Persuade me I need Spa Passes on the Escape!

[JamieLogical]

I am going on the Escape with my sister in under two weeks! This will be my 5th NCL sailing and I have never had spa passes before. I have heard vague good things about the thermal spa on the Escape, but I am still struggling to decide if they are worth $400 (I would have to pay for both of them, as I am treating my sister to this trip). Tell me what you love about the thermal spa, especially the one on the Escape, which people seem to universally claim is one of the best in the fleet.

[Paphillyguy]

Jamie

 

We had a Spa Suite, so we did not have to get the pass.  That being said, we are not huge spa people but we absolutely loved the Escape spa  2 weeks ago.   It was great on the 1st sea day and the last sea day out of NYC since the weather was cold.  I love all of the rooms especially the snow room.  My favorite thing is the big spa pool.  It is warm but not overly warm like the hot tub.  It is huge and has a lot of different jet areas.  The lounging areas are great.  The heated loungers seem to be a big hit to me they were a bit too hard.   The price is a bit steep but it is a great space.  It is open until 10 pm so we loved it just after dinner before the casino or late show.  The only part I thought was lacking was the locker rooms.  Very basic and not very Spa like.  I am used to spas with shaving cream, razors, different soaps in the locker room.  But other then that I was very nice.  

[MamaLady76]

Trust me!  You need the Spa passes!  It was my bf and my first time and we have decided we will never again cruise without the Thermal Spa pass.  We bought it online for $199.  On board it was costing $249!  It was the most relaxing experience ever!  They have wtaer, infused water (orange slices floating in it), tea, and fresh oranges.  I would bring my wine/mixed drinks in my Yeti cup and never had a problem. 

 

My favorites were the Eucalyptus Steam Room, Vitality Pool, and the Sauna.  In the mornings there were quite a few people but it never ever was crowded.  Our favorite time to go was right after dinner around 7:30/8 we would stay until close at 10.  That late in the evening we had the place practically to ourselves (2-3 other people).

 

The Vitality Pool is AMAZING!  It's like a giant hot tub that has jets everywhere!  You can relax on the metal bench at the back or just float around and stare at the little star lights they have installed in the ceiling.

 

A little tip - I brought a gel eye mask with me.  When I first got in to the Spa I would put it gel side down in the snow room.  By the time I was ready to relax on the heated stone beds it was nice and cold and felt perfect on my sore hungover eyes.

 

Ok long post done!  Seriously though get the pass!

[adline1]

I did a 7 day cruise on the epic. My cruise was during spring break and I booked a last minute solo for solitude, to get more spiritually connected (ironically). I knew it would be a quiet more secluded area where I could totally relax. I don’t drink and I literally spent most of my time there, especially in the aft balcony, which only the EPIC has. It was definitely worth every cent. It was a great escape. I’ve never read anything negative about it. 

 

Im not sure if I’d book if I were with other people, however there were many couples there, and I always saw a family there with 2 young adult daughters. 

 

A few things for you to think about:

How much will you use it, what purpose will it serve for your vacation, what do you expect to get out of it?

[pehlibaar]

This may be a stupid question, but if you pay for the spa pass, is it good for every day of your cruise? So $199 and I could use it as much as I wanted on all 7 days of my cruise?

[marktwothousand]

Yes but there are day passes too, offered for sale at the discretion of the spa depending on how busy it is. I can’t remember how much they were, $50-$70 I think on the Bliss.

 

i personally would get bored stiff staying in the spa all week but I could see myself buying 1-2 day passes if I was going with someone who wanted to go. 

[adline1]

4 minutes ago, pehlibaar said:

This may be a stupid question, but if you pay for the spa pass, is it good for every day of your cruise? So $199 and I could use it as much as I wanted on all 7 days of my cruise?

Yes. Every single day, as much as you want. Enjoy!! It’s sooooo worth it!!

[Laszlo]

37 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

I am going on the Escape with my sister in under two weeks! This will be my 5th NCL sailing and I have never had spa passes before. I have heard vague good things about the thermal spa on the Escape, but I am still struggling to decide if they are worth $400 (I would have to pay for both of them, as I am treating my sister to this trip). Tell me what you love about the thermal spa, especially the one on the Escape, which people seem to universally claim is one of the best in the fleet.

Here is a video I did from September 2018, the Spa is a nice place to chill it. We were not sure if we were going to buy them until we got to the pier. Inside the cruise terminal they have a booth set up we're you can buy the passes. I don't recall what they cost but I believe we saved $50 on each pass buying before we got onto the ship

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by Laszlo

[adline1]

Wish I was there. GREAT Video!!, I love the one you made of GSC also. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by adline1

[Laszlo]

21 minutes ago, adline1 said:

Wish I was there. GREAT Video!!, I love the one you made of GSC also. 

Thank You!

[DaCruiseBug]

If theres 1 thing NCL has done right it’s the spa on the Escape. Worth every penny! Very relaxing.

[LrgPizza]

We toured it on our first trip on the Escape. We decided we might go like once if the passes were $5. That was the value we placed on it. It was dark, dull, quiet, boring... If I wanted to hang out inside, I wouldn't be on a ship on the ocean.  

[Paphillyguy]

2 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

We toured it on our first trip on the Escape. We decided we might go like once if the passes were $5. That was the value we placed on it. It was dark, dull, quiet, boring... If I wanted to hang out inside, I wouldn't be on a ship on the ocean.  

