Curious About the Spa

[Loyal Buckeye]

Although I have been on 4 cruises I have yet to visit any of the Spa's. I keep reading about high pressure sales for products and I am not really into massages so have not really seen any reason to go. But I am kind of curious about them. Is there anything that you can do in the Spa area that doesn't cost money. Do they have steam rooms or sauna's. If so, do you have to pay for them. How about whirlpool baths? When you go in, do you tell the people at the desk that you are just using the steam room or do you just walk on past and go find them? I don't really want to be cornered and have to keep telling someone that I don't want to buy anything. Thank you for any info you can give me about the "freebies" in the Spa area.

[SeeJennyCruise]

Although I have been on 4 cruises I have yet to visit any of the Spa's. I keep reading about high pressure sales for products and I am not really into massages so have not really seen any reason to go. But I am kind of curious about them. Is there anything that you can do in the Spa area that doesn't cost money. Do they have steam rooms or sauna's. If so, do you have to pay for them. How about whirlpool baths? When you go in, do you tell the people at the desk that you are just using the steam room or do you just walk on past and go find them? I don't really want to be cornered and have to keep telling someone that I don't want to buy anything. Thank you for any info you can give me about the "freebies" in the Spa area.

What is available is dependent on the ship. The showers are always available. Whirlpool bath is available on some ships and is not on others. The Magic and Breeze (Dream, too, I think) have Thalassotherapy pools and those are only available with paid access to the spa. You can try the pool and the thermal suite with saunas, steam, aromatherapy with a paid spa pass on a port day when it is cheaper. I have never experienced a sales pitch when using the thermal suite or Thalassotherapy pool.

 

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[Out of Iowa]

If you are curious, tour the Spa on embarkation day and enter the drawing...then go back to the gym and hang around when it is time to draw prizes. Just maybe you will get lucky (I did!) and win a day pass to the Spa. I found the Thallaso pool cold (as are nearly all Carnival pools - heaters always seem to be awaiting repair) but the tile, heated lounge chairs, multi-shower-head showers and the relaxation room with lemon-water and loungers to relax while watching the ocean go by were perfect! Would I buy a day pass? Unlikely.

[coevan]

On the Conquest there is no Cloud 9 so there is no charge. The steam room and the sauna are free. You enter through the restroom. There is no sales pitch at all.

[riffatsea]

I agree that taking a tour of the spa on the first day of your cruise would be the best way to get info about the specific ship you are using. The spas are not all the same.

We thought the spa on the Splendor was great! The Thalasso pool was definitely not cold and the whole experience was soooo relaxing that DH couldn't move for the rest of the day. We had a spa cabin but lots of folks were just finding out about the spa possibilities when they boarded the ship.

[pcvtmom]

The Breeze, Dream, Magic, Sunshine, Vista, Splendor, and Horizon have "Cloud 9 Spa". You need a spa pass, or book a spa stateroom, to access the Thermal Suites and Thassotherapy Pools. (The Sunshine does not have the T Pool.) Other ships have various amenities in their spas, many of which are free to use (steam room, sauna, whirlpool). I really enjoyed the Cloud 9 Spa, and thought the upcharge was well worth it.

[sw33twif3]

My experience is upsell in the massages. But I've used the sauna and steam rooms with no charge.

[riffatsea]

It is very easy to avoid upsell annoyances!

When they sit you down and try to discuss how to make this experience a personal one for you just tell them you are only interested in the best massage they can give you and are NOT interested in buying any products.

You do NOT have to listen to a sales pitch! You are the customer.

[Qchell]

If you are a spa room and take advantage of the free evaluations, that is where the sales pitches come in primarily. I will book spa rooms in the future, but this past cruise decided to take advantage of the free evaluations and wasn't left alone the rest of the cruise practically. They were being very nice in following up, but it was tiring finding new ways to say 'no' as nicely as they were asking. :) Otherwise, just after a treatment they may show you the products they used on you, but they are very nice about taking 'no thank you' for an answer and moving on.

 

Outside of that, any time I have used any of the spa facilities (Cloud 9 or regular) I've never had an issue with them trying to sell stuff to me. I would highly recommend checking out the Carnival website, pulling up your ship, and seeing exactly what type of spa and options are available on your ship. Cruise Critic has some great pictures (even some 360 videos) of all the areas of your ship if you pull up your ship's section of their website. Also - check out YouTube - there are dozens upon dozens of videos of all the ships that previous guests have posted. You may fine lots of great info there too.

 

I also do recommend the Cloud 9 spa - especially if you are on a cruise where you will have a decent amount of 'on ship' time. They are a absolute treat!

[MistyRo76]

I wouldn't let the sales pitch possibility scare you away from trying out some spa services. A spa session is a great vacation treat to pamper yourself with! A massage or facial combined with the gentle rocking of the ship is so peaceful! A great experience...especially if you're not likely to pamper yourself at home. You can often get great deals on spa treatments on port days or even in advance of your cruise online with web specials. I've done several massages and other treatments. They will certainly try to get you to buy their products, but a firm "no, thank you" is usually sufficient to get the point across. It certainly doesn't damper the experience (in my opinion).

[ricew001]

Our steward gave us a $50 spa card for our anniversary. I had my hair done and was not pressured to buy a single thing. I tipped generously and it was a fabulous experience. My hair looked great I thought! See attached!

[gigi65]

Any idea if the Valor ship offers spa passes?

[asalligo]

Most ships have a steam room and sauna in the spa and I usually spend some time in them when I cruise. They are free and are also segregated by sex. Men and women have a steam room each on different sides of the spa. Usually not crowded at all.

[jallison8378]

As others have said, the included amenities depend on the ship.

 

No reason you can't just smile and say "hello" to the staff at the front desk of the spa, while walking on by as if you know what you're doing. :D Any steam rooms, etc. not included in your regular cruise fare will be obvious as it will require a special key/card for entry. Don't be afraid to explore. :)

[MSseawind]

Don't be afraid of the sales pitch -- it's not so bad. They always graciously take no for an answer the first time. And the few things I have purchased I've loved and continue to purchase the same products on-line many years later.

[Moonstruck705]

I’ve never had a pushy sales pitch and I’ve done spa passes on 3/4 cruises I’ve been on. It’s one of my favorite things to do on board! I’ve gotten a hair cut and a massage - I think both times they offered some products at end, but I politely declined. That was that.

 

 

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[Qchell]

Any idea if the Valor ship offers spa passes?

 

Spa passes are only needed on ships with an the Cloud 9 Spa. The rest of the ships don't have the fancy pool, sauna, steam rooms, etc. that you gain access to with a spa pass. Right now Cloud 9 Spas are on the Sunshine, Dream class ships, Vista and Horizon. The smaller ships just have the standard spa/services.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Our steward gave us a $50 spa card for our anniversary. I had my hair done and was not pressured to buy a single thing. I tipped generously and it was a fabulous experience. My hair looked great I thought! See attached!

Your hair does look great. I will be checking out the Spa on our next cruise in January on the Pride. Can't wait!

[Loyal Buckeye]

As others have said, the included amenities depend on the ship.

 

No reason you can't just smile and say "hello" to the staff at the front desk of the spa, while walking on by as if you know what you're doing. :D Any steam rooms, etc. not included in your regular cruise fare will be obvious as it will require a special key/card for entry. Don't be afraid to explore. :)

Thank you. I guess I have a case of "fear of the unknown." I will do exactly as you say. I will put on my best smile, greet them as if they are my best friend and then go check out the sauna and/or steam room.