends to get this done!

 

2) I have seen pictures of the thermal suite, with the different steam rooms, but does anyone who has actually used all of them have any suggestions about what these feel like? I'm trying to convince friends to spa pass with me, and they are all iffy on the steam rooms, claiming they don't like steam rooms. With three of them, surely one has to be more pleasant, right? I apologize if someone has already discussed this- if you know of a link, I'd appreciate it! I spend all of my free time perusing this board, it seems, and the amount of information is overwhelming.

 

Personally, I think they're all NUTS. I could probably spend my entire day, every day, in that thermal suite, rotating through the different rooms and the pool. Actual spa treatments would just be a cherry on the sundae! (Can you tell I have a stressful job?!?) I have seen pictures of the insides of the various rooms, but all I can tell is that some are steamier than others! Is there an order they should be done in?

 

Thank you!!!

[maggieworkman]

We have had a spa room on our past several cruises and we won't sail again on a ship that doesn't have one. I have been on the Dream twice.

 

I particularly like the thallasopool. I spend a lot of time in there each day. Then I go lay on the heated tile loungers. I love to lay there and read. The only thing I don't like about the Dream set up is that the loungers face AWAY from the ocean view???? There is one lounger that is kind of parallel to the glass windows, so I try to get that one if I can.

 

There is also a aromatherapy steam room. That one has thick steam and I personally can't breath in there (but I have asthma). My DH loves it there, however, and spends some time in there while I am on the loungers. There is another room that is also steamy but doesn't have aroma. That one is ok and I can tolerate it, but don't particularly enjoy that. Lastly there is another room with tile loungers. But the arch/angle of the seats is uncomfortable for me (maybe because I am 4'11", I don't know). So I don't go in there often. Although there is one lounger that faces out to the ocean view. I sat there the last time during sail away! Although I was laughing because they were bringing tours through there and I heard their spiel several times and they talked about how the loungers in that room were designed by a chiropractor or something and had loungers that were molded to help your back. All I know is it actually made my back hurt!!

 

But I LOVE getting the spa pass, so I really recommend it. Mainly I stick with the thallasotherapy pool and the heated loungers. My DH cycles through all of them.

 

Maggie

[cowboy$fan]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1721126&highlight=spa+pass

 

this is a great review about the Could 9 Spa and convinced my wife & I to purchase the weekly pass & our next cruise is already booked for the spa cabin 12001 on the Magic

[maggieworkman]

 

 

 

 

 

Maggie

[NOLAbebe]

Ahh! So, the heated loungers are in a room with no steam?

 

Do you know if they only do the tour once on the first day, or is it all day long, in and out? Did they come in more than once while you were in there?

[jchavis1]

We just got off the Carnival Dream last week after booking a last minute summer "before school starts" cruise. It was approx. $15 more per day when the person quoted me on a regular internal room vs one on the spa decks.

 

Way worth it to get the room on the spa decks if not for the VIP locker room and shower facilities alone. No one hardly ever used the facilities while we were there, great steam rooms and thalassotherapy pools and quick access to the Serenity area for me in the morning with my coffee.

[NOLAbebe]

Thanks, Cowboy! I will check that out right now!

 

Maggie, you're totally right! Why in the world wouldn't they face those loungers the other way?! Maybe you're meant to lie backwards with your feet in the air...the rush of blood to your head could make you feel woozy and relaxed...right before you pass out and slither off the chair? Lol.

 

So do you need to bring a towel for the loungers, then? Or are they supplied for you?

 

Anyone know anything about the rainfall showers? I had read somewhere that they are open for anyone to see in? Does that mean you have to shower with a suit on?

[ginurse]

We have had a spa room on our past several cruises and we won't sail again on a ship that doesn't have one. I have been on the Dream twice.

 

I particularly like the thallasopool. I spend a lot of time in there each day. Then I go lay on the heated tile loungers. I love to lay there and read. The only thing I don't like about the Dream set up is that the loungers face AWAY from the ocean view???? There is one lounger that is kind of parallel to the glass windows, so I try to get that one if I can.