 

I did not find the Spa on the Escape to be dark.  It has Wall to Wall and Ceiling to floor glass windows all along the front and side of the Spa.  A spa is suppose to be quiet.  I did not find it boring at all.  You obviously are not a spa person.  

[LrgPizza]

1 minute ago, Paphillyguy said:

 

I did not find the Spa on the Escape to be dark.  It has Wall to Wall and Ceiling to floor glass windows all along the front and side of the Spa.  A spa is suppose to be quiet.  I did not find it boring at all.  You obviously are not a spa person.  

 

Yeah, definitely not a spa person. I can't fathom why anyone would want to be in there.  I even think it looks dark in the video above, despite the windows. The view is nice, but you'd really need to get one of the front row loungers, and I've heard people hog them just like anywhere. Maybe if they had a bar it would up my interest. 

[Paphillyguy]

 

1 minute ago, LrgPizza said:

 

Yeah, definitely not a spa person. I can't fathom why anyone would want to be in there.  I even think it looks dark in the video above, despite the windows. The view is nice, but you'd really need to get one of the front row loungers, and I've heard people hog them just like anywhere. Maybe if they had a bar it would up my interest. 

I am not a big spa person but I did find it relaxing and really enjoyed it.  The Sauna, Steam Room, Snow room etc are suppose to be dark to calm.  I stayed in a lounger behind the heated loungers and had a great view even with the Heated in front.  On cool/cold sea days it is a great place to relax.  Also, the large vitality pool was great much better than the overcrowded filled with drunks pool on deck.  Also, there were several people drinking wine and mixed drinks.   You could always have your butler bring you drinks if you were staying in the Haven.  LOL

[AdoraBelle]

I'm pretty sure the thermal suite on Escape is the biggest of the -away ships (Bliss is a bit smaller). 

 

I always have a thermal suite pass because ...

 

--It allows me to swim & hottub without crowds (99% of the time, anyway--you might see more people in there if it's legit storming outside on a sea day).

 

--I'm not really into sunbathing or lounging in direct sunlight, so being able to lounge 'indoors' is very nice

 

--Great view (although less so on Bliss, where the thermal suite is aft). It's fun to chill in the thermal suite during, for example, one of those noon dockings at Nassau. 

 

--Can use the changing room's showers/lockers/etc even if you're just hitting the gym. Hair dryers and minor toiletry items available there. 

 

--Small beverage setup inside (teas & fruit water, probably some oranges).

 

--Unlimited towels and fluffy robes

 

--On Escape especially, I can't imagine any scenario in which you can't get a padded lounger with a view. You might have a SHORT wait if you want a heated tile lounger. 

 

The only possible blocker here is if either of you are very sensitive to chemical smells. There is definitely chlorine type stuff in the air. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by AdoraBelle

[Paphillyguy]

The only thing I saw missing on the Escape was the minor toiletries.  

[BirdTravels]

We would not sail without a spa pass. We prefer sitting in the sauna and steamrooms over getting a headstart at the bar. If you have been on 4 other cruises, then you aren't likely to need it. 

 

Best Advise is go and take a tour before muster. Step into the sauna, snow room (maybe not steam room), lay on the hot stone loungers and decide if taking a couple of hours a day in that environment is your thing. 

Edited March 27, 2019 by BirdTravels

[Zippeedee]

I have not been on the Escape (yet) but I am a huge thermal spa fan. I will probably never book the Joy because there is no thermal spa. I love the pools, the quiet, drinking ice cold lemon water in a hot sauna, the steam and herbal showers. I spent hours there almost every day on the Breakaway TA. The Epic has the best space with the open aft balcony but they are all great from the Epic and newer. Older ships have ladders into small pools and not as many rooms. The Gem does have a great forward view from the sauna though.

[spanishguy1970]

4 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I am going on the Escape with my sister in under two weeks! This will be my 5th NCL sailing and I have never had spa passes before. I have heard vague good things about the thermal spa on the Escape, but I am still struggling to decide if they are worth $400 (I would have to pay for both of them, as I am treating my sister to this trip). Tell me what you love about the thermal spa, especially the one on the Escape, which people seem to universally claim is one of the best in the fleet.

Wow $ 400 for one?

[Laszlo]

1 hour ago, spanishguy1970 said:

Wow $ 400 for one?

 

Maybe someday LOL.......I believe its still $199pp? Correct me if I'm wrong

Edited March 27, 2019 by Laszlo

[spanishguy1970]

2 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

 

Maybe someday LOL.......I believe its still $199pp? Correct me if I'm wrong

ah ok, that's what i thought. I just paid 289 dollars for 14 days on the Epic.

Edited March 27, 2019 by spanishguy1970

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, spanishguy1970 said:

Wow $ 400 for one?

 No $400 total for the two of us. That's why I noted I was having to pay for both of us.

[barb65]

I never cruise, especially on the Escape, without the Thermal spa pass. I'm not a sun/pool person so the spa pass is a perfect fit for me. So quiet and relaxing. You will love the heated tile loungers. How does your sister feel about this or were you going to surprise her with it?

[worktocruise610]

I've never gotten the Thermal spa pass but throwing my 2 cents in for what it's worth... I say go for it! 

From reading your other posts this sounds like a special cruise between yourself & your sister, so (funds allowing) might as well go all out & enjoy yourself. Even if you don't like it, lesson learned. OK a few bucks lost but you never know until you try. I'm sure you'll have a great time either way, and as you know there's lots to do anyway, but try something new with your sister, it will be something that will always be between just the 2 of you 😉