Spa etiquette in the thermal suites (a question)

[dennbr9]

OP has some control issues

 

 

How ( not so ) nice of you to point that out.:(

[goodroe]

How ( not so ) nice of you to point that out.:(

My apologies. I didn't mean to offend anyone, was just making a comment that is is just nice sometimes to have a quiet place. Sorry it came across as otherwise.

[Despegue]

Well, sauna and stea baths SHOULD always be taken naked, so I don't see the point in being horrified by that?! Textile and sauna do not go together.

However, I realize that HAL, although Dutch flagged, is catering mainly to the prude ,uptight Americans who rather spa with their swimsuits on...to me, THAT is ugh:mad:

[hrhdhd]

Not quite sure for all ships but I do know the Veendam does not have a large hydro pool in a separate room. It is basically a four-person hottub in the same room as the beds. I know all the Vista ships and both Signature ships have the hydro pool.

 

Yes, I believe the smaller ships have the hot tub in the same room with the loungers. I had a week's pass on the Ryndam, and it's not relaxing at all to hear people jabbering in the hot tub while trying to relax. I won't do the thermal suite on a smaller ship again.

[dockrocker]

Well, sauna and stea baths SHOULD always be taken naked, so I don't see the point in being horrified by that?! Textile and sauna do not go together.

However, I realize that HAL, although Dutch flagged, is catering mainly to the prude ,uptight Americans who rather spa with their swimsuits on...to me, THAT is ugh:mad:

 

 

A lot of Americans are prudish, and more than a few are uptight. But it's largely a matter of what people are used to and what they grew up with. Lots of Americans aren't particularly prudish and would like to feel freer about public nudity, but just can't quite take that step, not least because the U.S. media sends a more or less consistent message that bodily perfection is paramount and that you're a loser if you don't have it. Europeans don't get that same level of psychological abuse ;), so it's far easier for them to rise above silly expectations and be comfortable and realistic about their own bodies.

 

I'm never critical of other people's naked bodies, BTW -- I have nothing but admiration for their ability to walk around without clothes.

[Despegue]

I was a little harsh in claiming Americans to be uptight. I do not want to offend anyone, but I write quicker than I think it seems:rolleyes:

 

Prudish they are though in general;)

[hrhdhd]

I was a little harsh in claiming Americans to be uptight. I do not want to offend anyone, but I write quicker than I think it seems:rolleyes:

 

Prudish they are though in general;)

 

If "prudish" means I don't want to see some dude's junk in the sauna (never mind sit where he and his junk just sat), call me a prude. No offense taken. :rolleyes:

[dockrocker]

If "prudish" means I don't want to see some dude's junk in the sauna (never mind sit where he and his junk just sat), call me a prude. No offense taken. :rolleyes:

 

The etiquette for sauna-ing or steaming nude is that you sit on a towel.

 

I always get a kick out of guys who are paranoid about seeing other guys naked.

[Typhoon1]

I always get a kick out of guys who are paranoid about seeing other guys naked.

 

I have observed men pleasuring themselves in the sauna/steam. Not a big deal to me.

[hrhdhd]

The etiquette for sauna-ing or steaming nude is that you sit on a towel.

 

I always get a kick out of guys who are paranoid about seeing other guys naked.

 

I'm not a guy. :)

[bepsf]

I have observed men pleasuring themselves in the sauna/steam. Not a big deal to me.

 

So they were reading the comic section?

;)

[Copper10-8]

So they were reading the comic section?

;)

 

Marmaduke! Brilliant!;)

[babyher]

I have observed men pleasuring themselves in the sauna/steam. Not a big deal to me.

 

 

 

Kinda of hard to complain about smoking on balconies or kids in hot tubs after seeing a thing like that. :(

[dennbr9]

I was a little harsh in claiming Americans to be uptight. I do not want to offend anyone, but I write quicker than I think it seems:rolleyes:

 

Prudish they are though in general;)

 

Prudish? Not most of us. The Laws here dictate excepted behavior, written by prudish ( think Mayflower Covenant type) law makers maybe.

 

Some should also remember that many of those Prudish Americans, died in Europe about 65 years ago; they gave up more than there clothes then.

[babyher]

I was a little harsh in claiming Americans to be uptight. I do not want to offend anyone, but I write quicker than I think it seems:rolleyes:

 

Prudish they are though in general;)

 

 

It really does amaze me sometimes that we can be pretty uptight at times and yet we are the same country that spends close to a billion dollars a year on porn, and toys and adult paraphenalia of every kind. TV and movies push the envelope more and more every day. Go to any magazine rack and look at the "regular" magazine covers and everyone of them has a way to "drive her /him wild in bed", how to do it this way, that way all night long , etc etc

 

And then some celebrity had an affair and suddenly they should be tarred and feathered because they had sex.