 

There is also a aromatherapy steam room. That one has thick steam and I personally can't breath in there (but I have asthma). My DH loves it there, however, and spends some time in there while I am on the loungers. There is another room that is also steamy but doesn't have aroma. That one is ok and I can tolerate it, but don't particularly enjoy that. Lastly there is another room with tile loungers. But the arch/angle of the seats is uncomfortable for me (maybe because I am 4'11", I don't know). So I don't go in there often. Although there is one lounger that faces out to the ocean view. I sat there the last time during sail away! Although I was laughing because they were bringing tours through there and I heard their spiel several times and they talked about how the loungers in that room were designed by a chiropractor or something and had loungers that were molded to help your back. All I know is it actually made my back hurt!!

 

But I LOVE getting the spa pass, so I really recommend it. Mainly I stick with the thallasotherapy pool and the heated loungers. My DH cycles through all of them.

 

Maggie

 

 

I totally agree.....LOVE the Spa pool and the heated loungers. I wasn't a big fan on the aromatherapy room on the Dream either. Had a hard time breathing and it had a funcky smell to it. Will have a hard time going on a ship without a cloud 9

[maggieworkman]

Thanks, Cowboy! I will check that out right now!

 

Maggie, you're totally right! Why in the world wouldn't they face those loungers the other way?! Maybe you're meant to lie backwards with your feet in the air...the rush of blood to your head could make you feel woozy and relaxed...right before you pass out and slither off the chair? Lol.

 

So do you need to bring a towel for the loungers, then? Or are they supplied for you?

 

Anyone know anything about the rainfall showers? I had read somewhere that they are open for anyone to see in? Does that mean you have to shower with a suit on?

 

They did several tours while I was in the heated lounger room. I don't know if there was one, big tour at the beginning with the raffle, etc. But if you miss that, they seem to be taking people around individually (or in pairs) because I saw them come around several times on these small tours.

 

You don't need to bring towels. They have stacks of them there. You don't have to put a towel down on the loungers. Some/most people didn't. But I was more comfortable with a towel down.

 

They do have showers that are kind of open. They have curved walls, so you stand kind of behind the curve. But there is no door and they are in the main walkway between the steam/lounger rooms. Personally I would never shower there without a swimsuit because there is NO way to prevent others from coming in - unless you had someone stand at the opening and tell people that you were in there.

 

They do have other showers in the locker rooms that don't have that set up. But I am not sure if those are "rainshowers" or not. I didn't use any of those showers.

 

Rainshowers?? outside the heated tile lounger room

 

 

There was also a sauna type area in the locker room at the spa. I'm pretty sure this was in the locker area that was behind the locked spa area. Not the regular locker room outside the gym. But it has been a couple years and I didn't use this area, so not 100% sure. But I have a picture of it!!!

 

 

 

 

Maggie

[vamartha]

Does anyone one have a picture of the non-spa showers? We have four in our stateroom and we are going to have to utilize those to make it work, at least on Elegant night. I've heard they are roomier and nicer than cabin showers and have seen the spa showers but have not seen any pics of the gym showers.

[live2cruise2011]

Just an Fyi now that prices have dropped on our Cruise we are b2b on 8/24 and 8/31 I checked prices and called even though we were not early saver I was able to upgrade from a reg inside to a spa OV for a total of 12. and some change.. so it maybe worth a call the spa pass is 249 for a couple so if you can upgrade for less it maybe worth it..

[QTPie68]

I can only base this answer based on the sunshine, which I bought a weekly spa pass on. They did spa tours throughout the embarkation day, when we went, they just asked us to wait a couple of minutes for a few more people, and then when we had about six of us, we did a tour. Then at the end they gave us our entry slips and said you had to present at 5:00 for the drawing. My mom went and they drew twice until someone was actually there.

 

As for the steam rooms, I am not too wild about steam rooms, but I enjoyed them, what I enjoyed the most was the heated tile loungers. They were very soothing and relaxing....more than once I fell asleep. My mom and I both thought it was one of the best things about the cruise.

 

The open spa showers were actually really nice to use to cool off. The ones I used had this mist feature that didn't get you really wet....very soothing after the steam! I don't think they were meant as private showers, just as a way to wash off after a steam or to wash your hair. The locker rooms have private showers.

 

The one difference in the heated tile room on sunshine is that the loungers did face towards the windows to the sea, weird that dream is not like that.

