The Thermal Suite at Redemption Spa is the most distinctive wellness feature on any Virgin Voyages ship — a multi-room progressive spa journey that takes you from steam to salt to mud to plunge pools and heated marble benches, all within a two to three hour experience that leaves most Sailors wondering why they don’t live this way all the time.
It’s not included in your cruise fare. It is absolutely worth paying for.
The Rooms, In Order
The Thermal Suite is designed as a progressive journey, with each room preparing your body for the next. Here’s the recommended sequence:
- Steam Room: The starting point. Warm mist opens pores and prepares the skin for what follows. A few minutes here sets the tone for the whole experience.
- Salt Room: A mid-temperature room filled with vaporized salt crystals. Skin-invigorating, respiratory-clearing, and deeply relaxing. Considerably more interesting than a standard sauna.
- Mud Room: Apply the complimentary mud provided at check-in to your skin while in the warmth of this room. Let it sit, then rinse in the adjacent facilities. The mud is nutrient-rich and genuinely beneficial for the skin — not a gimmick.
- Sauna: Traditional dry heat for deep relaxation and detox. Time here alternated with cold plunges is the classic contrast therapy that delivers the most tangible physical benefits.
- Cold Plunge Pools: Two pools, each fitting two people, for cold water immersion after the heat rooms. The contrast between hot and cold is where the real recovery magic happens.
- Heated Plunge Pool: A warm soak option for those who prefer hydrotherapy without the shock of cold.
- Hydrotherapy Pool: The main pool feature of the Thermal Suite — lukewarm water with jets, suitable for longer stays and relaxation between other rooms.
- Heated Quartz Beds: The first quartz beds at sea. Lie on gently heated crystalline surfaces for passive relaxation that somehow manages to feel like active recovery. A genuinely novel experience.
Pricing
Thermal Suite passes are purchased onboard at the Redemption Spa reception:
- Port day pass (3 hours): approximately $59 per person
- Sea day pass (3 hours): approximately $79 per person
- Unlimited voyage pass: available for longer sailings, price varies by voyage length
Each person needs their own pass. Mega RockStar suite guests have unlimited complimentary access for the duration of their sailing. Most treatment bookings include complimentary Thermal Suite access as part of the service.
When to Go
Port day passes cost less and the suite is significantly less crowded — a meaningful quality-of-life difference. If your port day itinerary allows for a mid-morning or early afternoon Thermal Suite visit (perhaps when the port itself doesn’t appeal strongly), you get the lower price and a near-private experience. Sea day visits are worth it but book early — the suite can fill, particularly during afternoon hours.
Insider Tips from Joel and Erin
- Do the mud treatment near the end of your session, not the beginning. Your skin absorbs the mud more effectively after the steam and salt rooms have opened your pores. The sequence matters.
- Book port day passes for the savings and the solitude. $20 per person saved, significantly fewer people. On a 7-night sailing, that’s $280 saved for a couple on three visits.
- The quartz beds are genuinely unlike anything else at sea. Budget at least 20 minutes here. The heated crystalline surface has a quality of rest that is hard to describe and easy to miss if you rush through.
Ready to Sail?
Joel and Erin are certified Virgin Voyages First Mates. Let them help you plan a sailing where the Thermal Suite is built into your week from Day 1.
Book your Virgin Voyages cruise at CruisePlanner.pro — and melt into the Thermal Suite