[bepsf]

It really does amaze me sometimes that we can be pretty uptight at times and yet we are the same country that spends close to a billion dollars a year on porn, and toys and adult paraphenalia of every kind. TV and movies push the envelope more and more every day. Go to any magazine rack and look at the "regular" magazine covers and everyone of them has a way to "drive her /him wild in bed", how to do it this way, that way all night long , etc etc

 

And then some celebrity had an affair and suddenly they should be tarred and feathered because they had sex.

 

"Do as I Say, Not as I Do"

 

Ted Haggard, Senator Larry Craig, Jim Bakker, Mark Foley, Bob Allen, Glenn Murphy Jr., etc. : I'm looking at you

:mad:

[babyher]

"Do as I Say, Not as I Do"

 

Ted Haggard, Senator Larry Craig, Jim Bakker, Mark Foley, Bob Allen, Glenn Murphy Jr., etc. : I'm looking at you

:mad:

 

You got that right :)

 

A couple years ago about three or four of these adult places opened one right after the other in our town. The locakl gentry was up in arms and tried to have them closed down as dens of sin and depravity, and breeding grounds for crime. They had a big town meeting.

 

The Police chief got up with a big stack of files and told everyone in the six months they have been opened the police have not received one not one call for any reason to any of those places. The big stack of papers were the last six months calls they got for the mall in town and the high school. :)

 

He told the crowd "you want to keep your kids away from depravity and crime? Call them in sick from school and work at the mall and send them to the Pleasure Zone and The Fantasy Lounge *LOL*

[dockrocker]

Some should also remember that many of those Prudish Americans, died in Europe about 65 years ago; they gave up more than there clothes then.

 

Bing! We have a winner for Most Convoluted Entry in the continual American game of "We saved your butts in some war so SHUT UP with your criticism of anything American, no matter how wildly unrelated to that war we saved your butts in!!!!!"

 

Seriously, that was a classic. I doubt I'll ever see something of that quality again.

[dockrocker]

It really does amaze me sometimes that we can be pretty uptight at times and yet we are the same country that spends close to a billion dollars a year on porn, and toys and adult paraphenalia of every kind. TV and movies push the envelope more and more every day. Go to any magazine rack and look at the "regular" magazine covers and everyone of them has a way to "drive her /him wild in bed", how to do it this way, that way all night long , etc etc

 

And then some celebrity had an affair and suddenly they should be tarred and feathered because they had sex.

 

Two sides of the same immature view of sex: obsessing about it 24/7 and being wildly afraid of/judgmental about it.

[dockrocker]

Ted Haggard, Senator Larry Craig, Jim Bakker, Mark Foley, Bob Allen, Glenn Murphy Jr., etc. : I'm looking at you

:mad:

 

Bob Livingston, Henry Hyde, Helen Chenoweth, Newt Gingrich, Bob Packwood, David Vitter, John Ensign, Mark Sanford...

 

...but my personal favorites are the aforementioned Bob Allen (priceless!) and George Rekers (heartstoppingly funny).

[callmedeb]

I LOVE the thermal spa and understand being perturbed by the "loud talkers" I have my own solution...

 

Headphones (not in the pool obv.)

 

Headphones and my iPOD have saved my experience more than once.

 

Cheers,

 

Deb

 

ALSO? PLEASE wake me up if I'm snoring. It will be more than appreciated.

[Seavoyage]

Cuurious to hear opinions on these issues...

 

Has anyone else had their thermal suite experience intruded upon by people using the space to socialize? I've experienced many times where several people will use the thermal chairs, steam room, or sauna and talk (and talk and talk). Do they not see the 'quiet please' sign on the door?

 

So my first question is... Am I alone in thinking that the thermal suite is a place for meditation and deep relaxation where silence should be honored? And if you've had the same experience how have you approached spa talkers? There are soooo many other places on a ship to talk and socialize (bars, pool decks, lido, cafe) can't this be one place for silence? We go on cruises to disconnect from the grind and relax (deeply) so this space is important to us.

 

My second question is... Do people not understand that the thermal suite (for many) is meant to be done on a cycle? Thermal chairs, then sauna, then steam room, then shower, and repeat. You shouldn't 'save' a thermal chair while you are in the steam room or sauna because that's when another person needs to be using it. Then in 20 minutes or so you trade. This is especially important on busy days.

 

Thanks for any thoughts or opinions!

 

Hi There Spud -

 

Great post and thoughts...

 

What always irks me is when you have folks that plop their fannies in the thermal chairs and read an entire novel and act like it's ok!!

Drives me nuts - they are so rude!!! I'd like to bring some canned air horn in there and teach em' a lesson!