 

There is a post here on cruise critic (or easy to find on u tube) that shows a great video of the whole dream spa area, even the spa bathrooms locker room area and showers. She does a goo commentary on their too, letting you know a lot about the different rooms and other stuff you might not pick up just by posts. I showed it too my dh and he was totally sold on it, so we booked a spa room on the dream for this year.

Edited August 15, 2014 by QTPie68

[QTPie68]

Does anyone one have a picture of the non-spa showers? We have four in our stateroom and we are going to have to utilize those to make it work, at least on Elegant night. I've heard they are roomier and nicer than cabin showers and have seen the spa showers but have not seen any pics of the gym showers.

 

I haven't seen any, but I did hear in the video that was taken on the dream spa by a cruise critic poster that the showers in the public locker room didn't have the side shower heads and were a little smaller than the spa locker room ones. I suspect they are much larger and nicer than the ones in the cabins! The ones on sunshine were and my mom and I both showered the the lockers rooms because of that.

[TracersQQ]

I know everyone says how relaxing this area is, but do the heated loungers and/or the thasso pool help with sore legs and backs? I have issues with my legs and back and when I was on the Dream (in February) I was in pain the whole entire cruise from all of the walking because of the size of the ship. I tried the regular hot tubs, but they were barely warm let alone hot. I swore I would never do a large ship again, but here I am getting ready to book the Breeze, lol. So, I have been considering the Cloud 9 cabins to have access to this area.

[ibcnusoon]

I totally agree.....LOVE the Spa pool and the heated loungers. I wasn't a big fan on the aromatherapy room on the Dream either. Had a hard time breathing and it had a funcky smell to it. Will have a hard time going on a ship without a cloud 9

 

I was not a fan of the heated chair room or the aromatherapy rooms but LOVED LOVED LOVED the thallasotherapy pool and the heated loungers room on the Splendor - HEAVEN!!!! I did this every evening after dinner or in the afternoon on sea days! My skin was sooo soft and shiny after the thallasotherapy pool dip. I wish I were back!

Edited August 15, 2014 by ibcnusoon

[QTPie68]

I get restless leg syndrome issues bad when I am on vacations, and did so on the sunshine. The heated loungers with the feet up really helped that, and I was a Also having swelling legs.....it helped! I did get a message that helped with drainage....I think a thallassopool would have been even better if sunshine spa had one.

[Badfinger]

We were in a Cloud 9 Spa room on the Magic last year. Here are some of my takes:

 

1. Heated loungers not so comfortable..basically too short between the count ours. But I am 6'3" so the one size fits all does not fit me.

 

2. In the T-Pool, the metal bar lounger not so comfortable. See #1 above.

 

3. The temperature of the T-Pool is not very hot for a hot tub. Maybe 98* at most. I much prefer a HOT tub about 103*-104*.

 

4. The three different steam rooms are great. My favorite part of the spa. I forget what they were called but the one without windows was my favorite. Seemed hotter and there was nobody in there. Actually none of the steam rooms were busy at all.

 

5. Sometimes the T-Pool was too crowded...or at least crowded enough that I chose not to enter at that time. My guess was 14-15 people that I do not want to play footsies with.

 

6. The rain shower was great. But this is not an shower for getting ready for dinner, but rather to use to rinse off as you go from the T-Pool to the steam room and back an fourth.

 

7. The showers in the locker rooms are huge compared to the cabin. Again, at 6'3" those micro showers in the cabins are way too small for me. I used these exclusively.

 

8. Is it worth it? For me yes. For my wife no. But our Spa cabin was only about $80 more than a regular cabin when we booked it, so yeah that was great value.

[NOLAbebe]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am officially planning on a weekly pass, but keeping my eyes peeled for a Cloud 9 room price drop!

[Badfinger]

I haven't seen any, but I did hear in the video that was taken on the dream spa by a cruise critic poster that the showers in the public locker room didn't have the side shower heads and were a little smaller than the spa locker room ones. I suspect they are much larger and nicer than the ones in the cabins! The ones on sunshine were and my mom and I both showered the the lockers rooms because of that.

 

The Spa showers are slightly bigger than the gym locker rooms showers and have two shower heads on either side just above waist high. However, you have to choose the regular shower head or side shower heads. You cannot make all three work at once. If you are just looking for a place to show instead of your room, either one would work just fine. The Spa locker area is bigger and separated from the restroom parts. Both have the combo locks that you program just like the room safe.