Relaxation is likely a primary goal for cruisers setting sail on Disney Cruise Line. Luckily, the current DCL fleet of five ships offers several options for some rest and rejuvination. Cruise ship spas and thermal suites are among the choices. On our recent sailing aboard the Disney Dream, we tested out the Rainforest Room at Senses Spa. Was it worth the upcharge? Let’s dive in!
What is the Rainforest Room?
The Rainforest Room is a spa experience within Senses Spa. All Disney Cruise Line ships offer a Rainforest Room experience, but designs and offerings vary per ship. Though the Rainforest Room is becoming more popular, this is still a limited-access venue for which guests must purchase admission.
The Disney Dream Rainforest Room includes 3 steam rooms, 10 heated loungers, 4 hot and cold thermal showers, and 2 hot tubs. Warm towels, water coolers, and sitting areas are also available inside, and tranquil music plays subtly in the background for peak relaxation.
Guests must be at least 18 years old to reserve the Rainforest Room. On our sailing, the hours of operation were 8 AM to 10 PM.
How to Reserve the Rainforest Room
The Rainforest Room can now be reserved in advance through Disney Cruise Line’s website when your booking window opens (120 to 90 days before your sailing, depending on your Castaway Club status).
For our sailing, only full-cruise passes were available for purchase. No day passes were available for advanced reservations. If spaces are still available, once boarding the ship, the Senses Spa front desk may sell day passes. So, it doesn’t hurt to inquire.
How Much Does the Rainforest Room Cost?
The most important component of the experience, of course, is the price! Unfortunately, there is no set pricing for the Rainforest Room. Prices vary depending on the ship, passenger capacity, length of sailing, and date of sailing.
On our 4-night sailing in April, the cost was $99 per person for the length-of-cruise access pass.
The rule of thumb is that the longer the cruise, the higher the price. The ship you are on will also affect the price. For comparison, when we toured the Rainforest Room of the Disney Wish on our August sailing, our tour guide told us that a four-night cruise pass was $220 per person. Yikes!
If day passes are available, the price hovers anywhere from $30-$50 per person, per day. Also, an 18% gratuity is automatically added to all passes.
What to Bring and Wear to the Rainforest Room
Be sure to bring your Key to the World Card to Senses Spa, but don’t worry about bringing towels from your stateroom. Everything you need is available for you!
Upon check-in at the desk, the Senses Spa crew members will put a sticker on your Key to the World card and keep it at the front desk. At this point, you will get a robe and a wristband. When you are ready to leave the spa, bring your wristband back to the front desk, and they will return your Key to the World card to you.
For guests using their MagicBand+ instead of the Key to the World card, unfortunately, this won’t work at the spa. On our first trip to the Rainforest Room, I only had my MagicBand with me, which caused confusion, and resulted in my having to go back to the stateroom to get my card.
You’ll want to wear a bathing suit, some sort of cover-up, and flip-flops that you don’t mind getting wet. Upon check-in, the spa staff will direct you to the locker rooms, where you will have access to a locker, restrooms, and full showers with Elemis products such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and shaving cream available.
Once you are set up with your locker, you are ready to go! Hooks line the walls of the Rainforest Room, so once you’re in, you’ll have a spot to hang your robe. There is no need to bring a water bottle either, as there is a water station inside. Be sure to stay hydrated – the steam rooms are HOT!
Our Review of Disney Dream’s Rainforest Room
On our four-night sailing, we were able to carve out time on three of those days to enjoy the Rainforest Room. Being fairly new to spa experiences, apart from getting a basic massage, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Upon walking in, my first impression was that the room was very clean, calm, and refreshing.
When we first entered the Rainforest Room, we were the only ones inside. When we returned on a sea day, other cruisers were using the heater loungers and steam rooms, but it never felt crowded or uncomfortable. Our sailing was a popular spring break sailing, and the majority of the passengers onboard were families with young children, so this may have played a part in the Rainforest Room’s emptiness.
We tried out every amenity within the Rainforest Room; so, let’s break down our thoughts on each!
Steam Rooms
Having never stepped foot in a sauna or steam room, we were completely blind as to what to expect. I enjoy the heat and highly dislike the cold, while my husband hates all things hot and loves the cold. Boy, was he in for a treat!
On Disney Dream, the Rainforest Room features three steam rooms.
The Caldarium was the first of the three steam rooms we tested, and of course, we picked the hottest one first. Go big or go home, right? It was dark and extremely humid, the perfect spot for a quick sweat. For us, the air was borderline suffocating, and we lasted about two minutes before we moved on to the next one.
The second wet sauna we tested was the Hamam. While it was still hot, this one gave off more relaxing vibes. Lights were dimmed and the room was much more open than the Caldarium, with plenty of options to sit or lie down inside. In both corners of the room were sinks with ladles and buckets to cool down if needed, which my husband greatly appreciated.
