We recently sailed on Norwegian Encore to Alaska and decided to upgrade our experience with passes to the Mandara Spa’s thermal suite. Is the NCL Thermal Suite worth it? In this post, we give you our honest opinion on whether you should splurge on passes for your next cruise.

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Is the NCL Thermal Suite Worth It?

Our recent sailing on Norwegian Encore was our sixth cruise to Alaska. So, we can tell you from experience that you are going to see and do a lot during your trip. There will be early morning calls into port. Scenic cruising, wildlife, and glacier sightings will have you up at dawn.

With the sun out until 10 pm or later during peak season, you will want to take in all of the majestic views until late in the evening as well.

Not to mention, Norwegian Encore herself also offers a variety of activities, dining, and entertainment to keep you busy from morning until night. Yes, the pools, the racetrack, and the waterslides are still open in Alaska, weather permitting of course.

With that said, you should definitely find some time for a little rest and relaxation. It’s true that there are many spots on Norwegian Encore to do just that. That’s one of the reasons that we love this class of ship.

There’s the indoor Observation Lounge, located all the way forward on Deck 15, featuring wall-to-wall glass windows overlooking the bow – making it the perfect place to watch the ship sail into port, which is particularly appealing in Alaska.

There’s also The Waterfront. This outdoor space on Deck 8 is a 1/3-of-a-mile-long promenade that gets you closer to the ocean. It is another perfect spot for glacier viewing and wildlife sighting. Or, for relaxing and enjoying the ocean breezes if sailing in a warmer destination.

Not to mention, we hope you took our advice and upgraded to a balcony cabin, especially in Alaska. This gives you another option to relax and admire the views from the comforts of your stateroom.

Though, we also think the NCL thermal suite is a hidden gem. While we find purchasing passes to this retreat perfect for Alaska when the weather can be cooler and more unpredictable, the thermal suite is also a great alternative to the busy pool deck when sailing warmer climates like the Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera.

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NCL Mandara Spa and Thermal Suite

The Mandara Spa on Norwegian Cruise Line is home to a variety of treatment rooms, where you can book all your typical spa treatments like massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. There’s also a beauty salon and barber shop for all your hair care needs.

Honestly, we are not typically big spa people. Though, we do enjoy thermal suites, and Norwegian Encore has one of the largest and best-equipped thermal suites at sea. So, we decided to purchase them for our cruise.

With that said, most ships in the NCL fleet do have thermal suite amenities available. While the offerings vary from ship to ship, the only NCL ships that do not currently have a thermal spa are Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Sky, Norwegian Sun, and Pride of America. However, Norwegian Joy will receive enhancements during an early 2024 dry dock which will include the addition of a thermal suite.

Guests can purchase cruise-long passes or day passes on port days based on availability. The NCL thermal suite is capacity controlled and the cost varies by ship. This relaxation zone is also reserved for those 18 years or older.

Norwegian Encore’s Thermal Suite

Norwegian Encore’s Thermal Suite is located completely aft on Deck 16 with 270’ floor-to-ceiling windows. It also features some of the best views on the ship. Think glacier viewing from a heated stone lounger or scenic cruising from the hydrotherapy pool.

Guests sailing on Norwegian Encore can purchase week-long passes, or day passes on port days based on availability, for the ultimate rejuvenation. During our Norwegian Encore cruise, the NCL thermal suite price was $339 for a 7-day pass. The thermal suite cost was $79 per person for a day pass.

These are limited to just 200 passes, which means it’s never too crowded. So, if you are definitely interested in this upgrade, we suggest you purchase early. Cruise-length passes can be purchased pre-cruise in your online planner or once you board the ship.

The Norwegian Encore thermal spa was open 8 AM to 10 PM during our Alaska cruise.

This spacious NCL thermal suite features several hot tile loungers as well as many additional padded lounge chairs.

There’s also a hydrotherapy pool with jets and a waterfall feature, as well as a tropical rain shower. Given the two pools on Norwegian Encore’s pool deck are both outdoors, splurging for thermal suite passes means it’s a pool day no matter the weather outside.

Other experiences include an aromatic steam bath and sanarium for purifying and detoxifying; a sauna to help relax muscles; a snow room for cooling off afterwards; and a salt room to help problems associated with respiratory illness, allergies, and skin irritations.

So, whether you choose to spend an hour here each day before or after your time ashore, or you opt to enjoy your scenic cruise through Glacier Bay from here, we highly recommend that you check out this thermal suite on Norwegian Encore. Or, on any NCL cruise ship for that matter. We’re so glad we did!

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Comments

Do you enjoy the NCL Thermal Suite when you cruise? Do you usually splurge on these upgrades during your vacation? Drop us an anchor below to share what you love about Norwegian’s spa amenities.