Cruising into Wellness:
The Best Gyms, Spas & Thermal Suites at Sea
We travel advisors review a lot of cruises, and if you know me, you know I love a good vacation workout and a little pampering (okay, a LOT of pampering). After all, what’s a cruise without a spa day and a sunrise stretch session?
Health and wellness at sea isn’t just an afterthought anymore, it’s a full-on experience. And some cruise lines are seriously raising the bar.
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After countless cruises (all in the name of research, of course), here’s my ultimate breakdown of the best gyms, spas, and thermal suites at sea.
Photo credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean – Best Gyms at Sea, No Question
Royal Caribbean hands down has the best gyms at sea. I mean, these are not little workout corners, they’re BIG. You’ve got free weights, racks (which matter if you actually lift), machines, plenty of ellipticals, and lots of space to stretch. Even on the older ships, the gyms are solid. When they refurbish a ship, they usually update the gym too, so you’re always getting a great setup.
Oh, and juice bars. Love, love, love this. On a lot of Royal ships, you’ll find a fresh-to-order juice bar, which is amazing. Star of the Seas had one. Utopia didn’t, but many do. This is where Royal beats everybody else in the contemporary cruise world, except maybe Disney, but we’ll get to that…
Royal lets you build your own juice. Want beets for energy? Need something anti-inflammatory? Hydration boost? Done, done and done. They also do protein smoothies with customizable add-ins, which I’m obsessed with. Disney only offers a couple of pre-made juice at their coffee bars, so, it’s a huge difference.
Spas & Thermal Suites: Who Does It Best?
Spas are always a good experience on Royal—we’ve never had a bad one—but let’s talk about thermal suites because this is where things get fun.
Thermal suites are those areas in the spa with saunas, steam rooms, heated loungers, and sometimes cold rooms. Some even have snow rooms. This is a big thing for us, since we love to do the sauna-steam cycle, then grab a book and relax on the heated beds.
Usually, you can buy a day pass or a pass for the whole cruise, and here’s the tip: book it ahead of time because you usually get a discount. Every cruise line does this a little differently, so here’s the rundown:
Norwegian Cruise Line: Best Thermal Suites
Norwegian wins this, no contest. They have multiple saunas (including infrared and Finnish), steam rooms, cold rooms (real snow on the floor on Bliss—yes, snow!), and even pools—hot pools and cold plunge-style pools.
On the newer ships like Aqua, there are four different kinds of sauna (Finnish, charcoal, infrared, etc.), plus cold plunge, heated pools, and all the usual steam rooms. Honestly, Norwegian crushes this category.
Virgin Voyages: Good, But Not Norwegian
Virgin’s thermal suite is solid. The layout of the spa itself? Not my favorite, and I didn’t love my treatments, but the thermal area is nice. Fewer saunas than Norwegian and smaller plunge pools, but still good if you’re into that experience.
Disney Cruise Line: Best Aesthetic & Couples Experience
Disney gets points for the prettiest spa. Their thermal suite, called The Rainforest Room, is gorgeous…super zen, with heated loungers, steam and sauna, a (not-so-cold) cold room, and even a private outdoor area with two hot tubs and loungers. Total retreat vibes.
They don’t have a cold plunge, but they win for best couples’ spa suite—private hot tub, amazing massage beds, and just a beautiful space.
What About the Gyms on Other Lines?
- Virgin Voyages: Meh. They split the gym into two areas (weights and cardio) and you have to walk through the pool area to go back and forth. Not convenient, and the weight room is small.
- Norwegian: Good gyms. Not as big as Royal, but solid.
- Disney: Beautiful, state-of-the-art equipment (they even have Peloton now!), but the gyms are small and get crowded. They do have great stretch rooms though.
Quick Wellness Extras
- More ships are adding refillable water stations, which I love. Star of the Seas had the most we’ve ever seen. Please, cruise lines, ditch the plastic bottles entirely!
- Every thermal suite we’ve been in has fancy showers with different settings. Honestly, I’ve never figured them out, but they’re there.
Final Verdict?
🏋️ Best Gyms: Royal Caribbean
🧖 Best Thermal Suites: Norwegian
🍹 Best Juice Bar: Royal Caribbean
🌿 Best Spa Vibes: Disney
Every line has its strengths, so it depends on what’s most important to you. But one thing’s for sure: wellness at sea is here to stay. So book that thermal pass, pack your workout gear, and take advantage of the heated loungers!
Want more insider tips for the best of the best of today’s cruise ships? Reach out, tell us your cruise dreams, and we’ll make them come true.
Relax, we’ll take care of everything,
Amy Westerman
President
The Curated Travel Collection