We saved the best for last with the Laconium. This dry sauna doesn’t feel humid but still allows you to break a sweat. This room has stadium-style benches made of natural wood and a floor-to-ceiling window providing natural light. This was by far the most relaxing room for us.
Showers
The showers were a great way to cool off after each steam room experience, and super fun! We loved testing and being surprised by each option the showers provided. Each shower plays subtle spa music, really immersing guests in the experience. I also felt that drowning out all the outside noise with the music helped me feel more comfortable with other people around.
Again, there are four different shower experiences: Tropical Thunder, Water Fun, Rainforest, and Cool Mist Experience.
All three options within the Tropical Thunder shower simulate some type of rainstorm. Each option lasted about 45 seconds, with water pressure varying from misting to hard, and temperatures varying from hot to cool, just as a storm would.
The three options within the Water Fun shower were enjoyable but not my favorite. The options varied in water pressure and from which spouts the water dispersed, but there were no other elements to them.
The Rainforest shower was my favorite! There were two shower heads within this shower, giving you a different experience than the other three. One shower head simulates a rain shower from above, while the other is on the wall simulating a waterfall. The three options here used variations of both shower heads and hot and cold water, giving you the best of both worlds and relaxation from all angles.
The Cool Mist experience shower only has two options, which was plenty for me! This shower is COLD, colder than any other cold shower I have experienced. Each button offers a variation of mist pressures, and the temperature goes from cold to colder. This was my least favorite, but my husband loved it. A great option after stepping out of the Caldarium if you need a quick cool-down, but I’ll be skipping this one in the future.
Heated Loungers
Passing the showers and stepping through the first set of doors, we entered the section lined with heated loungers. These heated tile loungers are all equipped with a neck pillow and reading light, with plenty of space in between. Each lounger is curved to a body shape, relaxing all back muscles.
There were never enough people in the Rainforest Room when we were there for the loungers to be full, but if they were, there was plenty of space to move around.
The chairs overlook the ocean with floor-to-ceiling windows. What a great spot for relaxation! This is a great alternative to the pool deck, where you can lounge and read a book, avoiding the sun and the noise while still getting an outside view.
Hot Tubs
One step further past the heated loungers is a sliding glass door leading to the hot tubs. Two hot tubs face the ocean in an open-air room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Though the views were fantastic, some of the best views on the ship, the hot tubs themselves left something to be desired. They were hot and spacious, but the layout was a design flaw.
The hot tub floor is equipped with built-in loungers that, in theory, sound nice but end up being very uncomfortable and not enjoyable to all body types. I found myself floating and barely keeping my head above water when using the loungers as intended.
We never shared a hot tub with any other cruisers, but I wouldn’t be comfortable in this space with a stranger. It was awkward. In the end, we ended up just leaning over the end of the hot tub and enjoying the views, which still made for a nice experience.
Was the Disney Dream Rainforest Room Worth It?
Overall, I think the $99 per person price for the Senses Spa Rainforest Room was well worth the cost for relaxation. The downside of the Rainforest Room is that there is no set pricing, and “worth it” can be subjective. Would I spend the $99 again? Absolutely! On the contrary, I would not spend the $250 per person for the Disney Wish Rainforest Room.
For a sailing with a packed itinerary with several excursions, I’m not sure purchasing a Rainforest Room pass would be economical to get your money’s worth. If relaxation is the main goal of your cruise, absolutely!
For families with small children who are unsure if they will stay at the kid’s clubs while you enjoy the Rainforest Room, I suggest heading to Senses Spa on embarkation day and trying to obtain a day pass. This is a more cost-effective option for anyone with uncertainty.
We will absolutely return to the Disney Dream Rainforest Room and look forward to testing out the Rainforest Rooms on the other Disney Cruise Line ships in the future!
Comments
Have you experienced the Disney Dream Rainforest Room? Do you enjoy the thermal suites on cruise ships? Drop us an anchor below to share your DCL Rainforest Room experiences.
Thank you for sharing about the rainforest room on DCL! This is something I absolutely want to experience in the future, however I have shied away from because of the pricing and did not know if I would be able to obtain a reservation. Now that I understand how this works, I am all in. Once I graduate from nursing school, a DCL is my gradation present to myself!!!
Glad this review was helpful. A cruise is a great graduation gift. If you need help planning the cruise, let us know.
I also tried the Rainforest Room over Spring Break 2024 on the Dream over a 4 day cruise. I feel that your review of the amenities available are accurate and provide a great overview of the experience. I personally did not leave with the feeling that the “length of cruise pass” was worth it for me. I enjoyed having time by myself, but I did not care for the constant upsell from the staff and workers that I experienced whenever I entered or left the spa. Even on the open house tour, I felt the spa staff was very pushy about upsells. It made me feel like I had to be on guard rather than thoroughly relaxed. I have visited several upscale spas before and have not had such high pressure sales.
Thanks for sharing your review. We are glad to hear our review was on par with your experiences. When is the next cruise?